The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 169

The Indianapolis Star SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 1991 Auto Classifieds City company produces Strosek Porsches Blackburn-Daly converts cars at plant on West 86th Street 1 ward," said Bill Thommen, secretary of Blackburn-Daly. "The conversion work Is based on the 911 model, with all the conversion being done below the belt line (window sill). That way It's possible to do a coupe, a Targa or a cabriolet." The Porsche doesn't have to be new to be converted to Strosek styling and engineering. "It starts out as a 911, a 1976 or newer car," Thommen said. "Then we perform varying degrees of modification according to the owner's wishes." With older 911s, a typical customer would be an owner who wants his car to have a more contemporary look.

Modifications Include both engineering changes and styling updates. The suspension Is completely modified with Strosek springs. Strosek gas-charged rear shock absorbers, and Strosck-modlfied front struts. Front and rear wheels are of different size, with fronts 9 Inches wide by 17 Inches and the rears 10 Inches wide. This calls for different tire sizes, with Goodyear Eagle 23545 ZR17 tires mounted in front and Eagle 26540 ZR17 tires mounted In the rear.

The modifications lowers the car approximately 1.5 inches. The company claims this provides superior handling characteristics compared with standard Porsche models. Blackburn-Daly says the suspension and tire combination enables a 91 1 Carrera 2 Strosek to outhandle a stock Carrera 4, which has four-wheel drive, In dry conditions. The company also claims the suspensiontire combination gives Improved handling characteristics to the Strosek Carrera 4 vs. a standard Carrera 4.

Blackburn-Daly buys the parts for the conversions rather than fabricating them Itself. By GEORGE MOORE STAR AUTO EDITOR Indianapolis 500-Mile Race driver Derek Daly calls It the car that Porsche should have built. Instead, Indlanapolls-based Blackburn-Daly Ltd. is building It. The car Is a Strosek Porsche, the work of German designer Vlttorlo Strosek.

And this may be the second time Porsche has overlooked a good bet. The first was when Daly, one of the founders of Blackburn-Daly, began building slant-nose Porsches In the company's plant on West 86th Street. It took Porsche about three years to catch up and make the slant-nose a part of its own factory production schedule. The Strosek comes from pretty strong roots. Vlttorlo Strosek is a highly acclaimed young designer.

He has done custom body design for Ferrari and Porsche models. Ills design work on the Carrera is considered one of the finest such exercises ever completed for Porsche. As a consequence, It Is not unexpected the new Strosek would be a pretty slick piece of rolling stock. The car features wider fenders that permit the use of the latest Italian-made O.Z. three-piece alloy racing wheels.

Styling also Includes a Strosek-deslgned front air dam, rear valance, and air ducts In the rear fenders for engine and brake cooling. More-aerodynamic Strosek-deslgned outside rear-view mirrors are Installed on the sides of the front vent windows. The mirrors use standard Porsche electronic control and electronic heating systems. "We think that this product will be In line with the future we feel Porsche will be moving to i i. -i.

i -v. Race driver Derek Daly, a founder of Blackburn-Daly now has the company building this Strosek Porsche model. revving engine. With the market for the model developing In the Midwest and eastern parts of the country. Blackburn-Daly Is considering moving from Its facilities at 5333 West 86th Street.

"We're evaluating the possibility of relocating to a more highly visible area where people can drive by and see the cars," Thommen said. "But we're staying here. We'll always be in Thommen said, "we're talking probably in the mid-teens. From there you can go all the way up to 40.000 to 50.000 dollars. If we're to take a car and do it completely from top to bottom.

