"Sheldon" > wrote in message
...
On Jun 16, 11:58 am, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> "Michael \"Dog3\" wrote:
> > "Paul M. Cook" wrote:
>
> > > It's a Jaguar XK8. �And yes, it is my midlife crisis mobile. � But I
> > > love it. �It is the greatest car ever made IMO.
>
> > It is really nice looking. If it's a Jag it's probably fast. Eons ago my
> > mother had a Jag sedan. She got rid of it real fast. It was always in
> > the
> > shop. How is the maintenance and repairs on it?
>
> > In high school I had a Triumph TR7 and a year later a TR8. Great cars if
> > you knew how to do your own maintenance and repairs, which I didn't.
> > That
> > is the extent of my roadster experience because I don't think my 1970
> > Pontiac GTO convertible counted in that category.
>
> My first brand new car was a '66 Tr4A, red of course.. back then fully
> loaded with every option including the deck lid luggage rack and
> Michelin X radials you could drive one off the dealer's lot for just
> under $2,800. I really didn't have any mechanical problems once I
> learned how to tinker with dual Strombergs.
>
> Stromberg's or SU'S?

Definitely Strombergs. Mine was a '66 "TR4A IRS" (Independant Rear
suspension). During the five years I owned it, off the line it could
beat a 'Vette in the 1/4 mile, I'd still be in 3rd and the 'Vette
would fall further and further behind in my rear view mirror. I made
many trips in it NY to LA, my best time was 46 hours non stop, and
there was very little Interstate back then. Gas was 10 cents/gal,
cost me $45.

If not for those Strombergs and their paper filters I'd have had to
toss that car into the junkyard heap when I got caught in a Palm
Springs sand storm... just needed new leading edge glass, chrome, and
a paint job.

http://www.dctra.org/?p=56

I had a 58 Volvo 544 1.5 liter BMC 4 banger. it was used when I got it and
after a year of beating it to death I needed a valve job. My mechanic had
done some work on their marine engines and made me an offer I could not
refuse.

1/8th inch overbore
Jahns Racing pistons
Re-balance the crank,
Isky Cam
Split the exhaust manifold & back into a collector tube. ( damn thing
sounded like a boat at idle)
koni Socks

I was constantly synchronizing the SU'S. I used as poor - Mans synch kit -
2 pencils and 2 paper clips.

I used to go off with 406's & 409's and would take them till about 70 or 80.

I'm lucky to be alive. As far as I was concerned - every mile had 4
quarters

--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)