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YOUR COMPLETE AUTO GUIDE

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NEWS photo Stuart Davis

This 1953 Buick Roadmaster two door hardtop boasts a 322 cubic inch V8 engine, with two speed dynaflow automatic transmission. Owner John Dolling (pictured above) plans to upgrade the car which is copper color with a white roof,

TODAY'S HOTROD, TOMORROW'S DINOSAUR

Changing future of the

THE MORE things change the more they stay the same. This certainly seems to be the case for the

automobile.

Although we fave seen fantastic changes in our daily vehicle since it was introduc- ed about 100 years ago, it still has four wheels, carries from two to six people, and has an internal combustion engine. And it is geing to skty that wily.

AMthough there hie been both successful and vasiue- cessful diesel cars, due to the “dirty” nature of diesel fuel, its increasing cost, and the great advanees in’ gasoline engines, it looks like the gas engine is here for a Jong time

to come,

But the gas engine of the year 2000 will be @ far ery fram, say the 350 cu. in, Chevrolet V8. Besides being vastly more fuel efficient, the engine of the future will be mostly made of plastie-like materials, whieh are lighter and cheaper to make. Car- burators will be replaced by electronic fuel injection, and this has already started.

One of the biggest changes

in auto design will be the use of on-board computers. Us- ing a continuously variable transmission, the car's brain will select the perfect gear ratio in terms of performance and economy and mateh it to the optimum fuel mixutre and spark comrol.

Manual transmissions will remain on the sporty cars,

Back in the 1950's. vou could not even sell safvery, but safety ts becoming increus- ingly important, We will see anti-locking braking systems, better dise brakes, self: levelling air suspensions to compensate for toad distribution,

When the fibregiiss 1954 Corvette came out. if wits a

primitive effort: that) can't even be compared to the sporty fibreglass Fiero. Class fibres and composites will be used for all sorts of parts.

In the interests of gas economy, cars are becoming increasingly slippery and Ford has some very aerodynamic cars available right now such as the ‘Thunderbird and Topi.

One of the more inlereste- ing future gadgets will be a satellite navigational system that ca pinpoint your loca. tion anywhere in the world, Peopte stall say. They don't build them like they used te" sound its a good thing too. The days of the Detroit dinosturs are gone forgver.

aie Sa NEWS photo Ellsworth Dickson

CAR cngines will go through a lot of changes in the coming decades.