The PAS that Nigel refers to is I guess the modern electric job. The PAS that Mark is asking about is presumably the hydraulic ZF system fitted I believe as standard to TF's and available as an option on TE's. I quote from p771 of Autocar dated 16/10/64, "Alvis are to offer ZF power steering as an optional extra on their 1965 models.........the additional cost will be £121 inc pt ", there then follows a glowing description of how it works ,a drawing ,& concluding that it provides a satisfactory degree of "feel"through the steering range. My TE had this system retrofitted by RT in August 1967 at the cost of £375 this is recorded as being order no R0001! on the invoice.The original owner had asked the Alvis factory about doing the job in May, he was politely stalled by D Michie the service manager who wrote that they could not do this work immediately "arising out of the formation of the British Leyland Motor Corporation". I think the ZF system is great,there are a few drips,you can get interesting hydraulic kickback if you engage in rapid changes of direction (timed driving tests),caused I guess by you turning the wheel faster than the spool valves can dump fluid and the best bit is the yelp from the drive belt at low revs, this gets tardy pedestrians out the way. Posted by Peter Martin 01/12/2013 16:02:06
