JohnCh
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Everything posted by JohnCh
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@Vovchandrwould do a great job! Here is the route book from the 4-day tour I mentioned above to get you started. It was based on the USA2005 route book and will give you an idea of things to think through during the planning process. -John NorCal 2008 Route Book - 0830 no euii.pdf -
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Finish 2.4L Duratec Build my incoming Caterham Sell the 420R engine and all the other kit parts I don't need Register Caterham Sell Westfield (although I may delay this until 2023) Blat, blat, blat! -John
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40 amps is pretty common in these cars. I've had a Denso 40 amp fitted since 2004. With halogen headlights and big SPAL fan both running when idling, the volts drop a bit, but not enough to cause issues. The volt gauge returns to normal levels as soon as the revs rise. In addition to having the alternator checked, it's always a good idea to clean the major grounding points. -John
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I tell people factory-built cars are available in other countries, but the only way to get one legally in the US is in component form. I try to avoid the term kit car since many people still associate that term with the old VW-based kits which then leads to the question "So it's a Beetle?" As for queries on price, my default response is "more than my wife thinks." That usually stops the conversation, particularly when she is standing next to me. -John -
That's a nice feature. Is there a similar bracket on the rear of the chassis, or are you only expected to go off the road backwards? -John
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@SENCI don't think the Invision platform supports that, but I'll look into it. Unfortunately, images inserted into a post are handled very differently on the backend than those inserted into a gallery, creating its own set of problems. A big one is that unlike a post, gallery uploads are not resized to reduce storage requirements (and for posts, reduce page load times.) That means we either have to implement small file size requirements for gallery uploads, requiring people to resize images before they upload them, or we have to limit the number of images per person. There is a long standing ask for Invision to change this and give admins the option to auto-resize gallery images, but nothing yet. -John
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@VovchandrAll it takes are a few people willing to invest the time necessary to handle the myriad of logistics and a sufficient number of people with se7ens who are willing to commit the time and money to attend; both of which are easier said than done. Speaking from experience, odds and planning difficulty are inversely proportional to the number of cars committing. Biggest tour I planned spanned 5 nights and 4 driving days with 9 cars committing and 2 dropping out at the last minute. I can't imagine the effort required for anything bigger. Something at the USA2005 scale is off the charts difficult.
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Version 1.0.0
84 downloads
Caterham Assembly guide from October 1988 -
Sorry @Croc it looks like your account may have been infected with a virus during last night's upgrade. -John
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Should be working now. It looks like the global settings were being overridden by conflicting settings buried within some user groups.
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It's a user setting that provides album owners with a level of control. Please see the help article on albums. -John
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I'm sure many of you are wondering what happened to the home page layout. After prompting from @Vovchandrto better expose the gallery functionality, I've implemented a way that doesn't involve custom code but does come at the expense of pushing the list of forums further down the page. To offset this, feeds were added to the right that highlight new topics, popular topics and new downloads. There are no changes to navigation or Activity Streams, so any links in your favorites that go directly to an Activity Stream will continue to work unchanged. I'll do a poll in a couple of weeks to gauge opinions once everyone has lived with it for a bit. If people hate it, we'll revert, if people like it, it will stay. Below is a brief description of each feed. Simply click on an image or post within a feed to access it directly. 1) Rotating image feed displays up to 30 random images from the Gallery. The feed is refreshed with a new group of images each time you visit or reload the page. 2) Newest Topics - displays the 5 newest topics on the forum. 3) Popular Topics - displays the 5 topics with the highest post count. 4) Newest Files in Downloads - displays the 5 most recently uploaded files to the Downloads section. Note: if you are viewing the forum on a mobile device, feeds 2, 3, and 4 will appear below the list of forums to maintain readability of that section. -John
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Every forum member can share their photos in the Members Album located in the USA7s Gallery. You may do so either directly or by creating an Album associated with your account. Paid Club Members may create up to 3 albums and upload images as large as 6mb. Registered Users thresholds are 1 Album and up to 3mb per image. To add an image to the Members Gallery, click the + Create button at the top right of any page, then select Gallery Image from the drop down. On the next screen, click Select then choose Member Albums and follow the prompts to add images to either a new album, your existing album(s) or directly to the Members Gallery. When creating a new album, you have the option to allow comments and ratings for the images it contains. You can change this at any time by going to the album, clicking Manage album then edit. To view the album of a specific member, or to view your own album(s), visit the user's Profile page, then click the Albums tab. To access all the images within an album, click on either the album title or one of the preview images from that album.
