Polishes and Waxes ?

Posting the following for a friend…

I am the proud owner of a 1991 Dark Red Toyota Camry
with a clear coat based paint.  I have always used
NuFinish to polish my car, and I have been satisfied
with the results.  Recently, though, it seems the
NuFinish is faltering a bit in making my car shine,
perhaps because the car is not garaged.  I have tried
several carnauba waxes – Mother’s California Gold
and Meguiar’s Deep Crystal polish and wax – and have
been disappointed with their clear-coat performance.
Also, I have tried a teflon-based product called
Everbrite that really underimpressed.  I would like
to know if anyone out there in Netland has experimented
with other waxes or polishes, and what the results have
been.  What is the ultimate polish for a decently kept
clear coat finish?  Blue Coral?  AutoFom?  Liquid Glass?
Also, what is the ultimate way to keep my car windows
crystal clear?  I have something smeared on the interior
of my windows, and nothing I have tried (rubbing
alcohol, vinegar, sprays, ammonia) seems to work.
Please reply.

Kelly

20 Responses to “Polishes and Waxes ?”

  1. admin says:

    In article <2qsh05$…@news.delphi.com> grinn…@news.delphi.com (GRINNE…@DELPHI.COM) writes:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    >From: grinn…@news.delphi.com (GRINNE…@DELPHI.COM)
    >Subject: Polishes and Waxes ?
    >Date: 12 May 1994 06:05:57 -0000
    >Posting the following for a friend…
    >I am the proud owner of a 1991 Dark Red Toyota Camry
    >with a clear coat based paint.  I have always used
    >NuFinish to polish my car, and I have been satisfied
    >with the results.  Recently, though, it seems the
    >NuFinish is faltering a bit in making my car shine,
    >perhaps because the car is not garaged.  I have tried
    >several carnauba waxes – Mother’s California Gold
    >and Meguiar’s Deep Crystal polish and wax – and have
    >been disappointed with their clear-coat performance.
    >Also, I have tried a teflon-based product called
    >Everbrite that really underimpressed.  I would like
    >to know if anyone out there in Netland has experimented
    >with other waxes or polishes, and what the results have
    >been.  What is the ultimate polish for a decently kept
    >clear coat finish?  Blue Coral?  AutoFom?  Liquid Glass?
    >Also, what is the ultimate way to keep my car windows
    >crystal clear?  I have something smeared on the interior
    >of my windows, and nothing I have tried (rubbing
    >alcohol, vinegar, sprays, ammonia) seems to work.

    Kelly,
      Perhaps acid rain and tree resin have had a chance to do their damage.  
    You need to use a cleaner or cleaner/polish to restore the clearcoat.  As
    important, if not more important, than the product you use is how you use it.  
    If you need to really clean a surface, it is going to be very difficult to do
    so by hand.  Especially without leaving swirl marks and small scratches.

      The Meguiar’s products you mention are just "retail" versions of
    "professional" products.  To clean the finish you’ll need to use a rotary
    buffer and a foam pad.  DON’T USE A WOOL PAD ON A CLEARCOAT FINISH!!  
    It will leave nasty scratches.

      A good philosophy is to use only as much cleaner as you need to restore the
    clearcoat.  I would try Meguiar’s #9 cleaner/polish and see if that removes
    the blemishes.  If it removes some, but not all, after two attempts, then I
    would try the #2 cleaner.  Then follow with #9 cleaner/polish to restore oils
    and remove any light swirl marks left by #2.  At this point, you can use #26
    wax.

      There are some good glass cleaners available but I don’t feel qualified
    enough to suggest one.  I’ll watch for someone else to recommend a brand.
    ————————————————————-
    Eric Webb / Martin Marietta
    EPA National Computer Center
    Research Commons, 79 Alexander Drive, Bldg 4501
    Research Triangle Park, N.C., 27711
    Phone: 919-541-7896  Fax: 919-541-0028

  2. admin says:

    GRINNE…@DELPHI.COM (grinn…@news.delphi.com) wrote:

    (text deleted)
    : Also, what is the ultimate way to keep my car windows
    : crystal clear?  I have something smeared on the interior
    : of my windows, and nothing I have tried (rubbing
    : alcohol, vinegar, sprays, ammonia) seems to work.
    : Please reply.

