Ford vs Chevy. Carbs vs EFI. Pure gasoline vs E85. The list of automotive arguments that one could enter into is nearly endless. Hell, there are genres of this hobby that we don’t even venture into that have a list of potential whizzing contests we’d never ever consider. On some days it seems as though the internet was conceived for the sole purpose of watching two guys duke it out over the superiority of a 1969 Camaro Z28 or a 1970 Boss 302. A recent video posted on our forum section relating to an argument among Ford guys about camshaft selection got us thinking about this question. The video did a great job of exposing just how bizarre this stuff can get when people take a simple debate on the mechanical merits of a camshaft and turn it into some grand debate on life itself.
We’re interested in your opinion on what is the most annoying, overblown, stupid, hashed out, pointless, winless, ot never ending automotive argument. No fight too big or too small. Bonus points if you post a link to a thread featuring people losing their minds over a simple automotive or mechanical concept.
Question of the day: What’s the most dumbass automotive argument?
Probably one of the classic arguments is whether an internal (or external) combustion power source is an engine or motor…
Correct wheel drive versus wrong wheel drive.
Ron
Any argument over which of two brands is better. More specific arguments between brands can make sense (Mustang v Camaro), (350 v 351), (1960’s mopar muscle cars vs 1960’s ford mucle cars), but brand v brand is always ridiculous.
Ford is better than Chevy? Really? The 1976 Mustang is better than the 2012 Corvette?
Chevy is better than Ford? Really? You’d rather drive a 4-cyl Vega than a ’69 Boss 302?
Virtually every car maker has made both awesome cars and crappy cars. *No* full-line car maker can be said to have *always* made stuff that is better than any other full line car maker.
This is also why I get POed at the “I’d rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy” stickers. Really? Cuz I’d rather drive a car than push one any day, and the badge on the front isn’t going to change it for me.
EFI vs Carb
Each mixes fuel and air.
Each has perks.
Each has flaws.
Yet a billion words can be written arguing about which one should always be used.
FWD being “better in the snow.” The only reason they’re “better” is because most FWD cars make very little power, and have all the engine weight over the drive wheels. If you have a RWD car that makes very little power, and has the same kind of weight over the back wheels such that you achieve balance, it will go anywhere and do anything better than the FWD, just like on dry pavement.
The front drive propaganda began in the late 70s to convine people to buy them; the reality is that it does nothing but make assembly on the line easier and cheaper.
Unfortunately most RWD these days is V8 powered and usually a truck, which means very nose-heavy… And so the stereotype is perpetuated.
The ultimate winter beater is not a Honda Civic, it’s a 4 cylinder Mustang or Chevette with sandbags in the back and snow tires.
Well, or AWD/4WD of course. 😉
Ya ever try to go on the internet to research a paticular part(say cylinderheads) “Oh dear God!” You usually end up reading some guys post, who is a technical engineer in head design because he read it somewhere else on the net. I’m not sure if people just want to up there post count to look good or if they have actually used that cylinderhead on a car. I won’t even get into:
2-bolt vs. 4-bolt mains
9-inch Ford vs. Dana 60 vs. 12 bolt Chevy
Q-jet vs. Holley
If you don’t know, don’t touch that keyboard!
Should E/V’s and Hybrids replace the Petrol ICE
( of course they shouldn’t ; but plenty of dumbasses will argue they should )
Every Gear Head knows , all cars built before 1972 are better in every way to cars built since!
I always liked the ” I have a 3\4 race cam or the I have a full race cam ” experts.
Factory horsepower ratings, “well, it was rated a 290 but REALLY made 500”. I know some were underated a little, but I’ve heard so many people go so overboard it’s rediculous.
The big block Pontiac-small block Pontiac debate.I once started talking with a Pontiac purist about my new small block Pontiac purchase as a joke. I was refering to the 195ci 4cyl. He just did not get it, and thought I was a complete dumb ass. Talk about not taking a joke.
I know you guys get the Ford vs Chev debates, but here in Australia they have always traditionally been out of control – I’ve seen people bashed at school for their Ford or Holden jacket, I knew a chick whose father said he would really seriously disown her if she went out with a Ford owner (not figuritavely, for actual real…she did go out with a mate to the drive in – in a Ford – he threw her out at 16 and she shacked up with another mate and got pregnant…but the most full on example is Bathurst (the V8 Supercars you guys will see soon on TV) – when that race is on, the ferals that camp out on the hill divide into two camps – even Ford PR guys, cops, and emergency vehicles are warned about where they should and shouldn’t drive (based purely on what company’s products they drive). Pity me then when I started my apprenticeship at General Motors – Holdens and drove various Fords to work….more than one boss chatted me about it…
grrrrrrrrrrr Pontiac “Big Blocks”… That ALWAYS makes me fume. How can something be a big block with the exact same dimensions as all the smaller engines!?
I had some airhead tell me that her parent’s IROC was NOT a Camaro. She was ready to argue the point, and her evidence was that “a car guy” told her.
I gave up on having any conversation at all with her.
People trying to convince me my 11mpg truck from the 70s is worse on the environment then the last five all aluminum hybrid “environment savers” they drove over the last 5 years…