lrc@ucscc.ucsc.edu (Larry Colen esq) (02/10/90)
First of all, the hydraulic suspensions were connected longitudinally, otherwise if you went around a turn the suspension would work as a 'roll enahancement device' rather than keeping the car level. It also worked to help keep the car level going over bumps, the rear wheels would be pushed as far down as the front ones were pushed up. They did have a problem with developing leaks. Mine leaked, and what with the local BMC dealer having the only equipment around to refill it, and the refill costing ~$20 in 1978. I actually rather liked the way that it made the car handle though. The car did ride nice and level through the turns. I find it interesting that nobody has mentioned the automatic transmission in them. Not only did it have a 'normal' automatic transmission mode, (with 4 speeds), it could also be driven as a 'normal' 4 speed without need of a clutch. A rather nifty concept, though perhaps a bit ahead of it's time. I heard ads for a similar system many years later. Mine was a manual, although I did have a friend a couple of years earlier who had the automatic. Another nifty thing about the tranny is the way that it shared the oil with the engine. Of course if anything wore out in either unit it left all sorts of bits of metal floating around to chew up the other. Larry