Hi gang. I've been on the Healey list for a few years, but since they're
Big Healey centric I've decided to increase my email load by jumping in with
you guys.
I bought a '60 Bugeye in the Spring that I keep in South Carolina. It has
been with a mechanic down there getting a few things taken care of. While
it was in pretty good shape when I got it, it had some severe suspension
deficiencies. I will be down there for the South Eastern Classic, a
Healey event in Myrtle Beach on 9/21 - 9/24. I'm hoping the suspension is
well sorted out before I hit the gymkhana course.
So far the rear springs have been replaced and three leaves were removed
from each side (for desired ride height). New front springs have also been
installed as well as front HD shocks. We're also fitting a 3/4" sway bar in
front. Hope this fixes the oversteer problem. The brakes require a good
amount of muscle despite being relatively new, so I had an air horn
installed.
So, with some of the history out of the way, now on to a couple of
questions. First, how does the above approach sound so far ? The next
question has to do with tires. It's got some pretty lousy old bias ply
tires on now. I want to replace them with radials. Originality obviously
isn't of great concern. However, I don't like low profile tires on these
old cars. So I'm looking for something that will have a decent profile
while providing great handling characteristics. So far I've spotted some
Yoko tires of a 175-70 size. I'm also wondering about a 185 series. I
don't want the width to extend out beyond the fenders, and I wonder about
impact of increased radius on low end performance. I have the original
size wheels. What do you guys use ?
Oh yeah, if you want to kill some time at work, the Bugeye can be seen at:
http://www.photohighway.com/Albums/SharedAlbums/Album.asp?AID=3771,1053810
If the URL gets truncated, you'll have to copy and paste the whole thing.
Regards,
Mike L.
Bridgewater, NJ
'56 BN2
'59 BN7
'60 BT7
'60 Bugeye
'67 Mustang 2+2
'70 E-Type
'79 Midget
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