Brits vs. Z's

[7277]

just a thought... went to a local 'British' car show today (drove my 72 Z and parked in the fringes:)). saw some fine examples of MG's, triumphs, Austins, jags, minis, even a 100% mint restored 1958 Lotus elite S1

However, it was (again) pretty evident why our Z cars strained the british market here in the US (no offense to brit car owners!!). very evident was the technological stagnation of the brit cars. saw late 70's MG's and triumphs with carbs and 'older' electronics....while our Z's were fuel injected by then. several other areas on the cars seemed 60's-ish by engineering standards....by 1979-80 the Z was much more modern....just a thought.. not to mention the price and reliability of the 240Z... yay!

[zbane]

What are you talking about?

British Layland used only the best! After all, those fine British cars were equipped with top-of-the-line Lucas Electronics components!!! :stupid: (Any former or current British car owner of that period knows what I mean)

Kidding of course, though it is interesting to see how the "sports car" design evolved differently from country to country.

[7277]

funny thing too was looking at the engine bay of a Jag xke....and to see how many linkage-contraptions [V12, with 4 carbs (!) ] there were in there took to make the thing go. it almost seemed as if they tried to indtroduce as much slop and play as possible....

[mally002]

Top up driving nothing beats my 1971 240Z.......

Top down driving nothing beats my 1971 TR6.......ok, so it leaks oil, fluid, and anything else thats liquid and my electronics are not waterproof, but it's hard to beat in the Spring and Fall.

[7277]

mally02: nice TR! (and Z of course)..very sweet. i do admit Jag XKEs kick the pants off most cars with it's classic styling...

[Oiluj]

Top down driving nothing beats my 1971 TR6.......

Nice TR! The TR6 was the best of the TR's. They wend downhill after that.

[sblake01]

What are you talking about?

British Layland used only the best! After all, those fine British cars were equipped with top-of-the-line Lucas Electronics components!!! :stupid: (Any former or current British car owner of that period knows what I mean)

Kidding of course, though it is interesting to see how the "sports car" design evolved differently from country to country.

You know what they say. The British drink their ale at room temperature because their refrigerators have Lucas electronics.

[Arne]

Lucas electrics have gotten a bad rap. It generally wasn't the electrical component that failed, it was frequently the wiring itself.

I drove a '67 MGB as my daily for over 6 years. In that time it only let me down once, and that was early in my ownership, prior to the restoration. Properly restored and maintained, an old English car is no more prone to electrical problems or leaks that is an old Datsun.

In many ways, the English and the Japanese cars have a lot in common. They should, as the Japanese learned much about how to build automobiles from the Brits. The big difference was that the Japanese weren't averse to taking advantage of more modern design. British Leyland (later BLMC) labored under the impression that the American market was a bottomless pit - we Yanks would continue to buy anything that they sent us, no mater how old and quaint the design. By the time they figured out differently (and the 240Z featured prominently in their education), it was too late.

[sblake01]

I know, that's just the old joke. On that same note, did you know that the old C, E1, and J series Datsun engines, like the J16 in my truck, were based on British Leyland's B engine design? They are even prone to leaks in the same places so they're a fairly faithful copy!

[Walter Moore]

You know what they say. The British drink their ale at room temperature because their refrigerators have Lucas electronics.

I actually saw something similar to that on a bumper sticker at an SCCA race in the early 80's

"Why do the English drink warm beer? Because they have Lucas refrigerators."

It was on a Triumph, a Spitfire if I remember correctly.

My only experience with British cars was a friend's Austin. On that car at least the insult seemed appropriate. But considering the number of American cars that I have seen catch fire from defective wiring, the bumper sticker may have been over-reaching slightly.

[Carl Beck]

On that same note, did you know that the old C, E1, and J series Datsun engines, like the J16 in my truck, were based on British Leyland's B engine design?

Hummm that was quite a trick - British Leyland wasn't formed until 1968.(BMH and LMC were merged to form BLMC)

I'm no expert but "As I recall" - The basic design of the Continental Z-120, push rod, OHV 4 cylinder goes back to around 1946 and was used in several different cars {Standard, Triumph, Morgan} as well as the Ferguson tractors.

Others here may know more about this engine - but it had an amazingly long life cycle.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[sblake01]

Okay, British Leyland might not be the correct term but many parts from the MGB engine bolt on to a Datsun E1, J13-J15-J16 such as the intake and exhaust manifolds as well as other parts. And like the MGB engine, those old Datsun push rod motors are fairly indestructable.