Dave Houser's post about the TF replica Ken Gross did reminds me of my drive
around Lime Rock in the V-8 powered version. VERY scary! I have to compare
it to driving a Yugo around Lime Rock another IMPA "Test Day."
Once a year the International Motor Press Association to which I once
belonged, during my life as a journalist, rents a track (Bridgehampton, LRP,
Pocono over the years) and convince the manufacturers & importers to bring
their new models up for journalists to "test." We called it "Flaunt Your
Incompetence Day." Sometimes the drivers were incompetent, sometimes the
cars were.
In the case of the incompetent Yugo, I got great pleasure in driving around
with the gentleman who at the time was the Account Supervisor for Yugo's
advertising agency. He was scarred out of his wits. And, I don't think it
was because of my driving. The best car I drove him around in that day at
Lime Rock was a BMW M6. Maybe that exposure to German car handling is why
he & his wife drive new Audi's today.
As for Ken's V-8 TF, it was an absolute kick! But, there was no way you
could drive that car with the side curtains on. The extreme power of the
V-8 meant you were constantly making extreme steering corrections. With
side curtains, the driver's left elbow would have destroyed the side
curtain - at least on twisty routes like Lime Rock's mile and a half track.
And, the torque was enough to twist the chassis of the car, or so it seemed.
Brutal & scary!
Like Dave Houser, I too have some literature on that car. Mine is buried in
the boxes of press kits in my basement. Yes, that's another project I have
to do.
Norm Sippel
'66 MGB
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