I've done both with no problems. The 2000 5-speed is lubricated as the intake
shaft turns, so a dolly will not lubricate the transmission as it turns with
the drive shaft. That's why you disconnect it. I'm not sure about the 1600.
For less than two hundred miles or so the transmission will retain enough
lubrication to keep the bearings from seizing. If you want to stop every
hundred miles and drive your roadster around the local Wal-Mart parking lot,
there will be no damage at all. Or you can disconnect the drive shaft.
I like to trailer my 2000 because there is no wear on the car at all, and no
possibility of damage from objects in the road (rocks, deer, possums, lost
mufflers, etc). Also, from experience, a flat on a trailer is easier to fix
than a flat on a roadster being dollied. The best thing about a trailer is
that you can back the thing up if you need to, and a tow dolly will not back
up with a car on it.
By the way, Andy won the E Prepared class at the SCCA National Tour in Houston
in his 2000. He had to put 365 pounds of lead weights in it to make it legal.
If he had run in E Modified (a much faster class) he would have finished
fifth, and without the 365 pounds of weight (not required in E Mod) he
probably would have finished second. The SCCA National Champion in E Mod
finished 2 seconds ahead of the second place car, so Andy might not have
beaten him. If's and but's. He's thinking of putting a 3.4 Chevy v6 in his
roadster for the torque. I guess that would make his car a Datrolet 3400.
Leisure Suit Terry
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