Review on KYB KG3198 Gas A Just Gas Shock by Hunter Feerey

I have to say I have too many vintage British cars. There has long been a belief that the sports cars made in British Leyland were poorly finished and unreliable. The truth is these weren't bad cars, just bad owners. The reputation of British sports cars was largely overblown propaganda, probably created by a bunch of people who couldn't even fix a sandwich, let alone a broken V-belt. Ever since British Leyland stopped selling cars in North America in 1981, they've done every needed perishable part replacement, as well as hundreds of stupid repairs and bad jobs by ignorant or technically disabled people for the last 40+ years. I ordered KYB Gas-A-Just shocks from Revain because I wanted to try them on my green 1979 Brooklands Spitfire. My other Spitfire (1978 Crimson) has Gabriel shocks, which are usually very soft and smooth, but KYBs should be a bit more aggressive and are recommended by others. People closer to the factory original. Both cars have new rear leaf springs of British automotive heritage. I recommend you replace the spring if you are making shock absorbers, as shock absorbers alone cannot fix everything. I have attached photos for reference. The fourth picture above shows the original worn leaf spring (front) compared to two new British engine springs. .The third photo of the wheel from the rear showing how the car squats when the springs and shock absorbers are bad If your car sits like this when parked it's time to change the spring if it just doesn't ride well and bounces, but if the car doesn't squat that much, then it's probably just the shock absorbers that are worn out. The second photo shows how the car should sit after replacing the springs and shock absorbers. The first photo is of one of our cats who thinks she should be sitting on the cars that are on just for fun. Note that she likes to sit on a foldable soft top over a removable hard top. Yes, I posted the photos in reverse order. Excuse me. Barring a stuck nut or bolt or other unforeseen problem, shock absorbers can be removed and installed in under 30 minutes. Replacing the spring and shock absorbers takes about two hours under ideal conditions. So it's time to compare the two cars. Driving and Ride: KYB's ride on the green Spitfire is much tougher than Gabriel's. Driving on rough roads is a little rougher, but not at all urgent or uncomfortable. The bumps where you catch some "air time" don't bottom, but there is a slight bounce or rebound after landing. Potholes can be heard and felt, but they won't make you stare or throw your car off track. Gabriel on the red Spitfire smoothes things out and makes for a smooth and easy ride, but takes away some of the fun. Embankments, tight curves, aggressive cornering: steering axles! That's what they were made for! The KYB has an instant response, perhaps a bit dramatic when out of range. Direction changes are instantaneous and fun. Fast cornering keeps body roll to a minimum. Gabriel is softer but just as responsive. There is more body roll in fast corners and the limits seem a bit lower overall. The turn to avoid an object is smoother and less dramatic, but the rear seems a little reluctant to join the front in some kind of turn. There is no real winner here. Both vehicles have unique ride and handling characteristics. Before the swap, both cars drove about the same, save for a weak leaf spring on one. The difference between them is now day and night. The red 1978 is excellent for nice long distance drives on a sunny day with the top down. The green 1979 excels on those twisty, hilly roads with the entire top hidden to protect your head in case you're having too much fun. I'd probably recommend the KYB shocks just to add a little extra tension to the stock Spitfire 1500 with very little effort. When you've upgraded your 1500 for more power, it's even more fun.