JohnCh

Hi @Vovchandr the issue with attachment space is that your paid Club Member status expired last week, so your limits went from 500MB to 100MB but you have uploaded over 135MB. I'll look into the numbers later and see if we can afford to raise the limits a bit for each group. BTW the dashboard shows that you are about to hit your PM limit of 50 (it was 500 with your old status) so you may want to delete unneeded messages. Thanks, John

@MV8 and @Anaximander, I think you two are on the same page but misinterpreting each other's comments. I believe Anaximander's sad emoji was meant to reflect sadness that the buyer is showing remorse and may not keep the car (I agree, an unwanted se7en is a sad thing), whereas MV8 is interpreting it as a comment that he thinks it's okay to back out on a deal (which he does not). If I'm incorrect, then have at it, otherwise, perhaps have a virtual beer together. -John

Since it looks like Greg is away for a bit and I was there for some of the troubleshooting last weekend, I will address this. We used a spark tester that plugs into a coil in place of the sparkplug and visibly sparks when the coil is triggered as the engine cranks. When put on the end of the #2 coil, there was no spark When put on the end of the #1 coil, there was spark Plugging the #2 coil into the connector for #1, we again saw sparks, indicating the #2 coil itself was operating as expected. Plugging the #1 coil into the connector for #2 and there was no spark From the above, we concluded that the issue was with either the ECU (ignition driver for #2) or the wiring for #2. -John

I was able to spit the topic and create a new thread called "Cooling Issues" in the General Tech forum. -John

@Pokey I have new crank and cam sensors you can borrow. They are currently installed on the 2.4L on the engine stand in my garage. -John

Very cool and car looks great! The rest of that video is also worth watching. Fascinating to hear Probst walk through the lap like that. -John

Unfortunately, I can't make it this year, but please post a few pictures if you have time. There is usually a decent assortment of sevens in attendance. Thanks, John

Yes, I opted for that upgrade, but I did draw the line at the $1250 car cover and $950 shower cap/poncho. Even a Powerball winner needs to be a little prudent in today's economy. -John

For fun -- and because I have no life -- I just went through the option list and went a little crazy, adding nearly $140k in upgrades. Assuming there is no upcharge for the options on US cars, that means I specced a $380k Donkervoort. One Powerball win may not be enough. -John

After checking out their options list with the Euro prices, I think a pretty sizable Powerball jackpot may be necessary. https://www.donkervoort.com/media/DKV-Donkervoort-GTO-Upgrade-List-2022.pdf -John

For those who missed the news, Donkervoort is officially coming to the US. With a claimed sub 1500lb weight and 400+hp Audi 2.5L turbo engine it should be reasonably rapid. And for those of you who shudder at the price of a new Caterham, look away before I mention the price before options...$240k. More here in the Autoblog article. -John

I'm not sure if this will work for your situation, but I stow the side curtains in a form fitting bag I made from ripstop nylon then slide it behind the passenger seat when travelling solo, or sideways behind both seats when carrying a passenger (it fouls the passenger-side shoulder harnesses when located vertically behind that seat). I also carry a half hood, stow clothing in space saver bags, and carry a locking car cover (fits in front of the seat under my knees) to keep the inside dry overnight, and prevent prying eyes and stop knuckleheads from sitting in the car when parked at the hotel. Oh, and carry a few absorbent towels just in case. Sitting in a puddle of water does not make for a good look. -John

You'll need written permission from at least two Elan owners and will need to carry that in your car along with your registration in case you are pulled over by the Lotus police. @SENC and I are happy to provide that authorization for you. -John

The fact that the boot locks is a nice touch. I plan to do something similar with my Caterham. I'll cover that in the build thread once I get to that point. BTW one trick we learned on USA2005 is to pack your clothes in space saver bags. They feature a one-way valve that allows you to roll out all the air and compress the clothing. It keeps them wrinkle free, significantly reduces space requirements, and will keep them dry if you are driving a Caterham...in the rain...with a half hood I also pack a very thin duffle bag in the boot and use it to transport the space saver bags into the hotel each night. -John

Colorado thunderstorm that was bad enough I had to pull off the freeway because I could no longer see the edges of my lane. There have been other healthy rainstorms on tours, but that one was pretty epic. The boot contents have always stayed dry, but the Westfield is configured differently in that area than the Caterham. -John

Interesting. That doesn't match my experience, but we may have different definitions of good enough. I've used the half hood with side curtains in torrential thunderstorms and hail while touring with very good effect. No, it's not as good as the full hood, but it's effective enough that it's all I've used since 2004. -John

Let me rewrite part of my original post without the sarcasm and in a more helpful tone: I've heard from some who have used the umbrella that they prefer their half hood. It isn't much more effort to install and does a better job in the rain (no water dripping all over you or into the cockpit when you remove it to get in) and has the added benefit of being useful when driving. Of course, it doesn't look as cool at a car show, but something to consider if your primary concern is protection. -John

Westfield offered one through their parts department until recently when they went into administration. Not sure of their source, but these photos will give a better idea of the design. Personally, I'd rather a half hood. Not as cutesy for car shows, or offering quite as much sun protection when parked, but better protection from rain, is still easy to stow, and can be used while under way. -John

This is 3.90. I believe Birkin uses a Subaru rear diff vs. the Sierra diff installed on Westfields and older Caterhams (they moved to BMW diffs when the Sierra supply started to dry up). I have no idea what options are available for the Subaru unit. -John

I have the BGH E2 HD gearbox with a 3.62 rear end and 205/60-13 tires. Using the same 8000rpm limit as you do with your engine, my speed in gears are as follows (and no, it won't hit 8000 rpm in 4th or 5th ) Your 225/45/15 tires are only 1.3% bigger in circumference than my tires, so inconsequential. Happy to plug any information you have into my calculator so you can compare. -John

That's good information for people to have. A <20% surcharge to have exactly what you want and avoid any shipping/customs/fit issues seems like very good value. Cheers, John

That helps! I just looked up the Quaife gearset and they have some pretty extreme options as shown here. -John

That's a beefy cage! Glad it worked out for you. I'm curious, how did the price for a custom cage compare with the price of the Caterham cage plus international shipping? Were they reasonably close or did the custom cage land you in a very different price bracket? Thanks, John

BGH has a few different ratios available that can be viewed here. First gear options are 2.98 (what I have in my BGH box), 2.83, 2.75, or 2.66. I've never heard of a 2.37 in a Type-9 before, but my math matches MV8's. Are you sure the diff ratio is 3.90? -John

Glad I included my caveat. I think spitfun would kill me if he had to keep up his end of the bargain when you had already made the change Now back to this thread about spitfun's car and (hopefully) more positive comments. -John