Dan:
Good point, top speed has to be kept down. I did pull a broken TD
once with my MGB for a number of miles on a tour.
Scary was coming back from the vintage races at Steamboat Springs,
Co. I was driving a Datsun 620 pickup with drum brakes. Cabover camper on
top, MG race car on a converted utility trailer behind. 18 mph down
Berthoud pass, wondering why I was so stupid.
This past weekend I towed the same race car up to Santa Cruz. Dodge
Ram Turbo Diesel. Cabover fully self contained camper, MG race car in
enclosed 18' trailer. 65 mph over the SLO grade (very steep, 55 speed
limit). You know, sometimes with age comes wisdom. Other times you just
get a bit more money to spend on toys.
It's been a tough ten years, but I am so glad that through them I
kept the race car. I've spent a small fortune on car covers. But after ten
years of sitting outside, it still polished up ok. I spent Saturday
twisting an exhaust system together. The Paeco system fits really
correctly, which was a problem as I have Koni rear shocks. My thanks to
Greg Solo at the Engine Room for letting me use the lift and torch.
Sunday my lady and I spent the day fixing an electrical problem
(headlight switch had continuity with no load, dead with load) and cleaning
the cobwebs out of the interior. Did I mention she was the one who on
Saturday, drained and refilled the diff. Washed and regreased the wheels
and hubs? Greased all the zerks, (replacing one plugged one). Did I
mention that I love her?
Sunday evening I fired up the car, and it drove down the road for
the first time since 1989. I'm still picking bugs out of my teeth.
I hope to meet some of youse at the Button Willow event. Look for
car #110 in the pits. The one that looks like it wants to be racing again.
(Out of date safety equipment, lack of money stopping that for now.)
TTFN
Kelvin.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Pockrus [mailto:dpockrus@efficient.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 1999 8:34 AM
> To: 'MG list'
> Subject: RE: Now tow vehicles.
>
>
> > I am putting a tow hitch on my V8 MGB just so I can flat tow
> > my race car
> > with it at least once. I figure with flat towing I don't
> > have to worry
> > about tongue weight.
>
> Yes, Kelvin, you're right about the tongue weight. What you
> do have to worry
> about is the interesting dynamics that occur when the car
> you're flat towing
> is about the same weight as the car that's pulling it. I once towed a
> Karmann Ghia with a Karmann Ghia - got rather twitchy at
> anything over 30mph
> and was downright scary to stop. Never again.
>
> Dan Pockrus
> '74B in faded Citron
>
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