Scouting, Volume 71, Number 5, October 1983 Page: 16
82 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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ON THE
MOVE
News and
information
for owners of
cars, trucks,
and recreational
vehicles.
By Ed Janicki
What do some top auto designers think of today's
auto design? "There are just too many look-alikes
on the road today," says Bill Mitchell, retired
General Motors design boss. "People are bored.
They're starving for beauty, for some identity."
Mitchell argues that designers "have gone from
the box to the bubble" in their latest aerodynamic
study vehicles.
"In the old days," he added, "you could tell a
Mercedes from a Packard or a Duesenberg be-
cause they were classic designs with their own
personalities. Now they all look like glass bricks;
they show very little imagination."
Woe be to gas stations. An experimental com-
muter car that gets 100 miles per gallon is being
displayed around the country by General Motors.
Dubbed the TPC, for Two-Passenger Commuter,
it has achieved 102 miles per gallon at a steady 40
miles per hour.
The little car was developed to determine the
practical limits of fuel economy and was designed
without conforming to current safety and emission
standards. "Even though GM won't be making a
car exactly like this one," GM President Jim
McDonald said recently, "it will provide valuable
experience as we design and engineer future
production vehicles."
On government testing schedules, the TPC
achieved 68 m.p.g. in the city and 95 m.p.g. on the
highway. The four-gallon fuel tank gives it a range
of 270 miles—and more on the highway.
The TPC has front-wheel drive, an experimen-
tal three-cylinder gas engine, and a manual five-
speed transmission. It is 128 inches long, 33 shorter
than the Chevette. Even so, the design permits two
occupants more space than in the front seat of the
Chevette.
The high mileage was achieved by a combina-
tion of aerodynamics and newly designed lighter
hardware. Aerodynamic features include a sharp-
ly-sloped hood, tapered front fenders, no outside
rearview mirrors, and flush glass. Roll down
windows were eliminated to save weight and
space.
Detroit is once again talking about offering cars
that don't rust for 10 years. The 10-year autobody
era will begin with some 1984 models. It'll be
ushered in with introduction of Chrysler Corpor-
16
ation's new garageable minivan, code-named
T-l 15 and slated for October launch. It's expected
to become the industry leader in anticorrosion
applications.
"People keep their vehicles longer," says a
Chrysler body engineer. "Cars can't turn into two
tons of rust before the payments are completed, or
owners go to some other make at trade-in time."
A pamphlet which advises car owners how best to
deal with mechanics is available without charge
from the Automotive Information Council. Enti-
tled Communicate with Your Mechanic and Save,
the folder offers tips on how to describe problems
to the mechanic or service writer, preparation of a
written list of problems, what to look for when in
selecting a service facility, how to make better use
of the owner's manual, and other points of advice.
Both government and industry studies show that
the biggest reason for service complaints is a lack
of proper communication between the car owner
and the service facility. AIC says the folder will
help eliminate those problems.
Single copies are free by sending a self-ad-
dressed, stamped envelope to Automotive Infor-
mation Council 29200 Southfield Road. South-
field, Mich. 48076. Order in quantity at $6 per
hundred copies, postage-paid. Space is provided
for an organization's imprint. AIC said the folder
is an ideal giveaway for civic organizations, auto
associations, service facilities, parts stores, and
others interested in promoting better auto service.
Believe-it-or-not: A car body engineer told me
something I can't believe. He says Chrysler go-go
chief Lee Iacocca plans to bring out a car that
should really make headlines: a sporty coupe with
a rumble seat (that's an open seat in the trunk area,
for the information of you youngsters who don't
know that we had such cars back in the 1930s).
Ford has announced a new lifetime service guar-
antee that will protect owners from having to pay
more than once for certain repairs for as long as
they own their vehicles. Customers must pay the
first time for repairs, but not for subsequent repair
of the same item. Items covered include engine
and transmission, suspension, heating, cooling,
and the electrical system.
With the price difference between leaded and
unleaded fuel, the Service Station Dealers of
America estimates that about 20 percent of all
motorists are putting leaded fuel into cars de-
signed to burn unleaded. The practice damages or
ruins the catalytic converter, adding to air pollu-
tion, but motorists don't seem to care.
The much-maligned EPA mileage ratings soon
may be reduced five to 10 percent for city driving
and 20 to 25 percent for highway driving. Current
ratings come from laboratory tests, not on-the-
road driving. The automakers and their dealers
favor the change to reduce complaints from
owners who don't receive the mileage posted on
the window sticker. ■
October 1983 Scouting
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 71, Number 5, October 1983, periodical, October 1983; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353543/m1/16/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.