Wow, now that feels different...

[Rob Glasgow]

My son gave me a walnut gear shift knob for Christmas. I installed it yesterday and went for a short drive. Imediately I noticed how different the larger wooden knob felt in my hand compared to the original little black knob that I have been accustom to for the past 47 years. It made shifting a completely new experience, not better, just different. The same kind of new experience I felt when I installed a Moto Lita wooden streering wheel a few months ago. Such a different sensation in my hands. I wouldnt' say it's a radical difference like jumping out of a Healey into a Z4, but still unusual.


That got me wondering if others on the forum have had the same experience after changing some componet on a car you've owned for some time.

The other changes that have given me this feeling were a complete engine overhaul, the addition of a hardtop and replacing 20 year old tires with new ones. With each change, I would think....Wow, now that feels different.

Any of you had the same experience? What changes to your car brought it about?

 

[BUNDYRUM]

Hello Rob Glasgow,

Ah yes I know the feeling all to well, it comes not only from changing one component but also when you've had a healey that appears down and out and you bring it back to better than new.

Some of my experiences have been, and not in any particular order.

In a BN1, A newly rebuilt motor, 100/6 gearbox, disc brakes on the front, disc brakes on the back, 72 spoke wire wheels, new good quality balanced radial tires, 1 3/4" SU's, Headers, and, finally getting it back on the road after a 3 year rebuild.

In a BN7, HD8 SU's, electronic ignition, rebuilt distributor, 72 spoke wire wheels with good tires balanced, Rebuilt centershift gearbox with all new gears/bearings/uprated O/D etc, Ridgard seats modified to what I wanted.

Last but not least the experience of being on BCF and sharing ideas with other like minded Healey nuts and learning new things from those same people.

I'm sure I missed something there but such is life.

Best regards,

bundyrum

 

[Legal Bill]

My best memory of the "it feels like a different car" experience was a valve adjustment on a Ford Cortina. The valves were so far out of adjustment, I swear I must have been down 20 hp. It suddenly felt like a hot rod. I have put many dollars and hours into performance modifications that did not give the increase of that valve adjustment.

 

[tahoe healey]

New rear leaf spring and dampers,WOW!

 

[dvu101]

I am picturing the wow to come this Spring.

My brakes have so bad over the last two years that I took the BT7 off the road several months ago and took all the brakes apart. I found frozen front brakes, leaking rear hub seals with soaked rear shoes, front brake hose that was mush on the inside, master cyl linkage that was all warn out and greese, slave cyl that was full of dirt and oil, greese and undercoating all over everything.

After each new part I replace I think how much difference this will make. I still have several months, several dozen parts to go and pounds of undercoating scrap off, BUT wow.

And the car is still on jack stands.

 

[nevets]

Way back in high school, first time I took Kathy Miller for a ride in my bug eye Sprite. Felt grrrrreat!

 

[Editor_Reid]

...frozen front brakes, leaking rear hub seals with soaked rear shoes, front brake hose that was mush on the inside, master cyl linkage that was all warn out and grease, slave cyl that was full of dirt and oil, grease and undercoating all over everything...

In other words, you have the stock brakes!

Hey, if you want a real big "wow," try some bias-ply tires and then switch to radials. The differences in steering, braking and of course handling are amazing. Of course, by now most Healey owners have never experienced a Healey on the bias-ply tires that were original equipment, so they don't know what the cars really handled like when new. Radial tires have transformed the whole experience.

 

[tiga2]

...Yes, for some reason the previous owner had put low profile, wide tires on the front of my Healey Chevy, anyway I found some of the same make tires that were on the rear, but narrower, WOW what a difference, easy to steer and did not wonder, just like it should be!

 

[dougie]

I have to agree with Reid, though I have never had the pleasure of running radials on my '57 vintage racer. The Porsche (cheaters) who use them say their good for 1 to 1.5 seconds per lap at PIR. I suggest a change from a stock flywheel to a lightened 15 - 20lbs. one will give you a big wow.

