For discussion:
<<<snip>>>
Engine upgrade, maybe, but no V8 needed. (Talk to Barney
Gaylord to
see what can be done with the venerable 1500 B-block, or
drop in a 3-
or 5-main 1800 from an MGB.)
<<<Snip>>>
While a upgraded 1500, 1600, or 1800 might be quite good for
a two seater, I think the absolute minimum for a Z series
would have to be a very strong 1800. The Z series weighs
3300 lb. according to my information. The MGB weighs around
2100 lb. The Z then has an extra 1/2 ton of weight: 50%
more.
With a 100 HP engine, the Z has a power to weight ratio of
33 lb. per HP. My stage III TD has about 29 lb/HP. I've
driven my TD with it's 4.875 rear end in downtown
Minneapolis and I had one heck of a time keeping from being
run over or out of everyone's way. It was either foot hard
on the throttle or jammed brake. Shifts were at 5500 rpm.
You would have thought that people would be a bit more
courtious of an antique car, but they don't. Anybody who
was born after 1960 doesn't know how effective unassisted
drum front brakes are. They also don't know anything about
110-150 HP 3000 lb non power steering cars. That's what
many of us over 50 learned to drive with. My learner car
was a 110 HP 1960 Rambler, column shift with OD, drum brakes
on the front and no power ANYTHING except the vacuum wipers.
Anybody drive something like that recently? I drove my
uncles 1953 flat head V8 column shift about 7 years ago, and
man what a wrestling match.
The Z series MG might be okay for interstate cruising using
a 4 banger, but it wouldn't do in today's point and squirt
traffic on regular streets as a daily driver. You'd have
little Hondas and Mazda's using you for a set of oil change
ramps.
I live in Aberdeen, SD, pop. 25,000, and the younger
generation drives like the world is going to end in 5
minutes. It takes no more than ten or 15 minutes to get
from one side of town to the other. But I see, no turn
signals, red light running, speeds 10 mph over the limit,
tail gaiting, ripping through corner parking lots to skip
stopping for signs or lights, left turns from left turn
lanes assigned to the opposing traffic, crossing over two
lanes and then back when making turns, talking on cell
phones while eating, etc. I see this kind of behavior every
5 minutes and I don't go downtown only about three times a
week. On a weekday in the morning or late afternoon it's
even worse. One day my brother saw a lady (?) talking on a
cell phone and eating breakfast cerial from a bowl with a
spoon. What she was using to steer with is anybody's guess!
Never worked on a XJ6, but I am working on a MGA twin cam.
Any similarites in engine maintainence?
--
Blake
MG TD
MGA twin cam
Home page: http://members.nvc.net/yd3/
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