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Comments
1971 Ford
1972 Ford
and "Otisburg! It's just a tiny little place..."
and "The greatest criminal mind of our time."
Gene Hackman is great in that. One of his best roles.
You're right, Shifty, the BMW Z is similar update for today. The Z3 appeals to me a bit. Here's a 96 Z3 with 35,000 miles in great shape with bidding at less than $10k...I realize the Z3 has the 4 cylinder engine, and so maybe not a serious sports car. But probably peppy at least, and fun to drive. (And more along the lines of something I could afford in a fantasy, not that my wife would be happy about it.)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-Z3-1996-32k-mi-ONE-OWNER-5-spd-nearly-like-ne- - w_W0QQitemZ320372118199QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item4a97aa92b7&_tr- - ksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A-1|39%3A1|240%3A1308
"It's amazing that brain can generate enough power to keep those legs moving."
It's all classic.
The coupe version of the Z3 appeals to me, for its weirdness. "The shoe"
"But my mother lives in Hackensack..."
Lex looks at his watch. Then looks up. Shakes his head no.
Later...
"Miss Tessmacher!!"
Yeah, that Z3 does look rather like a shoe....
Practical BMW, if such a thing exists (?): 6 speed manual 6 cylinder 530 BMW wagon from 2006. $28K, but I like the looks of this one, and it's still low on the miles.. Bet it's pretty fun to drive. And functional.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2006-BMW-530XIT-WAGON-6-SPEED-MANUAL_W0QQitemZ330- - - 331140719QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item4ce945326f&_trksid=p4506.c0.- - - m245&_trkparms=72%3A317|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318
I'm hesitant to use the term spiritual successor in making the comparison because I don't have any evidence that BMW was trying to update the Austin-Healey, or any other British roadster, with the Z3.
Also the clatter of the AH engines, the smell of oil and gas, the mechanical primitiveness of British cars in general, seems to be in such a different world than the silent, efficient, tidy, hi-tech German creations.
As I may have said before, you could re-surrect an auto mechanic from 1925 and he'd be perfectly at home working on a 1965 Austin Healey.
I seem to remember that the 318's had head gasket problems.... did the 4 cylinder Z3's suffer from that as well? Was it a chronic afliction, or could it be permanent cured?
So were I to buy any older BMW of that era I would certainly replace the radiator and water pump without even thinking about it. I'd treat it as preventive maintenance (presuming it hadn't been done recently).
Also, when parked in hot direct sun, a couple times the car needed three turns of the key to start. When parked in the shade, it started right up as normal. This might be acceptable for an old 70s barge, but the fintail doesn't play that game very often. I think the cold start thing might need adjustment.
And another weird thing, the turn signals worked 100% of the time yesterday. I haven't touched what I thought was a defective blinker unit.
As for hard start, as you know these fintails require a rather EXACT ignition point setting.
I did notice the car was missing a little in low speed 3rd/4th gear acceleration, like it was lugging down or something. The timing might need an adjustment.
The car doesn't have breaker points anymore, as it got an electronic ignition retrofit about 8 years ago.
It has been even nicer since I replaced the steering rack and now have power steering. I also took it to get it buffed. Came out pretty nice. And I've slowly been working on removing the nasty remains of the pinstripe. I am planning on autoX'ing it this Saturday if the weather holds up. I've already got my eye on performance springs and struts as well as high performance rubber. I pondered swapping the wheels, but the stock ones look great, so although performance rubber in the stock size doesn't exist, I can get a set of Hankooks that are just a bit shorter, so I can't justify spending the $$ on wheels.
As it sits, I really believe I could get $3k for it based on what I've seen on the enthusiast boards and the responses I've gotten on the car. So I'm in so far for $1100 purchase, $200 steering, $80 stereo, and I think another $300 in tune-up/preventative maintenance, oh and the $130 buffing. My wife has approved $1200 in performance upgrades. So if I were to spend that, I think I'd still be on the break even side if I ever choose to sell it.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I also threw on new front brake pads while there. Turns out, although the previous owner told me they were recently replaced, they were almost gone. Picked up a performance set on clearance at tirerack for a whopping $8.
Rack was a PITA, though. Involves removing engine mount bolts and jacking the engine up out of the way. I'm very thankful for the education my father has provided me and continues to provide me.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Why use an MGB in the first place? There is nothing left of it. It would have been easier to build a tube frame. At the very least, he could have used a crappy MGB instead of an "excellent one." What a waste of time and money.
And, an even bigger mystery, is why use one of the worst GM V6s ever made? There are countless better options.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Of course, I remember from my days in car shows that sometimes, in a local show, there were only 2 cars in a Class!!
They're not in stock, but the cashier placed an order for me, and they should be delivered by Friday. It'll be nice to have that trunk stay open on its own. I figure otherwise, it was just a matter of time before I'd get decapitated at a car show, trying to reach into the trunk to get a beer out of the cooler!
I don't think I've ever seen a trunkback sedan with those. Admittedly, I haven't owned many varied cars.
My grandmother's '85 LeSabre used those struts for the hood, instead of the hinges with the springs. I guess it saved a few pounds. As I recall, Buick and Olds used a few weight saving tricks here and there, to make the Delta and LeSabre a bit lighter than the Caprice and Parisienne. I think the Delta used hinges with springs though, for its hood.
I remember when the car was about 9 years old, the struts were starting to have difficulty holding the hood open. I got some off a junkyard car, and they lasted until we got rid of the car in late 2002, when it was almost 18 years old.
Must have been some issue with folks dropping the tailgate open and pulling the cables or their mounts???
The Tauruses my mother owned had struts, and so does the Camry. That little touch seems to add something over a prop rod...so long as it works.
As for that car-formerly-known-as-MG, I think I understand. It wasn't really built as a means to a specific end.... it was built for the fun of building 'something'.
He's more of a car-building performance-artist than a car guy per se. So the engine is chosen more on the basis of what fits (and what's handy) than what's fast.... that's my theory anyhow.... my grandfather was that kind of guy, and I've inherited some of it. It's more about the joy of puzzles than what the puzzle will look like when it's finally assembled.
Make sense?
Insofar as the engine is concerned, in addition to fitting and being handy (lots available at low prices), since it's been rebuilt it's probably better than the original.
At least with a strict adherence to restoration, you are going over old territory. When you're done restoring a car to historical standards, it's going to look like what it is---you know the result before you start in a sense.
As for that MG-thing with the
2.83.4 my guess is that he picked the engine for its small size. The 2.8 is a 60-degree V-6, and will fit in places that Buick's 90 degree 3.2/3.3/3.8/4.1 V-6 wouldn't go. It's also a lighter engine, although probably not by a huge amount, as the Buick engine is pretty light to begin with. All things considered, I think the end result is pretty neat. I think a better engine choice would be the 3.5, but it hadn't come out yet when this car was built. I don't think it debuted until 2004, when the Malibu and G6 first started getting it. Minivans got it around that time, too.In the case of that MGB, the builder certainly showcased his ingenuity (assuming you reviewed his photo journal of the process)! I think the end result was very well done, but then I do not have any strong feelings about the MGB. I can see his rationale for using a "donor" vehicle in excellent condition, but I bet loyalists were cringing at the thought that one in such good shape was chopped up for this project.
I put things like that in the same category with guys that superglue pennies over the entire body of the car or carpet the exterior in astroturf....
Aww, give him a break - there's some nice work there, plus some imagination to make it look like a car, instead of a disaster. I think Shifty's comment on how it's like a hot rod is pretty close - great craftsmanship, interesting ideas, just don't worry about what it's for...