I had a '74 TVR for years (until I started my resto business and sold it
for tool money SOB :^( ) It was a much stiffer frame, WAY better rear
suspension, Koni's and lighter weight than a TR6, with a TR6 engine and
rear. What a difference in handling. It was the closest thing to a
go-cart I've driven with old technology construction. LOTS of fun.
Ergonomically it sucked. No ventilation, bad seating position, hard to
enter and exit, lots of wind noise, etc., etc. It was a hoot to own
though! Plus it got a lot of attention at the gas pumps!
I'd like to drive a Cossie Ford or some other Euro compact to see just
what you are describing.
As to the earlier 10 sec car posts, It does make a difference if you
don't care if the motor comes apart, and are only running high power for
a couple of seconds, as opposed to making an every day driver that will
last 60,000 miles between rebuilds like the original will.
Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Hooper" <mhooper@pixelsystems.com>
To: "'Ryan Miles '" <rjhmile@yahoo.com>; <6pack@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 10:51 AM
Subject: RE: 220 Horse TR6 vs. go carts
> Unfortunately whatever horsepower you put into a TR6 is going to get
sucked
> up by the relatively heavy bodywork and miles of shafts, gears and
universal
> joints between the flywheel and the wheels.
>
> Ryan was describing a go-cart as being a great driver. You should go
to
> Europe and sit in any one of the Peugot or VW small 1.3/1.5 litre cars
that
> people drive over there. Several years ago, I was back in France in
the
> pre-alps heading to a village called Thones. It's about an hour or so
south
> of Lyons by Annecy. A colleague was trying to beat the clock to a
restaurant
> meeting so he was really pushing it around these tight corners going
up and
> down really mountainous terrain. (here we would call it real
mountains, but
> it wasn't the true alps so they don't) (Food or women, they only way
to get
> a french guy to really lose his dignity and run)
>
> Anyway, I've been on some pretty rough roads on some very strange
machinery,
> but I have never come so close to being pitched right out of the
window.
> Those small cars with low-profile wheels and tight suspension bear no
> resemblance at all to the sub-compact cars we build or even import in
NA.
> That car would practically throw you out the front window, then the
right,
> then the rear. There was no, repeat no sway or pitch, and the ride was
very
> smooth for a car of such low weight. Utterly unbelievable. Memory says
it
> was a 1.3 litre peugot. He said it had been tuned up recently, but was
> absolutely stock, go to the dealer and choose your model type of car
for
> that part. Montreal is the NA capitol for small cars, but they aren't
as
> good as the units in Europe.
>
> Partly it's a question of money. Those European machines are about
double
> the cost of the same size machines here in NA. By the time someone
here
> wants to spend that money he wants a bigger car. THere they get taxed
on
> engine size and the fuel is about 4 times the price of US and double
Candian
> rates. There a cruncher for you, Canada is an oil exporter and we pay
double
> the US rate (110% tax at the pump)
>
> I have never driven the TR6 in really mountainous terrain, so I don't
know
> how she would handle, but I can tell you that the power/mass ratio of
the
> new little cars has got to be practically double the TR. You may get
the TR
> to a better ratio, but then the suspension will be all wrong and
you're
> going to spin her round like a top on the corners (Ever driven a TR6
on
> snow? You'll know what I mean then) My feeling is that you have to
like what
> you have got. Make it the best that it can be, but don't try to turn
it into
> what it isn't.
>
> (donning his fireproof underpants)
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mark Hooper
> 72 TR6
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ryan Miles
> To: 6pack@autox.team.net
> Sent: 21/06/02 11:20 PM
> Subject: 220 Horse TR6
>
> List,
>
> Everyone should take a minute to realize that we (the US) got the
> shaft. You SHOULD be able to take a TR6 engine, modifly it to make 150
> (crankshaft) horsepower, and go run it at 5,800 RPM (later model 6's)
> all day long. In theory the factory tested this. It's not magic. These
> engines are pretty tough. The guy with Nitrus has turned a 10 second
ET,
> and he swears that the bottom end of the engine is stock. The key
there
> is that he had a built racing engine at home and he really didn't care
> if it came apart.
>
> By the way, anyone that wants to spend about $3,000 to go really
fast
> should look into a 100cc ar 125cc go kart. I drove one today for the
> first time, and it is the fastest thing I have ever driven in my
life!!
> the accerlertion isn't blinding(I only drove a 100), but the turning
and
> braking is! I believe that a go kart has the fastest lap time at Mid
> Ohio...that what I remember, but I could be wrong.
>
> Ryan Miles
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