Not MX5 related, but when it comes to open top driving , this thing takes the biscuit, Flames, noise and all.
Enjoy
PS, there’s a few other links at the end of the vid,
Amazing stuff! Thank you for posting this video
It all helps to keep us sane in these difficult times.
Barrie
Nothing sane about that thing! Seen it in action at Goodwood and the flames from the exhausts were setting fire to hedges when it got close. There’s several of those massive engined motors from about the same era. They were an evolutionary step too far as I’ve read, as about the same time engine developers realised that size really wasn’t everything. Great spectacle now though…
Its real old style seat of the pants stuff, and fun to watch, as much as I try to embrace modern technology which is very good as a rule, these old cars ( and motorcycles ) as impractical as they may be, have a charm all of their own.
I grew up as a regular pillion on my Dads old Vincent Rapide, before the crash helmet law, bugs on the teeth and all !
Boz
My father had a panther sloper! Sports model with twin exhaust from the massive long stroke engine! Happy days.
Barrie
Yes I remember them, the big old singles were popular with sidecars attached, took some kicking over , and strong leg muscles …and ankles
Boz
Yes, he built a double adult sidecar body onto a ‘BUSMAR’ chassis IIRC. It was a work of art starting it, my Dad was only about 5’ 2" and 10 stone wet through but managed it everytime
Air lever and advance/retard set just so, decompression activated, valve lifter engaged, slipping the clutch while getting onto the compression stroke, after tickling the big AMAL carburettor. One swing while releasing the valve lifter and away it went! Great memories indeed!
Barrie
And didn’t they sound good as well, my Dad had a Watsonian sidecar on the Vincent for a while, and numerous other Brit bikes over the years, great memories, until there was four of us kids so we ended up with an old Morris Traveller , wish I had the Vincent now !
Boz
Fascinating reading these posts, I recall a neighbour of mine when I lived in Sutton Coldfield with my parents (early 1970s) has a Matchless with fishtail exhausts , no idea of the make but it sounded unbelievable and I harangued him for a ride and my parents reluctantly agreed and I was hooked when I was legally allowed to ride one myself!
Mark
I know its an MX5 forum, but a lot of sports car lovers have a passion for other classic cars ,bikes ,motor racing and raucous engines etc, me included, so sometimes the conversation can go “off Piste” but that makes for an interesting change, particularly as I’m a bit of a mechanical and technical Luddite
Boz
And in these days of lockdown
The Fiat revs very low. Here’s the antidote:
Ah yes, gives me goosebumps listening to it, sounds good with headphones on and volly turned up,
Big Cat vs Reptiles
Thanks for nowt.
I was playing that via 5 speaker Surround Sound, the cats went funny and SWMBO politely chucked my cans to me.
Great stuff, looking at these clips helps make up for the fact that there’s nowt going on elsewhere.
I’ve also been watching NASCAR highlights on youtube, the Yanks have their own way of doing things but I actually enjoy the raucous mayhem of it all, …in small doses anyway, although its headphones on as my missus can only stand all that for about 2 mins
Boz
No lights, no mudguards, no number plates, how can that possibly be legal to put on the road?
Dunno, maybe down to a few dodgy handshakes with the Police Commissioner , but he did it, and hardly a legal muffled and strangulated exhaust either, I bet all that banging and flames gave some people waiting at bus stops an adrenaline rush
Period legislative bypasses.
Classic cars with no seat belts or pre- 1979 Road fund paid are fine as well, as are elderly drivers who never sat a driving test!
After all, you can drive 7 ton steam traction vehicles and tractors etc to shows for another example.
Fair enough, that explains it.