On Wed, 5 Feb 2003, at around 21:44:56 local time, William Davies
<bill@rarebits4classics.co.uk> wrote:
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Michael Hargreave Mawson <OC@46thFoot.com>
>
>> I don't see what all the
>> fuss is about with overdrives. Just another bloody thing to go wrong,
>> IMHO. Save your money for use when you need it.
>
>Hi Mike,
> The overdrive units are generally extremely reliable - in all the
>years I've had overdrive equipped cars I've had one solenoid failure
>through a burnt winding, no other mechanical or electrical failures
>whatsoever.
Dear Bill,
I know that reading this list can give one a skewed view of the
reliability of our cars - after all, people don't often post looking for
help with something that is working well - but I have seen a lot of
posts about overdrive problems here over the past couple of years.
> I've yet to meet an owner of an overdrive equipped car who would
>happily be without the feature.
That is my experience too. Mind you, I've yet to meet an owner of a
wire-wheel-equipped car who would happily be without the feature either.
What I am getting at is the fact that overdrive was (and is) an optional
extra (however desirable), and that when one is trying to run an old car
on a tight budget, spending money on optional extras is possibly not the
most far-sighted decision one could make, even if these extras didn't
add to the list of potential problems. I also have a theory that
within, say, ten or twenty years, there won't be a single example of an
original, non-OD, Spitfire left on the road, which would be a great
pity.
ATB
--
Mike
Ellie - 1963 White Herald 1200 Convertible GA125624 CV
Connie - 1968 Conifer Herald 1200 Saloon GA237511 DL
Carly - 1977 Inca Yellow Spitfire 1500 FH105671
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