Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

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ajlog
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by ajlog »

I think the main reason for the lack of retro cars is, for cars it’s much more difficult to make a mass produced product to meet current design standards.
The old shapes just would not meet the required dimensions for bonnet height/angle and location of wipers etc for protection of pedestrians, compliance with the survivability after a crash and many other design requirements.
That’s one of the reasons along with fuel efficient drag shapes that cars today are more homogenous.

Small runs of re-engineered classics like Aston and Jag turn out or the resto modded models such as the Singer 911s can be approved due the small volume vehicle approval rather than the need for full type approval for a mass produced product.
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by KungFooBob »

ajlog wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:43 pm The old shapes just would not meet the required dimensions for bonnet height/angle and location of wipers etc for protection of pedestrians
The two cars in our household have lower than allowed bonnets... kind of.

They both get round it, the Merc has rear bonnet hinges that popup in a crash to reduce the angle for a pedestrian and the Volvo actually has a pedestrian airbag in the windscreen scuttle.
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Dodgy69 »

Further thinking on subject complete. 🤔

Would anyone buy a cheap, new, reliable, retro, Morris minor traveller. 🤷🏻‍♂️
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:53 am It is interesting though that the motorcycle industry does the 'retro' new thing unlike any other businesses. You don't see Ford making an old Escort look alike, or Audi making a 1980's Quattro... but weirdly the motorbike thing LOVES a bit of retro.
Ford make the Mustang. They neve actually stopped making the Mustang, but it came back into the forefront again when they restyled it to look like the 60s version.

Ditto with the Camaro.

Or the Mini.

Or the Fiat 500.

Or the VW Beetle.

Or the new Land Rover.

Or the Mercedes G Wagon.

Or the....you get the point :D
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by slowsider »

The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other. :)
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by weeksy »

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:01 pm
weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:53 am It is interesting though that the motorcycle industry does the 'retro' new thing unlike any other businesses. You don't see Ford making an old Escort look alike, or Audi making a 1980's Quattro... but weirdly the motorbike thing LOVES a bit of retro.
Ford make the Mustang. They neve actually stopped making the Mustang, but it came back into the forefront again when they restyled it to look like the 60s version.

Ditto with the Camaro.

Or the Mini.

Or the Fiat 500.

Or the VW Beetle.

Or the new Land Rover.

Or the Mercedes G Wagon.

Or the....you get the point :D
Nah, because they're nothing like the older thing they're based upon. At least a z900rs looks like it could have been made 30 years ago.
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by KungFooBob »

Nah, the radial mounted callipers give it away.
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Dodgy69 »

They were bought by the young who didn't remember the original, they just liked the new one. If an original copycat was made, with same dash/trim/window fasteners etc, would the over 55s buy it with there newly claimed pensions. ??
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Horse »

weeksy wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:53 am It is interesting though that the motorcycle industry does the 'retro' new thing unlike any other businesses. You don't see Ford making an old Escort look alike, or Audi making a 1980's Quattro... but weirdly the motorbike thing LOVES a bit of retro.
Pah! I go to the trouble of sorting pics - and whippersnappee Dazzle just posts a list. Pah.


Image

Image

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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Horse »

slowsider wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:26 pm The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other. :)
They look more alike than those two Kwaks.
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by KungFooBob »

I love the look of the modern Fiat 500, not the Abarth, but the council spec Fiat one.

I'm far too manly to actually drive one and I'm not goy or nuffink, so it's never going to happen.
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Dodgy69 »

Proper pics..🙂👍

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Image

Quite like the new 500 aswel. 👍
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

What about a Radford?

No, me neither, but Jenson Button is involved.

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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Rockburner »

KungFooBob wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:45 pm I love the look of the modern Fiat 500, not the Abarth, but the council spec Fiat one.

I'm far too manly to actually drive one and I'm not goy or nuffink, so it's never going to happen.
They're quite good fun tbh. :D
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by slowsider »

Horse wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:42 pm
slowsider wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:26 pm The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other. :)
They look more alike than those two Kwaks.
Yebbut that's a paint scheme homage.
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Druid »

Potter wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 3:58 am I saw that advertised somewhere on Youtube and I think it looks ace, like a Scalextric car, but my first thoughts were that the rear view mirror would be useless and it would be a pain over speed bumps.
You are getting old and sensible ;)

If I had the money I'd definitely have one of those Mk1 Escort replicas. There is a firm in Shropshire that fit uprated brakes and suspension to Mk2 Jaguars, I'd have one of those too
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Horse »

slowsider wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 9:47 am
Horse wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:42 pm
slowsider wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:26 pm The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other. :)
They look more alike than those two Kwaks.
Yebbut that's a paint scheme homage.
So put a 'Mexico Rally' sticker in a new Ford Focus? Job jobbed? ;)
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Horse »

slowsider wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:26 pm The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other. :)
Hot wash?
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by mangocrazy »

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 10:40 pm What about a Radford?

No, me neither, but Jenson Button is involved.

Image
You'd never get that down our (unadopted) cul-de-sac without ripping the (very expensive) arse out of it.

Like the look of it though.
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Re: Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 10:40 pm What about a Radford?

No, me neither, but Jenson Button is involved.

Image
I'd love that, but I did grow up on a council estate.