Motorweek; 1737

You don't. Miss time on motorways full size four doors down south. We try life with an electric car and Volvo opens up the C-17 to come drive with us. Motor. TVs original automotive magazines brought to you by super clean all wheel cleaner. The cleaner that releases brake dust and

grime from all types of wheels on contact no matter what age your car. Castrol super clean all wheel cleaner. Your host for Motor Week. John Davis. Hello and welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. What happens when you put a bunch of car guys in some of America's biggest sedans and turn them loose on the roads of America's Deep South. You get a travelogue motor wake style but it's much more than just scenic stops at automotive attractions. It's also a good look at how full size domestic for doors perform in their natural environment. When the wide open spaces a four lane highways to the twisting byways of downhome Dixie and it's a chance for us to get out of the office. So come along for a big sedans and a big south. We began our dash through Dixie just outside of Atlanta Georgia at the chateau Iwan winery in resort where we met up with our full size foursome the

Buick Le saber as America's top selling large car the Mercury Grand Marquis represents the last of the big rear drive be a cruiser. The Chrysler Concorde can be thought of as the style leader of the bunch with its ultramodern down forward design while the Toyota Avalon seem to be the odd man out in our group. We included it here since it is American made and available with the six passengers seated so warmed by the Grand Lodges southern hospitality market group braved the unseasonably cold weather and sat out for our first stop. Smyrna Georgia and a wonderful little shop called auto motif. Just as the name implies owner Milt Hill has assembled the best collection we've seen of the die cast and plastic models books and magazines and you name it. If you're a car collector This place is a must see. It took great willpower not to NPR while it's so early in the week although some showed more restraint than others. Halfway to Chattanooga and the small town of white is old car City USA

here Dean Lewis presides over some 34 acres of automotive history. You can't just wander the fields like we did or snap up a restorable rounded his weekly sale this yards got a thousand stories and knows most of them it was here too that we took a closer look at our Buick Le Saber. It's an elegant body can turn even a classic master green with envy. From the narrow waterfall grill to the tapered rear the saber is graceful at every turn. The interior of our Buick Le Saber Ltd is traditional American big car a flat expanse of Dash visibility is good although the outside mirrors are very small. I like having the seat controls right here on the armrest although I do wish we had some lumbar or just the redundant controls on the steering wheel are very nice. So is being able to set the temperature separately for the passenger. All in all not a bad interior from Buick. Power is not bad either. Coming from a thirty eight hundred series to be six with 205 horsepower and 230 pound feet of torque it makes those long highway

stretches seem effortless and easy on the wallet too with mileage estimated that 100 city and 30 on the highway. The Buick life saver packs all full lineup of features for its twenty five thousand seven hundred ninety dollars base price even loaded up with leather trim Grand Touring package and traction control. Our test model holds the bottom line at twenty eight thousand three hundred eighty six dollars. Before leaving old car City we had to pay tribute to help with his last car 1977 link and pasted its own vinyl trunk. Moving on down the road we found ourselves next in Huntsville Alabama at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Besides hosting the excellent space camp program the museum houses a fine array of space vehicles like the lunar rover and Sky Lab as well as interactive exhibits for space fans of all ages. Forgive the obvious fun but we couldn't resist parking our mercury amid the outdoor collection of mercury Saturn and Jupiter rockets while our Grand Marquis

could match them both. Trust the 4.6 leaders single overhead can be a held its own in our bunch pumping out 215 horsepower and 275 pound feet of torque even though its basic design is as old as some of those rockets mortars done a great job of keeping it up to date. Styling is still brick like but appealing in a traditional way. EPA mileage estimates stand at 17 city and 24 on the open road. Nothing says Highway crews are like the interior of this Mercury Grand Marquis. I like the rich looking interior trim and I also like the controls on the door here their very Mercedes like this is also the only one of our group that's got power lumbar just for the driver. I prefer the standard analog gauges to this digital unit and the cup holder if you use it it blocks the temperature controls on the climate system that's not a good design. Pricing is right on par with a base of twenty three thousand seven hundred ninety dollars. Pull up with the handling and luxury packages are as tested. Price is within 30 dollars of the