    : Kelly

            An automotive glass cleaner tends to work better than household
    cleaners.  On the other hand, if you need really heavy duty cleaning, may
    I suggest Ajax?  I know its a powder cleaner, but it doesn’t scratch, and
    it gets everything off, including road film.

                                                    Daniel Ho
                                                    d…@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca

                    Before the Romance: "HDTV, oh HDTV, where art thou HDTV?"
                    After the Romance: "So what’s on TV tonight?"
                                       "Nothing dear."

  3. admin says:

    Has anybody used Armor All’s Spot and Wash?  My car has a few bug
    stains on the hood and front bumper.  Is it safe for clearcoats?  Is
    there anything out there that’s better?

    Pico

  4. admin says:

    In <1994May12.172747.27…@Synopsys.Com> da…@synopsys.com (Danny Chan) writes:

    >That is why I cross all the Honda off my list, I want the EX engine
    >but no sunroof due to the fact that it cut down on head room
    >with a 6’4" frame I want every inch of head room I can get.
    >All the Honda EX model comes with that the sun roof.

    I would *love* to hear any suggestions for what car/truck any other
    tall people can fit into!  I’m 6’6", but instead of being "long-legged"
    I am "long-bodied."  This has led to many sympathetic looks at the car
    dealerships, but few cars that I can actually get into without tilting the
    driver’s seat back a good bit (which is a very uncomfortable position to
    drive in).

    So I’m crying *Help!*  If I can’t find anything else, I’m going to end up
    with a ’94 Dodge Ram full-sized pickup truck.  Fine with me, but that does
    seem like a rather extreme solution.

    Thanks for *any* help or ideas…!

    —Steve "Tree" Gray
    sg…@panix.com

  5. admin says:

    Steven Gray (sg…@panix.com) wrote:

    : In <1994May12.172747.27…@Synopsys.Com> da…@synopsys.com (Danny Chan) writes:
    :
    : >That is why I cross all the Honda off my list, I want the EX engine
    : >but no sunroof due to the fact that it cut down on head room
    : >with a 6’4" frame I want every inch of head room I can get.
    : >All the Honda EX model comes with that the sun roof.
    :
    : I would *love* to hear any suggestions for what car/truck any other
    : tall people can fit into!  I’m 6’6", but instead of being "long-legged"
    : I am "long-bodied."  This has led to many sympathetic looks at the car
    : dealerships, but few cars that I can actually get into without tilting the
    : driver’s seat back a good bit (which is a very uncomfortable position to
    : drive in).
    :
    : So I’m crying *Help!*  If I can’t find anything else, I’m going to end up
    : with a ’94 Dodge Ram full-sized pickup truck.  Fine with me, but that does
    : seem like a rather extreme solution.
    :
    : Thanks for *any* help or ideas…!
    :
    : —Steve "Tree" Gray
    : sg…@panix.com
    I, although only being 6′ have had good results with the Chevy full
    size trucks.  I hit my head on the roof only once and that was my
    fault.  I was riding on some trails and rode over a large pothole
    Later I measured how much room there was above my head and the roof
    and found it to be around ~10 inches.  I am longer in the body portion
    and had trouble with clearance in my previous Camaro.
    Just my Wooden Nickels worth of experiance…
    :

  6. admin says:

    The latest Car and Driver has an article where it compared the Neon and
    8 other subcompacts ("sedanlets", it called them).  The top 3 cars (in
    order of rank) were: Neon, Nissan Sentra, and Civic DX.

