JohnCh

Schroth has patented a technology called ASM which adds an additional level of safety to a 4-point set up. A fold is stitched into the inner shoulder harness that artificially shortens the belt. In a collision, the stitching breaks lengthening the harness and causing the body to twist as it is propelled forward. Schroth claims this twisting motion tightens the lap belt bellow the hip and prevents the torso from sliding beneath it. It has been blessed for road use by the German TUV and seems to get good feedback all around. The youtube video below shows it in action compared to a traditional 3-point. -John

So New Zealand offers: - very affordable se7ens - great roads - beautiful scenery - friendly people How hard is immigration from the US? -John

What does Caterham charge for the various installation packages for the Duratec?

Several years ago I tried to start a North American Westfield Registry in an effort to keep track of Westfields in the US & Canada. Thanks to some issues on my side, it didn't really go anywhere, but I am going to give it another shot. If you own a Westfield (SE, XI, XTR2/4, et al) and are interested in participating, then please go here for more information. Thanks, John

Looks great Mazda! Dare I ask the ETA for getting the beast back on the road? -John

If I was planning to use the car mainly on track, then I would be very tempted by a BEC. The light weight, sky high revs, lack of reciprocating mass, and the sequential gearbox are at home in that environment. If, however, I was planning to use the car quite a bit on the street, then I’d go for the Duratec. Which is exactly what I did. The 2.0L and 2.3L share the same head and bore dimensions, but differ in stroke length and block height (the 2.3L is about 14mm taller.) 250hp is easily, although not cheaply, achievable in either configuration. As you would expect, the smaller engine makes power with revs, whereas the stroked version relies on big gobs of torque. I currently have a 210hp 2.0L Duratec and love it. I wish it was a bit more frantic up top, but the broad torque curve is pretty compelling. With my gearing, 7500rpm in 3rd is 102mph – so not particularly short – yet starting in 3rd from a dead stop isn’t a problem and still results in strong acceleration. -John

Hank, Fluke Motorsports carries them for Westfields, but they refer to them as half doors, not quarter doors. I believe there are other firms who also sell them for our cars. Just do a search for "half doors" on WSCC. -John

Jerry, User CP is your friend. Click that, then Edit Options in left hand navigation and scroll down to the Thread Display Options section. There is a drop down box that will let you change how the threads are displayed. -John

Avatar fixed! Thanks, John

Nice looking car! How does the size of the BMW box compare to the Type 9? Also, how do you like the Siltech ARBs? I've been toying with buying those for a while. Thanks, John

I didn't mean the avatars didn't migrate. I was referring to the bug discovered in testing where the Edit Avatar option in the User CP didn't give an option to actually use an avatar. I guess the fix you made didn't carry over when you wiped the test site.

Mazda, thanks again for all your hard work! Everything looks great, but I see the Avatar bug is back. BTW helpful hint for folks: The default editor doesn’t show the buttons to insert images, hyperlinks, or emoticons. To have those options display when you are writing a post, do the following: User CP>Edit Options (in left hand navigation)>Miscellaneous Options (bottom of the page)>change drop box from “Basic Editor – a simple text box” to “Standard Editor – Extra formatting controls” -John

Hank, Why don’t’ you tackle this yourself? If you are just extending the loom and tapping in a few components it isn’t that hard. I built the engine loom for my Emerald with no prior experience and it is about 4 years old and still going strong (I should know better than to tempt fate by writing that :banghead: ). I’m sure there are folks here who can steer you through the process. -John

Gert, Before I switched to 13” wheels with R888s, I used the Toyo T1s. The T1R is the replacement for that tire, and by all accounts performance is very similar. I think it is a great tire for a se7en given the criteria you set forth. As you noted, they are pretty light, and they also have a softer sidewall than most performance tires which is a good thing on such a light car. Wear rates are great and they do very well in standing water. In fact I have kept my wheels fitted with those tires and plan to use them when touring. -John

Happy to give it a go. I’m currently running IE8 RC1 which does have some problems with certain implementations of Vbulletin. It might be useful if people who volunteer also mention their browser type so we can attempt to cover all the bases. -John

You might want to take a closer look at a Westfield. They now have a version based on a donor Miata, so it is easier to source parts locally, and you can turn to Flyin Miata in CO for speed parts. Interior room falls between the Caterham S3 and SV, and like those cars, a dropped floor is available for taller drivers. -John

I think that's me Supersportsp, the offer still stands to come by some weekend and try my car on for size. Although you'll find the Westfield noticeably roomier than a Caterham S3 or Birkin, you should still fit in the latter cars just fine, particularly if you opt for the lowered floor. It's amazing what the body will adjust to after a little familiarity. Kind of like driving a car with bottom hinged pedals - at first they just seem wrong, but after a while you don’t even notice it. -John

Even the puddle underneath the car looks period correct

That's correct. The Westfield has quite a bit more shoulder and foot room than a standard 7 or Birkin, but it isn't quite as roomy as the SV. -John

Jay Leno’s weekly videos from his garage are always worth watching, but this week’s production on the Delahaye 135 S hits a little closer to home than usual. If you think a se7en is hard to get into, then you have to watch Jay struggle to get behind the wheel of this French GP car. For those who require immediate gratification, or who just don’t care for Delahayes, the ingress procedure begins with about 2:55 remaining on the counter. -John

Daniel Stern has a detailed writeup on the procedure in the tech section of his site. -John

Send your friend to The Garage Journal and tell him to spend some time going through the Flooring forum. There is a lot of great information there. I used the Rustoleum 2-part epoxy on our garage floor over 5 years ago and it has held up extremely well. From what I have read, there are much better options out there today, but regardless of the brand selected, proper prep is the key to a long lasting coating. -John

Not sure they will fit!

I'm looking forward to seeing a picture of those guys towering over the Megabusa. -John

There was another thread earlier this year (Best Seven picture ever?) that contains a lot of great photos. Some of those are definitely worthy of consideration for a club calendar. -John