The Slasher's Guide to the Life on Mars Car by clonesgirl

[clonesgirl]

Back in January when Loz requested that we write some LoM discussion pieces/tutorials I didn't really think I'd be able to contribute anything.  However, after giving it a bit of thought, well this is what my twisted little brain came up with - The Slasher's Guide to the Life on Mars Car.  I'm no expert on cars - far from it - so this is just a

Comments

[lozenger8]

... marry me?

[clonesgirl]

Wow, that was quick! I mean I only just posted it. Have you had a chance to read it yet? Hope it's ok.

[lozenger8]

Just the concept is enough for me to propose, but I am reading it and gleeing all over the place.

[clonesgirl]

Glad you're enjoying. :)

As for your proposal, anytime. ;)

[hambelandjemima]

Fantastic article and it's just sparked a discussion between my husband and myself. *g* I'm pretty sure (and he agrees) that the Mk III Cortina had 4th as top gear. I had a Mark III myself and I've never driven a car with 3rd as top gear.

I remember wing mirrors and how bloody useless they were *g* Also, yes, it's made me want to write, damnit!! *g*

[clonesgirl]

I know that some older cars had 3rd as top gear and some had 4th. If, as you say, the Mark III had 4th as top, then it was a 5-speed gearbox. All the info I've been able to find says it was a 4-speed. However, if 4th is top, then that means you don't count Reverse. But I thought you counted it as it's a gear too. So which is it? I'm happy to be corrected as I never owned one myself.

[hambelandjemima]

Yeah, I always thought that 4-speed transmission meant three forward and one reverse but hubby informs me that 4-speed transmission means four forward gears. He did his apprenticeship with Ford thirty five years ago, so I'm inclined to listen to him on the subject of cars *g* Apparently the last Ford to have just 3 forward speeds was the 100E in the late 50s. *puts nerdy hat back on hubby*

My first car was a Mark III Cortina. I keep meaning to post photos of it, but that means I have to find them and that'll take the better part of a day *g*

[clonesgirl]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought 4-speed transmission meant 3 forward and one reverse. So that that means you don't count Reverse at all. So if you say that a car has 8 gears (like that Lexus Jeremy Clarkson was rabbiting on about the other night), then that means 8 forward gears + Reverse - yeesh!

Please thank your hubby for me. He's been very helpful. I shall make corrections accordingly.

Would love to see pics of your old Cortina and thanks for all the useful info. :)

[timelord_sammy]

Great work on the guide =D
By the way, much agreement on the steering. I had a car without power steering once, an old Daihatsu Charade, and god, that thing was hard to steer. I had to drag on that wheel with all my strength to get it in a sharp turn. So yay for power-steering, much yay.

[hambelandjemima]

Kids today - they've got it made with their power steering and air-conditioning and radios that stay on the correct station *g*

[timelord_sammy]

Ah-hah, but I did drive without power steering for a while =P but I got to say it is a lot more convenient with. And air-conditioning is a little un-missable in Australia, less so where I used to live, in Belgium though... but then I drove a bicycle through the snow and rain.
Oh, and for some reason my radio always resets itself when it turns off.
I guess I'm still a kid, on the tender age of 21, but yeah =P

[clonesgirl]

You just can't do without air-conditioning in Australia, especially when the temp gets over 40C like it has been this summer. In Ireland you couldn't do without heating in the car and all the cars we had had heating. I, too, rode a bicycle through snow and rain. ;)

[clonesgirl]

Just checked and the dashboard pic is definitely there but there isn't one of the rear window as it's not a subheading.

Glad to know you're getting fic ideas. ;)

[clonesgirl]

My apologies. Discovered what the problem was and reuploaded the whole document. It should be correct now with all illustrations showing. Sorry about that. My goof.

[bistokids]

That's just brilliant! :D Aside from bringing back loads of memories of 1970s cars I have loved (although we never had anything as snazzy as a Cortina, I might add - Vauxhall Victors, that was us!), the reclining seat aspect is a detail now safely stored away for future reference. I've had poor Sam and Gene getting jabbed by gearsticks and handbrakes more than once when attempting a bit of hot lurve action!

(Something I wondered, given your transmission details. I remember that the more powerful 4-gear cars - by which I mean cars with 4 gears and reverse - had an overdrive button/switch on the gearstick which gave a bit of extra poke. Would this Cortina have been one such?)

[hambelandjemima]

As told to me by hubby:
The overdrive wasn't fitted on any Cortinas. Ford only fitted overdrive on some early 3 litre Capris (yay, Capris! <<

[bistokids]

Hubby's offered to write a tutorial on how an epicyclic overdrive works, if anyone's interested.

Um...how kind...

Seriously, tell your hubby thanks loads for the info. I'm not much of a car person as a rule, but I'm actually finding this whole topic a lot more interesting and informative than I expected to.

[hambelandjemima]

I'm actually finding this whole topic a lot more interesting and informative than I expected to.
That's because you're trying to work out how to get Sam and Gene into Tina's every nook and cranny *g*

It's great, isn't it? For details geeks like us it's a very useful resource :)