IM's " Super 90" option

A lot is written here about the Big HP motors, but I read little about the 1600's. I am working through the details of building an IM Roadster. Henry tells me about 50% of his cars go out the door with the smaller motor or Super 90 ( 85 HP ). I want to hear from the "Silent 50" and anyone else who cares, to give me their impressions of this set-up.
Can I survive out there in the real world ? My normal driving is country and coastal two lanes within 200 miles of home, 3rd gear 40-50 MPH. I enjoy whipping up through the gears, but not that interested in prolonged high speed. I'm not a red-liner, I don't race and avoid the City and the Freeway when I can. Having said all that, I don't like being maxxed out or left behind either !! What's a fellah to do ?

I have a 1641 with dual solex carbs (cam,flywheel etc.) and I love it. Plenty of power to whip through the gears and break loose every now and again. I think that it's a little ridiculous to have a 1900+ cc motor in a tiny little car, you just cant keep it on the road. Remember this is a sports car... not a muscle car. Spend the time and money on the suspension and beat them in the twisties. And for Pete's sake what's with the hi-power stereos in these cars.. pay attention to your engine, she sings a much sweeter song.
-Wil

Will, have you ever driven a 356 replica with a 'large' motor? I have a 2110 and what I like, even more than the top end power, is the low end torque. If you haven't driven a replica with a large, torquey motor, then you don't know what you're missing. There is NO comparison between a 1641 and a 2 litre motor. 1800 rpm, in 4th gear, and she pulls like a freight train, cleanly away...no need to gear down. That's torque, and THAT is something you will NEVER feel in your 1641.
Ron

I drove a very nice Intermeccanica Roadster at last years Knott's show. This car had the Super 90 engine. I was driving it back to the hotel for Henry and accidently took a wrong turn, giving me the oportunity to get a couple of extra miles on the car. Although this car was nowhere near as quick as my speedster, it was very pleasant to drive. Accelleration was adaquate, sound was very 356 like (original 356 muffler through overiders), and it was easy to drive. The car was not aggressive, my car seems to want to be fed the fuel, this car was very comfortable crusing and just looking good. This engine would be a great option for those who want to be seen and not heard, just cruise and not "race", and probably not worry about engine longivity. I really liked driving the car, there was no effort needed, and with the top up, it sure was easier to get into. Power is not everything and not everyone needs it. See if there is a "local" car for you to drive. Good luck.
(Message Edited 9/16/2003 1:40:56 AM)

My Vintage would best have been described as 'dainty'when it arrived.
It was a 'civil'1600, singlecarb,monza-style exhaust...it may have been a 1776, but for putt-putting around it was 'quaint'...It was 'cute'

Getting on the freeway onramps required determination. Any thoughts of bullying past traffic had to be done with great discretion (and downhill)

It is my humble opinion that speedsters were meant to be more primitive, primal, ear-splitting in their cries to rush into a charge in pursuit of prey... Agile and strident, capable of not only pursuit but capture... a bit ungainly, perhaps not a Jaguar x-type, but stealthy in a Germanic way (ask VSOP about his frauleins)Not king of the jungle (look up a Cobra for that mantle)but not for the feint of heart.

If you're on your way to tea and crumpets, leave a little earlier with your 1600...
MM

Its really about common sense. Where will you be doing most of your driving? Around town? Do you plan on doing highway driving some of the time? How far? Do you feel a need for speed from time to time? There is no one size fits all. Factor into the equation your budget divided by your expectations and there you go.

Dale drove my car around, altho' I only suspected that he drove it to Palm Springs from Knotts. But...I trust him. My experience with the "Super 90" engine is that it is very reliable, and travels easily at freeway speeds. I would like it to be faster off the line, but it betters the 1776 I had in my Speedster, and I have two left thumbs in doing anything myself in the engine cockpit. I keep the oil fresh, and the temp guage hasn't left the cold range yet. I have taken it on several over night trips, including PCH from LA to San Francisco, and I-5 back, no problems. I haven't redlined the car yet, but I have been to 4000 rpm, and but for other cars, would see no reason why it couldn't go quite a bit higher. I am pleased with the choice.

I have had both, I think. The Speedster I just sold had a 1600, single solex on it. For me, not enough power. I really couldn't do anything beyond city driving. As stated earlier, getting on the highway was a challenage.

On the flip side, my new VS has dual Webers (I think) and the power difference is noticable, really noticable. The car was originally equiped with a single carb and the previous owner put on duals. The car has the right amount of power. It can do just about anything I need it to do (including highway driving) without any real trouble. That said, the car is a bit more touchy and doesn't really sing until its fully warmed up.

I don't have a desire to have a HP motor in my VS; however, having some additional power when needed is a welcomed situation.

Erik is right, common sense and an understanding of what you want will provide an answer.

ps - if you have a chance to drive different cars (with different size motors) do it. After driving a newer VS with dual carbs I promptly sold my '83 IM for a newer VS and I am really happy about it.

Dave

Scott, Your car is great. I enjoyed driving it and when Henry drove it to dinner, my wife rode with him. While we were eating she kept mentioning how she wished "we" had bought a roadster like yours rather than "our" speedster. Oh yea, dont worry about the redline, it gets there just fine! I really like the originality of your car, the Nardi steering wheel is much more comfortable in the hands than my thin, "A" steering wheel. Just kidding about that redline thing, but it should not be a problem to hit it once in a while.

After much inner turmoil, and girding myself for the gentle chiding I might receive from my "gentler" half, I bought a really nice button (expensive) for the center of the Nardi from Jeff at NardiUSA. I believe this to be a great safety innovation, as it allows me to see my own reflection without corrupting my rear view and side view mirrors;) s.

Thanx for all your comments and ideas.......But thanx especially for
sparing me the bum-blasting poor Brian got for telling us about his 2160 ! This is sure no place for the timid !

It's the nature of the jungle. Big engines always draw big comments - I think it's called 'Piston Envy' :-)

Seriously, there is a good variety of perspectives on the list, and people simply like to comment, but it's all done without malice (in most cases).

RJC

Piston Envey...nice one, Boob.
Ron
(is that a typo?....must be!

Piston envy or BSS (bore and stroke syndrome). Will this become an excuse used by defense attorneys? Will we start getting bombarded with spam by aftermarket companies who have a cure, like Viagra adds? If there's money to be made, enough of it, you bet. I'm glad we are a vital but relatively SMALL community.
John H.

Very simple, really. You either want high performance or will settle for adequate performance. No stigma attached to either.