roadster heights

[Larry]

I was looking at the pictures that Alvin Gogineni posted the other day under 'Rollbar color opinions needed' and in picture 7 under ride heights his really nice roadster looks higher in the back then in the front.
My 68 roadster actually looks lower in the back.
The leaf springs that I have look like the bottom one in Alvins leaf spring picture [straight] . Is the leaf spring at the top of the picture the factory spring,and will it raise the rear the way I want? Is there another way to raise the rear?
I have p185/60r 14 tires and new KYB GR2 shoocks
Any input would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Larry
Sorry for being long winded

[SLOroadster]

Your rear springs might be sagging due to age. Or you might have the compititon springs. My car has the compititon springs and they actually arc up. Roadsters seem to be deceving in that the front end looks higher than it really is. One way to fix your problem is to install the front compitition coil springs that lower the front end by about 2 inches. What ever you do, do not swing the rear spring shackels down. It will result in a strange handling car.
Will

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[larry]

After looking at my springs again they arc up like Will mentioned .
I'm going to take your advice and get a new set of stock springs .
It's a good thing I asked because I was thinking about swinging the rear shackels down and I did not understand the difference between stock and compition springs.
Thanks for the input
Larry

[SLOroadster]

If you want a little more performance go with the leaf springs for a '66 or earlier 1600. They are slightly stiffer than the later springs but not as stiff as the comp springs. They have the stock arc to them (unlike the comp springs that are flat. If you pull your springs and they are flat you might have a set of comp springs, but I think you will find that they have an arc to them.) I am currently working on having some custom comp front springs made up, they are shorter than the comp springs but with a higher spring rate. My front springs have finially settled and now my car sits flat (unlike the picture where the back end looks lower than the front.)

Will

[S Allen]

Will,

That is not exactly true. The early leaf springs '66 and the like are more prone to sagging than say the later 68-69 rear leafs. If you can get your hands on a set of later leaf springs that is the way to go. The competition springs actually have a reverse bow in them and lower the car more than the stock leafs. I have seen many an early roadster with the reversed shackels. Almost every early roadster I have purchased has had the shackels installed reversed raising the backend up again. ..... springs get tired too! And as far as handling with the reversed shackels I found it to be not that big of deal on the race track. Your car gets a lot tougher work out going as fast as you can on a 3 mile circuit than it does as a daily driver. I have since put them on properly to lower my center of gravity but I never had any adverse handling effects from doing that. It is not the right way but if you are on a budget it works okay. I am not saying it is the right thing to do but it can be done.

Steve