hi,

Ford is presenting it's new Focus soon,
and I like it very much(wouldn't mind swapping my Benz for it)
together they also presented a new line of turbo engines

1.6 with up to 180hp
2.0 starting at 204hp and up to 230hp
these are ecological engines

so!!!!! wouldn't it be nice:
4/4 - 150 bhp
4/4sport - 180bhp
+4 - 204 hp
roadster V6 - 3.5 with 266hp
roadster V6sport - 350hp (turboversion of the 3.5 V6)

sport would then really be sport
(track-pack as standard)

1560,
Does it say what the CO2 emissions of the engines are to be?? In a few years a swap of my present Plus 4 engine might just make sense!!

Cheers!

no co2 info found yet

Or perhaps they go for the new 3 cylinder PSA/BMW 1.3 liter turbo with 160 Bhp in a Morgan 3/4 to reinforce their green image?

Harald

I must admit that a 266bhp Roadster 'Sport' sounds tempting but not if it's edging towards £50k.
If I had to find £20k and p/ex the Roadster, I'd rather put the £20 into another car (like a Griffith 500).....

Why don't we all stop messing around here and accept that a short block Chevy Vee 8 would be ideal ( subject of course, to impoverished GM undertaking the type approval)
There is also the point that, in relation to a 4/4 substitute, there really are much more suitable engines around which would not only 'package' better but give a far higher quality baseline unit than the Ford. I've been around Ford engines all my life and would never decry their advantages but quality- they aint.

At the risk of being a heretic, why do we think Lotus went from the fairly dreadful K series to the Toyota lump. The days when small volume British sports cars can expect their owners effectively to pay for turning Low tech into Hi-tech via significant amounts of post purchase expenditure must be numbered
Regards,
G ( Being a recidivist!)

G,
Getting cocky now that you got out of jail in the Millennium stadium last Sat!!!!!!!!!

Cheers!(as he licks his wounds from Paris!!

Robbie,
'out of jail' doesn't even go there. What sums the whole weekend up is that in the early hours of Sunday morning, one member of the 'victorious' team was arrested while driving a golf buggy down the M4 motorway. He failed a breath test and when asked what did he think he was doing, is said to have replied "Going for breakfast"

G

At least he didn't say "going for a lee(a)k"!!!!

Crazy stuff - likely the end of one career in any event.

Cheers!

yes,
Not least because the Powell family business is skip-hire. For which, of course, a driving licence is rather important!

G

You are right the extra power and the green ticket all make me want to change right now, but if the truth be known and I put my sensible head on, I don't make use of the power I have already. Occasionally foot meets the floor when overtaking, but otherwise it would be wasted on me.
The costs also don't add up if you change car to make savings on fuel or road tax, it takes a lot of years to recoup the expense of a car change which always seems to run into many K.

I'm only in for a change when:
- front suspension is updated
- engine is at least 280hp
- interchangable hardtop
- NO DRIVING AIDS
and I'll have airco this time (can run longer with hardtop

he he you might be in for a long wait, if it ain't broke don't fix it, even if it never worked that well in the first place
- British engineering at its best, there's no guarantee a front end upgrade would translate into more sales, might even mean that a mog has to bear closer scrutiny with rivals.

as for a power upgrade main problem I have is spending enough time with the power i've got........

Hmmm. Aircon = weight & power sapping compressor. I'd rather open a side window....
And there's little point changing the front suspension while keeping the live axle, and for me, the antique suspension is part of the charm. So although I could be tempted by more power in the same chassis, I'd be less tempted by more power in a better chassis.

Good Lord Mr Wellings, looks like I'm not the only one in the traditionalist camp

G
PS Still think the Chevy V8 was the way to go with the Plus 8 = more power in the same chassis, plus great sound, plus unburstable- OK, I would say that wouldn't I? but it worked for Carroll Shelby and it'still a good equation

You'd be right there G!
Give me proper feel of the road...

Cheers,

guess you never took the Karoussel with decent speed,
it makes the whole front-end bob/jump/jutter...scary, now I lubricate before going to the Nuerburgring

What dampers on the front 1560??
Mine bobbed about with the AVO's on zero clicks, but is much better on four clicks, and with about ten more to go.

The karoussel isn't your typical road though is it.........

I'll check that, thanks for the tip!!!!

I used to get tired of bobbing up and down, going in circles. The transport didn't matter - fire engine, ute, pony even a single seater plane, up then down, round and round...

Sorry - stressful time...

I'v got my AVOs on four clicks as well, plus brake reaction bars plus Rutherfords.

I do a lot of driving on the roads of Mid-Wales. I know they're not the Karoussel but and as most drivers( and indeed bikers) who use them will confirm these are a pretty stringent test of suspension.

OK there is, inevitably, a very 'live' feel to the front but on that setting it's more than manageable ( although in saying that I'm also aware that in my case I'm talking about a 4/4 so there is less power being transmitted, even with the modified spec of my car.
Cheers,
G

Folks
The factory offer adjustable shocks which they say are those fitted to the Roadster lightweights. Are these AVO's?? if not, what are they and are they any good?
My new car seems way better than the 4/4 I had before I fitted Konis. Has anybody with a new +4 changed the shocks and, if so, to what??

Cheers!

<<Hmmm. Aircon = weight & power sapping compressor. I'd rather open a side window>>

Alas not too effective when you are stuck in traffic and it's 30 degrees outside and 40 degrees in the Mog.

<<the antique suspension is part of the charm. So although I could be tempted by more power in the same chassis, I'd be less tempted by more power in a better chassis.>>

Completely agree. Old car looks with old car underpinnings is one thing. Old car looks with modern underpinnings would seem to me to be a pastiche..

Robbie,
My understanding is that those shocks are Koni. Good shocks but the advantage of the Avos ( and the reason I went for them) is that whereas you have to remove the Konis to adjust them, in the case of AVOs it can be done on the car

G

On our +4 4-seater (2008) I have changed the front shocks to AVO´s and shall do the same thing at the rear. The reason it has not been done at the rear yet, is that I investigated possibilities for coil-overs, but there is too little space if the original mounting points are to be used.

If we go back to the original theme of this thread, it is no doubt that the traditional models will shift to newer engines if they remain in production much longer, but MMC will delay this as long as possible to avoid the development and type approval costs.

Harald

Ah Brian, well if I was stuck in traffic and it was 30 degrees, I'd have the roof down and have the knotted handkerchief deployed.....

Does this mean we can expect a new, 'Dave's how to' thread on knotted handkerchiefs any day now?

I don't have a major problem with that but I am NOT rolling my trousers up!

By the way, thanks for the rebound gaiters. Spent some time in the garage fitting them tonight- class bit of kit

regards,
G

Robbie,
Apologies. I suspect that the shockers in question might be GAZ( as much beloved of Lotus Elise drivers)
I've PM'd you about this


Cheers,
G

Thanks Gerwyn. Glad you like them.
Cheque arrived safely today.