In a message dated 12/11/2003 3:28:52 PM Eastern Standard Time,
soavero@yahoo.com writes:
> I know you didn't want Spridget content, but I'm not
> sure why there's the perception of overheating in the
> Spridgets - my Bugeye with 1275 never ran over 160 in
> Florida, 14,000 miles in 2 years there. Nor does my
> Midget, which resides in FL now and is used for 2
> weeks every July. Nor my race car, which spent a
> couple of 97 degree days this summer at Grattan. But
> then I'm a downflow radiator kind of guy... ;-).
>
>
I guess I still need to tweak the spridgets. I took the TR out with my son
following in the 1275 Bugeye. I told him to follow me on the back roads, just
so
he wouldn't spin the thing. He had one of his college buddies in the car with
him, and I know he tends to over rev. He is just sitting on rear end on every
curve. I am not driving all that fast, but for some idiotic reason I decide
to open some room on the straight. drive the next curve at to the point where I
think the backend is going to break. He is like in the that song "The little
Nash Rambler went beep beep" back on my bumper.
So I decide valor being the better part of discretion, make the leg of this
loop we get on the local parkway for two exits. The TR is just humming going
70. I am enjoying watching him in the mirror, admiring how nice the Bugeye
looks. Then I see him moving into the passing lane. So what am I to do? We have
about 2 miles left on the parkway and not a cop in sight. So I push the TR up
to
80. But I really don't feel like outrunning him, for the sake of his ego and
the Bugeye's well being. So I let them pass. It was a thing a beauty. Two 20
something guys, with huge sh-t eating grins and the sound of the sprite all
wound up.
Get back to the house and feel the bonnet of the sprite, and it feels really
hot. Look at the temp gauge and it reading 200.
This was in October in Upstate New York. Granted, I wouldn't be bashing the
car as much as him. But that is where the perception comes from.
Don't have an oil cooler, nor do I am I using the heater valve. But maybe I
need to put in that downflow radiator I have sitting in the garage. I don't
have the expansion tank, I am guessing that this is needed too.
But getting back to my Sedona car. The roads out there are wide open, so I am
thinking of a big block,high torque, low revving car. With enough room to
carry some camping gear. Sounds like a TR no?
David Oliner
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