"There you're doing the Interior, the suspension, the wheels, the muffler system for more power." Part of a Strosek conversion Is the Installation of a stainless sleel muffler system that adds 10 more horsepower and a freer- "The Fred Opert Racing Team out of New Jersey has contracted with Vlttorlo Strosek to supply Blackburn-Daly these parts on an exclusive basis," Thommen said. "And they selected us mainly on the quality of work that we had done on the 91 1 slant-nose." Modification takes from four to eight weeks, depending upon the extent of the work being done. Plant facilities Include metal fabricating equipment, a paint booth and a significant parts warehouse, There always are parts that come off a customer's car. Depending upon their condition, they are either sold to outside independent service shops or destroyed. "It depends upon how much they (the parts) were torn up, "Thommen said.

The cost of converting a standard 911 to a Strosek ranges from moderate to big bucks. "To do a basic conversion." Clutch system place to look for manual transmission ills Your Car By EUGENE B. MILMOE 9 When my '82 engine is hot, It cranks so slowly that It often will not restart until I let It cool off for about 15 minutes. The engine has a tendency to get pretty hot, but otherwise It runs OK. W.O.

When trouble develops with a manual transmission. It usually originate originates with the clutch system. For this reason. It is a good maintenance rule to have clutch operation checked out by an expert at least once a year. In addition, you always must remain alert for any possible signs of clutch malfunction, no matter how slight.

Symptoms such as noise, vibration, poor acceleration or changes in clutch pedal response should be investigated promptly. The most common clutch trouble Involves slipping, which causes reduced power and loss of gasoline mileage. In mild weather, slipping also can lead to engine overheating. This particular clutch problem results when correct pedal adjustment Is neglected, and free play or travel of the pedal becomes Insufficient or non-existent. Improper clutch pedal adjustment also can be responsible for other troubles, such as clutch drag, hard shifts and gear clash.

In a manual transmission system, the transmission itself Is rarely the source of malfunction or breakdown. But keep In mind that transmission problems do occur occasionally, especially when adequate lubrication schedules are not followed. Dodge's Spirit ES gives a family-type sedan added power, equipment and a sporting flair. ES Spirit has sports-car flair Upscale sedan powered by Chrysler 3.0-liter V-6 You could have a cooling system problem that Is causing hot spots in the engine. As a result, pistons may tend to bind and prevent proper cranking and restarting until the engine cools down.

TIP OF THE WEEK: Backfire can be caused by wet Ignition parts. lis AiwlM Timtt Svndicilt EL 'I'UMWUW Speaking Of Cars 1933 HUDSON "MAJOR Ke.i. DETPOfT with cu.m.Dt3fwaimtr3TMJ3tr-a ENGINE 101 HP 9 3600 PPM S. CQMMfSSOV (7.0 OPTIONAL) '33 Major 8 was unique Hudson car By GEORGE MOORE quire aerobatics. While the rear seat will accommodate three passsengcrs.

for an all-day ride two are going to be more comfortable. I liked the full-gauge instrumentation, but I kept running Into the horn button tabs near the rim of the steering wheel. With a four-speed automatic. It was easy to drive, and I got the impression that with Its front-wheel drive it will move along in the heaviest winter weather. Overall, the Spirit Is a people mover, an In an ES they move under very pleasant No wonder 1933 Hudson 8s are rare! Fewer than 1,900 of them were built, Including both the Pacemaker Standard and the Major.

Hudson's truly famous old models were the big Super Sixes, available from the mld-'teens all the way to 1929. For 1930, 1931 SPIRIT ES Dodge Division caught the spirit with Its Dodge Spirit, and has never looked back. The 1991 Spirit Is an upgraded version of the initial 1989 car. Heralded as a midsized automobile at a compact price, It Is a model that Dodge dealers and owners love. While designed as transportation for a mass market, the model goes upscale a bit in ES form.

While it still doesn't go off the end of the scale cost-wise, It does offer accouterments found In better-class cars. New for '91 are Items like optional four-wheel disc brakes and an anti-lock braking system. In five-passenger form, the Spirit comes with a console and floor-shift quadrant for the automatic transmission. The Spirit ES sedan's layout has the look of everyday four-door transportation, something that's as stable as the Rock of Gibraltar and maybe Just as exciting. With Chrysler 3.0-llter V-6 on board, that changes.