Dougie

 

[Barefoot]

My apologies for not being a Healey story, but when I bought my TR-250 (prior to my first big Healey) it had a badly slipping clutch.

I drove it to my Dad's house, as I was living in an apartment at the time. I pulled the tranny out through the cockpit, replaced the clutch (maybe 3/4 of the fingers were broken), put the tranny back in (it took a while, because I was too cheap to buy a shaft alignment tool)

It was a beautiful fall day when my Dad and I went out for a blast. Boy what a difference.

You couldn't wipe the smile off my face for a week.

 

[Dealsgap]

I installed a heavy duty front sway bar on my 65 BJ8 and the improvement in handling was significant. Standard big Healey handling has always felt sluggish to me, but the larger diameter sway bar really firmed up the cornering. I've driven the car very aggressively in the Smokies and Ozarks as well as on the track at this years Conclave with confidence. Best improvement for the money (~$200) I've ever had.

Dealsgap

 

[mjobrien]

Driving my 100 to a show right after finish paint, felt really good to be able to show it and have it hold its own. Until a Harold and his 100M showed up that is

Great feeling time and a good time I was able to share with my daughters!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/seanachie/4041904007/in/set-72157603749518637/

Michael.

 

[HealeyRick]

Not certain, but I think replacing my 137 hp Austin six with a 345 hp Ford V8 will make the most noticeable difference I've ever made to my Healey, lol.

 

[BJ8Healeys]

My BJ8 came to me with in 1984 with a walnut knob already installed, and that's all I've ever had on it. I have often wondered whether the original little black knob would be comfortable. It looks too small to me.

The biggest difference I have seen was when I finally got rid of the driver's seat cushion with the "bowl" in it and replaced it with a new leather interior with new seat foams. It was like a different car!

 

[terp83]

Over the past 35 years that I have owned my 1962 BT7, the changes that were the most notable (all positive) were reinstalling the distributor after an Advanced Distributors rebuild, converting the braking system to a dual circuit (including installing stainless steel flexible brake hoses), and replacing the front seats with those from a BJ8 w/new seat bottom foam.

About a year ago, while looking for something else, I came across the plain walnut shift knob that was previously on my first car, a 1968 Camaro coupe, with a 275 hp 327 and 4-speed. I found a stainless steel nut that fit the threads the Healey's shift lever, then carefully filed the outside until it would fit snugly into the hole in the knob, and super-glued it in, and installed the knob after the glue dried. It is nice to incorporate a small relic from a prior favorite into my treasured Healey.

Jerry

 

[TomFromStLouis]

... Of course, by now most Healey owners have never experienced a Healey on the bias-ply tires that were original equipment, so they don't know what the cars really handled like when new. Radial tires have transformed the whole experience.

Please describe the difference for us.

Tom
BJ8 with radials is all I've known

 

[GregW]

Hi Rob,
How do you get the walnut from cracking on spirited driving?

 

[Editor_Reid]

... Of course, by now most Healey owners have never experienced a Healey on the bias-ply tires that were original equipment, so they don't know what the cars really handled like when new. Radial tires have transformed the whole experience.

Please describe the difference for us.

Radials are better in (almost) every way.

On radials, the car does not "squirm" back and before in the lane, and is not as susceptible to following ruts; less twitching of the steering wheel in your hands with radials.

Braking is vastly improved because the tires do not skid as easily as bias-ply tires.

Cornering is vastly improved because radials to not breakaway as easily as bias-plies.

However, with bias-ply tires the car is far more "tossable" - you can easily induce a drift and control it with throttle. When radials breakaway it is a more dramatic event and is often difficult to recover. With bias-ply tires, drifting is just the way you drive on them!

Radials are much more safe, but perhaps less fun.

 

[dougie]

Well put Reid. This may also help, the first driver is on Dunlop L bias-ply tires and the second is on modern Kumo radials. The steering corrections on the first car are very apparent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPqN4ilRho0

Dougie

 

[Rob Glasgow]

GregW, Since walnuts are plentiful and inexpensive here in Central California, I never worry about craking a few during spirited driving.....besides, the nuts are delightful to eat.....

Great photo work..