Hi Ben:
So far my feelings are quite mixed. The engine is not terribly powerful
and doesn't have a lot of torque. My MGB would blow the doors off it and a
TR6 would have it for lunch. I have fiddled with timing and gotten a bit
more out of it but it labors to reach higher rpm which should be something
and ohc engine should do easily. I am planning to pull the distributor and
check the weights. I know the vacuum advance diaphragm is leaking so
initial advance is not happening properly, but I've adjusted to accommodate
this. It starts extremely well and warms up reasonably quickly then will
settle into a smooth quiet idle at about 700 rpm. The engine has dual
Strombergs, the air pump has been removed and the air injection ports are
plugged. The EGR valve has been disconnected but the charcoal
cannister/carb vents/pcv system are connected.
The transmission is very noisy in 1st gear and I think it needs new needle
bearings on the countershaft. Reverse is also noisy and I think there is a
chipped tooth on one of the gears. First gear is too tall and the clutch
must be slipped to get away smoothly. The car is quite noisy inside with a
combination of engine roar and drivetrain noise. Most of this may be
attributable to a bad transmission mount and poor exhaust hangers which I
have yet to deal with.
The driver's seat frame broke internally below my left hip and I will have
to take the seat out, strip off the upholstery and MIG weld the break. The
heater control lever/rod to the fresh air vent system appears to be
disconnected under the dash and will need repair because the vent is always
open. The "rear foglamps" light stays on all the time and will have to be
checked when I have the dash apart to fix the heater. There is an internal
short or current draw of some kind which causes the battery to go flat in 2
days if I don't disconnect it. Again, I will be checking when the dash is
apart.
Driving the car is ok. The seat is comfortable and the view is good
although shoulder checks are a bit blocked due to the wide roof pillar.
The car rides extremely well and the brakes are very nice. Handling, if I
push hard through a corner, feels a bit uncertain at the rear. The extreme
rearward seating position changes the feel of the car and I find that it
will break away quite suddenly or shift in an unexpected manner. I don't
feel as confident in driving it hard as I do in my MGB. Some of this may
be tires which aren't the best although they have lots of tread.
I appreciate the large trunk and good heater - when I stop the air vent
from blowing cold air on me. The space utilization inside the car is not
logical for a sports car. There is plenty of room above the dash, where it
isn't useful and no room behind the seats where it would be. There is a
bin which runs below the rear window which can be used for some items,
otherwise they have to be placed in the trunk or under the passengers legs
and feet.
The appearance of the whole thing is a "learned" experience but I am slowly
warming to it. It still looks too stubby and I hate the curved body accent
line which is completely at odds with the rest of the design. The electrics
- with the exception of the power drain and the foglamp light - all seem to
work properly - even the clock. The headlights go up and down correctly
when the lights are switched on and all gauges seem to work properly. The
tach will not rise above 4400 rpm for some reason but I hope to look at
this when the dash is apart.
My recommendation would be to buy one if you want a cheap LBC with some
sporting character and if you are competent to repair the inevitable
problems of questionable engineering, indifferent assembly, and a bad
reputation.
John
>>Ben. I'm "that guy". I parked the car for winter on New Years's Eve and
>>have not run it since. I have been doing some minor jobs on it but will
>>commence using again when the snow goes.
>
>John,
>
>Sorry, I didn't remember your name!
>
>Anyway, what's your opinion on it so far?
>
>
>BEN RUSET
>Safety Fast & MG Cars Webring - http://www.infi-pos.com/~oasis
>
>
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