Most satisfying long term upgrade

[JJDraper]

Looking back now, I realise I have spent far too much on my +2 for a cost/benefit calculation to make any logical sense, however, there are a few things I have bought or done which have been deeply satisfying.

A short list:

Magnecor red dizzy cap & leads - bought at Stoneleigh from QED for 60 quid in 2003. Seemed a huge price, but has just worked & makes me feel good.

Wipac plastic headlight units (for land rover Defender I believe @ 30 quid for the pair in 2009) and Osram nightbreaker H4 bulbs - precise beam pattern and best head lights of all my modern car - who needs xenons. No bulb failures since fitted 30k miles ago.

Millers 20-60 CSS fully synthetic oil. Makes those long tours in hot countries worry free.

Weber head refurb by QED workshop in 2003 - full rebuild including guides, valves and new cams. Expensive at the time at nearly 1300 quid, but time has proved the spend as worth it. The valves, guides and cams are still in service after 100K miles, albeit with a clean up & check when head gasket has been changed.

So what has made other owners quietly satisfied over the years with something that has just worked?

Jeremy

[john.p.clegg]

50p for an indelible Magic Marker , just a quick walk around before setting off and I have the assurance the spinners have not loosened....

John

Pound for Pound , I think I win.....

[Spyder fan]

A nice twincam engine

[webbslinger]

I got an Orange tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). The plan was to have a safety margin and run without a spare tire. That eliminates some weight and gives us a bit more room for luggage. It works great and reads temp or pressure or both. All good. But here's the deal - when the sensors were installed, last fall!, the tires were filled with nitrogen. I've put about 3k miles on them since then and the pressures are exactly the same now as when they were mounted! Perhaps the moon and stars were lined up that day, but I just got another set of sensors for some performance tires and they are going ro be filled with nitrogen too.

[miked]

My electronic Speedo, not everybody would want to change style but nice to get shut of the bounce and awkward cable.
Electric temp' and pressure gauges, accurate. Mech' caplliary and pipes gone.
Sitting behind a Zetec motor!
2.3 ratio servo.

I'll get my coat.
Mike

[elanner]

Top of the list: CV Joint driveshafts. Purists please forgive me, but I think they greatly improve the car.
Second: 3.54 diff. I think it makes the car much more usable on today's roads (despite my diff tribulations...) .
Third: New dash. Satisfying to look at every time.

Nick

[dougal9887]

Agree with CV drive shafts.
Next for me is EFI and wasted spark.
Again, purists please forgive.
Electric headlamp lift is also a pleasure, it used to annoy me intensly to find the headlamp pods half up after the car had been sitting for a while. This of course doesn't effect the pre fail-safe cars.
Dougal.

[elancoupe]

High torque starter. After a several episodes of stripped pinion gears and faulty electrics on three different Lucas units, I fitted an upgraded starter some 34 years ago, never an issue since.

[pauljones]

My best would be the Emerald. Not going to win the pound for pound contest tho.
Next would be the Sue Miller drive shafts, incidently not failed me at all.
3.54 Diff as it keeps revs down a little.
All these combine to a fantastic drive.

[Chancer]

Mazda MX5.

I'll get me coat.............

[MartinH]

TTR manifold and full system for up to 150BHP. It felt like an extra 10% at the top end, it sounds great and looks great. Have now had the manifold ceramic coated which has greatly reduced the under bonnet temp.

I had a replica of the standard big/wide Elan radiator made in alloy. Never overheated or got close since.

Martin

[rgh0]

Bosch dizzy, Magnecor leads and NGK plugs ignition system
Pre-engage starter
electric fuel pump
Alternator
CV driveshafts
Rewiring with a earth wire network so not relying on multiple chassis connection points and more relays and fuses
Ceramic coated headers and stainless exhaust
Modern ducted electric radiator fan
Proper UJ for steering rather than original triumph design
Properly baffled sump

and of course a range of engine mods for more horsepower

cheers
Rohan

[holywood3645]

Great thread BTW.
My on additions to the above are;
"Lucas CE electronic ignition" (or similar)
Adjustable coil-over suspension
LED bulbs (ongoing upgrade)
Original design; (leather seats) Cloned using MB materials
Recovered Dash top; MB materials
Instruments refreshed; Speedy cables
Recovered steering wheel (factory through Keveton)

[prezoom]

Pertronix S2
Electromotive HPX Lost Spark Plus2
Nissan carburetor isolators S2 Plus2
Expanded air box Plus2
Wizard Cooling DYI radiator Plus2
14" Electric cooling fan Plus2
Miata headlight motor Plus2
3.54 diffs (TBI) S2 Plus2
CV's S2 Plus2
Denso alternators S2 Plus2
Cliveyboy style air intakes S2 Plus2
Nissan Sunny/1200 11/16" dual master cylinder Plus2
Electric fuel pump inertia switch S2 Plus2
Fuel tank outlet pipe cutoff solenoid Plus2
2L Zetec Plus2

[Hawksfield]

Hi

No1 setting up DCOE float levels by the Keith Franck method. see his tuning white paper
No2 CV drive shafts by Mick Miller
No3 Morgan Carbtune 11 four way vacuum balancer (motor cycle) excellent for later weber DCOE