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Den

Lurked long enough I suppose.

31 posts in this topic

You guys tend to encourage taking part. LOL. This is one of the better forums out there and I been "lurking" for a looong time!

I'm 44, father of 3 wee girls, and addicted to cars all my life.

For my current plans "automotively", it's easier to look here. than to write it all out again.

I'm currently off work due to Congestive Heart Failure. Run 2 forums in my spare time. WAS compiling a list of auto forums but recently realized it was more work than I thought. LOL.

Though it has made me an "expert" on forums and what makes them work and not work and more importantly comfortable. This place is comfortable. I like that members seem to respect difference in opinion and don't launch into personal attacks. (Trust me, before some of you say "Oh yeah!!", I've seen some insanity on other forums!!)

I'm pretty sure when we buy, it'll be used especially since I'm not too nuts on some of the changes to the new smart. But I'm still "researching". LOL.

When we do DO this we'll be moving or moved to Wellington Country here in Ontario Canada. (Most likely) So the main 'mods' to the smartie will be snows, tint, and sound. That's about it as it's going to be my "leave it alone!!!!" car.

We're also planning on doing some alternative energy ideas to the house when we move so are researching whether we are even allowed to! (I really have to email the township up there soon!! LOL)

Anything else. Just ask.

:thanx:

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Welcome, and yes diversity of opinion is tolerated by virtually every member here! It is a comfortable place.

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Thanks. I've seen you around here. LOL. Weird French cars etc. You ever check out the Australian French car forum? It's called "Aussiefrogs" and quite a friendly bunch. I haven't seen a Peugeot in a while. Used to be 2 or 3 of them behind a local tire shop til a year or so ago. I believe they were 504s (?) or 505s (?). Not a Peugeot expert. Was it Gordon Baxter used to write about his named Roland (?) in Car & driver 20 years ago...?

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Yeah I am on Aussiefrogs......different username, based, as it is here, on my real name.I am one of the few Peugetos around here....I see maybe 5 or 6 occasionally, still on the road. Most are 505s, getting towards 30 years old now.Roland was a 504 D IIRC

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My memory is fuzzy at best. LOL. I do remember him writing about 'following' a Lady in a Jaguar and Roland keeping up and as she turned into the airport she gave a wave. LOL. I also remember him describing the seats in the Peugeot as little couchs. I always enjoyed Baxter's writing. I think L.J.K. Setright would have approved of the smart!

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He did, I think. He only died a couple of years ago.

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I remember when I could never figure out what he was writing. Then when I rediscovered him in CAR magazine many years later, I suppose I'd "matured" enough to appreciate him. I lost track somewhere over the years and was truly saddened to read of his death. He was one of the "greats".

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Now for the "dumb questions". I know, "Do a search NOOOOB" etc. But sometimes I find there's TOO much info here to find exactly what I'm trying to find out. LOL. So if you guys can be patient with me.....: 1. I been reading as much as I can on the tranny. Um. Is there literally "two" tranny options? Or is the "manual" tranny setup an option on the tranny that's already in place. IE: the tranny's the same but it's configured differenty? The paddle shifter is part of the "manual" setup? the floorshift works "manually" but only if you order the option? Somehow I'm finding this confusing. Also most cars in the trader are listed as "auto" so what would I look for to shift manually? I don't care about paddleshifters. I just want to be able to manually shift, period. I'm just not sure if this is all smarts or you have to order it set up that way? Does this question even make sense? :sniffle: 2. Traction/stability control: If I understand correctly, this is standard eqipment? (I HATE stability control!!). Is it both? Or is one or the other options? Can it be turned off? (Please say yes!!) I doubt this would stop me from buying but it would be truly dissapointing to be saddled with it. I think those are the biggies. Most other things I've been able to find. I'm not worried about stereo as I plan to go aftermarket anyways. I hope I haven't P###ed anyone off with these questions. hmm. 3 am. i guess I should try to sleep.

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The transaxle is a automated manual with three possible modes of shifting: floor lever, automatic (optional) and paddles on the steering wheel (optional). In all three cases, the transaxle itself is identical.The ESP on the smart is not designed to be disabled by the driver. The car is, frankly, dangerous without it.

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The transaxle is a automated manual with three possible modes of shifting: floor lever, automatic (optional) and paddles on the steering wheel (optional). In all three cases, the transaxle itself is identical.The ESP on the smart is not designed to be disabled by the driver. The car is, frankly, dangerous without it.