Buicks. That's twenty eight thousand four hundred fifty dollars. One hundred miles below Huntsville is Alabama's big city of Birmingham where a car lover there's plenty to see and do within an hour's drive of here like us. Mercedes-Benz Visitors Center an M plaster factory tour in Tuscaloosa. But we suggest you start right downtown at Harvard Motorsports Museum for a bit of two wheeled overload. Here you'll see over 300 Brayer an interesting motorcycles for makers you may never have heard up all in perfect running order. Curiously many of the exhibits are encased in glass a necessity from the early years when a dusty restoration shop shared the floor with the collection. The shop is in the back now but the glass cases remain and make for a tidy layout. Our Toyota Avalon X LS has a tidy layout to its conservative lines have a generic import car flavor. But it was designed and it is built solely in North America. The Avalon is powered by a relator 24 valve B6 and

produces 200 horsepower and 214 pound feet of torque. The lowest of our group and we asked Lisa barrow to sum up our thoughts on the Avalon. That's why Avalon is a bit dull to the eye but everything is well laid out. The huge buttons are Easynews even with gloves on or if you have a little arthritis in your hands taller drivers are going to want a little more see travel and even though the Avalon with a bench seat is rated for six passengers I suspect it's going to be a tight fit. On a plus note import owners will feel right at home inside the Avalon. The Avalon has a lot going for it like superior fit in printed superb ride and handling and good visibility. It's also economical with the EPA estimates of 21 city and 30 highway. The price is another story however. Twenty eight thousand one hundred twenty dollars to start and thirty one thousand one hundred fifty eight dollars as you see it here. That's a significant difference in such a tightly packed group. This part of the world has died in the wool NASCAR country. So we decided to wind up

our tour at Talladega Superspeedway and the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame. Five hall celebrate every form of racing from stock cars to go carts. The displays are organized a bit haphazardly so you need to spend some time wandering around to get the most out of your visit. Fittingly enough we chose this spot to photograph our Chrysler Concord LXI. Since most of us including Lisa were ready to enshrined it is our pick for best of the bunch. The Chrysler Concorde is not only the newest But by far the most modern of all the cars were testing. You notice the lines throughout the interior are very artistic. I'd like to see a longer scene from what I support and I did notice a bit more road noise than with some of the other vehicles. But when you're in the Concorde you definitely feel like you're driving the full sized car of the future. Chrysler's latest generation 3.2 leaders seasick motivates the Concorde with 225 horsepower 225 pounds he took the. EPA mileage estimates are on board with the rest of our group in 1970 and 29

highway. The Concorde kits are not styling interior layout usable space especially in the current is strong. It looks like you could mark the gamble on it. Of course the bargain basement pricing certainly helped that's caused you a sticker is twenty one thousand three hundred five dollars. While our tester with the match where payment at a low twenty five thousand six hundred seventy five dollars the American self has a street culture of automotive enthusiasm that's unlike any other part of our country and our week spent touring Alabama and Georgia has just fueled our desire for more such adventure. The Mercury Grand Marquis Toyota Avalon Buick was Saber and Chrysler Concorde are rolling through that the big American sedan is alive and well and if you're going to drive the big south you might as well do it in big stone. Coming up the electric lights. Show pad motor weeks top technician a car problem and chances are he'll show

you a solution because in 30 years of fixing cars there's very little that pad hasn't seen. So let's see what he's got for us this week. John one of the things that makes an automobile look old long before it's time is boardings. Now whether that boarding happens is the result of a runaway shopping cart in a shopping center or from that inconsiderate individual in a car next to you that slams their door into yours. Well the result is the same you've got a messy looking automobile. Well in the past you had one of two choices that was to live with it or to take the car to the body shop where they're going to straighten the metal grind away the plastic filler in it then they're going to really finish the car. And what you wind up with is a big bill and possibly that didn't matter. Well I found a better way. This is what I would recommend. If your car qualifies. So not all dance and not all cars will qualify for this process. The process is didn't remove all. And it has some significant advantages.

A technician will use an assortment of rather strange looking tools to bring the dent back from the backside of the panel because the paint on most automobiles is reasonably functional This can be done without the necessity to repaint the panels. This will be a little bit of careful hammering. Now if you think this looks easy believe me it's not. This is definitely not a do it yourself repair. It requires a lot of experience. As you can see our shopping cart things are all gone. Now there's some advantages here. First we have the original paint on the car and that means there's no problem with color match. And because it is original the paint is going to weather at the same rate that the rest of the paint on the car well. Clearly this is the best way to go as far as I'm concerned. If you have a question or comment write to me. If I use your letter on the air I'll send you a motor week teacher. The address is Motor Week always Mills Maryland 2 1 1 0

