According to wiki it was the 1916 Cadillac Type 53. The car wasn't a great success but Austin copied the layout for their cheap Austin 7 which not only sold well by itself but was also licensed to a number of manufacturers thus the first BMW as well as the first Datsun were licensed Austin 7s.Wasn't the Austin 7 the first car with "ABC" (accelerator, brake, clutch) peddles combined with floor gear leaver?
It’s surprisingly easy, practise once through the gears while stationary and you don’t even notice after thatThe quality is the same, but it would certainly be more awkward for me to shift with my left hand. And you with your right.
Brian
Why stopping? I just overhauled my Chevy Metro (new gas tank pressure sensor and fuel pump, rear motor mount, and tie rod, which required pulling out the steering rack). I am 70. I won't need another car in my life. As a bonus, the Metro is all metric (no pun intended), except that some Chinese parts come with non-standard fasteners.My last CJ-7 was all imperial and that was the last vehicle I ever worked on. (Sold on in 2003)
Yes. The best car I ever had, and now even better with crazy gas prices.A Suzuki
dave
Alas, there is even more confusion in this arena. Square drive and Robertson and not exactly the same. Robertson has a slightly tapered profile, square drive is straight, parallel sides. They work pretty interchangeably, but using the right driver bit is nice.Square drive is Robertson. Uniquely Canadian.
jeff
LOL. Who went metric? Not the USA.That is a long time ago as they went metric in 1975 or so they say.
I think a co-worker had a Metro. That's probably 15 years ago at least. They had a hell of a time keeping it running. Pretty rare to see one on the road here now.
jeff
jeff
That's right. Just a few years ago there were plenty of them at junk yards, but no more. Mine has 270K miles on it, but runs well, I take care of it. I stocked up on original parts, have brand new short block and a couple of trannies.I think a co-worker had a Metro. That's probably 15 years ago at least. They had a hell of a time keeping it running. Pretty rare to see one on the road here now.
jeff
But try udoing a triangle in a tight space. You'd have to have PTSD. Hex nuts and bolts are universal for a reason.Try wearing out a triangle! You'd have to have parkinson's.
Yup... It's no problem switching hands when changing countries. And as has been observed,. the important thing is the pedals are in the same order!It’s surprisingly easy, practise once through the gears while stationary and you don’t even notice after that
Brian
Most general wood/metal/building screws in the UK are metric...however many types of screws are still made to an imperial format....
Doing some guttering outside, needed stainless panhead & countersink...
Stainless countersink woodscrews sold in metric sizes....5mm x 30mm
Stainless panhead woodscrews sold in imperial sizes....No.10 x 1"1/4...(metric on side of box 4.8mm x 32mm)
& lets not forget:- only having a pozi screwdriver when you need a Phillips!!...
AArrrggghhh!!!......
Doing some guttering outside, needed stainless panhead & countersink...
Stainless countersink woodscrews sold in metric sizes....5mm x 30mm
Stainless panhead woodscrews sold in imperial sizes....No.10 x 1"1/4...(metric on side of box 4.8mm x 32mm)
& lets not forget:- only having a pozi screwdriver when you need a Phillips!!...
AArrrggghhh!!!......
Dont expect them to leave you enough vertical clearance to get a socket on it. There are some times when only a box end wrench is going to fit.fine tooth ratchet
Well it never really happened culturally speaking - yes most U.S. industry has embraced metric for international products - some industries much more than others. Weights, measures, and distances are largely still imperial, most hardware and home centers have much better selections of imperial hardware than metric. I am not uncomfortable with metric, quite used to from work, but I buy imperial fasteners and hardware for my own projects.
We buy gas in U.S. gallons, milk in ozs, pints, quarts, half gallons and gallons, soda oddly in litres or ozs, measure distances in mils, fractions of an inch, inches, feet, yards and miles. Area in square feet, volume in cubic feet. No one knows what a hectare is, we use acres.
Weight in ozs, and pounds, our ton is not the same as UK ton, or metric ton. We also have long and short tons to add further to the confusion.
We're used to the imperial system and the probably of it going away any time soon is pretty close to zero.
The metric public initiative ended with the Reagan administration to the best of my recollection.
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