[Shotimes] "Soul"

[Michael S Wojton]

Sounds like a guy here at work.  He has an old Alfa Spyder convertible.
He's always complaining about something on it.  It needs an engine
rebuild. The clutch is grabby; or not grabby enough.  The top leaks.
He can't tune it right, etc., etc.  But as soon as you mention selling it
and getting a newer "toy", he starts telling you all the good things
about it.  The clutch has a certain "feel" to it.  The engine runs good
for as many miles as it has on it.  He loves convertibles...  You get the
picture.  He'll never get rid of it.  He's having too much fun with it!


Mike Wojton
'95 MTX
Toledo, Ohio
shomike@tri-statesho-svt.org

K&N sans silencer cone
SHO Shop Y-pipe

"Avoid the clap." - Jimmy Dugan

------------------( Forwarded letter 1 follows )---------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 15:14:18 -0500
To: shotimes@autox.team.net
From: Ron.Nottingham[nottingham]@alltel.net
Sender: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] "Soul"

Answer to your "soul" questions...  Using my old Spitfire to answer....
----- Original Message -----
From: <BJamesjr@aol.com>


> > I don't know about all of this "soul" stuff.  What defines
> > "soul"?
>
> Soul means how responsive it is:
>
> When you put on the brakes, does the car stop?  Do you have to move the
pedal way down before the brakes start to take effect?  Does the body pitch
forward excessively?

1. It does an ok job.
2. Uhh, yeah, way down.
3. Pretty much.

> When you hit the gas does the car accellerate?  If it is an automatic does
it downshift quickly?  Does it get anemic near redline?

4. 0-60 in about 12 seconds, if you call that acceleration.
5. n/a
6. not really, but it kind of feels anemic all over.

> When you enter a turn does the car turn with you?  Does it take too much
steering effort to get it started?  If you enter too fast does the front end
keep pushing forward or does the rear end suddenly get loose?  Does the body
roll excessively?

7. HECK YEAH!
8. Manual steering, but a fairly light car.
9. Early swing axles really bit, but later cars were adequate.
10. 3" off the ground, can't roll too much.

> Does the car inspire confidence?  Does it feel like it is supercar and
will do anything you ask?

11. confidence? HAHAHAHAHA!  You're looking at lugnuts... On Miatas!
12. Supercar?!?  Far from it.

> Does the engine sound like a tractor when it revs?  Does it sound like it
has a potato in the tailpipe?

13. Tractor engine?  Heck, it IS a tractor engine!
14. No potato, I don't guess, but more of a raspy 4 sound.

> I can answer favorably to every question with my Gen 1.  With my Gen 3 I
can answer favorably to everything except the ATX part.  I haven't driven a
new Max, G35, Mazda.  I did drive a 3.2TL-S which was reasonably responsive
but it did not provide a very solid feel.

I didn't answer too favorably to any question (well, maybe one), but a
Spitfire has more "soul" than most any car out there.  "Soul" has more to do
with emotion than anything quantifiable.

Ron N. - Dalton, GA
90 SHO
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