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thanks @anduril3019 and @coffee break @Vovchandr numbers are essentially flat over the past year. Stay tuned for a survey. Hoping it comes reasonably soon, but given supply chain issues... -John
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I appreciate the input and wish others were as vocal as you have been over the past two years, so we have a broader view of what people want (hence the survey I mentioned.) I may be a little sensitive to the gallery suggestions since you have made them many times before and I'm running out of ways to say "I hear you, but..." Sorry about that. Bottom line, the forum is in a much better state than it was 11 months ago, but it can be so much better. I just want to ensure we are thoughtful about any changes and start with the objectives, then map the features/changes to those objectives. Without that, it's difficult to prioritize between them and the result is a lot of activity, yet the underlying metrics we are trying to achieve are unchanged. Simple example: if a key objective is to increase engagement in the forum, key metrics to support it might be 1) number of new threads/month, 2) number of posts/thread, and 3) number of posts/member/month. There is a funnel view for this that starts with visits to the forum, progresses to conversions of these guests to Registered Users, then into the 3 metrics above. If a feature improves the visits, but the conversion from guest to registered is unchanged, did that feature make an improvement that we care really about? Conversely, if the objective is eyeballs and people prefer viewing images to reading posts, prioritizing any features that support forum engagement would be questionable effort. The examples above contain some hyperbole, and shouldn't be taken as absolute, but it's the best I can do while multi-tasking in a meeting As a next step, I'd like to explicitly identify our objectives, the metrics that reflect achievement of those objectives, then identify the features/changes that support those metrics, ideally in a way that allows us to measure any correlation. It's going from strategy to tactics to quantifiable proof of success or failure. -John
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@Vovchandr I wouldn't expect people to click a text link that simply reads Text Link. You need to compare apples-to-apples or the data is useless. Having a graphic that reads "Win a Caterham" then comparing click through rates to a text link that reads "Win a Caterham" is the correct methodology. For a text link to work, it needs to be descriptive. As for Facebook, again, apples-to-apples. A forum feed is never going to have as much new information over a 3-day period as a FB feed that spans dozens of pages a person may follow. There is a significant scale difference. That said, I hear you, and we are thinking about additional functionality, but I am not adding functionality that increases overhead. That means no custom code, and only plug ins that have strong user feedback. I need to go through a test matrix every time the software is updated which can happen monthly. One reason we have stability is we only have one plug in that is at risk from these updates. It has a large user base with a long track record of not breaking and was thoroughly vetted. @croc and I are thinking about running a survey to get feedback from our broader community to understand potential changes that would drive engagement. This isn't a revenue generating forum where capturing eyeballs is the objective. The reason I'm here, and the reason I volunteered to take over admin duties from Mazda is because it's a valuable resource and pleasant place to hang out for people who are interested or own Se7ens; it's the combination of the people and the knowledge base we've collectively created. Provided other members feel the same, I'd like to pursue improvements that help us take those benefits to the next level. If having a rotating image gallery at the top of the forum is what the broader group wants, then we can pursue that. Thanks, John
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Both good ideas, but as soon as we start doing customization, things get very difficult to manage and someone else would need to take over. The reason we went with this software is it gave us a ton of reliable functionality out of the box. Now that we are 11 months in with no issues, I may be able to add a little more native functionality as time allows. As you are aware, this is volunteer work for me, and I have to balance time invested with my day job and personal commitments. -John
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I've tried to make the site intuitive, and self-help enabled, but there is always room for improvement. As for the Community Map, yes, it's being used, but I'd love to see more people take advantage of the feature. And if you are reading this but haven't put yourself on the map, see the dedicated Help Guide which even contains tips for maintaining your privacy -John
