Listers,
After 13 long years, my TR4A is finally on the road. It's been an incredibly
long saga of three houses and two kids later, but I won't bore you all with
the blow-by-blows. Teriann Wakeman did a much better job than I could ever do
a few years back, but the story is pretty much the same. There's always those
final details to finish up, but let's just say I'm having a blast roaring
around and scaring the local populace. Oh yeah, I probably way overmodified
the engine for street use, but some careful work and 94 octane have made it
very driveable, and the grin factor is enormous.
Which brings me to my first issue. After all these hairy engine mods, I'm a
little stuck on what to do with the exhaust system. I put the stock system on
aft of the header just so I could get on the road (I was desperate to drive
the thing) but I know I really need 2" piping thoughout and a free-flow
system. I had a Monza on my previous TR4, but I wasn't all that thrilled with
it from either a durability or a noise standpoint. It was a bit loud for long
drives, so I'd like to find something quieter as long as it doesn't sacrifice
power. I also don't want to look like a fastandfurious wannabe, so the
coffeecan look is out. Any suggestions from the collective? Any experiences
with Flowmaster or Supertrapp?
The other issue is my wire wheels. I like the look, so I'm keeping them, even
if others perform better. However, I'm not all that confident of their
condition. I've noticed that there is a clunk noise whenever I hit the
brakes, so I'm a little suspicious about the condition of the splines. Also,
a couple of the knockoffs look like they are just about to touch the spokes
after they are wound up tight. I'm thinking about springing for a new set of
wire wheels and hub adapters, but I'd like to put new rubber on them (current
tires are vintage 1981) (I was REALLY desperate to drive the thing) and get
them properly balanced. Does anybody know of a competent shop in SE Michigan
who can deal with these?
One last thing and I'll finish this screed. Thanks, all of you, for the help,
encouragement, and kibbitzing through the years. You got me through, even on
that day I was holding the firewall in one hand and the entire rear clip in
the other...
Dave Rupert
1967 TR4A
1957 TR3
1980 TR7
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