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Re: Vintage Racer: what car to buy?

To: David.Laver@msdw.com
Subject: Re: Vintage Racer: what car to buy?
From: mhenry <mhenry@uswest.net>
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 20:34:14 -0700
Of course I work on my Lotus!   I like to think it found me.
Lotus Europa's are pretty well documented,  I don't think one of the design 
goals
was running 100K miles with only oil changes!  More like a somewhat civalized 
race
car for the street.
In stock trim/settings it had vantastic road manners, not at all harsh, but 
scary
in the snow. Now it's set up for ASP, and at Salina (ok a few years ago) got 
over
1g on the skid pad with Hoosier, but it doesn't handle road ruts very well with
toe-out. Someday soon I want to return it to almost stock.
Books and rational thought can't explain what happens to me when I fire it up, 
and
go for a drive.  I bought my car when the seller started raising the garage door
and I caught my first site of the red nose, bumper, and front grill... and I'm 
sure
he knew it!
When you find that "special" car  go with your heart,  no short cuts, nobody can
give you the right answer, it has to find you.
Thats my story and I'm sticken to it.
Mike Henry

David Laver wrote:

> Lotus:  Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.
>
> Mike - has this been the case for you or is the reputation from niggles that
> matter day to day but not on the track?  or from problems running a stiff 
>sprung
> car over rough roads?
>
> David
>
> mhenry wrote:
>
> > So long as we're voting, LOTUS!     I started by autocrossing  an ASP
> > Twin-Cam Europa. Definately cheaper buy in than Porsche, and Lotus wrote the
> > book on handling.  Of course parts are going to be more difficult, and like
> > Porche, if you don't do your own work you better be prepared...  The Europa 
>is
> > the lightest, has a very cool 4-cyl,  and the later ones had a 5-speed.  
>It's
> > quirky enough to be my favorite, and I've had my '72  since '78.
> >
> > Mike Henry


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