Most liked posts in thread: MINI Max has a new little brother, Buzz

I might agree with that thought if I hadn't changed the final drive ratio - now even at 75 mph, I'm only turning 3500 rpm - used to be 4000 was 65 mph.

For now I'm just going to keep driving it, we only have about 3-4 weeks of really hot weather left, then the temps will start to drop......in the meantime I can get some break-in mileage on it. I don't let it overheat, the highest I've let it get is 200 or so.....hotter than I like but not dangerous.

I'm going to get the adjustable control arms and such for the front and back, then I can get the alignment dialed in exactly where I want it - it's not bad now since I aligned it at school last week, but I'd like to fine tune it, and the back is definitely out on the left side - I'm glad they make a kit now to get the back in line as well as the front.

I'm debating on whether to pull the rear subframe before I get the alignment parts or leave it for a winter project.

 

Well, I've been fussing with that damn electronic ignition all week and could not get it to make a spark, so today I went up to British Victoria's Secret and bought another set of Lucas points and condenser, put them in and Buzz fired off immediately!

I don't understand why the other set of points failed so early - they only had a few hundred miles on them - but then that's why I bought the damn electronic ignition in the first place - to eliminate the nuisance of points. The system I have on the E-Type has been in service for 20+ years now and still works perfectly, although it uses an interrupted laser light beam rather than a hall effect generator!

I have an all British car show on Sunday and I thought I might not make it, now all I need to do is get the rear suspension adjustable brackets installed and take it up to school for another alignment. Two of the four bolts on both sides that hold those brackets on are rusted and won't come out, so I may have to fire up the old acetylene torch and get em' nice and cherry red, then they'll come out!

Since Friday night is "date night" with the bride, I won't get to do anything more till tomorrow.

I've emailed notes off to the place I bought the E system from but they keep coming back undeliverable - I hate it when a company doesn't list a phone number and their email is off the hook too! I've followed their FAQ and trouble shooting but I can't find anything wrong - the system checks perfectly. Hope I find a way to reach them or I'll be resorting to snail mail.....the company is in Austin, TX so it's not like I'm trying to deal with someone in China..... :mad5:

 

Well, "we" decided it was important that she get out of the kitchen at least once a week - since she's in there cooking for us at least three other days a week.....:ihih:

(My wife works nights )

Nah, we like our Friday date night, it's fun......

 

Tanks.....after that pic was taken I went up to Ace and got some new grade 8 bolts and replaced all of them.

So I took it up to school and while I couldn't quite get the back end perfect, I got it pretty close, I'm going to have to take a little off the edge of the serrated washer to allow it to move far enough to get into spec - but it's a whole lot closer than it was!

But, it's always sumthin will these little squirts......

On the way home from school it ran fine, but kept dying at a stop, it always restarted tho...........till I got about 10 blocks from home when it died. Period.

I'll get it towed home later, but it's pretty clear I won't make the All Brit show tomorrow unless I find something real dumb that I missed before.

 

That's interesting! I did not know YouTubz offered that.....I've recently been discovering some amazing loop musicians......

 

I think I've finally turned the corner with Buzz, so to speak......it runs well, drives well, I like the tall gears and it's easy to drive on trips now that it's a more relaxed cruiser/

Still a lot of things to do, but I should easily be ready for our fall Classic fun run in northwestern Arkansas, anyone with a classic who wants to join us, I should be starting a thread soon on our next run.

 

I'm still chasing the hot running issue on Buzz, so today I changed out the leaking heater valve (I had it blocked off) and the 160* thermostat for a 180* since the weather will be cooling off now. I also pulled the radiator and ran some water thru it, but it is not clogged up - I'm sure of that - and the fins are clean too. But just to be sure I ran some SS wire thru the few cores I could reach thru the neck - clean as a pin. I noticed it's made like modern radiators - plastic end caps with an aluminum or brass core just like on my new MINI.





So next I pulled the water pump - it does have the deeper impeller, no leaks or wear in it, and the 4 1/4" pulley that they claim is the best.





So what the heck is causing it to run hot on the highway like this? I'm puzzled. I hate to throw money at it in the form of an aluminum radiator if that's not the issue....when I called MiniMania this summer they said the "supercool" radiator I have now is as good as an all aluminum one.