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Dinoman
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
I mentioned awhile back that when my sunvisor is pivoted to the left it makes a terrible noise when going over the smallest bump. I have listened for other noise, with the sunvisor snapped in place on the windshield header, and the radio turned off. On any road irregularity, my left rear suspension makes an inordinate amount of noise. Perhaps the right does as well, but being closer to the left side of the car, I am only aware of the noise from the left rear suspension. Has anyone else noticed this? Am my ears too sensitive for their own good? It can really be disconcerting in heavy traffic, and distracting as well.  Dinoman |
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bufobob
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
Gosh, my sunvisors don't even pivot (I didn't get that package).
My wife and I agree that the SLK is VERY quiet when compared to our old Boxter S and 1974 246GTS (two autos which I know you're very familiar with!). Maybe when you think that you hear squeeks and clunks you should switch back for a day!!  |
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Dinoman
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
Bufobob, An interesting sidelight on the pivoting sunvisors: one of my pet peeves with the Boxster is that the sunvisors don't pivot. I drive south to work in the morning, with the rising sun in my eyes. I drive home north in the evening, with the setting (or at least low) sun in my eyes. I thought it barbaric that the visors didn't pivot. I got the SLK, and not only does the sunvisor make a racket over the slightest bump, it is so small that a chipmunk would get no relief from the sun. You're not missing much, believe me. The nicest arrangement I ever had was on a 1989 Lincoln Continental. Not only did the large sunvisors pivot, but when they did so, a secondary sunvisor was underneath (in the forward direction), and a small third visor came down behind the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, Ford's warranty was terrible, and it is the last Ford product that I will ever own. What color was your 246 GTS, and how did you like it? I always enjoy talking with a fellow Dino owner, even if not in person.  Dinoman |
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RonJeffries
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
bufobob - 5/16/2006 10:35 AM
Gosh, my sunvisors don't even pivot (I didn't get that package).
My wife and I agree that the SLK is VERY quiet when compared to our old Boxter S and 1974 246GTS (two autos which I know you're very familiar with!). Maybe when you think that you hear squeeks and clunks you should switch back for a day!! :dunce:
They may make noise, but the 246 is in my opinion one of the best-looking cars in the world. I'd accept a little noise. |
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Dinoman
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
Ron, I have to admit, thirty minutes in a Dino at cruising speed, listening to the whine of the gears and the roar of the intake, just behind your left ear, is better than an hour with the finest shrink available!  Dinoman |
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bclark
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
Don't forget the beauty of loud music. Out of "sight,"
out of mind.  |
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Dinoman
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
Loud music in a Dino usually refers to the engine at anything above 4,000 rpm (redline is 7,800). Any other type of loud music is great while in the garage or the driveway--with the engine off! Rock music in particular sounds cacophonous while driving. Classical music is okay. Wagner, in particular, would be a good choice. One final suggestion--anything Neopolitan from any of the three tenors (or all three!).
Dinoman |
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bufobob
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
Dinoman - 5/15/2006 7:54 PM
Bufobob, What color was your 246 GTS, and how did you like it? I always enjoy talking with a fellow Dino owner, even if not in person. Dinoman
Had a fire-engine red. I loved the sound of the engine. Heavy clutch but great shift feel and great heal-and- toe. Mine had great mechanicals but intermittent electrical problems. I sold it a few years ago and last year also sold a 1954 MGTD with similar electrical issues. I'm reminded of the saying "The second best thing you can do is buy a boat; the best is when you sell it". I guess if I had a five car garage I might have kept them but I don't really miss them. It's nice to know that I can go for a long drive in the canyons and not be excessively concerned with breaking down
How but uploading a photo of all your toys together? |
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Dinoman
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
Bufobob, I had a lot of pictures of the five cars taken by a friend last Saturday. He is going to send me a CD, and I will then attempt to upload them. On the subject of electrics, since you owned a Dino (which has Lucas relays) and an MG (likely, also Lucas equipped), you might enjoy this saying about Joseph Lucas, aka "The Prince of Darkness:" "The motto of all Lucas Electric employees is: 'A hard day's work, then home before dark!'" I have had a few minor electrical glitches over the years, but after 30 years with one Dino and 23 with the other, they have been quite reliable, on the whole. I pity the owners of late-model Ferraris, most of which have cam belts, not chains. The belts must be replaced every 15,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first. The procedure involves a lot of bending over on the part of the owner! By the way, does your screen name have anything to do with a childhood love of Howdy Doody? I don't know your age, but your picture looks suspiciously like one from my grade school days! Dinoman |
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bufobob
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
It's quite fun reading posts in these forums complaining about electrical gremlins. Those old Lucas electronics were more that a nuisance: they were downright DANGEROUS!. I had a Lotus Europa that would simply quit at the worst times. The "official fix" according the the dealer was to carry a 1 meter long stick (the diameter os a baseball bat) and whack the alternator (it worked every time).
My screen name is actually a tribute to the genus Bufo (Bufo and Rana are the main genera of frogs/toads). My wife & I met while studying a population of Bufo for parasites while trying to determine why all the amphibians were dying in a small lake in central Calfornia. Aren't you sorry you asked!!??
Maybe you can try to upload a sound file of clunks that the SLK makes and we can amass a Rattle/Clunk/Wheee database  |
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Dinoman
Date registered: Dec 1899
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| RE: Things That Go "Clunk"--and Not Just in the Night!
Bufobob, You might laugh at this, but somehow the front end of the R171 (particularly the bulging projector beams that seem to stretch the plastic lens), and the general squattiness of the car itself, has always reminded me in a small way of a frog. It looks as though it would be as comfortable in the water as on land. Maybe someone should do a soundtrack of frog mating calls, instead!  Dinoman |
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