Dropping a 141 -horsepower V-6 Into the engine bay In place of a 2.5-liter. 1 00-horsepower four-cylinder engine makes the Spirit a different world In which to live. The extra two cylinders makes the car come alive, accompanied by benefits of flexibility and the personal feeling of pleasure. The Spirit Is not going to be sought by high-flying sports-car drivers. But or those who need PWUUA NIWWAPIP.

rOWPJ 0PJJ BLONLVE JHCK TRACY SKIPPY KAA2Y KAT LI TTte OPPHAJY AHNE BPINGHNO PATHEP POfiEVE MICKEY MOUSE JOE PALOOKA 77PPIE TOONEPVLLE POLKS POLLY -Am. PALS SMlTTY GASOLINE ALLEY TOOTS OiSPEP OUTOUP WAY TILLIE 7l TOLEP SOMEBODY'S STENOO HEHfiY S1 MATTE A POP KATZEHJAMMEfi XJiS THE SUMPS VIXEIXGAN HAWXSHAW THE DETECTIVE MtGGS POOM BOAPD OUP BOABZVNQ HOUSE MP. ttMD3. MlTTam THE T7MD SOUL ELLA CIMDEP3 FPJTZI PJTZ BETTY BOOP ABLE THE AGENT WMBDOPA THEY'LL DO BYEPY TTME HAPOlDTtBI WASH TV3B3 MOONMULUNS BAPAlEY GOOGLE BOOB McNUTT WINNIE WINKLE LITTLE ANNIE POtWEY ne THnr xae met, lap mnAV and want wheels that combine utility and quite decent performance, the Spirit ES Is Indeed worth a look. The ES that Don Palmer, head of Palmer Dodge West, provided for a test car had a general range of equipment on It.

Heading the list was the V-6. plus Items like air-conditioning, power steering, four-speed automatic transmission, power accessories and a handling package that gave the four-door automobile a sporting flair. The engine's power is pretty good. The car is moderately light at 2,800 pounds, so its power-to-weight ratio allows a fairly sparkling performance. The acceleration characteristics were the equivalent of some more expensive automobiles, with the V-6 providing Instant throttle response and a strong pulling effort right on up the engine speed range.

This came to the fore when power was needed for a quick pass. The Spirit's size Is average, yet Dodge has done a good Job of providing back seat legroom. Getting In and out doesn't re El Base price $13,760 As tested $16,196 Type Front-engine front-drive, five-passenger midsized sedan Engine 3.0-liter, 12-valve 141 -horsepower fuel-injected V-6 Mileage 20 mpg (city), '26 mpg (highway) Acceleration 0-60 mph in 9 sees. Length 181.2 inches Wheelbase 103.3 inches Curb weight 2,801 pounds Options Premium option package, reclining sports seats, four-speed automatic, overhead console Area dealers Gene Beltz, Palmer, Palmer West, Hubler, Plainfield, Paul Goeke Auto Album By TAD BURNESS and 1932, Hudson offered nothing but Its new stralght-8s, although sixes were still the rule In Hudson's smaller Essex cars. The illustrated Major 8 was one of the largest, most Impressive automobiles Hudson ever had built, with Its 132-Inch-wheelbase, The Standard had a 1 19-inch wheelbase.

8 was Introduced In 193 and continued In 1933. Hudson offered nothing like It. before or afterward. The 1933 model had Free-Wheeling, which allowed the car to coast when the accelerator was released; Startlx. which restarted the engine If II accidentally was killed, and an adjustable steering 1933 was one of Hudson's weakest years, with the company losing S4.4 million.

This came after a nearly S5.4 million loss In 1932. What saved the day was the lower-priced Essex, which evolved Into the Terra-plane. North Amtrici Syndiciti Inc..