One might seriously question that the vehicle was fully dismantled. Or that the vehicle was reassembled in a typical dorm room. The pressed and welded metal shell (monocoque) sets the minimum size. It cannot fit through a standard width doorway, and would need a very wide corridor to manage entry into any room. Approx 115cm from the underside of the side sills or floor pan to the crown in the roof.
There are long past examples though of some mysteriously relocating on work sites. Typically with the aid of heavy duty industrial hoists, cranes and forklifts. Such random humour is likely to result in severe repercussions these days.
Some of my late cousinâs stories certainly were regarding when he was studing medicine at UQ.
One involved med students doing autopsies and calling out to the gardner working below to ask if he wanted a hand, and when he replied yes, they threw one down to him.
Another involved the dean telling the students that the footprints that had been painted as if someone had walked up the building had to come down whereupon the next day, there was a second set coming down the building.
As for the uni students and the Mini Minor, perhaps some of then got jobs with ASIO.
Some skyscrapers in Japan have weights at the top that shift to counter the effects of an earthquake.
The technology for buildings or parts of buildings to move independently of local forces has existed for a long time. Whether using one or more pendula, or floating on water or another substance, or being suspended by wires, the effect is ultimately going to be the same - and I suspect ASIO will not discuss the roomâs design in detail.
Accepted fact. We all too readily forget just how little cars once weighed. Or how they genuinely sipped fuel into their wheezing low horsepower engines for economy some can only dream of today. No secrecy or privacy concerns on either front.
Although in this instance the rear engine and drive train was a quick and straight forward removal, completed by lifting the rear slightly and rolling the rest of the vehicle forward. A two man lift back in the days before OH&S.
Apologies to fans of FCA if this comes as a surprise, especially those who purchased the more recent imitation.
More compact than a Mini and a good 150kg lighter, at around just 500kg, the originals were imported into Australia with a strong following. Certainly more luxury and style than my BinLâs 1980âs Fiat Panda 30 which superseded it, and not worth recovering if ever one was temporarily misplaced or relocated by others. I suspect the Panda may only star in stories that relate one way journeys.
While I could not find details in the Wikipedia entry, I would be incredibly surprised if the Fiat 500 of yester-year and its 479cc engine ever had the fuel economy of todayâs small cars with 1,000cc engines. It lacked all sorts of efficiencies starting with electronic fuel injection, going on to modern manufacturingâs ability to make engines with incredibly fine tolerances, and of course the overall drive to increase fuel efficiency.
A late very good mate of mine had a second hand one bought for him by his father when he was studying at James Cook Uni in Townsville. I think it was a 1959 vintage.
I donât think the thing ever managed a return journey between Cairns and Townsville without breaking down with his father having to travel to retrieve it.
It made a Jeep seem like a Rolls Royce in comparison.
The girlfriend of another mate who lived in Townsville had a new version when he met her around 1970 and it appeared to be OK.
What it lacked in technological engine refinements it made up for by a decided lack of horse power. One source suggests 45mpg which converts to approx 6.3l/100km. Who knows what standard.
I know my late 60âs Spridget was 200kg heavier, used a similar low tech but much larger 1275cc engine and happily achieved 45-50mpg on a trip, or around 38mpg in Sydney traffic, cough choke with the top down. So I suspect the 45mpg for the Fiat is really conservative. Note the 33seconds for the 0-60mph (0-96.6kph). Longer with a head wind, but if you get a little bit of aerodynamic tow?
Yes, Iâm a little bored but hope this opens the mind. If nothing else it should demonstrate just how little fuel economy has improved when compared to modern cheap and cheerful cars. Aside from a few style icons from the 60âs there is little else that modern cars have not improved on.
What shall we name the topical thread for moving our last group of posts from this now unrelated topic? "Small Cars of Yesteryearâ, âI miss my Fiat500â, or is there an established one I missed?
Iâd hardly say they were the worst cars ever made, and far from contemporary in relevance.
Tall tales and true - sounds too Disney inspired.
âFun with small carsâ?
âHow to train a better spyâ?
âAustralian intelligence!â?
Iâm wondering at whether panel beating and car maintenance are the skills most useful for spies in todayâs digital and surveilled environment. Graduating from NAIDA with a major in makeup artistry and a bent for geeky IT stuff would seem more useful.
I moved the recent posts about smart meters and Amazon to a new topic appropriately titled, as started today by @wrice. It seemed more appropriate to focus attention on what is happening with that, as compared to moving that to this topic that has become quite broad, or having both in parallel. Any worries please PM me.
You are presumably not surprised that governments do this. Western government agencies are past masters at it, so of course other countries are going to be trying to do the same.
I remain amazed that what is good for the goose is apparently not good for the gander. From a personal perspective I do not want to be in any governmentâs database - but that is the world in which we live.
Indeed you are correct. I have used the following link before for a breakdown of some of the agencies that are in âhonestâ Governments domains and are used for âhonestâ purposes including spying on their citizens. Please note Iâm not suggesting anyone use the articleâs recommendations as to tools to help avoid this spying, though some are quite good (deep study by a prospective user needed first if going to use any of them).
But perhaps for those not inclined to follow links a snip of a bit of that article:
So if Chinaâs mass surveillance is âdisgustingâ because it includes Australian Citizens how much more disgusting is the Australian Govtâs co-operation in collection by 14 nations of Australian citizens data as well as by our very own Government with very little oversight of how that data is stored, used and shared.
And if our Govt really donât like you then detention without arrest, Secret CourtsâŠhmmmm sounds just âpeachyâ doesnât it. I donât like what the Chinese Govt do but to call someone out over some practice they undertake the caller out of it should not be doing the same or worse themselves otherwise it is just hypocrisy.
A very recent article by Mr Pascoe has some pointed comment about this very hypocrisy. I highly recommend reading his sometimes pithy commentary in this one, on target to show how we are being manipulated by our very own.
This kind of behavior is a sign of growing power and confidence. It is just one part of gaining influence that include pressure tactics, both overt and covert, attempts to influence less powerful countries with favours and money, setting up fronts to gather data and represent your national interests in foreign countries, internet information and disinformation campaigns etc etc.
America did these kinds of things (and many more like using agents and armed force to destabilise foreign governments) during their century of power and the Brits did the same (allowing for technological differences) during their time at the top beforehand. I am amazed how short and selective memories are that seem to have only noticed Chinaâs activities.
The 21st century will be the century of China - better get used to it. They havenât got to gunboat diplomacy yet but the games around occupying disputed territories are pretty close, there is time for much more violent disagreement yet.
It isnât the political framework that you subscribe to or the colour of your skin that enables and promotes these bullying tactics it is power and wealth, and the desire for more.
