> The other was 100% restored, using all the latest
> technology,
Ah, well, there are also lots of TR "improvements" that I feel are movement
in the wrong direction. I can well imagine similar results if one fitted
"all the latest technology" to a TR3. And while it's been a few decades
since I was at the wheel of a MGA, I seem to recall that they rode and
handled noticeably better than a TR3, right off the showroom floor. The TRs
main advantage was 25% more power and displacement (plus of course that body
style, like comparing Gina Lollobrigida to Twiggy).
One of our local club members has a beautifully restored TR3, stock right
down to the tires and fitted luggage. The club takes a run every year up
Angeles Crest Highway, which is a typical mountain road with lots of tight
curves and even a few switchbacks. Few years back, he happened to be behind
me on the "Drive on the Edge" and I noticed he was having some trouble
keeping up. I asked him about it over breakfast, thought maybe his car
wasn't running well or something ... he was very unhappy over how fast we
had been driving. Literally was having a hard time staying on the road.
Funny part was, I thought it was boringly slow! The conversation went
downhill after that <G>
Anyway, having tried it both ways myself, I definitely vote for sticky
tires. The width is probably less an actual factor (the high camber of the
TR front end is less than optimal for wide tires and I didn't do anything to
change it); than the fact you cannot buy high performance tires in skinny
profiles.
> The reason givern was that the factory spends a lot of time
> determining if bushings for instance should be 85Shore or 90
> Shore hard. The brake pad material is tested, and a specific
> type is chosen etc..
But what the factory absolutely did not have, was anything even faintly
resembling a modern high performance tire. And I greatly doubt that 'stock'
replacement parts bear much resemblance to the originals anyway ...
certainly they don't last nearly as long!
Bought any asbestos brake pads lately ? <G>
Randall
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