cruising and max speed on a 1956A 1600 super engine

[David Foster]

I have a T5 B normal (60hp) Roadster. We have found on long trips that with the roof roof down a comfortable speed of 65-70 MPH is good for arriving stress free and with the engine spinning at around 3000 rpm it does not get hot and according to a old race mechanic the oil pump is at its most efficient. According to him above this rpm the pump starts to cavitate.

[Al Zim]

It is not how fast your car will cruse it is how safe your car will be at that speed. A) the basic design for the 356 originated in the late 1930's. The designers
updated the design as time passed but the basics remained. Even in the USA road speeds were less than 60 MPH. In our shop we check the alignment on cars it is a 10 minute exercise, It would suffice to say that most of the cars need an alignment. If the wheels are not all pointed in the same direction it becomes difficult to control a vehicle at high speed. When was your car aligned? I would also like to remind you that when the tires are 10 years old throw them away. At high speeds you must have a shoulder harness and have it installed as outlined in the B/C shop manual. Using the factory attachment below the rear window is not sturdy enough to keep you from being impaled on the steering column. B) My experience dictates that at 4000+ RPM your engine life will be shortened. Especially without a counterbalanced crank. NO FULL FLOW OIL FILTER. Rebuilds that may not be as perfect as the factory built the engine. Drive your car judiciously, the opportunity for a replacement is rapidly decreasing. al zim