Motorweek; 727 & 728

This time on Motor Week 88 and a new look for an old favorite. Lisa Barrow takes a hard look at child safety. Pat Goss looks at more viewer problems. And yet another look at our favorite work course come drive with us next. Motor Week 88. TV's automotive magazine with your host John Davis. Hello and welcome again to Motor Week 88 we're glad to have you with us. The Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz have a reputation as durable economical family cars with plenty of room a great buy for those who want to sedan it hatchback

prices. However they also have a reputation for performance and styling that are as exciting as watching ice melt. Well Ford decided that the 88 tempo and Topaz should be a good deal more interesting. So the cars got new skins and a few mechanical tweaks. But is the new car different enough to change its reputation is one of Ford's least exciting models. While certainly not BMW the 88 tempo and brother topass are much improved over last year's models with their new sheet metal the four door tempo and Topaz are now full fledged members of the Dearborn aero brigade. Both cars borrowed heavily from Big Brothers in the Ford Lincoln Mercury family and both get a Taurus style three window per side greenhouse. The tempo now has a sloping rear glass more akin to the Mercury Sable while the topaz seems to take its more formal roof from the new Lincoln Continental. The two door

versions of the cars continue without major changes in their roof lines. The nose for all however has a lower wider look. With a new cheese cutter grille on the Mercury and the tail gets a flatter squared off trunk overall the impression is that of a larger car even though most dimensions are unchanged. Dr. Height had received only a few tweaks to keep. Up with the new body both the available HSC and h s o 2.3 liter for cylinders are now fed by multi-port injection while cold start drivability is improved. Power games are small. Our test Topaz LS 4 door had the standard HST motor and again 12 horsepower for still low total of 98 torque increases by only 4 to 100 £24 feet. On the other hand accessibility is superb. Like all Ford products the engine bay is clean with all fluid reservoirs and maintenance points are well marked and easy to reach.

No horsepower increase makes some acceleration improvement from a standing start but our topass test car still ran a mediocre 0 to 60 time of twelve point four seconds. And the quarter mile closed after a leisurely run of eighteen point nine sec. Ends. At 74 mph. This relatively new pushrod engine makes more noise than most of the four cylinders that come out of Japan. We should however emphasize our praise for the three speed automatic transmission which is smooth and solid. While acceleration may disappoint handling does not. Even with the standard suspension the Topaz is stable and predictable with no nasty surprises when you push it while not in the sports car league. It's surprisingly competent for a mainstream family sedan. We particularly like the power steering which while offering easy low speed handling is still tight enough to keep the enthusiast on our crew happy. Even emergency maneuvers are easy.

One test driver even compared the topazes solid feel to that of Honda is much more expensive for wheels. Here you play with. The brakes of the same front disc rear drum combination as last year they brought our Topaz down from 55 in a short average distance of 113 feet stability is excellent and a lock up minimal. But there was a good deal of pedal fade after a few hard stops out on the highway the topaz shows why it's so popular. The ride is smooth and comfortable with an interior sound level of only 66 decibels. The topaz Interior has always been comfortable but never opulent. This year's model is plush or more like its Taurus and sable big brother's. The new dash has a multinational flavor while the flowing shapes seem German. Some controls mimic Japanese designs like these handy rotary controls on the sides of the pod for wipers and fan speed. The new Halfmoon gauges are easier to read than last years but they are a little sparse on information. Warning lights are nice but would

rather have an oil pressure gauge and volt meter. The seats are comfortable with good back support. Our test car had the optional six way power driver's seat a tilt will a standard on LS great cars and all tempos and topazes now have motorized passive restraints. Unless of course you order the optional driver side airbag. The cruise control switches are the same steering wheel mounted units just last year. They're out of the way but always handy. An AM FM radio with cassette tape deck is standard in a high grade premium sound system is optional. If you want to upgrade last year's clumsy heat and ventilation controls have given way to a set of well marked buttons. Unlike many other manufacturers systems this one is absolutely idiot proof. Their rear seat is roomy and comfortable but has two glaring flaws. First there are no shoulder belts for rear seat passengers. It seems strange that a car with such advanced front seat belts should lack so in the rear. Our other gripe is that the rear windows

