I suppose it all depends on how you drive. :-) John
On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 17:29:44 +0100, P. J. Alling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I've had transmissions blow on three cars, two front wheel drive, one > rear wheel drive. The front drivers were 1.) SAAB 99 unrepairable due > to cost. (More than 4 times what I paid for the car and and least 8 > times what the car was worth at the time, almost entirely due to labor > costs). Saturn SC2, I had it fixed, (cost about 1/2 the remaining > value in the car, without the repair the car was worth $0, once again > almost entirely due to labor costs). Rear wheel drive Toyota Corolla, > (the old square back ones that looked like a better designed AMC > Gremlin). The replacement cost was trivial, the used transmission was > about the same cost taking inflation into account as for the SAAB and > the Saturn, but labor was $65. Adjust for inflation and we're talking a > cool $125.00. > > John Forbes wrote: > >> I've never owned a car (and I have owned many) which needed repairs to >> the >> suspension or transmission. I can well believe that such repairs would >> be >> more expensive on a front-drive car, but if repairs are never needed, >> the >> cost of them is academic. >> >> John >> >> On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 16:33:20 +0100, Adam Maas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> wrote: >> >> >> >>> Godfrey, >>> >>> The co-location of steering and drive makes even the simplest FWD car >>> more mechanically complex than a RWD car, even if both have fully >>> independant suspensions. The CV joints and drive shafts are what drive >>> up the cost of repair, sometimes by quite a lot. Also transaxles are >>> more difficult to work on as they are more mechanically complex >>> (Primarily due to co-locating the differential and transmission). >>> >>> Ironically FWD is once again becoming restricted to smaller cars where >>> it belongs as the superior handling and accelleration characteristics >>> of >>> RWD cars is making them more popular once again. And FWD cars only have >>> superior traction under very limited circumstances. RWD gives superior >>> traction under accelleration and also loses traction much later under >>> hard cornering. FWD overloads the fornt tires cause earlier traction >>> loss and a tendency to understeer badly when things go wrong. >>> >>> -Adam >>> >>> >>> Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote: >>> >>> >>>> On Jul 21, 2006, at 7:14 PM, P. J. Alling wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>> It's much like front >>>>> engine drive automobiles. The cost much less to manufacture and >>>>> design. Repair becomes much more problematic, and the advantage to >>>>> the >>>>> driver isn't necessarily that great. >>>>> >>>>> >>>> HUH? >>>> >>>> Front engine, rear drive cars were the norm for decades because they >>>> were simpler to design and cheaper to manufacture. >>>> >>>> Front engine/front drive designs were invented >>>> >>>> - to improve traction by putting the power system's weight over the >>>> driving wheels >>>> - to increase space for carrying passengers relative to the vehicle >>>> total volume, allowing smaller, lighter vehicles >>>> - to lower costs to the buyers >>>> >>>> All of these are benefits that have advantage. Experience and >>>> development in the designing and manufacturing of front drive cars >>>> over the past 30 years has brought the cost of manufacture down to >>>> match that of front engine/rear drive cars. >>>> >>>> I don't see how "repairs become much more problematic". The only >>>> thing that becomes more difficult to repair about a front drive car >>>> vs a typical front engine/rear drive car is the fact that the engine >>>> and transmission are enclosed in a smaller space so it can be a >>>> little more difficult to get to the parts. If you've ever worked on >>>> any densely packed machinery (try a 1966 Jaguar XK-E, for instance) >>>> you'd understand that this is a function of how much machinery you're >>>> putting into how much space, not a matter of front drive vs rear >>>> drive. >>>> >>>> Godfrey >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >> >> >> >> >> > > -- Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/ -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
