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Re: Spridget vs. Spitfire?

To: british-cars@Alliant.COM
Subject: Re: Spridget vs. Spitfire?
From: mit-eddie!NRI.Reston.VA.US!rdroms@EDDIE.MIT.EDU
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 89 17:16:45 EST
   Early Sprites have a
   very interesting rear suspension geometry that gives them 
   a mild dose of roll-oversteer in stock trim -- four-wheel
   steering 1959-style.

Thanks for answering a question I was about to post ... I have a
Bugeye with the quarter-elliptic rear springs and was curious about
the effect that suspension had on handling.  I can back up your
observations with an anecdote - I autocrossed a Bugeye with middling
success (I always finished in about the middle) for a couple of years
in the early 70s.  One afternoon I swapped rides with a friend in his
(then new) 1275cc Midget.  I proceeded to plow over half the course
markers on my first run as the Midget seemed to have all the quick
turn-in of a cruise ship.  Or maybe the problem was I had trouble
jumping from 42hp to 65hp all at once.  I did manage to get
straightened out in a later run and won First-in-Class in the Midget
(my only autocross trophy).

I also traded rides one afternoon with a friend who owned a mid-60s
small block Vette.  About as far away from a Bugeye as one might
imagine.  We exchanged the expected observations ... I explained that
keeping the Sprite on the highway involved simply *thinking* about
turning the steering wheel.  No actual motion was required.  Then,
when driving the Vette, I had the unaccustomed pleasure of actually
seeing the speedometer needle move when I pressed on the accelerator.

I have a theory:  the accelerator pedal in a Bugeye is connnected to
the volume control, rather than the carburettors.  It gets louder, not
faster.


- Ralph Droms                             (On leave from Bucknell University)
  NRI                                     rdroms@nri.reston.va.us
  1895 Preston White Drive, Suite 100     (703) 620-8990
  Reston, VA 22091                        (703) 620-0913 (fax)


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