don't go all the way down. This is very annoying for adult passengers. The trunk dimensions are unchanged from last year. It easily takes a full set of luggage with room to spare but left over is still quite high. The EPA rates the topazes gas mileage as 22 City 27 highway but our 100 mile mixed test loop returned only a disappointing 22 mpg. As for price a base Topaz cost nine thousand three hundred twenty three dollars our LS test car started at ten thousand five hundred ninety one dollars and paid for a very reasonable twelve thousand two hundred eighty two dollars with option A package containing an excellent part time four wheel drive system is available for twelve hundred dollars. As for competition the Chevy Cavalier cost about the same and I like the Topaz has a V-6 engine option but the cavalier can't match the topazes crisp handling the Plymouth Sundance is less expensive and offers the convenience of a hatchback but its interior styling is very much in the

econobox league and our safety check the topaz passes with front passive restraints. 5 mph bumpers and radial tires at LAX rear shoulder belts and antilock brakes. Head Start with a card shark new styling. That's followed by the comfortable ride and competent handling and well-designed interior. And finally the price makes it one of the best buys in its class. Mrs. include the sluggish acceleration sparser gauges and rear windows that don't roll all the way down. The Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz have always been good solid transportation but they were hampered by their boring econobox image. That reputation has now been announced and it should be interesting to see what a healthy dose of class will do for the sales of what is already one of America's favorite family cars. One of the automotive debates raging now is over what type of crash protection car should offer. Some favor automatic seatbelts while others are pushing for airbags

but most safety equipment has one common trait. It's designed for adults. Few current cars come with safety equipment designed for children so it's the responsibility of the parents to provide that. So what's a mother and father to do. Well here's Lisa barrow with her after I report on child safety Lisa. Children they are one of our most precious resources. But according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exams in an average year over 900 children under the age of 5 are killed in highway crashes. Fifty thousand are injured as passengers. Experts say that only 72 percent of children under five are restrained in car seats. Riding on somebody has lap an eye and a car is absolutely the worst way to travel in terms of crash protection and a dog hauling an infant or a child can't restrain that child himself or herself in the crash the forces are too great.

The best form of crash protection for your child is a car safety seat. Last year car safety seats saved about 200 lives and prevented almost 28000 injuries. And it's the law in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to have your child in a restraint system. There are three types of infant seats for newborns and children up to about 20 pounds. Convertible seats for infants and children up to 40 pounds and booster seats for children 4 years and older. And what about children who are too large for a booster seat. According to an it's a study. There is a possibility that rare lap belts can do more harm than good. However experts disagree on whether the front seat or rear seat is safest for them. But for children who can still use a safety seat is one seat safer than another. As long as they have on their bag a stamp of manufacture date that is after January 1981. Then the parent using the seat can rest assured that the seat belts the federal standard. What

you need to do is find a seat that is easy to install that can be installed in your car. And so that you will use it every time your child gets in the car. The safest location for the safety seat is in the rear seat of the car. At a press conference observing National Child Passenger Safety Awareness week we spoke with Mary Beth Virgona president of the National Passenger Safety Association. Considering we have 70 to 76 percent usage we have only 48 percent correct. You're such a child. To see to make sure the seat is secure in the car by anchoring it with a rear belt. If your car has rear shoulder belts a locking clip is available to hold the belt in position. Most seats come with a clip. It's very important that the manufacturer's directions are followed. They can usually be found on the back of the seat or in a pocket attached to the seat. It's very important to make certain that all of the bloggers all of the straps are very tight. If you do not believe shoulder

straps tight little or hot there will be able to support the child's upper body. Safety groups have called upon the Muppets leading man Kermit the Frog to help in the campaign together with Plymouth. The Muppets are helping to promote child passenger safety with the mother Traffic Safety show. Here are some tips for child passenger safety by a child safety seat manufactured after January 1st 1981. Check with your insurance company. They may offer seats at reduced prices. Use the child safety seat every time your child rides in the vehicle and buckle up yourself. It's the responsibility of the parent or adult to ensure the child is properly secured. Make sure your child is not one of the 50000 injured this year. A big part of safety is proper maintenance and fixing problems as soon as they appear.

Pat Goss is here to help our viewers stay safe by solving two more of their car care puzzles. Pat this is one you definitely want to remember and that is when they read oil pressure light glows on the dash of your car. That doesn't mean stop later that means stop right now. If you don't you could destroy the engine in your car and that could cost two to three thousand dollars to repair. Now we have a couple of letters that go along with oil and oil pressure. The first one is from Mr. alley Jaffer of South Milwaukee Wisconsin. He writes After my car and 81 Karole of her cell is warmed up the oil light starts to come on. The light stays on at idle but it goes out as the car accelerates. Any suggestions. You bet. Number one don't drive the car. The car must be stopped immediately when ever the oil pressure like comes on and it must be taken directly