So, no matter what smart I buy, I can shift manually? Is the esp noticeble? I've driven with stability in icey snowy (freezing rain/black ice) conditions (not a smart) and frankly it scared the S### out of me! I couldn't tell what the vehicle was doing on the ice and was told "that's the stability control kicking in". Since I drive a truck (pickup) for a living I was quite happy to get back into the F150 that I normally drove and use my foot for traction control. LOL. The best way to describe what unnerved me was that while making a left turn at intersections I would feel like the truck was sliding VERY slowly (travelling maybe 3-5 mph) like I was on black ice. The pavement was merely damp both times I noticed it. My instinct of course was to react as if I WAS on black ice and slow the truck down and let it "settle" and then I realized it wasn't actually sliding. Weird! It kind of reminds me of what a simulator does on a ride at a park. I also felt I could see if one "gets used to it" why so many people are no longer knowing WHEN to "let off". Hammering the truck (Nissan Titan) off the line in 8 inches off snow and just "ROCKETTING" off the line with no wheelspin was fun until the novelty wore off. It was the above that unnerved me. Extreme slow speed maneuvers when reading the surface was everything. I think the guys at the shop thought I was kidding when I said I preferred the old Ford. LOL.

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The ESP is noticeaable; in a good way. When I rip off the highway and cross a 3 metre rubber railway crossing on the road on a sharp corner when it's damp, the rear of the car begins to oversteer and the ESP corrests it perfectly and immediately. It's good fun.

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2. Traction/stability control: If I understand correctly, this is standard eqipment? (I HATE stability control!!). Is it both? Or is one or the other options? Can it be turned off? (Please say yes!!)

The ESP is a very well engineered unit. It has to be experienced to be beleived! Yes, it can be disabled, but that is not recommended.In Dec 2004 I looked forward to taking this rear wheeled baby out in the snow. I wanted to do some spins and skid around. Nope, that didn't happen. It was extremely hard to force this car to lose control. But isn't that good?During that winter there was one incident that made me mad. I was going up a snowy steady incline and the smart kept going slower and slower. The tires weren't spinning (traction control),and I did make it over the hill, but I wanted to go faster. Because of that I bought a traction control disabler which also disables the ESP. I thought I was now prepared for the winter of 2005/6. Well, the first snow came along and I went out to a quiet suburb to play. I could now spin OK, more like 360's!!!!!! The combo of the short wheel base and light weight makes it break loose real easy. After about 15 minutes you learn how to control the car to drive safely,but there are limits. Sure I could drive around like that but you would be on the edge. Then I'm thinking why am I NOT using this expensive equipment that makes the smart safer and works extremely well. Did I need to use the disabler last winter- nope, not one time.The only time I used it after my experiment was to demonstrate to my brother in law the cars capabilities in the snow.He ended up buying a smart within a month (Jan06) and informs me that this car is a ''keeper''!!Good luck with your search!

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Welcome to CsC! As Mike said, there's only one transmission. It's clutchless, and there's no shift gates (you just nudge the gearshift forward for upshifting, pul it back for downshifts), and there is an option available to use it in automatic mode. Because it's not a "real" manual transmission, that might be what has you confused. And, don't dismiss those paddle shifts: they're really nice! (My car came with them-- it's used-- and I love that feature). As for the ESP: smarts are incredibly tippy (narrow with a high center of gravity), and the way Mercedes handled the original safety issues was putting on the ESP and traction control. If you get one, don't mess around with that-- on the smart, that technology isn't an optional luxury, it's basic safety.

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Thanks everyone. It may be some time off but I am pretty sure that eventually we will be getting a smart. Right now we're kind of in "limbo" with my being off work and all. Worse thing is I LOVE my job!! Don't that figure! Maybe when it's "that" bad I'll take the "bigger" car. LOL. Not that I don't think the smart can do it but when Wellington County about 5 years ago had EVERY road closed "for the first time in history" (they ran out of road blocks!) I was out in it and only turned around and came home after hearing on the radio that the roads were closed (and at the same time saw yellow lights glowing over the next hill and didn't want to get charged!!). My route had taken me around the roadblocks so I never saw them (I by nature take backroads, avoiding the highways. In summer I use as much gravel road as possible.). It was real cool running 80 kp/h (50 mph) with the snow flying over the car in my own private snowstorm. Any slower and I'd have been stuck as the snow on the roads was level with my front bumper!! I wondered why they're were no other cars!! But it WAS 5:30 in the morning. :doublethumb: I'd rather drive in a snowstorm than on dry pavement. I used to get up at 3 am to get out before the snowplows screwed it up. Since moving back to Toronto, I really miss snow!

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Guess I'll have to add this site to my Firefox as AOL keeps logging me out.LOL. My plan too is that I figure a lot of people buy smarts as a "novelty" and then after realizing they weren't prepared for the change are selling them again. Kind of the reverse of people buying Excursions as a novelty (IE: Mine's bigger than yours) then realizing they're "REAL" trucks!! Again good for us because a diesel Excursion with the "good" engine (7.3) is now dirt cheap and gets better mileage than ANY minivan!! (But I still think we're heading in the get a car for the kids and a cargo van for "work duties" direction.)

