Hi All! Dave Terrick here in Winnipeg with a comment, a question, and a
story (as above).
My 74 TR6 (RIP) had a motolita. The hub ground badly on the column even
after I changed the column bushings. Several "goes" with a file shortened
the hub boss enough that it didn't grate anymore. This hub, btw, was on
the car from very early on - likely 74 or 5 ( the PPO). The wheels are
well worth it and transform the "feel" of the car. For a more modern and
racy feel though, the Momo Monte Carlo or similar is a fantastic wheel (on
my GTI) and of even higher quality.
Do we have a Don Sforza on the list? Don, if you're out there I found my
old TRF calendar with your BRG TR45 show winner. Fantastic car! This
"pinup" is going to grace my shop wall over the workspace for my 65 TR4a.
Finally, the (ugh) MIata story.
I was 21 and at universtiy - working part time at the bank (in a suit, of
course). My TR4a had a fresh coat of Tremclad white and looked quite
respectable. Our local Mazda dealer (a biggie) had one of the first M____s
in Canada - a red one (of course) with all the toys.
So here's this kid pulling up after work on a hot summer day (if I remember
right) in an old white sports car and wants to look at the new ones.
"work for the bank, yup"..... etc.
Soon enough we were out on the road with the salesman driving - gingerly -
at best. Extoling the virtues of these wonderful cars that were "based on
old cars like mine" but " with far superior technology and handling and
fuel econony and and and".
My turn to drive - now that he had "shown" me how the gearbox was a bit
tricky since the gates were so close.
What does the kid do? Pulls a u turn back to the dealer at full throttle
stopping shy of redline in 1 2 and 3 by about 500 revs!
White knuckled at this point because this "brand new demo bla bla bla" was
being beaten (um, well, "driven" as it should be he informed me that this
was the first time ANYONE (I think I was about the 10th person to drive the
car) had gotten 3rd instead of 5th and NOBODY had ever put the car around
the u turn corner anidst tire squeals!
"How did I enjoy the car" he asks?
"It revs great and feels fantastic, but it needs better tires" I said and
left shortly thereafter.
I haven't driven a Miata since.
DAve Terrick
Winnipeg
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