personal V8 observations

["James J." <m1garand@speakeasy.net>]

All,
   I doubt that this e-mail contains any new info, in fact it's 
probably painfully obvious to most of you, but just a few realizations 
that were new to me.  I just picked up a used '01 Mustang GT.  My 10 
year old Taurus SHO was getting near another $2000+ lifter shim 
adjustment and genreal overhaul, so I decided to get something cheap and 
fun w/an automatic because of the awful rush-hour traffic here in DC.  
Anyhow, two observations I've made are:
   This thing has a stock 2-row aluminum radiator that dwarfs ours.  
It's go to be around 27" wide and 20" tall with a huge electric puller 
on the back.  This is for a 4.6L V8, which is smaller than a stroked 
Rover 3.9L or 4.0L.  I knew cooling the MGB would be a challenge, but I 
never realized what a handicap we were starting with.  Then again, the 
64-67 289/302 mustang used the same size rad. as the MG so It's do-able.
   Second, this is the first car I've ever driven extensively w/a solid 
rear axle.  I grew up in the front-wheel drive generation, and all the 
cars I owned had and independant rear, no matter how primative.  I never 
fully grasped what people were talking about when they complained about 
how loose the rear of an MG could feel with a big engine and hard 
cornering.  Anyhow, the Mustang has a 4-link trailing arm solid axle.  
The upper links are mounted farther apart on the chassis than they are 
on the axle, to give a form of triangulation, but there is no panhard 
rod, or watts link.  All I can say it that it quivers all over the place 
on launch and around corners.  You can relly fell the body move lateraly 
relative to the axle.  Rubber bushings don't help any, I'm sure.  I'm 
glad I've ordered a panhard rod kit for the MGB.
   Again, nothing new here for the old-timers, but maybe there is 
another newby or two on this list who might appreciate this.

James J.

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