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Have you tried this style of ball joint separator? I used this one from HF on a particularly stubborn set of front ball joints on a 993. I cranked it down really hard on the first one until I feared something would break, then let it sit in place while I prayed to various deities. After about a minute, there was an unholy bang and the ball joint popped out. The tool created enough force on the other ball joint that it actually bent the threaded end which then had to be removed with a cutoff wheel. -John
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I've updated the top-level navigation to include a direct link to the Help Guides and also created new help guide articles pulled from the FAQ to increase discoverability for common issues. If you are having trouble figuring out how to do something on the forum or why something isn't working as you expect (e.g. How do I upload a photo? Why is my photo upside down? Why can't I send a PM?) please check the Help Guides first. Most issues mentioned in threads or via direct message to me are covered there and using them will result in much faster resolution for you. If the issue isn't covered there, then please don't hesitate to contact me so I can address. Thanks, John
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The following are taken from the FAQ and answer the most common questions about Private Messaging on the forum (PM). How do I Private Message (PM) someone? This are four ways to initiate a PM: Click the envelope icon at the top right of any page, then Compose New button. From a thread, click their username or avatar to access their profile page, then click the Message button at the bottom middle of their cover photo. If you don't want to leave a thread you are currently reading, rather than click on their username or avatar, simply hover the cursor over either one. This will generate a popup window with summary profile information. Click on Message in lower left corner of popup Go to your inbox and click the Compose New button. How do I reply to a PM when I receive a Notification email for that PM? First, do not reply to that Notification email. It will not go back to the person who PM'd you, rather it will go to default email box that sends these notifications. Instead, click the blue button in the email that states Read full message which will take you directly to the PM. Alternatively, you may go to your Forum inbox and click on the message. How do I access my Inbox for Private Messages (PM)? Click the envelope icon at the top right of any page to open the preview window for your inbox. At the bottom of that preview window click on Go to inbox. Why can’t I send a Private Message (PM)? If you are unable to send a PM, either your inbox or the Inbox of the person you are trying to reach is full. When attempting to send a PM to a user whose Inbox is full, you will see an error message in red text under the To field stating "<user> cannot receive messages." If, however, you click Send and nothing happens, then your Inbox is likely full. To check, look for the fill bar at the upper right corner of your Inbox. If it shows you still have space, then please open a support ticket. If it shows you are at 100% as per the screenshot below, you will need to delete messages from your Inbox. Inbox storage limits are 50 messages for Registered Users, and 500 messages for Paid Club Members.
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The following are taken from the FAQ and answer the most common questions about creating, editing, and deleting your posts. How do I insert an image from my device to my post? You can either drag file to the bottom of the editor box, or click choose files from that same location and find the image on your device. Uploaded images are limited to no more than 20MB. You may upload multiple images per post, but please try to limit this to no more than 5 images to aid readability and keep page length in check. How do I insert an image or embed a video hosted elsewhere? Simply get the URL of the image or video and paste it in the editor box. The software will automatically embed it. Images must be hosted on a secure site (URL starts with https not http.) Special note for users of Microsoft’s Edge browser: The January 2020 release of Edge will by default paste the image or video title rather than the URL address. The workaround to this behavior is to right click > Paste as > Plain text. Why does my photo appear upside down on the forum but right-side up elsewhere? Short answer is because your phone was upside down when you took the picture. Your phone logs meta data in the photo indicating which direction you intended as up. Unfortunately, this information isn't always transferred correctly when a photo is uploaded or emailed, and further, some source systems simply don't know how to read the orientation data. To fix this open your photo in your editing software of choice and rotate the photo at least one full revolution, then save and upload it to the forum. This works most of the time. If your photo is the exception, a quick hack is to use the Snipping tool in Windows to take a screenshot of the photo while it is right side up, then save and upload this new image to the forum. How do I take a photo with my phone right side up? In portrait mode, the lens should be at the top