[Vintagewrench]

On a different note, I've learned from experience that the original gas pedal on all 1800 series cars, as they age, can prevent you from being able to fully open the throttle.

This pedal is made up of rubber bonded to two pieces of steel; one part is horizontal under the screws that fasten it to the floor, and the second piece is used under the rest of the vertical length of the pedal. The pedal pushes against a roller on a steel lever that is a part of the accelerator linkage.

The hinge is the section of rubber between the two pieces of steel and after 50-plus years, the rubber hardens, and the hinge section stiffens. When you think the pedal is at wide open throttle, it isn't but is only about 75% open.

I discovered this issue a few years ago after the screws that fasten the pedal to the floor loosened up, and one fell off while making a competition run up Mt Equinox in Vermont at the VSCCA.org Hill Climb. The pedal was left off for the next 5.5-mile run up the Mountain, which was noticeably faster, and the clock showed that the run was 25 seconds faster than before with no other changes to the car. Following that times remained consistent on the rest of the runs over the two days of competition.

A few weeks later the next VSCCA race meet at the Lime Rock Park track lap times around the road course droped by about 8 seconds.

If you have an 1800 with an original pedal, a new one should give at least a 10% or more performance improvement.