to a mechanic. Now the thing that you have to determine at this point is well is there a mechanical problem inside the engine that's causing that light to come on or is there a malfunction in the light circuit itself. So the first thing that the mechanic does installs a mechanical oil pressure gauge into the engine to see if the oil pressure meets the manufacturer's requirements or if it doesn't. If it does meet the manufacturer's requirements that's telling you that it's the light that is lying to you. And probably this is the trouble right here. This is an oil pressure switch it's what controls that light. And if the switch is good that means there's a problem farther on in the wiring but either way it's not major. But suppose it fails the oil pressure test what then that's major right. Well not necessarily. See the most common problem that causes the oil pressure to be low is right here. This is an oil pump and oil pumps do go bad

so once it's failed that test the next thing that has to be checked is the oil pump itself. And you may find that's all that's wrong and it will cost one hundred fifty to $200 parts and labor to fix it. That is of course assuming that you stopped the engine when that oil light came on if you didn't try to get a little bit further because if you tried to get a little further you probably did a lot of damage to the inside of the engine. OK our next letter. This is similar. This is from Elmer Snider of Glastonbury Connecticut. He writes I've just replaced the engine in my 83 Ford Crown Victoria. It's seized after less than 45000 miles. I've changed the oil and filter at regular intervals. How can I keep this from happening again. Well first thing this applies to all automobiles. Read the owner's manual especially the section that applies to the frequency of oil changes. Now what you're apt to find is something like this.

Here we have. One that says Change engine oil every 75 hundred miles or 12 months whichever comes first. Now in many cases they'll be a little tag at the bottom of that it says under normal operating conditions. Now what in the world are normal operating conditions I'll be darned if I know. Because if you continue on through a lot of these owner's manuals you'll start to find things such as we see up here now these are all abnormal. When most trips are less than 4 miles when most trips are less than 10 miles and outside temperatures remain below freezing. Towing a trailer operating in dusty areas idling and or low speed operation in stop and go traffic and the list goes on and on. So I really don't know what is normal but I do know one way to make sure that you change the oil frequently enough and that you make the engine in your car last a long time and that is change the

oil and the oil filter every three months or 3000 miles which ever comes first. This will make the engine in your car last a lot longer. Now suppose you have a comment or a question about your automobile. We'd love to hear from you. How about dropping us a line here at Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. That's Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. If you're a regular viewer you're probably familiar with our long term test vehicles of all these vehicles none works harder than I Chevy Suburban. Most of its duties as motor week's camera vehicle and weekend cargo hauler take place in our home state of Maryland. But it's one we have to hit the interstate on a long road trip that the suburban really comes into its own. Especially if there's rotten weather which characterized our long trip south to

Roebling road Raceway near Savannah Georgia in January what we hoped would be a warm and dry voyage turned into an almost constant wash of near freezing rain. But with this long one hundred twenty nine point five inch wheelbase and two and a half ton weight our nine passenger Suburban was a model of steadiness. We are constantly amazed by how easy this giant wagon is to maneuver and how comfortable it is to command. If after two years of using Suburbans as our work horses we could fix one thing. It would be the seats while generous in size. They still lack in lower back support. Something you really noticed after 8 hours behind the wheel. Besides testing a half dozen cars on the Georgia jaunt we also produced other segments for Motor Week. The suburban size makes it perfect is a mobile recording studio. Even with all it seats there are still 40 cubic feet of cargo room. It was also the only shelter we had from I see when I was at six point two liter diesel engine pumps out lots of hot water for the Suburbans very efficient heater.

Thank goodness that our Suburban is the two wheel drive variety and that gives it a quiet smooth highway rhyme that comes in handy for a variety of television duties. And we continue to be impressed with the T Kaname diesel fuel use ranges between a low of 22 and a high of 27 mpg. That's as much as 50 percent better than you'd expect from Suburbans with gasoline engines and four wheel drive and properly equipped a suburban can haul up to £16000 and trailer up to 95 hundred pounds. We have experienced no significant diesel engine problems over two years and almost 50000 miles in Suburbans. We do find they sometimes like to chew on various fan belts and suburban suspensions need periodic checks to make sure everything remains tight. Our only other mishap a very minor accident left the massive Suburban with a small scar. But then you should have seen the other guy. It's no wonder that Chevrolet and

GMC can sell every one of the 65000 Suburbans they can make each year. Most like ours have sticker prices over $20000. It's a gentle giant with no competitors. A long wheelbase truck with multiple personalities. A luxury station wagon one moment a tireless work horse the next and our favorite over the road television studio all the way. In our car of the week is one that's never been seen on the street. It's a model of a two door concept for the 90s. Its builder is Henry F. Rome of Eagan Minnesota. If you have a special car send a good color photograph and a self-addressed return on below to Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. From a car that's never seen a show room we go to a car that soon will. There's

