TL or GTL

[funky D]

Hi sorry if this seems a silly Q
Is there any real differences or preference between an Late TL 1979 or later 850 cc engine , or a newer 1100 GTL 1982 or newer .
I suppose what I am asking is will the 850 drive ok and be as reliable with parts etc , I am not interested in doing massive miles or long distances , but want it to be as reliable as possible . Also I believe the gearing may be different on the 850 so it may struggle up some steep hill ( where I live want to use the car is fairly hilly Spain ). Plus it may have to do some duel carriage way type roads with around an 60 min trip to the beach when wanted .

Or is it best just to get the best condition one I can find for the money and not really worry about the engine size ?

Thank you

 

[funky D]

My Q is not so much the spec of the different models and different countries , it more about the driving experience .

 

[jjad]

I think condition is the most important factor. But others on here will have more experience when it comes to engine differences.

 

[benchseat]

GTLs (1108cc) are faster. I got one up to my all-time R4 record of 87mph (140kph) — coming downhill, admittedly.

The gearing is higher, I think because the gearbox is the same as the 845cc but the final drive is different.

The difference in driving experience is that in 2018, I feel that my 845cc is barely fast enough for ordinary driving (even off the motorway). It will cruise at 55-60 mph but that is pretty well the upper limit with comfort, and that is frankly too slow for the UK. 1108cc will probably cruise at 65-70 mph but even this leaves little in reserve. But in Spain, overall speeds may be slower.

Steep hills in an 845cc : don't worry, it won't struggle but it will be quite slow as 1st gear is so low. I've had mine up a 25% gradient with no problems. But the engine cooling on an 845cc isn't quite so effective as the radiator is quite small. Could be relevant in Spain. Also some 1108s have disc front brakes (more powerful).

I reckon that 1108s have a flaw in that the cylinder head bolts are not very long. I believe this makes them more prone to head gasket failures.

Parts availability for LHD models is probably OK even at this late stage. I've never had any difficulty sourcing spares from France. Some of the exotica might be discontinued but all the basics seem still on offer.

As jjad says, condition is important. R4s are rust traps. Find the best one you can (there is also a 956cc model) in terms of underside condition. In Spain I'd guess there may be plenty of these around as the weather is better.

 

[Niels Svane]

I love my 845cc. I use it for everything, thus a lot of daily driving both in the city and on the highway here in Denmark.
Danes are really assholes in the traffic, but even in my little 4, everything just glides along.
I keep a steady 18,5 km per litre economy (98 octane), and tops out at 105-110 kmh. Keeping the ignition set correctly and nursed the 32mm carb. it accelerates quite ok, even with two people and luggage With drumbrakes in all corners and no servo-assistance I would have thought it needed a lot of distance to the car in front, but I still haven't tried any hairy situations, even when keeping 'normal' distance and following the traffic.
I like that a lot of people choose the 1100 version, thus I can have a more rare car at rallies

 

[Niels Svane]

Regarding parts I luckily have my "dealer" here in DK, which has everything (and also ships to europe). The radiator I swapped for a more efficient copper one, and if the cooling system is bleed totally of air, and pressurizes enough (mine doesn't at the moment), I can't see any problems.
On my recent trip to Germany and France we never got below 2. in the mountains, with a quite heavy laden car. 40 kmh in second was always possible.

I would choose a late 845cc with the larger valves and carb. (32mm) with accelerator pump. It is even possible to get a sportsmanifold and pipe (I'll let you know how it works when I get mine )