First a little moment of joy.
Took the '74 Midget out for a spin today (like yesterday and the day
before). I was doing the "tweak, test drive, adjust test drive" shuffle.
When I started out the thing was idling at 2500 rpm! Funny thing is that
with these cars even this amount of bad tuning didn't ruin the fun! Had a
blast buzzing around town. Of course, much better once I got down to
1000-1100.
Ok, second neat thing. Got my first "What year is it?" I'm in our little
downtown area (Rutherford, NJ is small) picking up dinner at the take out.
Guy pulls over to talk cars. He has a 1973 MGB. I told him that it being
British Car Week he should be driving it. He didn't argue. :) Anyway,
gives me his card and I'll be calling him re cheap insurance and who knows
whether we might not be able to get together sometime. Anyway, I wanted to
meet fellow enthusiasts and it felt cool to have the little chat.
Now a plea for help. The engine may not actually purr like a kitten but it
no longer roars like a sick lion. Thing is I can't get it to idle smoothly
lower than the current 1000-1100. This isn't the fast idle either. Can I
just richen the mixture a bit and then idle down? In the absence of list
expertise I think I'll just try it, but wondered if others' experience
would confirm this.
More importantly I have a problem with closing my bonnet. When I had the
header on there was no problem. Now with the stock exhaust manifold I have
real trouble closing the bonnet and sometimes I arrive home to see that it
has popped loose. This is quite obviously unacceptable. I need advice. I
have the stock big black air filter covers with the tubes coming off them.
What is the best solution:
1. Buy flat air cleaners like the K&N Chrome filters in the VB catalog or
the cheaper "Flat Air Cleaners"? Is it legal to make this switch? The
catalog has all these warnings about changing original emissions equipment.
Air filters included?! Would anyone even know the difference?
2. Lower the engine somehow? Different motor mounts? Seems an overkill
solution to me.
3. Beat the hood out a bit? Seems way too drastic.
4. Just bash in the current air filters until the bonnet closes? :)
I like option one, but any advice from the gurus?
Thanks for the help.
Philip
Burgundy 1974 Midget
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