Rotor arms

There are more Halfords stores than there are Alfa 75's.

Well, yes. But this rotor arm is a pretty standard part which is used by a large number of manufacturers - Ford, VW, Saab, Volvo, and some others.

However, I've now started to realise just how long ago it was that distributors fell out of use! Feels like yesterday, though.

It would have been around 2000 for European market.

Mexico made Nissan SR20DE in FWD versions that use a dizzy up to 2013.

I'm not so sure. Lots of examples where people have confused MM and CM. Engineering tends only to use MM - where CM is common domestically. That didn't seem to be a problem with imperial.

And despite having used metric for a long time, I still prefer imperial for DIY measurement. It seems to use units which are human based rather than ones easy for a computer to handle.

I'd guess Halfords have been hit by internet sales as much as any, so have stopped selling slow moving stuff.

I'd say there were very few still being made then - and only 'run out' models.

Presumably because they had no emissions control?

Mmm. But it is a trivially easy conversion...

If 10:1 confusion between mm and cm is so possible, why not 12:1 confusion between ' and "?

In what way is a progression through 1/4"-5/16"-3/8"-7/16"-1/2" spanners

- to take just one example - easier for humans than

8mm-9mm-10mm-11mm-12mm? And that's before the whole A/F vs whitworth vs whateverthefuckdibnah mess...

Good result.

Take comfort how long it might have taken the typical yoof of today :-)

as in "The choke, what is that?"

I can tell any AF (unified) size at a glance. Not so with metric. Of course if you only ever work on a car with metric sizes, you'd not be likely to have learned the older ones.

Oh - why do you think most still quote a person's height in feet? Use miles for long distance measurement?

After all 6 ft is 1.829M, so just as easy to remember. ;-)

Thing is you'd need to be equally familiar with both systems, and only old farts are likely to be so.

Of course when drawing things on the computer I'll use metric.

*ding* But that's separate to my point, as you probably know quite well...

Because, as per your point, it's what people are used to. No more than that. And the only reason it's what people are used to is because we've pissed around not-quite-converting-properly for decades.

But 1m80 is much easier to remember than 5'11"... A rounder number is easier to remember than a less round one, regardless of the actual meaning of the number. This is hardly news.

Many old farts (d/w)on't do metric, and the yoof don't give a toss about antiquated irrelevant Dibnah measurements.

Which just leaves us middle-aged farts translating between the two.

Yes.

As usual, the only problems with the car seem to be manifesting themselves in the German (Bosch) electrical bits...

If I wanted parts on the day I wouldn't touch Halfords, would try EuroCarWotsits or local motor factors. ECP generally have better stock, though occasionally the local auto parts shop (umpteen kinds of car shampoo on display) does the business.

Though ECP are computer jockeys, and are no good if you say 'I want one like this but longer'. If your vehicle is unusual, their database often tends to give up and show nothing. For example, see what's available for the Tesla Model S.

Theo

ECP not open Sunday - and they don't keep rotor arms in stock, either - earliest availability was Wednesday!

The local 'old school' motor factor looked it up and gave me a 'computer say no'.

Sadly, I didn't get to do the cross-referencing myself until I got home and they were closed - as I later found out which other manufacturers used the same part.

After, ooh, 25-30 years?

C'est la guerre.

But to go all web-forumy on you - glad you got it sorted :-)

(No... No, it doesn't feel right on Usenet somehow ;-) )

My experience of Bosch bits on French cars is that they didn't last 10 years. There must have been 2 grades and prices. Or maybe they just didn't like the French.

Wasn't helped by the use of copper plated steel wires that required 3-4" of wire to be cut back from the cut ends at the connector and new bits spliced in at every bulb change. The steel rusted back inside the plating, it was a thin copper tube of black dust, when the loom was moved it broke up inside the insulation. How to prevent a car being used as a "classic".

Nobody likes the French car industry[1].

[1] Apart from Adrian ;-)

German stuff is never meant to be indestructable or self-repairing, IME it's merely designed and spec'd well enough to give a good MTBF.

My 320d has just rolled over 210k and the full list of failed components runs to:

Crank pulley Various suspension ball joints Glow plugs Stuck brake calipers Gear knob

I've drowned engine yet I'm still on the original turbo. I do a fair bit of towing & town driving but am still on the original clutch.

Various wings, doors & bumpers have been replaced too - but I can't blame BMW for them.... ;-)