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If you are having any kind of heart problem might I suggest you seek out power steering. I know a guy like you problably thinks it's wusy, but for the health of your heart you shouln't put too much strain using your arms. but then you know that. and you wouldn't have to tell any one you have it. Ask smart 65 how he likes it.We live in Welllington county. what part were you thinking of settling? we get a lot of snow and I personally don't like all that shoveling. We have a blower but you still have to find the porch. Our smart handles pretty well in the unshoveled 300 ft drive.Just my two centsKaren

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If you are having any kind of heart problem might I suggest you seek out power steering. I know a guy like you problably thinks it's wusy, but for the health of your heart you shouln't put too much strain using your arms. but then you know that. and you wouldn't have to tell any one you have it. Ask smart 65 how he likes it.We live in Welllington county. what part were you thinking of settling? we get a lot of snow and I personally don't like all that shoveling. We have a blower but you still have to find the porch. Our smart handles pretty well in the unshoveled 300 ft drive.Just my two centsKaren

We lived in Clifford (I worked at the Canadian Tire in Hanover for a wee bit.) and if we can find a house there intend to go back. It'll be Minto anyways, whether Palmerston (our youngest was born there) or Harriston or of course Clifford. We moved there the year of "Walkerton". Loved it there. Miss it like crazy! Thank you for the advice. I have most of my strength back though my stamina is off and on at best. I walked about 11 km twice this week and was out on the bicycle today for about 5 km. Though the first walk above put me in bed mostly for 3 days, this is a long way from last year when I couldn't walk the length of our apt (literally!) and couldn't go out because we're downstairs! I find out next month (hopefully) if I get surgery or a new heart or......? LOL. I'm staying positive and this forum seems to be VERY positive. I guess I can include you guys as part of my recovery. :doublethumb: I also lived in Guelph with my first wife in 1989 but it's become waaaay too busy now!

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Oh wow that's pretty close to us Harriston is still quite lazy right now and pretty Palmerston is still gettin a reputation and Clifford is still friendly. so they are all nice. Hariston has a Tim's now and are the closest to us LOL but I have to say when Jake had an occurance after his heart attack and was sent to Palmerston they were very good/ being so small and having all the heart monitors you need he had his own private nurse because no one else was in emerg that day. Can you imagine that (smart142)He's fine btw. his heart problem was caused by his type 1 diabetes he has had for over 30 years. Get any surgery done in the city and then come out here to live and enjoy life. and especially get a smart. best support team out there.Karen

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Before we got a Dr (Dr Cressey in Palmerston) we went to Mount Forest. Funny thing is even waiting an hour on a Holiday for the Dr "on call" still beats waiting 5 hours in Emerg in T.O.!! We left just after they opened the Tim's. I actually did odd jobs for the owner of the Cedar Rail, opening it in spring and closing it in Fall. If you ever notice an old ex-ambulance behind it (Brown and white.) That's mine. LOL. The turn off with Pamerston now is with the NUMMI plant there, I'm thinking eventually the "sub-division disease" will creep in..... I applied there when it was almost open. They had one of the Japanese "bosses" there and they asked me what I knew about Toyota..... My wife figures I knew too much. LOL. I started with the beginning of Toyota in North America in 1957, went on the the "chicken tax" of the '70's, the development of the 4 door SUV in the 80's due to a tax added to 2 doors by the U.S. classifying them (2 door SUVs, 4 runner, Pathfinder, etc) as "cars" onwards to the start of NUMMI and the California design centre and ending with the building of the Vibe/Matrix in Canada. My wife said, "So, you pontificated?"I told her. "No. I answered the question!" LOL.

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And I can imagine the above very well. when our youngest (Olivia Rose, about to turn 5 next month) was born, we literally had "the run" of the hospital. Palmerston hospital is very under rated and the staff are great! We miss it up there. our local Paster (Doug Bott) and his wife Elisabeth told us when their daughter rolled her truck, Palmerston went above and beyond. But so did the Botts for us. When MiLady was in hospital. They made me dinner to take home. Just amazing and GREAT people up there. We have never forgotten all the kindnesses visited upon us by our friends, nieghbours and even people we never knew!

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Years ago, I lived in Durham with my first wife. I was nieghbours with that young guy who died on the farm in Drayton. I remember hearing about the tragedy whilst in Toronto but never put it together until I recognized his name after moving to Clifford.

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Welcome Den! Yes, great bunch o' folks on these boards (I'm biased). We find the ESP (with winter tires) just outstanding --- it's a challenge to get her slipping, and she recovers INSTANTLY. Nothing there to gave anyone heart failure!

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Welcome Den! Yes, great bunch o' folks on these boards (I'm biased). We find the ESP (with winter tires) just outstanding --- it's a challenge to get her slipping, and she recovers INSTANTLY. Nothing there to gave anyone heart failure!

Well if you can make it up to where you're at. LOL. Thanks. I recall many years ago (ok, decades) doing phone cabling at a motel in Ancaster...

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Yeah, we go and up and down the hill every day. Most days, on the 403 (about 440ft elevation difference). Never a problem for RUBY.I can't even recall where there IS a motel here, now you've got me thinking!

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Yeah, we go and up and down the hill every day. Most days, on the 403 (about 440ft elevation difference). Never a problem for RUBY.I can't even recall where there IS a motel here, now you've got me thinking!

I could be thinking Stoney Creek? Hamilton Mountain area? It was a looong time ago.

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