Lisa Barron with the latest Motor News. Lisa thanks John. So these Corsican sedan is quite a hit among the car buying public. Consumers seem to like the crisp styling and performance but it's no spec design lacks the versatility buyers find in some other sedans. That problem will be rectified in 1989 by this five door hatchback version. The hatch features a large rounded Rear Window similar to that of the Camaro with a compound curve at the base which gives the appearance of a conventional trunk. The front end will also be different with the current course because a gray grill giving way to a solid panel. Also on the GM horizon is a Suzuki built tracker. It's an enlarged version of the popular Suzuki Samurai four by four. The tracker is GM century and the low priced Ford utility market which is dominated by the Jeep Wrangler. The tracker will use the samurais drive train a one point three liter four cylinder engine and a five speed manual transmission. Both GM and Suzuki will get versions of the tracker

for Zuki it will so alongside the current Samurai. As for GM the tracker leads us to another story. Sources in Detroit has confirmed that Chevrolet plans to sell its future in four models under a new brand name Geo. Geos first model could be the 89 tracker. Other models will include a redesigned Chevy Nova called the Geo Prizm. A new version of the Sprint and a two plus two based on a revamped spectrum which will be known as the geo storm Geo would be the Chevrolet would mark or is the Lincoln Mercury a brand name operating within a division. The idea is a marketing tool. Current sales of the Nova sprint and spectrum have never been as good as Chevrolet with like Geo and Siri would boost sales by giving Chevy's price leading imports a common identity and higher profile. But the geo concept raises a lot of questions. Will the new name plate be reserved for Chevrolet dealers only. At first yes. Will Geo also become an outlet for High Line Opel models. Apparently not.

And will consumers be more apt to buy GM is in Ford models just because they have a new name. Well no that answer for while they come John. Probably the most popular time of the year in the auto industry is the show's season. That's when the manufacturers give the public its first close up look at new models and they also trot out their most advanced concept of vehicles for the industry to scrutinize but not every city in town has a big auto show. So for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of seeing all the auto show glitz Craig saying Haas is taking to the high road to show you what you're missing. Step right up ladies and gentleman and automotive riddle for your enjoyment. What has flash and wheels presented with since US appeals. It's the Chicago Auto Show and it's one of the largest automotive extravaganzas of its kind in the world. And you've got to see it. To believe it.

This was the 80th year for the Chicago Auto Show and it was bursting at the seams with 70 million dollars worth of cars and entertainers all fighting for your attention in a crazy carnival atmosphere out front. Well you know I'm not like him. I like all the displays here fight for the for the customers attention. You help them with with a gimmick or some time with us it's our Toyota dancers and pretty girls I will admit. Because a lot of those visitors the other storm and then we tell the story. Probably about 40 to 50 percent of the people come to an auto show are in the in the consideration phase for the purchase. Oh yes we're very interested in the Grand Voyager from Chrysler plant in 88.

We're just trying to determine which colors are getting water better what different features they get. Warnings easy to treat you think you could be featuring functional missiles will be out. But don't let all the glitz and glamour for you. This is serious business. Manufacturer sponsor vodka shows like Chicago are where they test public response to concept cars and survey opinions on new styling themes. What do you think about financing. Yes I like. To live. New songs from the future. Thanks to the spirit. Of cattle. Auto Shows are very important for Cadillac Cadillac being the flagship Division of General Motors needs a good opportunity to communicate with the public about the things that we're doing both from a design standpoint and from a technology standpoint. We just had one of the most world famous automotive designers from in Italy here to look at a new Cadillac design. I must say that there's a sense of renewal here in the new models and styles that can

finally compare with the Tokyo Auto Show. Here are the innovations and prototypes that are the visions the future cars. So step right up and try one on for size. It's all here from a. To Z. Chicago Auto Show. Join us next time for another new car road test. Plus Lisa Barrow goes back to driving school and Pat Goss answers more of your letters. I'm John Davison. We'll see you then. If you like the transcript of this program send a $4 to Motor Week transcripts Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Residents of Maryland add 20 cents sales tax. Ask for show number seven twenty seven.

Motor Week is a production of Maryland Public Television.