1 7. Our car of the week is in 1964 Citron to see the douche of a wonderfully quirky yet surprisingly advanced little French car that rivals the boat's wagon beetle for pure charm. This example one of over five million build is owned by Ben Lamar of Half Moon Bay California. Now if you have a car that's as much fun as this one submitted least two good color photos to Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7 0. You know there's a lot of concern today about environmental problems and enough possible solutions especially involving cars for any two planets. But while people are asked to support a wide range of possible cures for what ails our good all earth very few of us actually know what it would be like to live with those remedies. So Lisa Barrow set out to try one of the most trendy ones and bring us an

f y i report on the realities of driving in a world gone green. Miss Lisa barrow from Motor Week is here today and we're going to talk a little bit about electric cars and we're even going to get to see an electric car and I know everybody has lots of questions they want to ask. Our Honda Eevee Plus test car arrived two weeks ago skeptical at first getting with it has been a positive experience. So we decided to let future drivers who could be driving electric divorce get acquainted with their you want to override. Yeah yeah OK. You know right now the car is going to turn it on. So if you notice a difference. That's right. Yeah it's on right now ready to go cold. I barely heard anything like that right. All right all right. Well I found it really well you know yeah even the bumps with the front wheel drive for passenger Eevee Plus has a single speed transmission and weighs 30 600

pounds. High voltage electronics are housed in this liquid cooled electronic power control system hidden underneath is a high efficiency permanent magnet motor and under the passenger compartment you'll find the batteries. We use nickel metal hydride batteries and you see those in cell phones. Portable computers and many other products they've just been scaled up on a prototype level for electric vehicles and Honda was the first to introduce them nickel metal hydride batteries have the potential of twice the range of conventional lead acid batteries and Honda predicts they'll last for five years. On paper the Eevee plus gets a range of one hundred twenty five miles with real world driving you can expect to go 60 to 80 miles. The instrument panel display lets you know how much charge is left in the batteries and also calculates how far you can go conservative driving gave us a range of 82 miles with 20 percent of the juice left in the battery.

Pushing it behind the wheel. Reduced our range by 20 miles. Charging the batteries is clean and easy. It uses a conductive charging system and takes six to eight hours when connected to a 220 volt circuit line 110 can be used but it's a much slower process. Regular users are born increase of a dollar a day to their electric bills. Step inside and you'll feel right at home. It's just like any other modern car on the road today. And it's loaded with all the amenities that you're used to. Like electric windows and locks has a tilt steering wheel an automatic climate control system and an AM FM radio and you might be surprised to find out it even has a CD player. Everything's nicely laid out and there's loads of legen headroom. Now around that there's a fair amount of cargo space. But if you find you need more the seats fold down. One of the really nice features of an electric drive train is the ability to

recapture your forward momentum and use it to recharge the batteries. This occurs when you're coasting and also when you're breaking the Honda Eevee Plus is no NSX but exhilaration is adequate zero to 30 years 1.9 seconds and hours 0 to 60 time was 16 seconds. Top speed isn't needed to 80 mph. You kept a log book in the car and here's what other motor weekers had to say. You have to change your driving style and look and think farther ahead than with a conventional car. It will handle highway speeds but has minimal passing power because speed increases so gradually. Energy management is crucial. It's fun to watch the dash display and try and maximize your mileage. It makes driving a little more challenging. Honda will build 380 pluses over a three year period. One hundred and fifty are already on the road and can be leased book one hundred fifty five dollars a month which includes collision and comprehensive insurance coverage all maintenance and 24 hour roadside assistance. The cars are available only in California but are being tested in New York and Massachusetts.

If they prove popular Honda could expand the program to more states which just might put these future drivers in an electric car when it's their turn at the wheel. Our long term review this week starts with this Cadillac a terre sedan. This German made entry level luxury car has continued to gain converts after a slow ragged start. No surprise since the guitar as an Opel Omega roots make it the fun to drive bargain in its plans. Although we do wish it was a few hundred pounds lighter so be all aluminum B6 didn't have to work so hard. Mileage has been rock steady at twenty one point five after 11 months and 22000 miles. The only problem this round is a strange buzzing sound as you engage the turn signal. We'll check it out right after we check up on the forester Sybaris first sport utility vehicle. We love the forester for its agility well-thought-out interior and fine mileage. Twenty two point one after four months in about ninety five

hundred miles. But we don't buy about the forester and the rest of the compact SUV gang is that they are really mainstream family vehicles for a family of two and their dog. Maybe the forester is however the perfect second or third car for suburbia right sized for commuting or running errands with automatic all wheel drive traction. It's a reliable design too since our example has been flawless so far. Next week to import brand domestics the Toyotas Sienna minivan and Nissan Altima sedan on motorways long term road test update. Now we go from the future back to the future. Here's Lisa barrow again with all the latest Motor News. Anti-lock brakes have been a great source of controversy for some time now. Many drivers still don't understand how to use this important safety device. We're happy to report that one brake manufacturer Automotive is bringing abs education to the people as part of their drive safer America campaign

