Finally got the chance to take it for a decent run today
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- it feels like every time I've wanted to drive it recently, it rains!
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So when the sun came out and the roads dried, I decided to make the most of it.
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I started off in Wallingford, headed over the hills via Henley, Marlow, Pinkney's Green and then down into Maidenhead.
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Then I turned up the A404, down through Henley and back home via the twiddly roads in Ewelme.
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About 50 miles, I reckon
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- not bad for a completely aimless drive!]
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So, the car.
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.
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.
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All I can say is, what fun! It's been three years since I really drove a Mk1 in anger, but it all came flooding back.
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Well, almost
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- the first time I pressed on a bit I noticed some fairly alarming handling traits
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- a quick diversion to a petrol station confirmed that the tyre pressures were all way out.
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The Garage who fitted the new Yoko C-drives to the front had inflated them to 35psi
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(!) and the rears were 32 and 26 respectively.
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No wonder it felt like an understeery mess!
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Anyway, tyres adjusted to 30R and 28F, and the difference was night and day.
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The new C-drives on the front are an excellent match for the existing A539s on the rear, the car feels beautifully balanced and very progressive.
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It still has a slight tendency to dive the nose in if I lift off mid-corner
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(more than I'd expect it to, I mean, I know it's bad practice but I want to be sure of the handling characteristics).
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It's off to Zeca next Saturday for a full geo setup, which I hope will sort this out.
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The old front tyres were worn a little strangely
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(one on the outside edge and one on the inside
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:S
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) so I'm guessing the alignment is a bit out.
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.
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.
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The brakes are fantastic, no complaints there.
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Nice and firm, no sticking of callipers and nicely balanced.
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I may put some uprated pads on before it goes to Le Mans, but I'll see how these ones handle the Coast Run first I think.
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The Recaro seats are, er, OK.
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Very supportive laterally, but to be honest the cloth Mk1a seats I had in my previous car were equally supportive in corners, and more comfortable to boot.
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Still, I can live with this though.
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The Momo steering wheel, on the other hand, is brilliant
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- a perfect size and feels very nice to hold.
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I always felt the standard Mk1 wheel was waaaay too big.
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And I love the engine.
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The charger
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(still running standard boost, mind) gives it that extra bit of torque the Mk1 always needed, and yet it's still beautifully smooth and free-revving.
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Sounds fantastic with the Magnex exhaust as well, especially through a tunnel with the T-bars out
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It's also had another wash and wax, as a reward for being so well-behaved today.
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I had to take everything out of the boot as the carpet and sound-deadening was damp
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- not sure why yet, I can't find a leak anywhere.
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It's all spent the afternoon on the Aga and it's gone back into the car dry, so I'll see if it stays that way.
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I also found this:
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![Image](http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq14/benedwards64/5DAB4815-B995-476E-A8D6-E7537A47AAD5-343-0000001B5332E2D0_zpsa4196b24.jpg)
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.
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.
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.which rather suggests I have a set of adjustable shocks.
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