D. This time on Motor Week 88 we pay out thirty fifth birthday visit to a uniquely

American sports car. Lisa Barrow visits Bob entourage for some driving lessons that Goss gives a few lessons on keeping your car in good shape and we keep you up to date on our newest long termers. Come join with us next. Motor Week 88. TV's automotive magazine with your host John Davis. Hello and welcome again to Motor Week 88. We're glad to have you with us. If you ask a lot of car fans what separates run of the mill transportation from something

special they'll probably tell you it's character. By that they mean a single car has specific traits that it shares with no other car. The Chevy Corvette is one such car and its 35 year lifespan it has always offered a unique driving experience. Now some German or Japanese competitors may be a bit quicker or smoother through tight curves. But none of them offer that same gut wrenching blast of a big American V8 driving its power through the rear wheels. With this in mind we decided that it was time for a Corvette protest. We wanted to see if this legendary sports car still has all its vigor as it approaches middle age. The latest Corvette could be considered middle aged in two ways in total production years and in years of the current chassis. It's been with us since 1983 but low production numbers require a long life for Corvette platforms. And there's no sign here of hardened arteries yet. Indeed the heart

of this 88 Corvette is pumping stronger than ever this year horsepower is up five to two. Working. Toward also getting five to £340 feet while the cam has been changed. Chevrolet says the extra power comes from a less restrictive exhaust system. All Corvette engines now get the aluminum heads that were phased in during the 1986 model year and this multi-port fuel injected 5.7 leader is guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping too. But something unusual happened when we went out to launch. A Corvettes anti-lock brakes got a bit confused when we power brake that is applied to brake and power at the same time when the back wheel spin. The ABS thinks the car is skidding and does everything it can to stop it. But this is hardly a sign of senility when you release the brake the Vette squirts from zero to 60 in five point eight seconds and passes the quarter mile marker and fourteen point five seconds at ninety five point two mph and

our car was. An automatic a manual transmission Corvette is a few tenths quicker on both marks. The suspension has also benefited from the ongoing therapy of Corps of Engineers. The only outward evidence is new Goodyear Z-R 40 17 inch tires. They come with a Z 51 and Z 52 performance suspension packages. The base tire is a 0 8 it's 16 inch air to accommodate the new rubber that's rated for speeds above one hundred forty nine miles per hour. The front and rear suspension of all Corvettes has been beefed up and the geometry changed. Our car had the Z 52 suspension which is the preferred option for street performance Z 51. Now reserved for showroom stock racers and auto crossers only comes with a manual transmission. The 17 inch tires do make a difference. While never a car we call nimble the superior handling of the long nosed bet is now even better.

Cornering is extremely flat and seems to know fuel limits. While you can hang the rear end out if you lift off the gas abruptly it is never a warming. Overall the feel is more responsive. Maybe a bit too responsive. The faster steering ratio of the Z 51 in Z 52 combined with the wider tires allows the car to react so quickly that the driver must pay constant attention. The new 17 inch tires also created the greatest amount of steering kickback we've ever felt on a Corvette. Despite a stiffened steering column. Over random road bombs are easy 50 to Corvet was a handful. So much so that if you live where roads are pockmarked we recommend for going to Z 52 package for the bases mentioned. All Corvettes have anti-lock brakes and have since 86. But this year system has new dual piston front calipers and thicker brake rotors. The result is an amazing 55 mph stopping distance average of only 97 feet. Honest. Just for Kicks we decided to see how well the ABS really works by trying to stop and steer at the

same time. The result a stock from 55 still under 100 feet. So despite his numerical age the Corvette is a limber triathlon gold medalist. But you can't always tell by its taste in wardrobe. Some of the interior fabric colors like our cars iridescent blue just didn't work with the more conservative dark exteriors color. Make your selections carefully. One interior improvement the emergency brake lever has been moved to make entry easier and the passenger seat as well as the driver's seat can now be ordered with a six way adjustment. New standard equipment now includes power door locks cruise control and AM FM Cassette. Gauges are as before the best digitals in the business. Although we do hope there is truth to the rumor that analog instruments may return on future models. All controls are simple straightforward easy to reach and free of adornment. Why change something that's working fine. We do a Chevrolet would improve on two

things. Both the Corvettes transmissions the automatic shifter is too notchy and when an overdrive has an annoying habit of upshifting just when you don't want it to. As for the four speed plus overdrive manual the throws are too long and clunky. It reminds you more of a 60s vintage gear bashing muscle machine than a refined 80s world class sports car. The same goes for Corvette squeaks and rattles. Our high mileage test car had more than most owners will experience and a rearview mirror that vibrated traffic into a corner. Rattles have never deterred Corvette thieves but Corvettes passkey electronic anti-theft system should Chevrolet claims a cut Corvette thefts by 45 percent for 86 the first year the system was offered. And Corvette owners won't have to steal to pay for gas. With EPA ratings of 16 city and 25 highway our car returned a very reasonable 21 mpg economy to look for.

