> In an old thread which I can't find again, somebody mentioned a TV program in which a bunch of people got an abandoned car going after making a new clutch out of wood, and much discussion ensued about whether such was possible.
> The program in question was repeated on holiday as part of NAIDOC Week[*], and the thing they replaced was a metal disc with a hole through the middle that fitted into an assembly under the car somewhere. I don't know about cars to know if that's actually what a clutch is; maybe Howard can enlighten us?
>
> Paul


A clutch - The bit that allows you to change gear. Both Manual and Auto transmissions have them. In an Auto it does it automatically, hence the name. In a manual, you have to press the left hand pedal to disengage the clutch in order to move the gearstick. The clutch is basically two great flywheels that engage each other and allow the engine to drive the wheels. You could make one of wood but it would not stand up to the stresses for very long.


> One of the other programs the ABC showed for NAIDOC Week was a mockumentary called "BabaKiueria", which is about relations between the indigenous population and the people now running the country.
> It starts with a dramatic reconstruction of the first black explorers arriving and finding a group of natives cooking their food over primitive open fires.
> Explorer: "What. Do. You. Call. This. Place?"
> Puzzled Native: "Barbecue area."

Isn't it true that Kangaroo is Aboriginal for 'I don't know'?


Be 'just like a pig and live in ' a sty