Romano ordered a Freeway flier transmission for his bug that I brought along in October.
The tranny was built by Thom Leduc of Leduc Racing Components in Michigan USA - the same gentleman who put together the transmission for Billo. Basically it is a new 3.88 ring and pinion, new pinion bearings, new syncro rings, welded and honed 3rd and 4th. The 4th is a 0.89 which is practically a 5th gear. All of this is fitted in a later model case. In addition to the above, the transmission has a brand new nose cone, a brand new hockey stick and all new hardware including drain and fill plugs...it is about as close as you can get to a factory new transmission.
New German engine and gear mounts (foundations) and a Kennedy stage 1 clutch (pressure plate) and a Daikin disk (clutch plate) were added to complete the picture.
After all was done and dusted, I took the car for a test drive on the Islamabad Peshawar motorway at night (when it is less likely to be snagged in a speed trap). Romano had visited Murree and Patriata the day before so had all seats and matting (save the drivers) removed. As a result it was noisy like hell in the cabin but the car launches like a beast and the speedometer needle keeps climbing. I took her a shade over 85 miles / hour but I have no doubts that it would go to about 100 miles an hour if one was to push it.
Next time a friend of yours narrates a story of an odd shaped car overtaking them at high speed on the motorway ask them what colour it was. Chances are it would be Billo or Romano's.
