[alfa] Re: Next week's sermon

[George Graves <gmgraves@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sep 21, 2004, at 2:34 PM, alfa-digest wrote:

> Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 12:49:31 -0700
> From: alfacybersite <acs@domain.elided>
> Subject: [alfa] Next week's sermon
>
> I said, "Next Sunday's sermon will be entitled "Front Wheel Drive. 
> Why?"
>
> George Graves responded, "Because it makes it easier (read that 
> cheaper)
> to assemble the car."
>
> To be honest "Next Weeks Sermon" was an idle threat. That subject has
> been beat "almost" completely to death.
True. That's why the quick comment.

> That said...yeah, I would have made a brief comment regarding the cost
> factor on being able to drop the entire engine / drivetrain into the
> engine bay in one big ugly lump, but only in an ironic way. For me the
> tie-in between rubber belts vs chains is that both some (don't ask me 
> to
> name names) manufacturers are returning to "the chain" along with some
> manufacturers adding rear wheel drive to their front drivers. Boy, that
> has to Really save them a bunch of dough.
Well, there are several considerations here. First of all, some mfgrs 
have had some bad luck with belts causing them to have to eat the costs 
of expensive rebuilds. Secondly, todays manufacturing processes make 
the savings that were once enjoyed by FWD over RWD probably a wash, but 
more importantly, both belts and FWD seem to be going out of favor with 
buyers. Since car companies want to sell cars....



> My take is they don't want to admit that switching over to front wheel
> drive exclusively might not have been the best idea...in all cases, so
> this sort of gets them off the hook without embarrassing themselves too
> terribly much. I am, however, admitting there are times when front 
> wheel
> drive certainly has its benefits - other than just the cost factor.
Yeah. In the snow for instance, FWD has distinct advantages, other than 
that, I can't think of a thing. Now AWD, is another matter.

> I can't think of anything nice to say about rubber timing belts though.
They're cheap. The belt for a 12-valve Alfa V-6 is $22 from Goodyear.


> Biba
> Irwindale, CA USA
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