suspension mods, newb asks where to start Options

[bugsy0]

drove my brother's '74 2.0 the other day - his has stiffer springs and Koni shocks w/ Bridgstone 195/?? tires. That car felt so great compared w/ my stock '71 (cheap Cooper 165/?? tires). Of course my tail shifter could use a bushing/ball joint overhaul also.

I'd like to get the car to handle better. Where do I start? Not trying to build a race car...

[Rusty]

You took a first good step - finding out what you want your car to feel like rather than just throwing money at what everyone says is cool. Check the condition of your pieces first... you mentioned ball joints... check your tie-rods, too.

You didn't mention what you want to do with the car. Everyone has their own favorite setup, and you can put a LOT of money into this.

A setup that I think is fun, but not overly aggressive on the street:
- yellow Koni adjustables (frt pr- 360; rear pr-350 @ Paragon)
- 140lb springs (used - maybe 40 dollars)
- fresh balljoints (134 @ Paragon)
- Turbo tie-rod kit (165 @ Paragon)
- stock front torsion bars (you own them)
- and a front sway bar (free if you have one. 345, for a 19mm Welt @ Pelican).

The new stuff totals 1354, plus shipping. Some can be found used in the classifieds. Bargains do pop up.

Suspension bushings are a whole 'nuther can of worms. Lots of opinions, and you can spend big bucks there.

Hope this helps,
Rusty (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smoke.gif)