Hour Rule 

"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection) 09/13/2016 at 05:08 • Filed to: None

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AuthiCooper1300 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 09/13/2016 at 05:42

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On the plus side:

It’s a Jag.

It’s a V12.

It’s supremely elegant.

It was supremely fast (until it broke down, that is)

On the minus side:

It’s a 70s Jag.

It’s a V12.

It was too heavy. Just think about trying to slow the bloody thing down.

Had horrendous body flex.

If Ralph Broad –the poor bastard assigned to make them go and win– is to be believed, it also had horrendous flex in critical suspension elements. Cannot remember, sorry, whether it was the arms, the uprights or even both .

The absolute worst: it is unsightly adorned with British Leyland’s pissoir logo (man, what were they thinking?)

Fun fact: they were actually “cut and shut” saloons. Even the doors were made out of two pieces (a front-door saloon one plus a “supplement” taken from another front door.)

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > AuthiCooper1300 09/13/2016 at 06:06

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I wish I could star this more than once. That’s one hell of a race car that should have never been one, even though it looks very potent.

I too wonder about the British Lettland logo, it looks a bit like a swastika to me from afar.

AuthiCooper1300 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 09/13/2016 at 06:34

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Wow, thank you!

It is a lovely car indeed. I was very surprised when years ago I read an interview with Broad where he explained all the problems he had with the car (apart from having to deal with BL’s management, which was probably even worse.)

Another breathtakingly sexy beast is the green TWR’s XJ-SV12 from the early 80s:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/antspho…

Um, yes, Leyland’s logo has a bit of a Hakenkreuz about it – but the same could be said of so many tetraskelions. However, that round hole in the middle prevents it from being an actual cross.

Sorry but I find it funny that the German software in your phone decided to write “British Latvia”!

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > AuthiCooper1300 09/13/2016 at 06:53

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That must’ve been a major pain in the ass in the 70's under all those circumstances. Yet in the end it somehow worked out.

The damnautocorrect on my phone loves to mess up my stuff. Ugh

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > AuthiCooper1300 09/13/2016 at 07:27

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On the other hand, after 3 seasons they had it pretty well shaken down and were starting to finish - and win - races. One more year and it could been a thing. Story of BL’s life, right there.

AuthiCooper1300 > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/13/2016 at 07:41

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So true.

Also, it would be interesting to point out how some machinery is attractive not quite so much in spite of their obvious failings, but rather because of them. Racing an XJ-C with that overtly complex V12 was such an insane idea.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > AuthiCooper1300 09/13/2016 at 21:55

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Which is exactly why we love Alfas, Jags, and Mopars over Camrys and E Classes.

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But so very, very British. Celebrating glorious, beautiful failure while attempting something no sane person would even try is central to the national psyche. See Scott v Antarctica, Mallory v Everest, and the Light Brigade v cannon.

AuthiCooper1300 > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 09/14/2016 at 03:53

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That is precisely what I meant. Lately I use an Alfa Romeo 75 as a daily and happen to have a brace of MG Metro Turbos (Mk1 and Mk2). I suppose I should be driving a Focus – an excellent, competent car, but...

About British values - I find it lovely that the players’ entrance to the centre court of Wimbledon shows Kipling’s famous quote from If:

If you can meet with Triumph and Disasters/And treat those two impostors just the same

‘Nuff said.