    David

  7. admin says:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    In article <Cpo9ts.2D…@cs.cmu.edu>, David Pugh <d…@cs.cmu.edu> wrote:
    >I need to buy a new car in the next few weeks. I know the Neon/Civic/etc.
    >thread has been bouncing around the group for a while, but I’d like to
    >see a summary. So … if you have any comments, please e-mail them to me
    >and I’ll try to post one in the next week or so. I am particularly interested
    >in any of the following:
    >    actual price paid/offered (for any of the cars below),
    >    information on other cars in this "class" that I’ve skipped,
    >    good or bad experiences with the car (even 2nd hand stories), &
    >    feedback on whether my comments (below) are accurate.

    >From what I’ve seen so far (and found out by shopping around):

    >Dodge Neon: $13,200 MSRP for the sport (5spd) + options (A/C) package.
    >    Handling: very good (acceleration + maneuverability).
    >    Comfort: fair to good (ergonomics + noise + ride + etc.).

    >    Good news:
    >            Fairly well equipped (ABS, dual airbags, AM/FM cassette).
    >            The lowest price for the equipment level.
    >            No sunroof (OK, so I’m weird :-) ).

    Not weird, just good common sense.

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    >            Claims to meet 1997 side-impact standards.

    >    Bad news:
    >            1st year of introduction.
    >            May be buggy (I’ve heard widely different
    >            accounts of recalls).

    >Honda Civic: $14,300 MSRP for VX Hatchback + A/C
    >         unknown MSRP for DX (but higher than VX)
    >         $16,900 MSRP for EX

    >    Handling: fair to good (good for EX).
    >    Comfort: good to very good.

    >    Good news:
    >            VX has excellent gas mileage.
    >            EX has all the trimmings (ABS, AM/FM cassette, etc.).
    >            Dual airbags.
    >            Best interior of the bunch.
    >            Excellent reliability.

    >    Bad news:
    >            No one seems to stock VX’s.
    >            DX (and VX?) are noisy.
    >            DX & VX are sparsely equipped (no ABS, etc.).
    >            EX has a sunroof (may be good news for some).

    That is why I cross all the Honda off my list, I want the EX engine
    but no sunroof due to the fact that it cut down on head room
    with a 6’4" frame I want every inch of head room I can get.
    All the Honda EX model comes with that the sun roof.

    >Toyota Corolla: $16,??? MSRP (DX 5spd + A/C + ABS)
    >GEO Prism: unknown MSRP
    >    Handling: fair
    >    comfort: fair to good

    >    Good news:
    >            Very good reliability.

    >    Bad news:
    >            ?

    It would be a great car if they put the Celica GT engine in it.
    For me I am waiting for the 2-door Neon with 140hp engine and No sunroof.

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    >Saturn SL2: $13,600 MSRP (5spd + A/C & ABS)
    >    Handling: fair
    >    comfort: fair

    >    Good news:
    >            Excellent reliability.
    >            Plastic exterior should cut down on parking lot rashes
    >            (or at least make it easier to fix).

    >    Bad news:
    >            Noisier than most cars in class.

    >Overall, the Neon seems to be the least expensive car with the Saturn
    >coming in second. Ignoring price, the Honda Civic seems to be the best
    >car.

    >Note: the Honda dealership I visited seemed to have very inflated prices.
    >Checking the new car guide, the Honda MSRPs (5spd + A/C) are:
    >    VX $12,700
    >    DX $12,950 (4 door)
    >    EX $15,740 (4 door)
    >Using those numbers, the VX/DX should be at least $500 less than the Neon
    >Sport with A/C and the EX should be $2,200 more. The EX is probably equipped
    >a little better than the Neon and the Neon is equipped a lot better than the
    >VX/DX (the difference in the invoice prices are similar).
    >–
    >.. He was determined to discover the                David Pugh
    >underlying logic behind the universe.               …!seismo!cmucs!dep
    >    Which was going to be hard, because
    >there wasn’t one.   _Mort_,  Terry Pratchett

