Barry,
I can't speak to the 1296cc in your Mk IV, but when I bought my '73 1500 10
years ago I could handily keep my friends "rice boy" Civic Si at bay coming
back from Moss Motors one Saturday afternoon.
I guess ignorance is bliss.... after we got back to his house he let me know
he backed off at 80 (in a 50 zone) while I barrelled on in my speedo-less
new toy!
I guess having that secret mod in the engine (broken piston rings
-( reduced enough friction to... well... never mind. And I do admit it
wasn't that peppy climbing the hills in the Poconos with a stuck front
caliper.
And if there was a growl from the engine the rotted stock muffler drowned it
out!
Jim
'73 Spitfire "PIA"
'76 Spit autocrosser
'78 Spitfire "Spencer"
and others in the barn....
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-spitfires@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-spitfires@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Barry Schwartz
> Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 1999 9:36 AM
> To: spitfires@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: What is joy
>
>
>
> >Hi there fellow pilots
> >What do you think is the real joy of spitfire ownership, is it the sun
> >and wind on your face, the looks of envy from the drivers of other tin
> >cans, or the growl from the exhaust as you put the pedal to metal?
> < snip >
> *********************************
> (all the following with tongue fully in cheek, of course)
>
> Maybe it's been way too long since I've driven a "real" Spitfire with it's
> roarty 1147 or even roarty-er 1296 (of which the 70 will have if I ever
> finish it!), or the stump pulling 1493 (which I never had the thrill of
> experiencing, but the only stump I can envision it pulling is if one were
> to attach a rope to said engine and the other end to said stump and toss
> said engine off a cliff :-}), but I can't honestly remember any growl when
> I stepped on my 72's original engine's accelerator! I seem to remember a
> slight change in the note, more of a moan, as if the whopping stock 47 BHP
> of my original engine was protesting what I wanted it to do, but a growl?.
> . .I can't really remember a growl, but it has been an awfully long time
> since then :-)
>
>
> Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
>
> 72 FI, V6 Spitfire (daily driver)
> 70 GT6+ (when I don't drive the Spit)
> 70 Spitfire (long term project)
>
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