02-04-2018, 02:59 PM
Dave,
In it’s prime my Ulster [sic] would cruise at a genuine 70mph (full steel touring wings, hood, full screen, tools and luggage + two adults albeit slimmer than now!). The engine had standard camshaft and valves with a few kilos off the flywheel, Ulster manifold with D/D SU, ruby head, standard 3 speed box and box saloon back axle ratios. I had experimented with fast roads cams and bigger inlet valves but found them unsuitable and ineffectual, respectively, for touring.
This kind of speed is no longer obtainable, after 90k of hard use the poor thing is worn out and now hardly used.
The Pearl also had an engine capable of 70mph - this again, standard camshaft and valves etc. but a three bearing engine. Again fitted with an SU but s/d. It had (and still does have) steel bunch of banana type exhaust manifold along with a reliant silencer and very short tail pipe. I fitted a two bearing engine for a big tour in 1999, with identical set up, but this engine would never go over 65mph, this reduced further when I fitted the sports ratio rear axle a few years back. It does continue to pull up hills with the five of us on board towing a trailer full of camping gear. These days stopping ability limits my top speed rather than power.
Neither of theses cars were particularly quick off the mark but would wind up and maintain the 70 if needed.
This experience has left me content with largely standard internal set up as, sufficient.
In the summer I unknowingly followed Robert in my father’s Chummy through the New Forest, Robert in his Chummy (two up) was very hard to catch despite me being alone. I was flat out at one point, just to keep him in view, his low slung exhaust taunting me. He later told me he was just pootling along!
In it’s prime my Ulster [sic] would cruise at a genuine 70mph (full steel touring wings, hood, full screen, tools and luggage + two adults albeit slimmer than now!). The engine had standard camshaft and valves with a few kilos off the flywheel, Ulster manifold with D/D SU, ruby head, standard 3 speed box and box saloon back axle ratios. I had experimented with fast roads cams and bigger inlet valves but found them unsuitable and ineffectual, respectively, for touring.
This kind of speed is no longer obtainable, after 90k of hard use the poor thing is worn out and now hardly used.
The Pearl also had an engine capable of 70mph - this again, standard camshaft and valves etc. but a three bearing engine. Again fitted with an SU but s/d. It had (and still does have) steel bunch of banana type exhaust manifold along with a reliant silencer and very short tail pipe. I fitted a two bearing engine for a big tour in 1999, with identical set up, but this engine would never go over 65mph, this reduced further when I fitted the sports ratio rear axle a few years back. It does continue to pull up hills with the five of us on board towing a trailer full of camping gear. These days stopping ability limits my top speed rather than power.
Neither of theses cars were particularly quick off the mark but would wind up and maintain the 70 if needed.
This experience has left me content with largely standard internal set up as, sufficient.
In the summer I unknowingly followed Robert in my father’s Chummy through the New Forest, Robert in his Chummy (two up) was very hard to catch despite me being alone. I was flat out at one point, just to keep him in view, his low slung exhaust taunting me. He later told me he was just pootling along!