  8. admin says:

    David Pugh (d…@cs.cmu.edu) wrote:

    : I need to buy a new car in the next few weeks. I know the Neon/Civic/etc.
    : thread has been bouncing around the group for a while, but I’d like to
    : see a summary. So … if you have any comments, please e-mail them to me
    : and I’ll try to post one in the next week or so. I am particularly interested
    : in any of the following:
    :       actual price paid/offered (for any of the cars below),
    :       information on other cars in this "class" that I’ve skipped,
    :       good or bad experiences with the car (even 2nd hand stories), &
    :       feedback on whether my comments (below) are accurate.

     {snip}

    David,

    Here’s a note I posted in Feb. when my daughter was shopping for a new car.
    She wanted a 4-door/5-speed, preferably with ABS and 3-point belts — and as
    many "toys" as she could afford.  At the time this was posted, she’d already
    eliminated Saturn (electric belts & price), Nissan ("just don’t like it"),
    and Escort/Tracer (multiple reasons) from her list — so I didn’t bother to
    post a detailed price comparison on them.  Sorry, I don’t have Neon prices;
    maybe net.someone can fill them in.

    There have probably been some price changes since Feb, so check a reliable
    source like Consumer_Guide (CG != CR) before slamming these numbers down on
    the sales-droid’s desk.

    In the end, she went with the Civic EX.  The final price was $14000.00 plus
    a trade-in:  our faithful ’85 Accord with 150k miles, bad tranny, seriously
    sick steering-rack, butch master-cylinder, some body damage, …and a very
    nice interior. ;-)  Maybe worth $500 — but not to me!  Actually, we could
    have done ~$200 better at another (less convenient) dealer — but the one
    she choose also beat her credit-union’s interest rate by a full 1% (simple
    interest) for an additional savings of about $300 (net present value).  On
    an all-cash deal, I’d guess invoice + $500 would be a reasonable target.

    BTW, she also peeked at Neon — but in Feb/Mar the dealers couldn’t promise
    speedy delivery, and (naturally) they weren’t negotiating prices since they
    had more orders than cars.  But, I think Civic would have won in any case.

    happy haggling,

    Mark

    ——————————————————————————–
    Caution:  Old information!                      Originally posted:  Feb. ’94
    ——————————————————————————–

    Hi-ya wreck.auto-ites:

    Since my daughter’s shopping for a new 4-door in the Civic/Neon size-range, I
    just happened to have the following info handy;  so, at the risk of degrading
    the noise/signal ratio of this thread, I thought I’d pass it along.  Does
    anyone have list/invoice prices on a similarly equipped Neon?

    We haven’t visited a Neon store yet — the weather on the right-coast has been
    much too ugly for serious tire-kicking.  (But the good news is that the dealers
    must be getting frantic. ;-)