As for price the Corvette coupe starts at twenty nine thousand five dollars and our test car went for thirty two thousand nine hundred seventy three dollars. That's several thousand more than the last coupe we tested. But it's not bad considering the ABS better tires and so on the convertible that begins at thirty four thousand eight hundred twenty dollars. For comparison another refined old timer the Porsche 911 Corolla has a similar acceleration and a nimbler feel but it cost at least $15000 more and doesn't have anti-lock brakes than 1088 Corvette hit us just right where the great Excel aeration stick like glue handling secure brakes improved creature comforts and additional standard equipment. It misses the mark with a clumsy operating transmission's too much steering kickback from the Z 50 to 17 inch tires and the all too expected squeaks and rattles. So where do we go from here. While an all new Corvette is probably still five years away there is much more massaging to be done on the current car. Next

year the 400 horse King Corvette will appear. It's 32 valve V8 will sport Lotus engineered heads and will also have wire tires and a reshape the rear in. But there will also be a tamer Vette next year. The same car you see here. And if history is any guide on how the rear Holder will be an easy load for the Corvette to bear. Every one of us at one time or another has wondered how our fellow motorist learned how to drive. Yess range from putting a round in at Nellie's Model-T to shopping cart races at the local supermarket. The reality is that most people learn from a relative or friend are nowadays in a high school class. Of course in a car with three nervous teenagers and one very nervous teacher you're unlikely to learn more than basics. If you want to develop some serious driving skills it's a good idea to go to a professional

driving school. Lisa Barron recently attended one of the best available. And here's her F-1 i report. We're here in Northern California Bob Banner on school of high performance driving to take part in an advanced street driving course that many driving experts feel should be required training for everyone who gets behind the wheel. Vandar and a professional race driver for 14 years now shares his expertise with the public. What you learn today on the one day of Astro driving course is skid control. Emergency evasive maneuvers control braking maneuvers and situations learning how to control the way transfer the car and control the four tire patches. And also you'll learn how how and where to be looking or to use your eyes and how to use your eyes. Our day began in a classroom where we learned the importance of smoothness consistency and concentration in driving techniques. Out on the track.

Matt our instructor demonstrates basically what I try to work as a waitress from side to side by using the stairs. Every time you drive a car whether you're braking celebrating or turning you're transferring weight from one set of tires to another. The object of the exercise is learning how to control the transfer of weight by using the Excel or greater in steering. Smooth inputs deliver smooth weight transfer and this is the key to controlling your car in an emergency situation. We talk about the controls the door was unlocked. Sometimes it's when you're going to approach the lights at your size speed. And about 37 feet away from the lights that charges and had the bad word and change a combination will go from an all three green combination a combination of red and green lights. The idea is to steer into the safe lane the lane with the green light without using your brakes within seconds the lights changed and just as though someone was pulling out in front of me on the highway I had a split second to react. It was offered to. Record for an extra.

Day. I ended up at 40 mph which at that speed was a real reaction tester. Matt introduced proper cornering techniques next. I learned how to enter and exit a corner and concentrated on proper hand in seating positions which allowed me to feel the messages my car was sending. And. Doing that. The car was always in a stable condition. Being a mountain road freeway makes no difference where you are. Now for those with weak stomachs I urge you to preserve near his good guard they feel like a ride at the county fair but it's actually very similar to driving on ice or in the rain. I'm going to do now is a Ford 360. On him. Right no surprise. On this oil covered asphalt I learned how to keep control of a car even though it was in what seemed like an uncontrollable spin. And the importance of staying off the brakes. If these seem like things you'd like to know more about. There are various driving schools throughout the country. Courses started about three hundred dollars

and if you don't want to use your own car rentals are available. It's important to know that you don't have to yearn to be a race driver to benefit from a course like this. You simply need the desire to improve your abilities behind the wheel to be the safest driver you can possibly be. When people live here they live here with. More knowledge more confidence in what they're doing and a better understanding of the car. Burleigh net has delivers exactly what its cover promises. A look at forty seven of the most striking and innovative coops ever built into the lavish format offers a wealth of color photos with a short history and technical specifications for each car. Examples range from the 1931 blue got eighty fifty two Porsches fabulous 9 5 9. It's the ultimate coffee table book for the rabid car fan. As much as we love our cars a repair problem can sometimes make us wish we'd

