Airport courtesy cars

[Mayfield]

Just to poke a little fun at myself:

I just Googled "When was the last new American car sold with a three speed manual transmission, with shifter on the column?" If the web site queried is correct, it looks like 1979.

Now the fun poke! "Gee, that's not too long ago." Yeah, I guess 43 years ago is not too long ago if you're a California Redwood, but for a man, it's a pretty good chunk of time.

Jim

 

[WaspAir]

On this tangent, back in the 60s, both SAAB and DKW (now known as Audi) sold cars here with 4 on the tree. Finding reverse required pulling outward or pushing inward toward the column, (respectively) depending on the brand.

 

[Aerofoam]

On this tangent, back in the 60s, both SAAB and DKW (now known as Audi) sold cars here with 4 on the tree. Finding reverse required pulling outward or pushing inward toward the column, (respectively) depending on the brand.

60's Mercedes also had 4 on the tree...
I think DKW made a CVT tranny on the Saab 2stk. sports car......

 

[Andino]

I have never been asked for any money for the use of an airport courtesy car.

Such is becoming rather common, I hear and have seen. $10-20 for 2-hour day usage. I've landed at only 175+ USA airports, so my experience may not be representative.

 

[Andino]

Just to poke a little fun at myself:

I just Googled "When was the last new American car sold with a three speed manual transmission, with shifter on the column?" If the web site queried is correct, it looks like 1979.

Now the fun poke! "Gee, that's not too long ago." Yeah, I guess 43 years ago is not too long ago if you're a California Redwood, but for a man, it's a pretty good chunk of time.

Jim

Three on the tree! I always imagined a capital "H" and it was no problem.

 

[Smack]

Such is becoming rather common, I hear and have seen. $10-20 for 2-hour day usage. I've landed at only 175+ USA airports, so my experience may not be representative.

Yeah, it's not...

 

[StanFoster]

I strongly believe in Under Promise...Over Produce.

If I had an airport...there would be a courtesy car...under promised...ready to be accepted as a loaner as it over produces for its user.

As a user of said underpromised car...I would also overproduce and as has been mentioned, fill it up with gas, check it over ,clean it if necessary, and bring it back better.

In other words, produce more than you say. Actions are what count.

This basic business model works for any business. It has worked exceedingly well for me to still be building curved stairways for almost 30 years as my families only income. Of course one could say I am in a "climbing" business with lots of twists and turns ....pun intended. I would say that I build curved stairways because I failed building anything straight.

 

[Brent Smith]

On this tangent, back in the 60s, both SAAB and DKW (now known as Audi) sold cars here with 4 on the tree. Finding reverse required pulling outward or pushing inward toward the column, (respectively) depending on the brand.

My first car was a '57 DKW with suicide doors, front wheel drive and 4-speed on the column. Reverse was a little tricky - find neutral, then back and straight up. Shifting from first to second without straying into reverse or fourth took artistry and finesse. Still, that little 3-cylinder, 2-stroke, water-cooled engine meant I could beat all the VWs!

 

[WaspAir]

My first car was a '57 DKW with suicide doors, front wheel drive and 4-speed on the column. Reverse was a little tricky - find neutral, then back and straight up. Shifting from first to second without straying into reverse or fourth took artistry and finesse. Still, that little 3-cylinder, 2-stroke, water-cooled engine meant I could beat all the VWs!

My DKW experience was with a 1964 Junior Deluxe (F12 series, as I recall). Much better looking, better handling (and faster) than a VW beetle. The radiator was behind the engine, by the firewall. Mercedes Benz owned the company back then, and the electrics were straight out of the MB 220.

 

[WaspAir]

60's Mercedes also had 4 on the tree...
I think DKW made a CVT tranny on the Saab 2stk. sports car......

The Saab 850 Monte Carlo rally car had 4 on the tree. The Saab Sonnet fiberglass body two-seater had the same running gear, until they switched the inline two stroke to the V4 four stroke. DKW did have a "saxomat" (spelling?) version, which was an automatic clutch option on a manual gearbox. Saab started out with DKW engines.

CVT was most commonly seen in those days on the DAF (Netherlands)

 

[Aerofoam]

The Saab 850 Monte Carlo rally car had 4 on the tree. The Saab Sonnet fiberglass body two-seater had the same running gear, until they switched the inline two stroke to the V4 four stroke. DKW did have a "saxomat" (spelling?) version, which was an automatic clutch option on a manual gearbox. Saab started out with DKW engines.

CVT was most commonly seen in those days on the DAF (Netherlands)

Yes, that is it, I forgot about DAF....

The V-4 was Ford correct?
What else was the engine used for?
I don't think I have ever seen one....

 

[WaspAir]

Designed for the Taunus. I've only seen them in Saabs. They look a bit funny to me. V2 in a motorcycle and V6 in cars seem normal to me, but the V4 not so much.

 

[Sv.grainne]

Are these beater cars?

 

[Aerofoam]

Designed for the Taunus. I've only seen them in Saabs. They look a bit funny to me. V2 in a motorcycle and V6 in cars seem normal to me, but the V4 not so much.

I bet they had balance issues!

 

[WaspAir]

Are these better cars?

Personally, I liked the triple-carb three cylinder inline two-stroke Saabs better. The sound (firing rhythm) at idle was odd, but the engines were really smooth and nearly indestructible, and the oil injection system worked really well.

 

[Andino]

Many years ago I drove a Swedish lass's father's little Saab hatchback with a V-4 down one of the world's shortest roads between two lakes in upper-middle Sweden (Hudiksvall, IIRC). My Saab situational glory endeth therein. Resting on those laurels....

 

[Andino]

Yeah, it's not...

Pray counter with your experience.

 

[Loren Jones]

I've used countless courtesy cars over the last 45 years of flying. In most cases it's just a matter of leaving a little better than you found it. Always add some gas when headed back to the airport. It's definitely a nice perk of the general aviation community.

Back in my early days of flying in college we had to pick up some inventory for a friend's brother and deliver it to him in a little town in northern MN. After a couple of stops in two different states picking up what he needed we flew to the little town where he was located. This was way before cellphones so when we landed it was late and we had no way to get ahold of him. So we looked for a courtesy car. We found an old Chrysler "Land Yacht" in the parking lot with keys under the floor mat, so figured that was the courtesy car and headed into town. After dropping off the boxes, we stopped at Perkins for a midnight breakfast on the way back to the airport, then gassed up the car, parked it in the same spot we found it and put the keys back under the mat. I sure hope that was a courtesy car!

 

[Loren Jones]

Just to poke a little fun at myself:

I just Googled "When was the last new American car sold with a three speed manual transmission, with shifter on the column?" If the web site queried is correct, it looks like 1979.

Now the fun poke! "Gee, that's not too long ago." Yeah, I guess 43 years ago is not too long ago if you're a California Redwood, but for a man, it's a pretty good chunk of time.

Jim

I've owned THREE cars with three-speed, steering column shifters! It doesn't seem that long ago, either.

 

[Resasi]

Yeah, it's not...

Seems to me with that number of airports visited it would be pretty good.

And possibly a bit more flying time than you?