of the phone. In landscape mode, the lens should be at the upper left corner. How do I quote a single post? Simply click on the word Quote below the post you wish to quote (do not click the Plus sign to its left). That post will then appear in a light blue box within the editor box at the bottom of the page. If you only wish to only quote part of a post, you can click inside the blue box and remove the unwanted portion. Next, type your reply in the white section of the editor box. immediately below the quoted blue section. However, do not type in the blue box or your text will appear as if it's part of the post you are quoting. Note: if you are color blind, the light blue box may be a little difficult to differentiate. Fortunately, the blinking text cursor automatically defaults to the area below the blue quote box, so pay attention to where that sits before clicking your mouse and moving the cursor. How do I quote a portion of a post? Click into the post, then drag your mouse to highlight the desired portion. When you release the mouse button, a small "Quote selection" button will appear immediately below. Click that and the highlighted portion of the post will appear in the editor box as described in the instructions above for quoting a single post. How do I quote multiple posts? Click on the Plus symbol next to the word Quote below each of the posts you wish to quote. Once you all the posts are selected, click on the little window that appears in the lower right of the page that shows the number of posts you have quoted. Each quoted post will then appear in their own blue boxes within the editor box at the bottom of the page. Follow the instructions for editing the quotes and posting your response explained in How do I quote a single post? in the FAQ question immediately above this one. How do I preview my post before submitting it? Simply click on the last icon in the editor box (shown circled in red below) How do I edit my post? Click the ellipse in the upper right hand corner of your post (shown circled in red below), then select Edit. Make your changes then click the Edit Topic button. Posts can only be edited within the first 24 hours after submission. If you are past that window and really, really, really need to make an edit, please open a Support Request for assistance. How do I delete my post? Deletion can only be performed by an Administrator, however, you can edit your post within the first 24 hours and remove the content. If there is a reason this is not sufficient, please open a Support Request for further assistance.
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@John B I've looked at your Hasselgren 2.4L thread on more than one occasion From the dyno picture, it looks like you're using shorter air horns with the roller TBs to keep everything under the bonnet. Is that correct? Once the Caterham is done, it will go on a chassis dyno. 270hp should be more achievable based on the spec, but initially the stock 420R exhaust will likely cap the fun below 260hp. My plan is to drive the car in what I'm referring to as restrained-mode for a while and see how it goes. If I'm scaring myself silly, then I'll leave things as-is. If not, then I'll explore longer air horns with a through bonnet filter and/or a custom exhaust manifold and Raceco exhaust. I received the following message last night from the shop doing my head: "I just finished the last of the flow testing tonight after a few days of trying to pull out some reasonable gains without getting carried away, and I am happy to tell you it was worth it! You should easily meet your performance target and everything is coming together well." It sounds like it will arrive here next week. The next hang up is the mechanical timing chain tensioner which is still dragging from Raceline. I spoke to Peter again this morning who promised to get something sorted soon. -John
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There are a few companies that make self-cancelling electronics. I've used one from Cadent for many years (17?) on my car. Works great, but they stopped selling to the public to focus on OEM business. Signal Dynamics make one for motorcycles and BlinkSTOP in the UK makes a unit that's been wildly popular in Westfield circles for well over 10 years. It is configurable to work with either the classic ON-OFF-ON toggle switch or a momentary pushbutton or rocker. I'm going for this one on my new build. However, for a genuine Lotus Seven, there is a cool factor with the mechanical timers that's tough to beat. -John
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The replacement main bolts arrived from Esslinger yesterday and went in this morning. The sump pan now fits correctly and is installed along with the oil pump. After taking care of that, I swung by Beachman Racing to pick up some of the parts I've ordered for my custom dash setup. While there, I had the opportunity to see a Caterham with the new rear LEDs installed. To my eye, they look better in person. The big surprise though was the new reversing light built into the same fixture that houses the license plate light. Insanely bright! It will be hard for someone to miss when backing out of a parking space. -John
