I saw something in a car mag some while ago about making TBs from old carbs for substantial power gains on classic engines. Basic engineering skills required, plus an Emerald ECU, some sensors from scrapyards and a good deal of ingenuity and buggeration, and you were there.
Old and new Mini next to each other
- Thread starter Tony Lockhart
- Start date
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
Or just buy the whole kit. Most popular engines have a well trodden path to the right setup now.
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
Ah, but a Fiat 124 Special T looked exactly like a Lada (same body, Fiat sold the tooling to Lada, IIRC). And from the lights left many a boy racer in a stunned cloud of exhaust smoke. Until it dropped its valves. But only bent them and was fixed for 3/6d.
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
The old Fiat 124 was a great car. When I was a yoof, a mate's dad had one and it was great. Always hankered after a 131 Supermirafiori Sport. In orange or acid green.
SteveG
pfm Member
If it was one of the Lada's that'd be more than it was worth.But only bent them and was fixed for 3/6d.
martin clark
pinko bodger
The real benefit comes from mappable electronic ignition timing over old 'clockwork.'
Getting rid of the timing 'scatter' of driving points in a distributor, from the cam via a skew gear, when the cam drive is a bit loose anyway.
Such an approach s known-good for +10 to 15% torque across the full range - and easy starting! - for comparatively little effort (and better economy everywhere in the load range) - and with more torque, everywhere, all else follows.
'Megasquirt'/ 'Megajolt' kits - used to be fairly cheap; these days as said, one can get proven, flexible, commercial offerings with starter maps for anything you like - for not a lot more (given the effort is in making brackets for sensors and loom integration etc.)
Brown Bottle
UTB
My Dad had an 1800 and then a Maxi 1750. I remember him changing the Maxi's gearbox in the street with some scaffolding poles and a pulley. The drivers seat of the Maxi kept breaking and in the end he had it propped up with timber. He then got a white Granada with a black vinyl roof, better known as 'The Sweeney Car' amongst my mates.
Cheers BB
tones
Tones deaf
The Agnellis courted the Soviet Union and got to set up the plant in Togliattagrad (named for an Italian Communist leader). Fiat had its share of problems. When they proposed the existing car's engine, the State Committee frowned upon it - not sufficiently technologically advanced. Fiat then proposed the twin-cam motor from the 124 Sport. This looks like a racing engine, said the State Committee, the State Committee disapproves of racing engines. So Fiat had to come up with a single OHC engine for the Russian market.Ah, but a Fiat 124 Special T looked exactly like a Lada (same body, Fiat sold the tooling to Lada, IIRC). And from the lights left many a boy racer in a stunned cloud of exhaust smoke. Until it dropped its valves. But only bent them and was fixed for 3/6d.
SteveG
pfm Member
I think my old man's Maxi might have been the 1750 as well.
I did prefer the Fords of that time. My Dad had company cars and did a lot of mileage so used to change them every couple of years. He had better stuff like Cortina's and a Capri as well as weird stuff like the Chrysler Alpine (which was another steaming pile of turd!).
gintonic
50 shades of grey pussy cats
my Dad had a Capri once as well. He was always a fan of Fords until the Sierra came out - and he defected to Vauxhall Cavaliers
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
Yes, for some odd reason the Maxi was a 1750, whereas the BMC 1800 was, um, 1800. Different engines, IIRC. A chemistry teacher at school had an Allegro Sport which had the 1750 engine.
Yes, I did wonder at the time how much of the article was based on a "because it is there" philosophy.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
My dad went to a Wolesley 6 landcrab from a 16/60 automatic. I loved the 2.2 six cylinder engine, 110bhp seemed such a lot of power at the time, same as an RS2000! But… oil leaking onto the clutch, and again after repair, proved too much. That smooth six gave way to a four in the shape of a MK3 Escort with that awful, rough CVH engine. Camber change every 20k miles? Oh, and the gearbox gave up within a year. Ford eventually coughed up for that.
I think my favourite of my dad’s cars was his Austin 1100. Trouble is, he drove it like a race car and attracted endorsements too quickly.
I can still remember him bringing the battery into the house in winter to keep it warm enough overnight ready for the commute to the Upton Park store.
I think my favourite of my dad’s cars was his Austin 1100. Trouble is, he drove it like a race car and attracted endorsements too quickly.
I can still remember him bringing the battery into the house in winter to keep it warm enough overnight ready for the commute to the Upton Park store.
SteveG
pfm Member
If I recall correctly my Dad's Capri wasn't one of the quick ones - might have been either a 2.0S - although I recall it had quite a large fabric sunroof (not sure if that was standard or after market).
Just having a look at the stats - 101bhp, 111mph top speed and 10.8 to 60. I must have been easily impressed back then as my son's little 1 litre Fiesta (which I think has 125hp) would blow that into the weeds. I'd still love to have the Capri though!
gintonic
50 shades of grey pussy cats
no sunroof on ours. i am sure his was a mk3 1.6S
In 1980, 100 bhp was impressive and performance cars started at sub 10s 0-60. So 10.8 wasn't bad for a Cortina in a posh frock. Remember it had leaf springs, so if you started putting that 111mph into a wet corner you would soon know about it.
martin dawson
pfm Member
1970 I bought a Austin Mini Cooper S a 1965 car 1293cc on twin Dellorto’s with a straight cut gearbox noisy but fun cost me £400 at the time. Converted from hydrolastic to dry much better, sold it in1973 when my wife was pregnant with our 2nd son, white with a black leatherette roof.
Regards,
Martin
Regards,
Martin
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
ISTR the ur-Golf GTi was just sub 10s to 60 and top end of about 114-115 and a bit revolutionary in its day, so that Capri was about par for something modestly sporty. My dad had the Cortina equivalent, the 2.0 GXL (as driven by Gene Hunt though my dad's was gunmetal grey, not bronze) and the manual was good for about 105 (the engine was 98BHP in the Cortina) or just over the ton in the auto, which his was. Quite torquey, pickup on kickdown was quite fun, for a car of its day.
SteveG
pfm Member
My friends Dad has a manual Mk3 Cortina 2.0 GT in bronze with a vinyl roof (black I think). That was a lovely car - especially as the owner was a mechanic, owned his own garage and loved the car and kept it absolutely pristine.
Same as this one I think:
