Kevin Burtch related this story to me today, I thought y'all might be
interested in it:
>
> > I'd like to hear about it!!
His TR7, that is!
>
> You asked for it!
>
> The car was a '76 TR7 that I picked up from a friend as trade for a 440
>powered
> Duster (project) drag-car. It didn't run at all when I towed it to the shop
> where I worked at the time. I (not knowing _anything_ about britcars, or those
> wierd motorcycle carbs) tore down, cleaned and reassembled both carbuerattors.
> The black crud that filled both carbs told me the DPO had used acetone to
>raise
> his octane! Sure enough, the fuel lines were almost completely decomposed! I
> pulled the distributor cap, and filed down the severely corroded contacts, as
> well as the rotor's tip. When I put it all back together, I cranked, and
>cranked,
> and cranked... -BOOOM!- "what the #@||!?" I yanked the plug wires and swapped
> the outer with the inner pairs, and barely touched the ignition key...
>-VROOOM!-
> I couln't believe it! The DPO had the plug wires 180 degrees off! The thing
> purred like a kitten! I have _never_, to this day, seen a four cylinder engine
> run as _smooth_ as this one! The only engine I've ever seen even come close
>is a
> MoPar Slant-6 I tuned up for a friend this weekend! (these engines are
> notoriously smooth, to the point most people grind the starter at every
>stoplight
> thinging the engine died!) This engine didn't even wiggle when idling! I
>still
> can't figure it out. By their basic design, a non-balance shafted four _can't_
> run that smooth! I took it for a spin, and WOW! This little car had PULL! I
> quickly changed the oil and filter (after worming it enough to stir up the
> sediment in the pan) and quickly learned why the spin-on adaptors are so
>popular.
> After that, I took it out to the back entrance and opened it up. (the place I
> worked had a long parking lot for all of the semis that came in and out, there
> was also a straight 1/2 mile drive in the back) I nearly filled my pants! The
> car made a _lot_ of noise over 4000RPM! (vibration) I floored it and went
>through
> the gears (listening to the CVs crackle and wondering what the #@|| it was).
>It
> pulled decent up to 3000RPM when you felt the torque coming on, increasing
>slowly
> until 5000RPM when it pinned me to the seat! (second and third!) This amazing
> pull kept up until redline when I shifted and ripped the tires loose! (every
>gear!)
> (I later held it to 7000 where it still pulled hard! Never had the nerve to go
> higher) The security guard, a friend of mine, had a 350 camaro that was
>previously
> used for running drugs (by it's DPO), the interior was ripped to pieces by the
> police, but the engine was STRONG! He used to blow away TPI corvettes!! He was
> following me the first time I had the car on the road, before I fixed the
>speedo
> cable. There is a long, curvey entrance ramp (Okeechobee to I-95) that I "went
> through the gears" on with my friend with the hot-rod camaro behind me. He
>later
> told me he had it floored, and when I was in the last curve, he was doing
>96MPH!
> ...and I was pulling away HARD!! YEEHAW! I was probably going over 110
>entering
> the freeway! (I _did_ have to slam on the brakes to get on, still passing
>people!)
> One day coming back from "cruising the beach", a brand new 944S Porsche was,
> well, trying to annoy me. :) He kept revving, and goosing his car until I just
> said "why not?!" I redlined it (going ~35) and dropped the clutch, burning
>rubber
> while pulling away from him! He tried it again several time! Apparently, _he_
> couldn't believe it _either!_ I did the same thing to another 944 a couple
>weeks
> later, pulling away from him at 90! (from ~45-50) I had the car well over 110
> several times after I fixed the speedo-cable, and it was still pulling! This
>car
> sounded like a big, high-revving, well tuned motorcycle when over 5000RPM, man
> I miss that sound! (my '80 doesn't sound _near_ as nice, nor is she half as
>fast)
>
> I couldn't get my current '80 TR7 over 75MPH in the entrance ramp I mentioned
> earlier.
>
> The ignition system impressed me, it was an optically triggered one of
>unknown
> origin. The distributor was a vacuum advance unit, the only one I've ever
>seen.
> (they're usually vacuum retard) The exhaust system was stock, with the long
> downtubes only seen on the '75-'76 TR7. The carbs were manual choke Zenith-
> Stromberg 175-CD2. The transmission was the stock 4-speed, but I don't know
>about
> the clutch. The cam was in question until I dropped the head, cam and all,
>onto
> my convertible with no difference in power. The only thing I can think of is
>the
> rings must have been perfect, along with the good exhaust and the ignition
>system.
> The tires were Pirelli P-4 185/70R13 all the way around. The only
>"modification"
> I made was to remove the air-cleaner cover, and wire on the filter. This was
>so
> I could fit the fat battery in. (the only one I had) It made the carbs sound
> nice though! :)
>
> Now if you want to hear about the reason I called it "The Magnet", let me
>know.
> (somehow I get the feeling you won't :)
>
> > (somehow, my '79 auto TR7 has difficulty beating Fireflys (Pontiac, that
> > is!)!!)
>
Hope you like!
Greg.
--
Internet: gall@ultrix.uleth.ca
"You miss too much these days if you stop to think"
By a famous Irish poet and philosopher, Bono of the band U2, circa '91.
'76 Triumph TR7 V8 (Buick 350) Fixedhead Coupe.
'77 Triumph TR7 4spd, A/C Fixedhead Coupe. _ /| A
'79 Triumph TR7 Auto Drophead Coupe. \`o_O' C
'78 Mazda RX7. ( ) K
'73 FIAT 128 Coupe SL 1300cc. U !
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