> 1) My restored '52 TD is about 95% correct, except for Michelin radial tires
> and a black (instead of the original tan) top. I know these concessions cost
>me
> points at judging time. A fellow TD owner told me that the radials will cost
>me
> more than just points at judging time -- they will cause increased wear on
>the
> suspension, shocks, steering box and bushings. Is this true? If so, how and
> why?
There is a wonderful article on tires in the August, 1993 issue of
British Car. They make the following statement:
"Ever since Michelin ntroduced the radial tire in 1948, there has
been controversy regarding pros and cons of radials fitted to cars
that did not originally come with them. No one doubts the
superioriity of radials in terms of grip, handling, and longevity, but
there are those who say they deliver a harsher ride on some cars, and
can allow a car to generate greater cornering forces - and therefore
stress - on antiquated or fatigued suspensio components, inviting
catastrophic failure.
"As far as suspension specifically designed for bias-ply tires is
concerned, there is no truth to this other than the fact that there
were no other types of tires or tire characteristics to consider when
the suspension engineers went to work. It is true, however, that with
the advent of modern radial tiree, suspensions were designed to take
full advantage of the radial's superior properties.
"That being the case, any car designed before the age of radials
will benefit from the fitting of radial tires (in the correct size) in
the areas of transient response (the result of steering input in terms
of actual car direction change), 'grip' (potential cornering speeds
will be greater in a given turn, as opposed to cornering on bias
tires, all other things being equal), wet weather traction, and most
likely, ride quality, due to the sidewall's flexibility and resultant
shock absorbancy. In some cars, more road noise will be transmitted
to the interiorof the car, a tradeoff for the tires' enhanced
relationship with the road surface.
"Some cars of the fifties making use of already antiquated
suspension designs, probably of pre-war origin (and there are a lot of
British examples!) might be so inept in the handling department
already, that radials pose a new problem. Since the radial tire
allows much higher cornering forces to accumulate before break-away,
the simple fact is that you're going a lot faster in that old nail
when you've exceeded the tires capabilities (restricted by the
suspension design), and are therefore in a whole lot more trouble!
Bias tires tend to give lots of warning before beginning to slide
(howling is one of their fortes), and breakaway is generally more
gradual, and at a lower speed."
My opinion. There may be some historical truth to the wear story,
but only because radials allowed people to beat the car that much
harder. I don't expect you are autocrossing the TD (and if you are,
why are you asking this question), so I would expect you will not see
increased wear, simply an increased margin of safety. I'm putting
radials on my Magnette. If you are concerned about points on the show
circuit, I would personally buy a second set of wheels and mount just
before showing. It will keep the tires prettier anyway.
> 2) The door panels on the TD are nice originals, but against an entirely new
> interior their age shows (fading and a few pulled stitches). Does anyone know
> of a lower price supplier than Moss (they want $300/pair)?
I looked in the NTG catalog, but they seem to include the dor panels
in the interior kit (155-190 pounds, depending on color)
On the Sonett:
> I looked through the list of info that Philip J Ethier sent me and it
> appears as though this car is a Sonett III, it has a very tiny hood.
> Philip, thanks for the info! I had no idea that Sonetts were so rare!
Rare, yes. Valuable, not really. I've owned a 71 Sonett III for 12
years now. It is a nice driver and a fun car - on par wiith an MGB.
It has its own set of quirks, including fwd on a 2000 pound car,
freewheeling transmission, sits so low, you look up to see drivers in
Z cars, nobody else has one, etc.
Market value is a bit under an MGB, even though fewer than 10000 were
made in the entire run. If anyone wishes, I've got a file as well.
Phillip, I wouldn't mind getting a copy of yours.
Cheers,
Jay
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