Cabrio modifications

[dougohere]

Hello,
I took delivery of a very pretty cabrio on Friday, but only tried it out on Saturday. I was not disappointed but there were two slight irritations that maybe I have to get used to - but then again maybe some modifications are possible - hence this post.

Gearbox problem
Many years ago I used to drive an 1275cc MG Midget in which I had to make good use of the gearbox to get any kind of performance out of it. I have the 2 litre Pinto engine on the Cabrio and somehow, the gearbox seems slightly agricultural. I would like to experience snappier gear changes - can anyone suggest the best type of gearbox to use for the Pinto engine that will allow for quick and easy gear changes?

Engine noise in the cabin
When accelerating I have noticed how noisy the exhaust note is inside the cabin. A throaty exhaust note can be quite appealing, but on my Cabrio it does seem quite deafening when shifting up through the gears. Any suggestions for making life a little quieter?

[scott h]

Re: Cabrio modifications

Your gearbox woes may be due to a sticking detent plunger. This is located at the top left front of the gearbox, on the side just below the lid. It is a small grub screw holding a spring loaded plunger, ( be careful that it doesn't fly off). Fish it out and lubricate it.

The other thing to try, but more expensive, is a quickshift gearlever. It has different pivot points which give more movement of the selector for a given movement of the lever. This is available from many rally accessory suppliers.

[Cameron F]

Re: Cabrio modifications

The gearbox (assuming t9 five speed) is usually quite a good box to use but it is getting on a bit now and certainly wont feel as slick as some moderns. They are quite easy to overhaul but the main culprit is often what Scott says above, worth a check. If however you have a noisy car and a clunky box it will be worth checking the engine mounts and esp gearbox mount as they can get very soft and allow noise transfer. Nothing is hard work though. If the exhaust is a home made one check the mountings for that too - its always advisable to fit a flexible joint if you can and bobbin mounts are not the best for isolating noise either.
Sounds like a nice bit of tinkering will get it going nicely.

[dougohere]

Re: Cabrio modifications

Many thanks to you both for the advice and suggestions. I think that a quickshift gearlever would suit the car very well, so if its not too expensive I will try it out along with the other items mentioned in your replies. Thanks again and I will let you know how I get on with the changes.

[wiggiesworld]

Re: Cabrio modifications

Many thanks to you both for the advice and suggestions. I think that a quickshift gearlever would suit the car very well, so if its not too expensive I will try it out along with the other items mentioned in your replies. Thanks again and I will let you know how I get on with the changes.

Rather than installing a quickshift, I bought another gearstick off ebay, cut it down to size, tapped a new thread on the top, sprayed satin black and it is a) a nice shorter throw and b) changes far sweeter than it use to.

[danny_nelson]

Re: Cabrio modifications

Quick shift available from Rally design this is not expensive, and the silencer box could be changed, or another added in line..