Automotive misconceptions of your youth

[Murderface]

What are some car related misconceptions you used to have when you were young? Here's some of mine:

-How fast a car is is directly indicated by how many exhaust tips it has.
-People only know how to drive the kind of car they own (I was amazed when my mother's friend knew how to drive her car)
-I used to think you could go as fast as you want on the dual carriageway (I lived in England)...this wasn't the case although they'd let you do ~90mph before they'd pull you over.
-Manual cars are difficult and not fun to drive (I used to only like cars that came in auto).
-Engines are extremely sensitive to anything getting inside them...if one were to open up an engine it'd have to be with great caution to make sure it stays clean (I'm talking even dust).
-Turbochargers recycle exhaust and somehow make more power via that (like DEI style). This was due to a rough and at the time over my head explanation of turbocharging by my dad.
-Supercars are of the utmost quality and reliability...back when my idea of a supercar was a Countach...
-If a car could do a burnout, it had to be real fast.

These were mostly from when I was 7 years old or so...funny stuff :D

[frostyflax17]

i use to think driving would be as easy as driving in video games like the original grantourismo.... and it was easy and cheap to make the ultimate car like a 3000gt with 900hp that could destroy anything on the track.

i also thought supercars where more reliable because they were more money... :(

[225tt]

I never knew that clutches had weak points....haha

[Irish*TT*]

Mmmm? Kinda had the just of vehicles at a young age. We used to farm, I was driving by the age of 5, and driving big tractors at 8. Jumped my first approach around 9 with a pick-up!!

Although I did think the digger air filter u went faster, and if u sprayed ether into a diesel engine ud go really really fast!NOPE just got high!

[Warranty]

*NOS blows up engines, very dangerous!
*my moms mitsubishi mirage turbo was VERY fast!(cuz of the turbo).
* 24v means it's got 24cylinders in V formation....? Lol

[CCA4]

I always thought the "GT" badge on any car meant it had a huge motor with a big turbo and was some kind of hot rod. Then i found out that in most cases, "GT" was just a trim package and some wheels, maybe a different motor or a gay spoiler. Also thought spoilers were actually functional on all cars, and that if a car had one that meant it went really really fast.

Such a let down :lol:

[AdamN]

Owning a Mustang or camaro made you cool....

[frostyflax17]

*NOS blows up engines, very dangerous!
*my moms mitsubishi mirage turbo was VERY fast!(cuz of the turbo).
* 24v means it's got 24cylinders in V formation....? Lol

i used to have no idea what the V stood for either?! I thought it was volts or something... didn't figure it out till much later on in life :001_rolleyes:

[HowdyTT]

- Had the brilliant idea that if supercars would put a smaller engine in them, it would be cost effective for everyone
- You are supposed to drive directly over the dotted lines, and not on either side.
- Changing gears did not require a clutch, you just bang away on the stick.
- The serpentine belt turned the wheels
- Speed was determined by how many cylinders it had. Not knowing what a cylinder was.

[myslow1]

*the faster the speedometer said a car could go... the faster the car was.

thats really my only one...

[AdamN]

*the faster the speedometer said a car could go... the faster the car was.

thats really my only one...

You and a HUGE portion of the general public.

[myslow1]

^lol.

i just remember an mk1 mr2 in my neighbor hood. I though, small 2 seater with cool side scoops, and engine vent in the back, and the speedo said like 160 or something like that. I figured it was like the fastest car ever!!!