Yes, you're right - Sir Alex Moulton - quite rightly, and Sir Alex Issigonis- they saw eye to eye alright.

Yes I think the dry suspension was called Dunlop (Moulton) - BMC wouldn't go with him alone so he had to ally himself with Fort Dunlop for de kudos, and am pretty sure he not only engineered the 'hydrolastic' but also the sequel to it fitted to Allegros and their offspring - 'Hydragas' - crosslinked - that was what was wrong with hydrolastic apart from the weight, a lack of cross linking and also a distinct propensity to 'ride up' under acceleration unless using extended rear bump stops.

...but surely the beauty of the levered struts and profiled dry rubber cones was a masterstroke, the non-linear spring rate proving exactly what was needed in such a light car that could double its weight when loaded. And it was light and cheap.

Did those faux RMC's have the 'real' 'S' engine with 11? stud head, duplex timing gear, torsion damper, steel crank and vacuumless distributor? - and 76 genuine bhp and a safe 7000 rev limit as standard. Twin tanks? Thick drive shafts and Timken taper-roller front hub (150 ft-lb nut)? gumma, gumma, gumma? A 45 DCOE in one for those tends to pick ts air up from inside the cab, and displace the speedo somewhat - not a passenger friendly car.

I liked the twin 1 1/2" SU's, so knew all about brake fluid in those dashpots, blue springs and hand fettled needles - 997 Cooper cams etc. Isn't SU's CD (constant depression) a lovely concept for a carb - never had a blocked jet. Some didn't put any fluid any at all...

Clive

----- Original Message ----- From: "pensioner" <al_knoll@pacbell.net> To: "Clive Smith" <clive.harman-smith@ntlworld.com> Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 9:54 PM Subject: RE: Re: VW vs Rolls

> Not really shocking...the present folks in Zimbabwe are shocking...you all > are simply amusing. > > I certainly didn't know that (Sir?) Alex did the BMC suspension stuff. > Wizard he was. I loved the 67 faux RMC. I'll see if there some grotty old > pictures somewhere. > > Mine had plastic side windows as I bought it and the usual bonnet strap > upgrades. Popup pistons were added later along with an Abarth exhaust and a > single 40 DCOE (9?) just for fun. > > Don't forget to put girling in the dashpot... > > p > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Clive Smith [mailto:clive.harman-smith@ntlworld.com] > > Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 12:56 PM > > To: pensioner > > Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > Subject: Re: Re: VW vs Rolls > > > > > > Shocking lot, aren't we! > > > > ... and Cooper S's of '67, '68 Monte Carlo Rally winning vintage were all > > 'dry' to my knowledge, a good 140 lbs lighter than the 'wet' hydroelastic* > > ones - though Paddy was quite amazed when first driving a 'wet' > > Cooper 'S' - > > brilliant on ice apparently. But with 8" (!!) alloys and hydroelastic > > suspension - little chance of avoiding that warthog! > > > > The Monte Carlo winning Cooper S's were red with a white roof, > > weren't they, > > not BRG? ... and we are talking 1275 'S' in contradistinction to the later > > 9- stud 1275GT iron crank Mini Clubman, a dog if ever there was > > one, aren't > > we? > > > > Clive > > * Mr ('dry suspension cone' and 'hydroelastic') Moulton now designs > > high-tech hand-built folding bicycles of exceptional quality from his > > inherited country pile I believe. They're much sought after by cycling > > enthusiasts the world over and by 'collectors' of modern technology. He's > > now 80 something and when his university days were interrupted by WWII, > > became a 'man from the ministry', seconded to the Bristol Engine Co. to > > assist Roy Fedden, sleeve-valve guru - after a bomb hit their > > drawing office > > and killed several 'key' staff - he went back to Uni after the war and > > continued his study - but changed its discipline. He became a > > cause celebre > > and another Great British commerical tragedy, when his Moulton folding > > bicycle design was 'stolen' (by Raleigh amongst others) - I think his > > philosphy now is '...never grow your business so large that the 'big boys' > > even know you exist, let alone want to steal your dreams or buy you out' - > > quite a contrast to what most entrepreneurs are aiming at today! > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "pensioner" <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET> > > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > > Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 6:50 PM > > Subject: Re: VW vs Rolls > > > > > > > The Hon. Winston Ponsonby-Smythe and his wife is touring the > > Transvaal... > > > > > > G. Nashly Cogswell is also in country in his Paddy Hopkirk Rallye Monte > > > Carlo Mini Cooper 1275S on his way to RSA to pick up the last > > of the Kombi > > > syncro 5cyl TDIs and some spares for his Spagthorpe Whippet. As he > > > approaches a walled alleyway a dandy liveried Rolls rudely > > pulls out just > > in > > > front of his turn. Luckily the hydroelastic suspension and 8" wide > > minilites > > > allowed him to take evasive action in time to avoid wrinkling the > > paintwork > > > on the bonnet. From the lofty cabin of the rolls a portly matron scowls > > > "pig!". > > > > > > Cogswell flashes his most significant digit, screams back > > "SOW!", and WFO > > > drifts around the corner scattering gravel with the deafening > > snarl of the > > > 1275 at full chat...directly into the side of the largest warthog on > > record > > > in the region. > > > > > > Wife looks at Winston and mutters..."no respect, those colonials" > > > > > > pensioner (BRG with Union Jack on top, PH RMC Mini in a previous life) > > >