JohnCh

My tastes are pretty varied: blues, rock, jazz, but if I had to listen to just one genre, this is the one. -John

I'd be willing to risk a border crossing for this -John

Have you done a tune up since you bought it? Tired air & fuel filters, distributor caps & rotors, and sparkplugs can all cost some power, as can ignition timing that is out of whack. -John

Skip, the photo was shamelessly stolen from here. There might be additional photos of it elsewhere on that site. -John

They make fantastic touring cars, so weekend getaways with the wife shouldn't be a problem. As for bringing the dogs...well, you wouldn't be the first http://www.warwickshire7s.co.uk/Resources/dogging-in-a-cat.jpeg -John

Back when I had a crossflow, I purchased a gear reduction starter from Dave Bean Engineering. As I recall it was about $175, but that was 8 or 9 years ago, so no idea if they still carry them or the current price. Probably worth a call... -John

Sounds like a great spec! It looks like you aren't using the Caterham Tillets. Are those the B1 or B2? -John

They have revealed the track map. More details here. http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/00530/elevationmap_530513c.jpg -John

I was a little suspect about TiresDirect.net given the really low prices, but a few forum searches turned up nothing but positive posts. I ordered my tires last month and they shipped within 24 hours. No complaints. -John

I bought my RA1s from http://www.tiresdirect.net. Great prices and good service. -John

Gert, My rear collector and secondaries are connected by spring clips, so some flex there, but the rear of the Raceco is rigidly mounted. No center/front support and no cracking issues in ~20k miles. -John

I should have clarified that the engine I bought from KRP was the euro version with 10.8:1 compression. Back then, there was no US 2.0L. -John

I know of some folks who have purchased their Duratecs through Craigslist and Ebay. I bought mine in late 2002 from Kansas Racing Products. At the time they received sweetheart deals from Ford on certain new engines and I was able to pick up a never fired 2.0 for $800. I don't think they do this any longer. -John

Thanks for the update Skip. I've been wondering how it's been going, but knew he didn't have cell or internet access. Really hate to hear about the damage, but sounds like it could have been worse. If Tom was just a couple of feet forward the bumper might have hit him. -John

Tom made it to Hollister without incident. Car is working and looking great and is ready to head out to the races in the morning. Here are a few photos to show you what you are missing. I'll try to post some se7en content tomorrow. http://john15.web.officelive.com/Documents/bug.jpg http://john15.web.officelive.com/Documents/f40s.jpg http://john15.web.officelive.com/Documents/elite.jpg http://john15.web.officelive.com/Documents/xj13.jpg -John

When I anticipate a rough day at work, I bring the Westfield provided there's no rain in the forecast. It helps keep me sane, and is probably directly responsible for the fact that I haven't yet become a heavy drinker and smoker -John

Tom, Concorso Italiano is the 13th BTW According to Autoweek, a scaled down version of the Carmel Concours is back on. Details here. -John

I run 4-point on both sides, but have Schroth's ASM belts which are the only 4-point system I trust. I had planned to add a sub-belt as well, but never got around to it. You can learn more about ASM and the Flexi-Belt here. In the photo below, I've circled the adjuster buckles in green so you can see where they sit. http://john15.web.officelive.com/Documents/belts.jpg -John

Gert, last I heard from Tom, he was planning to arrive midweek. I know he'll be there before Friday since we've already planned to hit Concorso Italiano that morning. I'll probably roll into town early Thursday afternoon. When is everyone else arriving? -John

I use Schroths with their Flexi-Belt option which allows you to change the belt configuration from pull-up to pull-down, and also move the position of the adjuster. My passenger lap belts are configured as pull-up since it is easier to adjust from outside the car – simply loosen them up before someone gets in and then once they're seated, pull up on the belts. I prefer the pull-down configuration for the driver’s side since the excess lap belts lay a little flatter (they are pointed in opposite directions, rather than towards each other as they do in pull-up mode). -John

I think that comment was made in reference to my old A032Rs. They were lousy when cold. The R888s, however, grip just as well when stone cold (48 degrees out and less than 1 mile of driving to generate heat) as my outgoing Toyo T1S in similar conditions, and grip much better when the road surface is warmer. On the street it's hard to generate significant heat in them, but they still offer a huge improvement in day-to-day driving. -John

Rule of thumb on the UK Westfield and Caterham forums is 185's all around if you have less than 200hp, and 205's out back if you have more than that. -John

I used 6500rpm on my crossflow. Some folks say 6000rpm is safer, but I never had any problems. -John

My car came in at 50.0/50.0 F/R with half a tank of fuel and no driver (no spare on the rear either). With 190lb of ballast in the driver's seat it came out at 46.9/53.1. -John

The Westfield FW400 used a Hewland transaxle, so it has been done before. I agree about the packaging issues, but I wouldn't mind a heavier rear balance in my car. Good for traction, good for braking. -John