Turino Olympics

[trombonepirate]

Anybody else a rapid Olymi-phile? Personally I like the fast sports - bobsled, speed skating, downhill - though I wouldn't mind seeing more curling. It's the quirky sports that really make the olympics fun . Gotta admit though, nothing beats seein' 'em live. Bring the games back to S.L.C. (or at least some where in North America that I can afford to get to).

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Curling. Yup. If I manage to catch it, I'll enjoy it. Hilarious. Sadly, it'll never be a major SandyEggo sport. Quirky. Good word.

I enjoyed some of the figure skating this weekend. And some of the ski-things. But I don't suppose I'll ever see the Winter Olympics live, I don't think they'll ever come to Sandy Eggo.

[barfle]

Saw some swimming and bicycling during the LA Olympics in '84, and consider it something I was priveliged to do.

Luge seems like it is totally whacko, so naturally I enjoy the heck out of it. I'm a competent although not proficient skier, so I enjoy the ski events where people don't get all acrobatic. Flips and twists and daffys and 1080s belong in gymnastics.

I've often wondered how one learns to ski jump.

Short track speed skating seems too chaotic to decide that the winner is the best athlete.

Although I do enjoy the grace and athleticism of figure skating, especially the pairs, judged events seem far too susceptible to corruption, in spite of the recent actions taken to prevent that.

But none of that keeps me from enjoying watching them on TV, and not doing all the other things that I should be doing in the meantime.

[OperaTenor]

One little stickling point: It's Torino, not Turino.

There isn't much about Winter Olympics I don't enjoy, the singular exception being subjective judging. Luge riders are some kinda crazy, but lots of fun to watch. Ski jumpers: Ever wonder how many bad jumps it took to get them where they are now? Heck, I even get a kick out of watching X-country skiing.

[barfle]

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
One little stickling point: It's Torino, not Turino.

Oh, heck, if you're going to get CS on us, it's Turin.

You know, where the famous fake shroud is. Where they build Fiats. What else could they be ashamed of?

[BigJon@Work]

My Ford Torino would disagree with you.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Thanks for the link, barfle. Nice views of Torino.

How can folks who can make a giant candlestick as lovely as that Olympic Flame also make Fiats? My mother had one, looked like a bilious green aspirin box.

[barfle]

Originally posted by Selma in Sandy Eggo:
Thanks for the link, barfle. Nice views of Torino.

How can folks who can make a giant candlestick as lovely as that Olympic Flame also make Fiats? My mother had one, looked like a bilious green aspirin box.

You're quite welcome, SISE.

When I met my wife, she had just bought a Fiat 128. OT, if you think H-Ds are crap, you never owned a Fiat. If it had been either halfway reliable, or moderately easy to work on, it would have been ten times the car it was.

[DavidS]

Funny how FIAT technology and know-how were bought by the USSR, Poland and Spain many years ago. The local versions at the time were no less lousy...

[treebeau]

Torino is Turin??

Wow, I didn't make the connection.

Love the Olympics!

Love that Chinese girl that almost broke her leg during the pairs competition last night, then came back to skate a tremendous finish.

I hope Michelle Kwan's replacement wins the gold. Sisters? Gold medalists in back to back Olympics? That would be neat!

Love the speed skating (long track) and that the 500 winner is from Greensboro...just down the road.

You think luge is nuts? Have you seen "Skeleton" yet? I hope I get to see that!! Men's downhill is usually insane! Curling is just plain dumb.


Regards,
Tim "baiting Eric Michaels" B.

[OperaTenor]

You don't have to tell me, I rebuilt a Fiat transmission once.

[barfle]

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
You don't have to tell me, I rebuilt a Fiat transmission once.

What, replaced the mainspring?

I think we named my wife's car ODTAA.

Remember me bragging about seeing the Kirov Opera in Leningrad? Most of the cars there, including taxis, were (if memory serves) Skodas, which were Fiat designs built in Russia. Talk about three strikes against you!


How any of them kept running once they left the factory property is beyond me.

[OperaTenor]

Mainspring? No, we replaced the synchros. Brass, and the most fragile looking components I've ever seen in a transmission, including automatics.

[Trumpetmaster]

Turin is the "American" way of pronouncing the city.....

Torino is the "Italian way.....

They made a big deal of this.. on the news
a few days ago....

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by barfle:
How any of them kept running once they left the factory property is beyond me.

Luck. Chewing gum. Sheer blind optimism.

There was a piece of tightly-twisted clotheshanger wire replacing one of the gas-tank support strap bolts. This was superior to the bolt it replaced. :shudder:

We figured "Fiat" meant "Fix It Again, Tony!"

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Speaking of sheer blind optimism: that half-pipe stuff is amazing. I figure there are thousands of twelve-year-olds out today, with snowboards and/or skateboards, practicing their jumps. Wow!

[treebeau]

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
...Turin = Torino
Rome = Roma
Milan = Milano
Florence = Firenze
Venice = Venezia...

Dang, it's like those Italians have a different word for EVERYTHING !!

Regards,
Tim B.

P.S. Been to Roma, Firenze, and Venezia. Had some really good ICE CREAM there. Oh, they probably have a different word for THAT too !!

[treebeau]

While on that language subject...Why are we now saying "Torino" as Italian?

When the Olympics were in Moscow we weren't saying "Mockba." When in France not too long ago we weren't saying "Al-bare-vee."

Regards,
Tim B.

<small>[ 02-14-2006, 01:31 PM: Message edited by: treebeau ]</small>

[DavidS]

Originally posted by barfle:

Remember me bragging about seeing the Kirov Opera in Leningrad? Most of the cars there, including taxis, were (if memory serves) Skodas, which were Fiat designs built in Russia. Talk about three strikes against you!


How any of them kept running once they left the factory property is beyond me.

The Russian brand name is Lada.
A friend of mine once enquired at their showroom whether they had A/C. Reply: "Yes, you can wind the window down!"
Skoda is the old Czechoslovak bomber manufacturer now owned by VW.

<small>[ 02-14-2006, 01:40 PM: Message edited by: DavidS ]</small>

[barfle]

Originally posted by Selma in Sandy Eggo:
There was a piece of tightly-twisted clotheshanger wire replacing one of the gas-tank support strap bolts. This was superior to the bolt it replaced. :shudder:

We figured "Fiat" meant "[b]Fix It Again, Tony!" [/b]

I replaced the clutch in my wife's Fiat, and the friend who was helping me was a bit surprised when I busted one of the bolts holding the pressure plate to the flywheel. I told him I hadn't put any pressure on it at all, and when he tried putting one in, he busted his before the pressure plate even made contact with the flywheel. One finger on the ratchet handle, just spinning it down, and it busted. The bolts had lost their temper from the heat of the clutch. So much for "intelligent design!" We ended up using bolts from the body. That was probably the most miserable day I spent since regaining my civilian status.

There was a bushing in the tie rod from the steering rack to the right wheel that broke loose the day the warranty ran out (probably before, but that's about when I noticed it). Never could get a new one to stick, either. Lots of right-front tire wear.

Electric fuel pump interlocked with the oil pressure switch, which was defective. Driving along the freeway, it just up and dies. Many times. Months trying to track that down. Not to mention the fuel pump itself dying later.

Cam timing belt not mentioned in the user's manual. Service manual says replace every 30k. Ended up with several busted valves, at which point we bought the bug. Low trade-in value because it was a Fiat.

That's just what I remember in four years from a new car.

Fits In Any Trashcan.