never bought them. No one understands that better than Pat Goss. He's here now the answer to more of your letters and hopefully bring to more drivers and their cars back together Pat. A couple of viewers John have problems they just can't see their way through windshield problems. Our first letter is from Mr. John R. Lampkin of Houston Texas. He writes Both of my Toyotas have a fine petroleum like film on their windshields. I've tried just about everything to remove the film but it just won't come off. Do you have any ideas. Well yes I have a couple of ideas. And what we're really talking about here is that that grimy mess that accumulates on the windshield over a period of time it's a combination of oil and dirt from the surface of the highways and so on and it just doesn't seem to come off with any normal method. So what are we going to do the first thing we're going to do and this will take care of it on most automobiles is right here. This is a

commercial wax and grease remover. It's used by automotive paint shops and it's used to take wax and grease and dirt off of the car before it's painted. Now what you have to do is to go to an automotive supply store that sells auto paint and you want wax and grease remover sometimes generically referred to as perhaps all in addition to being a product in some cases. You want this product you want to use a paper towel or cloth whatever you would generally use to wash your windshield with. So get with the prep saw then wash the windshield you know wash it thoroughly but make sure when you're doing this that you don't get any of this solvent on the plastic trim that's around many windshields don't get on the wiper blades themselves or on the paint because it could damage any one of these things you'll find in most cases. This will probably correct the problem here with the film on the windshield in some cases though this

stuff is very stubborn. So here's your last resort. This is bronze wool. It's a marine product. It's used around boats for cleaning teak and things like that. So you go to a marine supply store you buy a bronze wall it comes in pads just like this. You take a pad of it and you very simply scrub the windshield with it. And in virtually all cases this will take that nasty film off of the windshield. Right now our next problem. This is from Mr. Bill Garo follower of Wayne New Jersey who writes his Mitsubishi go along came with wipers that smeared he replaced the blades and now the wipers leave streaks. Well this is a common problem. Here is where most people start. This is with the wiper blade itself they either put a new blade or a new refill in the blade and many times that just doesn't do the trick. Well what do we have to do. We have to go a little further.

This is the wiper arm. This is what the blade attaches to. Now in this wiper arm is a spring that pushes the blade against the windshield and the springs many times become weak. Sometimes they're even weak right from the beginning they may be defective. On a new car. So what do you do. You check the wiper arm and to do that you get one of these. This is a fish scale. It's used to measure the weight of fish. It's available in most any sporting goods store a fishing supply store and what you do is very simple. You put it under the end of the wiper arm like that right where it attaches to the wiper blade and then you lift it till the blade is off of the windshield and you notice how much pressure it took to lift that blade up. Right now there's a formula that you want to use here. You need one ounce of pressure for each one inch of length of the blade. In other words in the car like

this it has a 16 inch blade on it. We need 16 ounces of pressure minimum. If you don't have that then you replace the wiper arm and that will generally take care of the problem. Now if you happen to have a problem with your windshield wipers or some other part of the automobile I'd love to hear from you. How about dropping me a line here at Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. That's Motor Week Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. One of the first things you learn from testing cars is that no vehicle does everything. That's why the car manufacturers offer such a wide variety to choose from our long term test fleet reflects this with its two newest members. One is a Japanese family sedan offering the latest in technology and the other is a good old American four by four. Let's see how they've adapted to life with the motor week. The sedan half of our new twosome is the Mazda 6 2 6. We chose the

top of the line model complete with turbo charged engine and revolutionary four wheel steering and it's a car with a split personality on one hand the redesigned 5:54 is a modern compact sedan that continues the Mazda tradition of offering a lot. Have European flavor in an unusually tidy Oriental package. On the other the 5:54 with the addition of turbo charged power and four wheel steering is one of the most technically advanced cars available. By now you know that the jury is still out on the value per dollar of four wheel steering. It works but not enough for most drivers to appreciate it. Otherwise we have much praise for the 6 to 6 mileage after the first 80 500 miles and 4 months of service is twenty three point seven. That's consistent with our original road test loop. We use only premium fuel with its turbo motor and combined with 3 oil changes and one tire rotation. Operating cost equate to 5.4 cents per mile between 5 and 6 cents is average for all

cars. But we are having some intermittent problems with the car and the dealer. We have complained about the power steering when the wheel is turned all the way in one direction and you accelerate from a stop. There is no power steering assist. We also have a rattle and a rear door and that doors lock now opens partially whenever we go over a railroad crossing. My local dealer has not been able to recreate either problem and what they can't find they can't fix. Fortunately neither malady has taken the long distance plane. You're out of the car and the door problem is just one more reason why rear seat passengers should wear their standard shoulder belts. Up to the day before this report was prepared we really had nothing to add about a full size Ford Bronco that wasn't said in our recent a road test. It went any and everywhere we wanted to go without problem. But that day with temperatures just below freezing the rear glass exploded after it had been rolled down into the tailgate. At the time the Bronco