    Genus    |   Protege   |    Prism    |   Corolla   |    Civic    |    Civic    |
    Species  |     LX      |  LSi (1.8)  |     DX      |     LX      |     EX      |
    ———|————-|————-|————-|————-|————-|
    engine   |  1839 DOHC  |  1762 DOHC  |  1762 DOHC  |  1493 SOHC  |  1590 VTEC  |
    hp @ rpm |  125 @ 6500 |  115 @ 5600 |  115 @ 5600 |  102 @ 5900 |  125 @ 6600 |
    torque   |  114 @ 4500 |  115 @ 4800 |  115 @ 4800 |   98 @ 5000 |  106 @ 5200 |
    lb/hp    |     ~20     |     ~22     |     ~22     |     ~24     |     ~20     |
             |             |             |             |             |             |
    volume   |    92/13    |    89/13    |    89/13    |    86/12    |    84/12    |
    MPG      |    24/30    |    27/34    |    27/34    |    34/40    |    29/35    |
             |             |             |             |             |             |
             |             |             |             |             |             |
    Prices:  | List  Invc. | List  Invc. | List  Invc. | List  Invc. | List  Invc. |
    ——– | —– —– | —– —– | —– —– | —– —– | —– —– |
    Base     | 13195 11992 | 11852 10906 | 12998 11177 | 12950 11137 | 15740 13536 |
    ABS      |    -     –  |   595   512 |   825   676 |   850   731 |    S     S  |
    A/C      |   850   680 |  2435  2094 |  1615  1454 |  1395  ~700 |    S     S  |
    AM/FM/Cs |    S     S  |    "     "  |    "     "  |    S     S  |    S     S  |
    PWin/PLk |    S     S  |    "     "  |    "     "  |    S     S  |    S     S  |
    PMirrors |    S     S  |    "     "  |    -     –  |    S     S  |    S     S  |
    Cruise   |    S     S  |    "     "  |   265   212 |    S     S  |    S     S  |
    Tach     |    S     S  |    60    52 |    65    52 |    S     S  |    S     S  |
    Defogger |    S     S  |   170   146 |    S     S  |    S     S  |    S     S  |
    MoonRoof |    -     –  |    -     –  |    -     –  |    -     –  |    S     S  |
    Freight  |   395   395 |   365   365 |   385   385 |   350   350 |   350   350 |
    ——– | —– —– | —– —– | —– —– | —– —– | —– —– |
    Gross    | 14440 13067 | 15477 14075 | 16153 13956 | 15545 12918 | 16090 13886 |
    Rebates  | (2050)(1880)|    -     –  |    -     –  |    -     –  |    -     –  |
    ======== | ===== ===== | ===== ===== | ===== ===== | ===== ===== | ===== ===== |
    Net      | 12390 11187 | 15477 14075 | 16153 13956 | 15545 12918 | 16090 13886 |

    Except for the Mazda Protege (with a price that’s too good to ignore entirely),
    all of the above come with air-bags, 3-point front belts, and (optional) ABS.
    In the case of Prism and Corolla, the prices reflect the option-packages that
    come closest to Civic LX equipment.  Unfortunately, both Prism and Corolla use
    the "confusion-matrix" approach to option packaging–so the exact car you want
    has probably never been built.  So far, we’ve visited 3 large Toyota dealers
    without finding a single Corolla ABS/5-speed — and very few Corolla 5-speeds
    of any kind.  ("But if you’ll leave a deposit, we’ll be getting exactly what
    you’re looking for Real_Soon_Now."  …Right!  Please sell me some CD-rings!)

    regards,

    Mark B.

               ——————————————————-
              | Mark Brindle              | email: brin…@lf.hp.com  |
              | Hewlett-Packard Co.       | Phone: (302) 633-8498     |
              | Little Falls Division     | Fax:   (302) 633-8924     |
              | Wilmington, Delaware      | You pay for what you get. |
               ——————————————————-

  9. admin says:

    >I would *love* to hear any suggestions for what car/truck any other
    >tall people can fit into!  I’m 6’6", but instead of being "long-legged"
    >I am "long-bodied."  This has led to many sympathetic looks at the car
    >dealerships, but few cars that I can actually get into without tilting the
    >driver’s seat back a good bit (which is a very uncomfortable position to
    >drive in).

    Steve:

    You may want to check out some of the higher priced luxury cars like the
    Pontiac Bonneville or Ford Crown Victoria.  I have driven both.  I’m about
    6"2 and quite wide bodied.  I’m happy to report no major problems with
    either.  However, I personally like the Bonneville more due to the radio
    controls that are implemented into the streering wheel.

    I have also driven a Olds Cutlass Supreme SL and it was okay if you tilt the
    steering wheel all the way back to get out and then pull it up when you are
    driving.  It is quite a pain in the butt.  I also didn’t like the fact that
    when getting out, my knee would often hit the trunk release button.

    Just my opinion.

