That's funny, mine had Morris Minor front suspension - the sort that lets
the wheel flop over at an angle when you go round a tight bend and the POs
haven't greased the suspension properly. After a two week family holiday in
Cornwall and after belting home up the motorway I found one side was hanging
half off. Gave me a helluva fright considering the speed we had been doing,
even though I know they usually only pop out on full lock. Had to replace
both halves of the offending joint as they were so badly worn. But what a
crap design - the whole weight of the car trying to push what is effectively
a nut off the open end of a bolt.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
From: David Hill <Davhill@btinternet.com>
To: <Transmancat@aol.com>; <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 11:41 PM
Subject: Re: Landrover Sale (reminiscences)
> Hi John, Listers,
>
> I got to drive the first 1.8Ti SS1 at the SMMT bash at Donington in (I
> think) about '85. It was great-stuck on like a leech, went quick and
sounded
> right. I later got an '86 1600 SS1 in Scimitar Red-and the paint stayed
on.
> I Improved it with AVO front dampers and an aircraft filler to stop it
> regurgitating fuel. But...the CVH engine always felt rough and noisy, even
> though I put in a higher ratio diff. So, I sold it.
>
> My GTEs all had cooling and front suspension problems. The first one fell
> off the jack and took off the last 1/2" of my left little finger. I drove
> this car around a bit and then broke it-revenge is sweet :-) The second, a
> manual SE5a was one of the few cars that made me a profit. The third , an
> SE6a Auto was the best one, even if it did blow both head gaskets. I sold
it
> to a lad who then got busted for doing 103mph on the M6-the heads were
> obviously OK then ;-). I had planned to fit a 2.9 injection V6 (Cologne),
> with smart autobox. I even bought a galvanised chassis. But a certain
> magazine, which shall remain nameless but whose initials are PC, stopped
> using freelancers and cut off my money supply overnight. So, I had to sell
> the bits-and my Mk.1 Cortina 'Woody' (unfinished) for peanuts (sob!).
>
> Funny thing is that Scimitars-unless they are very, very smart-never fetch
> any real money in this country.
>
> BTW, I'm not sending this to the Triumph List 'cos GTEs use TR-based front
> suspension, which might upset the listers.
>
> Cheers,
> Dave Hill
>
>
> Can I Telework for you? See what I do, at...
> http://www.angelfire.com/biz4/davtel/index.html
> Troubled by a phobia? Know someone who has one? Go to...
> http://www.angelfire.com/de/ukphobias/index.html
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Transmancat@aol.com>
> To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2000 6:14 AM
> Subject: Re: Landrover Sale
>
>
> > Hi Guys
> > The Scimitar was one hell of a good car. I have had several of them and
> If I
> > could get one over here in the US I would have one again. The small
> Scimitar
> > called the SS1 was a good project that had a great base but lost sales
due
> to
> > under funding and a vehicle that went out to the customer with known
> faults
> > before the things got to the showroom. All the panels are plastic and
can
> > reform there shape (within reason) after a collision. They trouble is
that
> > the paint would not stick to the panels either! I remember the launch
of
> the
> > car at the Motor Show, the car on the show stand was silver and at the
end
> of
> > each day we had to change every body panel with freshly painted ones
> because
> > if we left them on overnight, the paint was on the floor the next
> > morning!!!!!!!!!! YES that is true folks!
> >
> > The final evolution of the car was what it should have been to start
with
> as
> > it had by then got a Japanese turbocharged 1.8 and the other bugs were
> ironed
> > out.
> >
> > Fun days! I just remembered, the day the car was launched at the show it
> was
> > fitted with a nice cover over where the softtop was. That was because
the
> top
> > had not been invented yet! Oh and the hard top ....Well never mind, that
> can
> > wait for another day.
> >
> > Regards,
> > John J, Black
> > http://www.waterloo-dtr.com
> > Agents for Vicarage Jaguar
> >
>
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