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Re: GMB versus Firespit

To: msecres@ibm.net
Subject: Re: GMB versus Firespit
From: Joe Curry <spitlist@gte.net>
Date: Fri, 06 Mar 1998 18:54:42 -0800
Cc: John McEwen <mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>, triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Organization: Curry Enterprises
References: <v01540b01b125e41a88eb@[129.128.230.164]> <3500BB56.235A@ibm.net>
I wonder what happened to the MBC?????
Hmmmmm!!!!

Joe Curry

msecres@ibm.net wrote:
> 
> John McEwen wrote:
> >
> > Hello John:
> >
> > You have made some excellent points.  However as the one who is "talking
> > out of his armpit" you have agreed with my point regarding the durability
> > of the engines.  The MGB engine was improved by the addition of the extra
> > bearings in 1965, after a very short production time in this car, and it
> > subsequently became among the most rugged and simple British engines ever
> > built.  The Triumph engine was increased in size steadily until it reached
> > a point where it became unreliable due to its design.  Follow this list for
> > a while and you will read many horror stories about Triumph 1500 engines.
> >
> > This tendency to make "too much of a good thing" out of British engines was
> > not restricted to automobile engines.  One only has to look at the balls up
> > in the British motorcycle industry where old designs were continuously
> > enlarged beyond their design limits until they became rough, overstressed
> > and unreliable.  Good examples of this are found in the 750 engines of
> > Norton, Triumph, BSA, and certainly the largest engines of the others.
> >
> > I am not unfamiliar with British engineering having owned and restored all
> > or part of the following machines:
> >
> > '57 AJS Model 20
> > '67 BSA Spitfire
> > '70 Norton Commando
> > '71 Triumph TR6R
> > '49 Austin A40
> > '50 Standard Vanguard
> > '54 Jaguar Mk.VII
> > '55 TR2
> > '57 Lagonda 3 Litre
> > '58 Wolseley 6/90
> > '61 Jaguar Mk.2 3.8
> > '62 Sunbeam Alpine
> > '65 Austin A60
> > '66 Austin A60
> > '66 Rover 2000TC
> > '70 MGB
> > '70 MGB
> > '73 MGB
> > '76 TR7
> 
> Well, John, that's great, but I think you're overstating the
> "unreliability" of the 1500.  Maybe it's an overstroked version of a
> smaller engine, but the worst engineering oversight with regard to the
> block internals that I've seen is the thrust washer situation -- and
> that's not a problem if you're paying attention to your car. Nor is it a
> problem with my 1500, which has not been rebuilt in 24 years, and with
> 85K on it, still runs like a dream.  (Of course, I do treat it well.)
> But I truly don't hear people crucifying the 1500 with any regularity.
> 
>   Now -- if we want to continue this aimless thread a little longer --
> let's talk about the MGB vs. the TR6, or the MGBGT vs. the GT6.  Same
> classes, right?  In a standing 1/4 mile, the Triumphs rule, now don't
> they?    Woo -- let the fireworks begin!
> 
> --
> Martin Secrest
> 74 Spitfire
> 73 GT6

-- 
"Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible
 to travel across the country coast to coast without seeing
 anything." -- Charles Kuralt

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