    Cheers!

            Alex

    **************************************************************************
    Alex Schwarzer                             ASCHW…@CORB.REHAB.UALBERTA.CA
    Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
    University of Alberta                           Don’t marry for money
    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada                     You can borrow it cheaper
    **************************************************************************

  10. admin says:

    In <2qtrkl$…@panix2.panix.com> sg…@panix.com (Steven Gray) writes:

    >I would *love* to hear any suggestions for what car/truck any other
    >tall people can fit into!  I’m 6’6", but instead of being "long-legged"
    >I am "long-bodied."  This has led to many sympathetic looks at the car
    >dealerships, but few cars that I can actually get into without tilting the
    >driver’s seat back a good bit (which is a very uncomfortable position to
    >drive in).

    I have the same problem (I’m 6’5" 230lbs, and wear a <36" length
    pants). It is difficult to find a car that is really comfortable that is
    not a behemoth, but I’ve managed to find a few. I own an ’83 Mazda 626
    Touring Sedan, and while that low roofline looks great, it doesn’t help
    headroom. I fit in it, but I wouldn’t say it’s really comfortable (can’t
    even fit in the one with the sunroof).One of the most impressive cars to
    me is the my dad’s ’87 Subaru 4WD Turbo GL-10 Wagon. It is very
    comfortable for a small car and has good headroom. It has a sunroof, and
    I can sit in the back of it pretty comfortably. It’s also nice to drive;
    it’s one of the few cars I can find a nice driving position in. I have
    also found my dad’s ’84 Dodge Colt Vista to be roomy, but there’s no
    sedan version of it (the Colt Premier is a totally different car). I
    have also found many VW’s and other German cars to be pretty roomy. It
    is difficult to find a car for "long-bodied" people, but it’s not
    impossible. I looked for a long time because I’m not exactly a fan of
    large cars.  

    >So I’m crying *Help!*  If I can’t find anything else, I’m going to end up
    >with a ’94 Dodge Ram full-sized pickup truck.  Fine with me, but that does
    >seem like a rather extreme solution.

    Yes very extreme (well, depending on what you planned on doing w/ your
    vehicle).  Just keep looking there are some nice ones out there that
    will fit your needs. Good luck!

    Scott Oetjen
    cs1…@knuth.mtsu.edu
    ’83 Mazda 626 Touring Sedan

  11. admin says:

    sg…@panix.com (Steven Gray) writes:
    > I would *love* to hear any suggestions for what car/truck any other
    > tall people can fit into!  I’m 6’6", but instead of being "long-legged"
    > I am "long-bodied."  This has led to many sympathetic looks at the car
    > dealerships, but few cars that I can actually get into without tilting the
    > driver’s seat back a good bit (which is a very uncomfortable position to
    > drive in).

    I’ve got the same problem: long-bodied 6’4".

    My wife was >< this close to getting a Saturn SC2 with sunroof, but bless
    her heart she declined when she discovered my negative clearance. The SL2
    actually has a bit of positive clearance, but wasn’t fun enough. She ended
    up getting a Sentra SE-R which meets her need for speed, and offers me some
    positive clearance even with the sunroof.

    My own personal vehicles which have given me plenty of room include a SAAB
    900 and a Ford Ranger PU (both with solid roofs).

    Tony

  12. admin says:

    In <180200…@hpldsla.sid.hp.com> to…@hpldsla.sid.hp.com (Tony Arnerich) writes:

    >I’ve got the same problem: long-bodied 6’4".
    >My wife was >< this close to getting a Saturn SC2 with sunroof, but bless
    >her heart she declined when she discovered my negative clearance. The SL2
    >actually has a bit of positive clearance, but wasn’t fun enough. She ended
    >up getting a Sentra SE-R which meets her need for speed, and offers me some
    >positive clearance even with the sunroof.
    >My own personal vehicles which have given me plenty of room include a SAAB
    >900 and a Ford Ranger PU (both with solid roofs).
    >Tony

    Thanks to all that have responded with suggestions as to "tall" vehicles
    that I could try to get into.  No one gave my ideal response – get a Harley –
    but I guess that’s not the most practical suggestion ;->.

