[TR] TR3 tires 6" rims

[Randall]

> 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