recently unveiled this million dollar state of the art abs simulator designed to teach motorists all there is to know about the 4 wheel antilock brakes. Once you're inside the trailer with the video over here that gives you no overview of yours fall on the walls and very valuable information. What is abs abs and I'll tell you right now. Very slick video here that actually shows you with animation you know where you are in the corner. Unsound demonstration. Policy. Thank you. Instructions when you get your car in a trailer. That's right and without the motion simulator allows you to experience how a vehicle reacts in a crash situation

when. Clearly in the my mind after I experience the simulator is that when you actively do it right and you stomp on the brakes you stay on the brake pedal and then you're able to steer the vehicle that you finally get that in your head so that you don't know the proper way to utilize and drive the vehicle with antilock brakes. Beginning in June. Look for the 18 wheel the ABS demo truck and shopping mall auto shows and racing events across the country. At the end of the day we hope what happens is that the customer will go through the exhibit understand the merits of abs and come out of there saying I not only have to have it in my next car but I know it's going to help me prevent accidents in the future and I know how to use it. Major image changes are common in politics and the entertainment industry but in the normally conservative auto industry an all new look is big news. The kind of news that evolve always been making with cars like the exquisite see 70

coupe and now a Volvo is set to make even bigger headlines with its first rag top and nearly 30 years. The C 70 convertible from boring steel boxes to open air fun. This is one major make over. Volvo's new C-7 convertible has all the elements necessary to make the first really successful rock top and Volvo history. The first was the oh before order a cup of 1927 just over 200 were built. Next came the unusual looking p nine thousand nine hundred one thousand fifty six with a production run of only 67 convertible. But we expect things to be different for Bobo's third drop car. Running alone should sell this one. It's pure AC 70 move in all the right places yet still instantly identifiable as a Volvo. Very important when you're reaching out to buyers that valued safety as much as performance or styling.

But the C 70 convertible has enough of all three performance come from both 2.5 liter 20 valve inline 5 cylinder engine which reduces 190 horsepower at one hundred ninety nine pound feet of torque. Thanks for the boost above like pressure turbo charger. The coops 236 horsepower high pressure turbo 5 is not available. Ditto a manual transmission. The combustibles will power travel through a board feed automatic transmission with support economy and winter mode. With the tranny and work hard C 70 convertible hit 60 in a St. Louis 7.5. Random. Point eight seconds at 90 mph Macpherson's drug running over the link rear suspension bridge short precise handling with just a touch of pride in clown. But we would like a bit more feel from the power rack and pinion steering at higher speeds scrubbing off speed was a snap thanks to Eddie walking will desk 125 foot stopping distance was our average test result. But for all this performance it's the see 70s easy to use top there remains a primary

attraction. Just flip a switch in the power operated top does all the work. You don't even have to unlatch it when the windshield brain and it opens up to the comfortable efficient Volvo interior that we praise so highly when we first drove the C-17 and interior that surrounded by enough steel reinforcements to protect a dozen sun worshiper in addition to dual airbags in the dash. There are side airbags mounted in the front seat and pretension are still both front and rear seat belts and spring loaded rear seat roll bars that deploy automatically if the car turns over. All in addition to Volvo is usually fine dash controls like the straight forward ventilation switch in an easy to understand top line Dolby logic sound system which includes an index CD player. There's even true adult sized rear seating so the trunk offers a mere 8 cubic feet of cargo space. Out on the open road. The Volvo see 70 km border. Time handling were a delight. Once considered in the same class as mere family utility vehicles. The C-17 has

taken Volvo into the league of Euro performance heavyweights like BMW who are disappointed however with our prototype ride. Despite all the chassis reinforcement body flex made Prof arch feel over a bump up course that may be the only sacrifice that Volvo lovers may have to make to finally get a convertible in their garage. That and a price that Paul not yet available as we went to air. Estimated a happy forty three thousand dollars once they do the numbers however we expect Volvo Benz to consider it money well spent because performance style and Volvo is impeccable safety record. Added to the fun and freedom of open air motoring makes the Volvo see 70 convertible much more than the sum of its parts and shows us that this is the 70s series especially the convertible isn't just another new Volvo it's a new kind of Volvo the kind that we're glad is finally here. Now I hope you'll join us next week for more motor we will drive the all new 98

Pontiac Grand Am and the latest version of America's production street rod the Plymouth prowler. Greg SING US celebrates the birthday of America's oldest performance driving school while Pat Goss keeps us driving by keeping our cars running. Plus we'll have another long term road test update and all the latest Motor News. I'm John Davis. I'll see that. Motor Week has been brought to you by Castro super clean all wheel cleaner the cleaner that releases brake dust and road grime from all types of wheels on contact no matter what age your current. Castrol super clean all wheel cleaner. To order a video cassette of this program call 1 800 4 2 2 0 0 6 4. This is B.S..