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BJ8 - The first bigger drive first impressions...... (longish)

To: Healey List <healeys@autox.team.net>
Subject: BJ8 - The first bigger drive first impressions...... (longish)
From: James Sailer <heliskier@direcway.com>
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 07:30:22 -0600
Greetings All:

Well tomorrow I will take my first drive in my fresh BJ8 out of the local
community.  There is a small (and likely lame) car auction in Jackson Hole
this weekend so I thought it would be fun to take the Healey there for the
day.. a 90 mile trip each way ... along the Snake River and over Pine Creek
pass.. through Victor ID and over Teton Pass ..... should test my cooling
system (at least on the way back after the day warms up) ...  so far she has
only risen to 200 degrees running and stopping around town in traffic...
holding steady at about 185 while driving.... (but alas it has not been over
abour 82 F here yet) ..

my only issues yet are that my gas guage does not read higher than 1/2 tank
... for which I have no explanation yet as it worked when I took it out
several years ago... and I have yet not gotten my speedo hooked up after the
Smitty conversion .. but cable .. angle drive and figures sent to the Nock's
who are getting the conversion box made for me....

I am so far quite pleased with my Smitty conversion.... the ratios of the
95-00 Tacoma transmission are nice (1 st a bit low), it is quiet, the short
shifter I had made looks bone stock and you can really rapid fire the gear
changes.... we did a speed /  revs test yesterday and she pulls about 2600
rpm in 5th going 65 mph.... very nice..  I am awaiting a Lempert rear gear
set which should be interesting.....

My alternator conversion seems just great...  some monster driving lights to
come... elk and moose scare the hell out of me .. (even in my Land Rover)
...

My tube shock conversion in the rear very nice (Cape) as well as the lowered
rear .. as well as stiffer front shocks... and I also LOVE the polybushes
and larger (7/8) sway bar ..

The engine is runnning flaulessly.. settling into an 800-900 rpm idle when
warm ... I did not do new throttle shafts when I did my car requild but it
seems with only 1 turn going down left on the slow idle screws that it would
be prudent to do (a winter project) .... I find she accelerates similarly to
my new Mini cooper until revs of about 4000 rpm (where the mini really likes
to start going) ...  I took my flywheel down to 19 lbs ... so she revs
freely ... I also put a special powder coat on my exhaust manifolds and
downpipes .. this seems to keep the cockpit quite nice so far .... and the
much modified Monza exhaust sounds wonderful .... My petronix is great ...
giving me much more consistency I think .. and an uprated electronic SU fuel
pump is now nice security ..... so for a classic she is very tractable...

My seats are a bit 'high" .. being new and the foam needs to scrunch down a
bit.... but my heritage interior is truly superior ... and very comfortable
...... I installed some Simpson lap belts in the front .. and am making some
rather creative brackets to install in the rear so I can have snap in and
snap out rear seat belts..... (again Simpson) ...

Well .. best to all and wish me luck!...

jim Sailer
66 BJ8
93 Land Rover D110
03 Mini Cooper S - (What fun!)





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