    Just as a followup, I’ve come across 4 vehicles that I am able to sit in.
    Note that if you are a tall person who is "mostly legs" you will fair
    *much* better…  

    After trying just about every new car sold in North America ;-( I can get
    into:

    a Ford Explorer
    a Ford Bronco (with lots of headroom)
    a GMC Sierra pickup
    a Dodge RAM (also with lots of headroom).

    I still want to try an Isuzu Trooper, but after that I’m about out of ideas.
    Note that I have not found a single car – even the full size models – that
    I can get into.

    One idea that came across my (desperate) brain was to 1) buy a standard
    car, and 2) get the seat lowered (i.e., modified) by an outside body shop.
    No one seems to have any enthusiasm for this, and most have concerns
    about the resultant safety of the driver’s seat after the modification.

    In the meantime, as good as those 4 vehicles are, it’s annoying to have
    your choice so narrowly limited.

    —Steve Gray
    sg…@panix.com

  13. admin says:

    Regarding discussion of cars for tall people:

    So far other netters have suggested:

    >>Nissan Sentra SE-R
    >>Ford Ranger PU
    >>Saab 900
    >a Ford Explorer
    >a Ford Bronco (with lots of headroom)
    >a GMC Sierra pickup
    >a Dodge RAM (also with lots of headroom).

    I have spent 4 MONTHS trying every form of four-wheeled transportation
    known to man trying to find a vehich which fits my 6’4" long-bodied
    large boned frame.  The results of my frustrating search are shown
    below.

    1994 Vehicles I can drive in proper ergonomic seating position & < $25K:

    Saab 900S
    Jeep Wrangler
    Geo Tracker
    Pontiac Bonneville
    Ford Aerostar

    THAT’S ALL FOLKS!  I can’t believe that there aren’t more choices.
    Since I want a manual transmission coupe CAR (not truck or S/U) I am
    left with ONE choice- I will be purchasing a Saab soon.

    Cars I fit in height-wise, but need just a little more leg space:

    Volkswagon Jetta and Golf (good headroom, I ALMOST fit)
    Honda Accord
    Dodge RAM
    Ford Ranger
    Ford Escort (looking out the top of the windshield)
    BMW 318i (would need to find one without a sunroof)

    Cars with lots of room but quirks:

    Jeep Cherokee (seats are too small, but plenty of head and legroom)
    Dodge Neon (Stupid blue strip at top of windshield blocks road view)

    I hope the world’s manufacturers take heed and make cars with more
    room soon.  The problem is NOT the size of the car, it is the length
    of the seat rails and the lack of height adjustable seats in most
    cars.  Thank heaven for the Swedes or I couldn’t drive anything
    without cranking the seats back and ruining my back and knees (which I
    imagine many of you out there are doing without even realizing it now)

    -Eric

    * These words are mine alone, but I make no claim to original thought *

  14. admin says:

    In article <1994May19.223203.1…@cs.ucla.edu>, sh…@oahu.cs.ucla.edu

    (Eric Shank) wrote:

    ……….(deleted)…………….

    > I have spent 4 MONTHS trying every form of four-wheeled transportation
    > known to man trying to find a vehich which fits my 6’4" long-bodied
    > large boned frame. ……….(deleted)……..

         I would recommend trying the Plymouth Gran Fury/ Dodge Diplomat/
    Chrysler 5th Avenue line that they discontinued in 1989.  They have lots of
    headroom, and every tall policeman I talk to says that those cars have a
    much more headroom then the newer cars.
         I own three such cars, and I find that they have a whole lot more
    headroom than any of my mid 80s Ford Crown Victorias.  

