After a long wait my 60 has arrived from Spain! It's a 1987 HJ61 with cable lockers. While the car was still in Spain it got some touch-up paint and new interior upholstery. It also got an extensive mechanical service including rebuilt birfs, rebuilt diesel injection pump, new belts and hoses, all new fluids. Oil leaks were chased down and adressed and the engine seems to be running smooth and dry. We also rebuilt the AC compressor and custom made new AC lines. Right now that's probably the best part of the rig - the ice cold AC!
The car hauler arrived at 12:30am late Monday night. I wasted no time and first thing Tuesday morning drove to the local spring shop to have my Dobinsons kit installed. Later that afternoon I swung by the DMV and we were off to the races
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First impressions of the 60 are mixed. I've always loved the look of the 60-series and I adore my 100-series. This is truly a dream car for me and I waited a long time to find a rust-free, one owner, round headlight turbodiesel. But so far I've found it quite challenging to drive. I've noticed five significant drivability issues:
1. Clutch pedal is HEAVY. Like "oh god, please don't make me have to shift again" heavy. I'm quite confident the clutch booster is non-operational, and I've already ordered a new one. Hopefully that addresses the issue.
2. Power steering is iffy. It feels like the power steering binds up under heavy load. Driving around at low speeds or higher the power steering works fine; I can feel it working and hear a very light groan. The wheel does not turn as easy as my 100-series, but it's not an issue. When I'm parking, however, and I need lots of power assist it feels like the power steering stalls out and I'm stuck with manual steering. Fluid in the PS pump is at the correct level and doesn't look dirty on the dipstick.
3. Brakes aren't great. Driving around normally they mostly feel fine, but the pedal stiffness varies a lot and sometimes the pedal reaches the end of its travel and I'm greeted by the brake warning light on the dash. If I try and panic stop the 60 doesn't stop any faster than if I press on the pedal with moderate pressure. I'm thinking my master cylinder is toast and i ordrerd a new one. At some point I will likely rebuild the whole brake system.
4. Jerking back and forth going over bumpy terrain at low speeds. My city has lots of potholes, and if I'm going ~10mph in 2nd gear it seems like I have no good option. If I keep on the throttle my rear tires risk losing traction and start bucking the car when they regain traction. Or I let off the throttle and the car starts bucking from low revs. The 12HT tractor motor is not my friend in these situations.
5. I had read good reviews of the Dobinsons suspension, and hoped the ride would be reasonable. But I really feel like I'm being tossed around. Do you think a couple sandbags in the back would help soften up the ride?
Beyond these five drivability items I have lots of other work to do! The front carpets are wet - i'm not sure from rain or from leaking AC condensate. The drivers door doesn't lock or unlock with the key. As I tackle these varioius projects I'll be sure to post.
thank you for reading!
The car hauler arrived at 12:30am late Monday night. I wasted no time and first thing Tuesday morning drove to the local spring shop to have my Dobinsons kit installed. Later that afternoon I swung by the DMV and we were off to the races
First impressions of the 60 are mixed. I've always loved the look of the 60-series and I adore my 100-series. This is truly a dream car for me and I waited a long time to find a rust-free, one owner, round headlight turbodiesel. But so far I've found it quite challenging to drive. I've noticed five significant drivability issues:
1. Clutch pedal is HEAVY. Like "oh god, please don't make me have to shift again" heavy. I'm quite confident the clutch booster is non-operational, and I've already ordered a new one. Hopefully that addresses the issue.
2. Power steering is iffy. It feels like the power steering binds up under heavy load. Driving around at low speeds or higher the power steering works fine; I can feel it working and hear a very light groan. The wheel does not turn as easy as my 100-series, but it's not an issue. When I'm parking, however, and I need lots of power assist it feels like the power steering stalls out and I'm stuck with manual steering. Fluid in the PS pump is at the correct level and doesn't look dirty on the dipstick.
3. Brakes aren't great. Driving around normally they mostly feel fine, but the pedal stiffness varies a lot and sometimes the pedal reaches the end of its travel and I'm greeted by the brake warning light on the dash. If I try and panic stop the 60 doesn't stop any faster than if I press on the pedal with moderate pressure. I'm thinking my master cylinder is toast and i ordrerd a new one. At some point I will likely rebuild the whole brake system.
4. Jerking back and forth going over bumpy terrain at low speeds. My city has lots of potholes, and if I'm going ~10mph in 2nd gear it seems like I have no good option. If I keep on the throttle my rear tires risk losing traction and start bucking the car when they regain traction. Or I let off the throttle and the car starts bucking from low revs. The 12HT tractor motor is not my friend in these situations.
5. I had read good reviews of the Dobinsons suspension, and hoped the ride would be reasonable. But I really feel like I'm being tossed around. Do you think a couple sandbags in the back would help soften up the ride?
Beyond these five drivability items I have lots of other work to do! The front carpets are wet - i'm not sure from rain or from leaking AC condensate. The drivers door doesn't lock or unlock with the key. As I tackle these varioius projects I'll be sure to post.
thank you for reading!
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