Saturday, my driveway was starting to look like a car show...
The GQ was inside, but my 2-day-old Miata (yeah, really!) in BRG/tan
was in the driveway, and my nephew's bright red Trans-Am was there, and I'm
in the back yard, w/him when he says, "what the heck is that", and peering
around the corner of the house I see a splash of red that vies with the
Trans-Am's "C5 Vette Red" paint. Then I see the chrome oval gas cap and it
sinks in; fellow Maryland Tiger guy Larry Paulick has ventured out of his
garage. Wow!
Seen out-of-doors, even my sunglasses cannot diminish the intensity
of the (Viper?) red paint, and the few chrome bits on the car-in-progress
just add contrast. Again, Wow!
After a bit o' chat, Larry offers the improbable. "You wanna drive
it?" I think I had the door open before the word "it". :^) I've never driven
a Tiger other than the GQ and Tiger Tom's car (in the grass for 50ft to move
it at a TE/AE gathering), so I didn't know what to expect.
The steering is a bit heavier, esp. at near-zero speeds while I get
the car turned around in a neighbor's driveway. The grip on his Moto-Lita
(?) padded wheel is reassuring, though, preferable over my mahogany Grant.
So, I roll past my own driveway in 1st, where Larry and my neph are
standing, and decide to give it a blast of 1/3-to-1/2 throttle just for
show--
WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! Oh Sh*t!!!!! Jeez, Larry's throttle effort is
about 1/5th mine, the pedal goes to the floor, and the 302's torque
catapults the car down the street before I can react. Yet again, Wow!
I let off, and figure Larry's never gonna speak to me again; when he drove
the GQ, he grannied it around the block just off idle, and this is how I pay
him back?????
Well, his car is _different_. While the steering has more weight,
the rest of the controls are like a Honda (in the best way). The brakes
don't take much of a push, although softer (duh, he has a booster in his).
The clutch requires almost no effort, nor does the aftermarket shifter he's
running. If the unit with fit in my T5-out-the-stock-hole location, and the
'Stock' lever can be adapted, I could be _very_ interested in one of those.
I'm impressed overall, even in a car still 1/2-done. Instead of the
'raw' flavor of the GQ, the busy, nervous ride, and an idle that can mix
paint if a can is strapped into the RH seat, his car is velvet, with a bass
rumble from the exhaust that lulls one more than frightens, and a ride that
wouldn't tire after 8 hours in the car. A car, you can tell, meant to be
_driven_. And plenty of 'go', too; the torque is all right down where you
want it.
Yeah, the Old Line State has a Tiger to be reckoned with, without a
doubt. Hope y'all get to see it soon, like I have.
Build yourself a trophy case this weekend, Larry; I think you'll
need it.
Lawrence R. Wright, Purchasing Analyst
"Nose gone, grindstone still here"
U S Office Products, Mid-Atlantic District
Formerly Andrews Office Products
larry.wright@usop.com
Ph. 301.386.7923 Fx. 301.386.5333
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