was parked with the engine off and we haven't a clue why the window broke. Yes it is a warranty item and not an unknown occurrence in station wagon type models with rolled down tailgate windows. In our original test that 5 liter V-8 Bronco delivered expectedly low mileage but our long term five point eight leader B.A. is even lower after twenty eight hundred miles around town. It is only ten point five pulling power is outstanding but you obviously have to pay for it per mile operating cost is a hefty 10 point one cents. We'll keep after the Mazda dealer to find in cure the problems with our 5:54 and the Broncos window has just been replaced. Both vehicles have plenty more miles ahead of them. Our car of the week is a 1971 Buick Riviera G.S.. It's owned by Fred Prevx of Everett Washington. Response to our request for

photos has been terrific and we can't get to every photo right away but we'd like to see them so keep sending to motorway in Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Our car of the week frequently features some truly classic cars. Of course one person's classic is another person's junk. Well you decide what you've got Here's Lisa barrow with the motor news Lisa. Thanks John. But most people think of a family car they envision a four door sedan with a conventional trunk. But there's a growing trend toward five door hasp bags. These range from the upmarket Americorp Scorpio and Mazda 5:54 to Chrysler's economical shadow and Sundance and an 89 Chevy's $5 Korsakov will enter the market. Here's another. The rover 800 has bag the notch bag version of course is sold in the US under the Sterling name plate. The car

is due out in England in the spring and the bal here at the end of the year as the eight twenty seven SL live it will have the sports suspension anti-lock brakes and the Honda 2.7 leader V-6 that will also be added to the sedan in September. Price should be about twenty three thousand dollars. In other news the Department of Transportation has announced the 1997 US traffic fatality rate was the lowest in history. The rate for last year was 2.4 dispar 100 million miles of travel. That's down 25 percent from the 1980 rate of three point three. The U.S. government agency says the low rate is a result of growing safety values and the national resolve to prevent drunk driving. While some 46000 died last year U.S. roads are now the safest in the world John. Thanks Lisa. 1988 marks the thirty fifth anniversary of Chevrolet's Corvette. You know it doesn't seem like all plastic sides has been around quite

that long. To mark the event Craig Singh hosses hit the high road and he's found a very important Corvette and some very important Corvette people. The Corvette has always been America's premier sports car. That's like this when even the Pete Rose racing events. And yet with all their technological advances new Corvettes can still trace their high performance heritage. Back to one particular car and that car was the 1957 Corvette and yes a one of a kind experiment that was the first true road racing machine produced by any American manufacturer. It was a response to the sophisticated European racing sports cars of the day. The standard 57 Corvette was powerful but used an ancient Chevy sedan suspension designed in the late 1940s legendary designers Zorra has done top was determined to make the Corvette s reflect the modern

jet age for Chevrolet it was. No road from stem to aluminum have aluminum bellows in a lonely wontons mission. Magnesium boy did Bush era live with. That done tof debuted his Corvette s s at the 1957 Sebring races. SS driver John Fitch remembers a Fangio drove it in practice a few laps and he liked it. I was. Quite impressed with it. Everybody. Paid attention to that car. Ironically soon after Sebring Chevrolet dropped its racing program and done toss Corvette s s was mothballed for the next 30 years the Corvette s s sat idle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum. That is until Chevrolet restored the car for the Monterey historic car races. Retired Chevy engineer Luke you today restored the motor he had helped to design

the system is full of dirt corrosion 25 years of whatnot. We took the engine out. Took it completely apart. It took about a month and a half we put it back together. And long beyond. My dream came true and I think missions which it started and ran. Fittingly enough it was original driver John Fitch and Zora Arcus Dunn toff who took the restored Corvette out on the track for the first time in three decades. Fitch and Dunn tof had completed a 30 year odyssey that reunited them with the legendary poor vet s s. A few weeks later just before its return to the Indianapolis Museum. Zora Arcas Dunn tof drove his beloved Corvette s s for one last time.

Join us next week for another new car road test. And Lisa Barrow will have a report on cellular phones that Gosnell answer more of your letters and we'll have a quick look at two German opals that may be headed here. I'm John Davis and we'll see that. If you'd like a transcript of this program send a $4 to Motor Week transcripts Owings Mills Maryland 2 1 1 1 7. Residents of Maryland that 20 cents a sales tax. Asked for show numbers 7 28. Motor Week is a production of Maryland Public Television.