Re: Newbie Spider driver needs advice

[<lah@domain.elided>]

> Huh?  Steering play is an artifact of gearbox design?  I assume he means
> steering box, not gearbox, right?  Either way, the steering box was not
> designed to make the steering feel loose..

Everyone is jumping all over this guys mechanic but I think there is
another side to the story.  I have a 86 Spider that I purchased with less
that 20k miles and in absolutely pristine condition.  I love the car but it
does have some handling faults.

I find the steering wheel has some slop in it and I believe it came from
the factory like that.  It also has a lot of slop in the rear end -
especially when going over bumps in a turn.  From what I've read over the
years in the digest, this is normal.  

I supposed it boils down to "how much slop and play", which is difficult to
quantify.  I don't feel unsafe in my spider at speed, but I feel MUCH safer
in the 164S at similar high speeds - and not because I have more metal
around me.

I agree with that you should have a knowledgeable spider person (from the
digest) give it a test drive.

Good luck.  It's a great car even if it handles like something designed 40
years ago.

Lawrence Hegarty, lah@domain.elided, Montreal Quebec
91 164S, 86 Spider

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