European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A private group seeking to recall general motors pickup trucks that have a controversial fuel tank design asked the government wednesday to strengthen the Federal Standard for fuel systems. Quot if you survive the crash you should not Burn to death said Clarence Ditlow executive director of the Center for Auto safety. The National Highway traffic safety administration already is determining whether to upgrade its fuel system  rules now limit the amount of fuel leakage permitted in front and rear crashes at 30 Mph and in Side Impact crashes at 20 Mph. Ditlow said he thinks the tanks should be Able to withstand crashes at 45 Mph. Barry Felrice the safety administration s associate administrator for Rule making said the Agency is _ conducting a detailed analysis of crash fires that should be completed in january. A he added that a year ago the Agency asked for Public comments on fuel tank integrity standards but that the Center for Auto safety has not submitted anything. The Nitsa has asked general motors corp. To recall voluntarily about 4.7 million 1973-87 Chevrolet and Mcc a series full sized pickup trucks with the Quot sidesaddle Quot tanks. Critics say tanks mounted outside the Frame rails Are More vulnerable to be punctured and ignite. Gmys newer models have tanks located inside the Frame  automaker Hai stood by its trucks pm spokesman William of Neill said Nitsa crash tests show that used pm pickups had no fuel leaks in Side impacts at 45 Mph. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena is expected to announce soon whether to Force a recall of the trucks. A european Auto sales continued to slide in november with registrations of new cars Down 9.6 percent compared with november 1992, and Down 14.3 percent Over the first 11 months of the year compared with last year. Of the five major european markets Only Britain showed growth continuing its climb out of recession ahead of Continental nations. Sales for the 11 months compared with the same period last year were Down 16.7 percent in France Down 17 percent in Germany Down 21.1 percent in Italy and Down 24.8 percent in Spain the european automobile manufacturers association reported tuesday. Eleven month sales in Britain were up 12.6 percent the Trade group said. The association estimated that the 17-nation european Market the worlds largest would shrink 15 percent from last years 13.4 million vehicles to about 11.4 million vehicles the drop of two million vehicles is equivalent to a years production by Europe a largest automakers. A China plans to limit imports of car parts by foreign automobile manufacturers that Are producing for the Domestic Market an official report said Friday. The China daily said the move is aimed at encouraging foreign companies to rely on locally made parts. It said future car Assembly projects that use foreign made components would Quot come under stricter screening a but did not specify what that would be. The China daily also said Ford motor co. Is close to signing a major Deal to manufacture car components in Shanghai. Ford s representative in Beijing David Mckee confirmed the report. A from wire reports clean car plan criticize big 3�?Ts proposal wont match rules set by California Detroit apr the big three automakers unveiled a plan last week to build new Low pollution cars and trucks but the vehicles wont be As clean As a California Standard that is popular with several other states. That fact left some state environmental officials highly sceptical Quot it s a strategy to attack the electric be hide a said Thomas Jorling environmental commissioner for new York. Quot their real objective is to cause this country to Back away from an Effort to compete in the 21st Century with alternatively powered vehicles which everyone knows Are going to be where the Competition will be played  states have until next fall to outline a clean air plan to the . Environmental Protection Agency. If states do not meet the Federal goals they stand to lose Mil Lions of dollars in Federal assistance for highways. The automakers proposal Calls for use of conventional Auto technology with some refinements said Richard Klimisch vice president of engineering affairs for the american automobile manufacturing association. The automakers Are hoping states will accept their plan and shun the stricter California standards. If the plan is accepted Quot our vehicle emissions will be almost 99 percent clean a that will be a win for the environment and a win for our customers a association president Andrew h. Card or. Said during news conference the vehicles will be cleaner than required under the Federal clean air act of 1990, and Drivers won t notice any appreciable change in the performance of the car the association said. The plan does no to include electric cars. The California Standard requires 2 percent of big three sales to be electric be hides by 1998. Automakers have criticized electric cars As being too expensive. Eleven northeastern states and Washington d.c., have banded into a group called the Ozone transport commission and five of those states have already adopted the California plan. The others Are considering it. The big three have sued three of the five but Klimisch said they will drop the suits against new York Massachusetts and Maine if the states accept the automakers plan. Bruce Carhart executive director of the Ozone transport commission was also sceptical of the automakers plan. Quot a Good question is a can they still get a Good enough pollution reduction without a portion of their Fleet being Zero emission vehicles electric cars a he said. Quot similarly is there any Way to make sure the cars and plans can really perform As clean As they re designed fhe asked. Quot we have to know the emission reductions Are real a the manufacturers association the lobbying group that represents the big three automakers is to detail the plan thursday at a Public hearing in Hartford Conn. Bridges tone s study ass Snow tire Bizzak lasts about three Winter seasons before wearing Down into a regular tire. Tire grips in Snow without any studs by the los Angeles times skiers and Mountain dwellers will want to take a look at Bridges tone s new Stu less Snow tire. Manufacturers have been scrambling to come up with a better Stu less Snow tire because 31 states restrict studded tires and nine prohibit them because of their damage to roads and the environment. Last year the Bizzak was introduced in Japan which bans studded tires. There Are other Stu less Snow tires available but Bizzak is different. Its made of a rubber compound with thousands of microscopic cells that create thousands of biting edges that grip the Road surface a says a Bridges tone representative. The Micro pores also soak up the thin film of water that makes ice Slippery so the tire can better grab the surface said Mike Cerio Bridges tone s consumer products marketing manager. The Blitz aka a Multi cell compound lasts about three Snow seasons according to Bridges tone reps but then when the surface compound wears Down the tire becomes a regular tire. R $65 to $120 each. If you can to find them in your area Call Bridges tone 800 543-Ozz, ext. 3526. Nissan destroying faulty vans by newsboy Nissan motor co. Figures if you can to fix it try try again. And if that fails buy it Back and turn it into a Heap of junk. That a what the . Arm of the japanese automaker is doing after three recalls failed to fix the problem of potential engine fires in 33,000 minivans sold Between 1987 and 1990. Nissan saying it is trying to keep its customers Happy has bought Back about 900 of the 15,000 vans its . Dealers have examined since the fourth recall began this summer. The company said it crushes the repurchased vans a which have no Model name and Are simply known As Nissan vans a to keep unscrupulous scrapyard owners from putting them Back on the Road spokesman Mark Adams said. Although Nissan a action is voluntary it got a nudge in the matter. Earlier this year attorneys general from 19 states asked the government to Force Nissan to buy Back the vans based on the company a failure to fix the vans in the three previous recalls. Nissan still Hopes to fix rather than destroy most of the vans it is recalling for the fourth time after More than 150 reports of engine fires. The company is installing new Cooling systems and other parts in the Van which has the engine mounted in the Middle. In 1990an st0ppe<j making that Type 0f Van its quest and axness models Are not involved in the recall. Ski Austria s Arlberg with Heidelberg int/1 ski club thurs. Evening 16th-19th dec. Includes bus from Heidelberg. First class do 450. Poc Barry Swanson Tel 06221-23897.23597 s s % , fantastic offers for groups of 20 or More phone direct dealing 0043-5352/3134. Fax /5390 for More information Contact Tyro an Tours a  to 6 a-6372 Oberdorf Tirol Austria or Contact your on base flt or Sato office if ski Austria