    Good luck!                             George Chang

  15. admin says:

    One of the Subaru "Limited Edition" wagons has a special raised roof
    that might be good for tall people.


    +——————————————————————–+
    | Tom Parker             |  National Center for Atmospheric Research |
    | tpar…@ncar.ucar.edu  |  (303) 497-1227                           |
    +——————————————————————–+

  16. admin says:

    Try an Alfa Romeo 75. I fit in without any problems. I’m only 6’2" though. Now
    I have an ’87 Saab 900, that’s fine too.

    Marcus Bonse                          email: m.h.w.bo…@wbmt.tudelft.nl
    Delft University of Technology
    Lab. for Micro Engineering

  17. admin says:

    I believe that just about any VW would be suitable for a tall person.  They
    seem to have 2" of headroom more than GM (worst of the Big 3) & 1" more than
    Ford of Chrysler.  (Note that the above are averages, I believe that VWs have
    about 3" more headroom than Saturns, for example).


    *******************************************************************************
    David Lovely                                        dlov…@mbvlab.wpafb.af.mil
    Sverdrup Technology, Inc.                                          513/429-5056
    4200 Colonel Glenn Highway, Suite 500                     513/255-1115 (direct)
    Beavercreek, Ohio  45431                            513/476-4414 (just the Fax)

           Model Based Vision Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio

             Unix/Network Administration: "You name it…I will break it!"
    _______________________________________________________________________________

      Proud owner of a 1987 VW Cabriolet Wolfsburg Edition with a hip-hop stereo.
             Bill Clinton: The Worst foreign policy in the last 50 years!

    *******************************************************************************

  18. admin says:

    In article <2rtmre$…@iris.mbvlab.wpafb.af.mil>,

    Dave Lovely <dlov…@mbvlab.wpafb.af.mil> wrote:
    >I believe that just about any VW would be suitable for a tall person.  They
    >seem to have 2" of headroom more than GM (worst of the Big 3) & 1" more than
    >Ford of Chrysler.  (Note that the above are averages, I believe that VWs have
    >about 3" more headroom than Saturns, for example).

    Not all VWs have that much headroom.  Take my Passat for example.  While
    there are many things I love about it, the headroom ain’t one of them.
    The primary culprit is the sunroof, which is standard on the Passat GLX,
    which has the highly rated VR6 engine, and which I have.  I am about 6’0",
    and have about 1" of headroom left after lowering the seat as far as
    possible and reclining the back to a comfortable angle.  Nice thing about
    my VW was, because of the suspension, I don’t bounce as much, compared to
    my previous car, an 85 Honda Accord, which sometimes bounced so much that I
    hit my head on the roof so hard that it hurt, especially going through dips,
    and the Accord had "more" headroom (no sunroof, sat even lower, reclined
    more).

    Mike.


    —   Hung Michael Nguyen
    —-  email: mi…@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
    —–        mi…@orion.med.bcm.tmc.edu
    ——       mi…@hebe.cs.rice.edu

  19. admin says:

    I’ve been out looking at cars, too.  I’m 6’4" with longer-than-usual legs,
    and it’s been…interesting.

    We’re looking at "cheap" small wagons and sedans.  

    The most wonderful vehicle we’ve tried so far is the Mitsubishi Expo,
    which is halfway between a compact wagon and a minivan.  It allows
    absolutely perfect 90-90 degree position, has gobs of headroom and legroom,
    and is by far the most comfortable thing I’ve driven in years.

    It also dives into corners like a bucking mule, has a somewhat lousy
    service record, and costs more than we want to spend..

    But if tallness is what you want, get this thing or get a van.  Stop messing
    around with "cars" entirely.  

    I wish Honda would bring back their Civic wagon.  I’ve got one, I fit,
    I love it.  

  20. admin says:

    I changed my ’85 Saab 900 to the new 900, there’s even more space!

    Timo Argillander
    (191 cm)

    t…@brainware.fi

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