> > > Even normally reliable American parts, once you put it into a British
> > > car, it's going to start acting up!
> > Could be worse. Could be Bosch.
>
> I couldn't let this bald snub pass without comment.
(Heh. Got one. Ever play Whack-A-Mole, John? You put in
a quarter, a toy mole pops its head up, and you get to go
BONK on it with a rubber mallet. Highly satisfying... but
this is the britcars list and not alt.peeves, so I'll be
nice... :-)
> First, what kind of American part is it that you think
> is "normally reliable"? I have yet to find even one
> such part, regardless of the car it is installed on.
Let us all observe a moment of passing for my '65 Chevelle Super
Sport, which was indeed a reliable American car. I sold it to
someone who plans to restore it; I don't have time for that many
project cars. During the seven years or so that we owned it, I
don't think I ever had to replace any component twice, other than
spark plugs and filters. And just to rub John's nose (or maybe,
given his comment above, "bald spot" would be more appropriate,
whether or not he has hair :-), I wrecked the alternator through
poor work habits -- actually, I connected up a new battery wrong
("postive earth? negative earth? Damn, which one is it on this car?")
and fried the diode. So I went to Kragen, where not only did they
have one in stock, but for $23.95 I bought a new alternator with
a "lifetime guarantee." At prices like that, parts don't HAVE to
be reliable.
Hmmm... Maybe that's Roger's problem, he's connecting up those
American parts with the ground and hot leads backwards from too
many years of seeing the signs under the bonnet reading, "THIS
VEHICLE WIRED NEGATIVE EARTH"! :-)
Anyway, I once used the Chevelle to rescue Kim when she was stuck
in Das Boot down in King City. I wanted to take the MG just to
make a statement, but she had Torrey with her and there was no place
to put the kid-seat in the B. Driving a 23-year-old Shivvy to rescue
someone whose four-year-old Fahrvergnuegen had crapped out in the
middle of nowhere was a lesson I haven't forgotten.
> And if you don't like Bosch, try Magnetti Marelli!
> Now there's a "strand you on the highway" make of
> electricals...
I just celebrated the blessed event of ridding myself of the last car
I will ever own with Bosch electricals. It is perhaps worth pointing
out that I have had, on numerous occasions, to rescue my wife (and
to have her rescue me) in English, American, and even (gasp) Swedish
cars when that one failed.
I suppose it's not entirely the fault of Hieronymus -- er, Robert
Bosch Electricals. The real problem is that the car was built with
the relay panel (and why do you need relays anyway?) in a place
that trapped water. A typical problem was that a key relay (usually
the fuel pump) would fill up with water in rainstorms, the car would
shut down, and I'd have to call for someone with a running vehicle.
I finally got wise and Permatexed the relay shut. Then I got even
wiser and sold the car. Now I'm the wisest guy on the list...
By the way, John, did you know that Lucas now own Marelli?
--Scott "BONK BONK BONK" Fisher
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