Interesting points made, but to have a good handling STREET sportscar you
do not have to sacrifice ride quality. In fact, if you have the suspension
supple enough to maintain wheel contact with decent dampening then it will
be fast and comfy. A little body roll is not all bad, and the Ron
Hopkinson type sway bars with stock springs make a fairly decent package.
My racecars were 2800lb asphalt short track cars. Front springs were 1200
pounds to the inch, rears were 300 pounds to the inch. Swaybar was 1 1/4
inch with frt/rear wt of 51/49 percent, l/r 55/45 percent. Handling was
balanced by changing spring rates and tweeking tire pressures. This setup
won a bunch of Saturday night car fights. Ride quality was never an issue,
but consistancy was. New tires gave an instant 3 tenths of a second per
lap. Just like those R tires on a B. Expensive 3 tenths though. Thes
cars had an ultra rigid chassis so a supple MGA would really benifit from
putting the majority of the roll stiffness in front.
A good driver in a poor car will loose to a poor driver in a great car
every time. If the car is dialed in with a neutral setup your granny could
win in it. A race car is jig built with caster and camber set at the
correct ride heights. Just like your street B. Deviate from engineered
ride heights and camber curves and many other things move away from you.
Toe in is a tweeking tool, but never exceed 1/4 from design spec. Yep, I
know, a little toe out makes it turn in quicker. A more elegant way is to
increase the Ackerman by moving the steering arms.
No two drivers like the same feel in a car, as no two roads are alike.
There is NO perfect setup. Period. Tires wear, roads change, the amount
of parts carried in the trunk, it all matters.
The statement about worn out suspension is probably the most important
thing observed. Restore the car to like new and you would be building a
base to be tuned to fit your needs. Money well spent.
I agree that you should be realistic about your car wants. If you want a
racecar build one. But it will suck on the street. Or build a Grand
Touring MG with a lot of little but significant "tweeks". That is the best
way to learn what handling really is and how to achieve it.
The definition of handling is really very simple. A car that handles goes
where you want it to, when you want it to.
Jack Emery
Glenburn Maine
'67 MGB V-8
many others
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