| When I acquired my Bradley in 1987, it needed brake and carburetor repairs. It also had been infested with mice and the gelcoat suffered ultraviolet damage. It took minimal work to get it on the road, so we drove it the way it was until 1990. My son even drove it to high school his senior year ('89-'90). Then it just sat from 1990 to 1995 deteriorating even more until my wife began threatening to give it away.
I originally wanted it to use as a test vehicle for an internally superchared experimental engine I had a patent on, but ran short of time and funds. Realizing my wife's attuitude, I decided in 1995 to completely restore the car and build my experimental engine at the same time. I finally got it back together with lots of modifications to the whole car in the spring of 1999. I spent more time working on my experimental engine that summer than I did driving it but my wife decided it was indeed a lot of fun to cruise in.
In 2001, I became so frustated with my experimental engine that I built up a more "conventional" engine which I finished up in the spring of 2002. My "conventional" engine has digital fuel injection, dry sump oiling , external oil cooler, 3/4 cam, 9 to 1 compression, valve train improvements, MSD ignition, counterweighted crank, lightened flywheel, custom exhaust, and a few other goodies. What a blast! It surprises the heck out of ricers and almost keeps up with my '97 V8 T-Bird all the while getting over 30 MPG. No more problems with oil temp or head temp either! |
