JohnCh

I have started a new thread here that will serve as the single view of the truth for the timeline and need-to-know information for our move to the new hoster and forum platform. It will be updated with additional information as we get closer to the dates. -John

As Croc mentioned in this thread, we are moving the forum to a new hoster and onto a new platform. This will not only resolve many of the issues we have today with vBulletin, but will also improve the user experience. I have started this thread to keep everyone apprised of the timetable and what to expect over the next month. To ensure the information is easy to consume, any pertinent updates in this thread will be date stamped and added to this initial post to keep the need-to-know information in one place. This is a two hop migration: Sunday, 1/31 -- the current forum will move unchanged to the new hoster at approximately 7am PT/10am ET. This process will result in the forum temporarily going offline, but we are doing preparatory work to keep this downtime to under 2 hours. However, if we are unlucky, it could be down for up to 24 hours. After this migration is completed, you should notice zero difference to the current forum experience. We will still be on vBulletin with the same look and feel. The software and data will simply be hosted elsewhere. Sunday, 2/28 – move the forum from vBulletin to Invision. Due to the issues described in this post, the forum will likely be down all day and that outage could be bleed into Monday if there are problems. When the new forum comes back online, all existing threads, attachments, galleries, links, PMs, and User Profiles should move over intact. The Invision platform gives us a number of benefits, including a Downloads area, where we will host a number of files from the now defunct Birkin and WCM Yahoo groups, as well as fascinating technical files on the original Lotus 7 donated by SENC. We also have an Articles section which I will preload with help guides on how to use the new forum. Change is never easy, and some people deal with it better than others. Given this group drives cars that are based on a design over 60 years old, it’s safe to say that collectively we are probably on the change adverse end of the spectrum. We’ll need to get over that. More to follow in the coming weeks… UPDATE (1/24) dates revised above. We also have set up a Twitter account. If the site goes offline much longer than planned, we'll Tweet out the status to keep everyone apprised: @usa7sclub UPDATE (1/28) the date and time for the first migration hop has been updated above. Once that migration completes successfully, I will update the date and time of the second migration to the new forum. UDATE (1/31) The Migration has completed! Some of you will be able to access it sooner than others due to DNS replication, but it's already working for me, which is a good sign. If you experience any new problems with the forum, please report them on this thread so we can track them. UPDATE (2/1) as per this post, I've updated the date for the second hop of the migration as well as the expected downtime. UPDATE (2/9) Although your avatars/profile photos should move over, the size has changed and it may no longer look right. In preparation for the move, I recommend updating your avatar so it is square (it will crop a rectangular photo to square, which will result in lopping off part of the long dimension). The new max dimensions are bigger than on vBulletin at 170 x 170px and 490kb. UPDATE (2/13) As per post #59, due to weather issues, we are delaying the migration to next Sunday the 21st. UPDATE (2/19) As per post #62, we are delaying the migration a week to Sunday the 28th. -John

Some other things that affect sound: The silencer material. Stainless steel, titanium, carbon fiber, and mild steel all sound different when they resonate. Cams. My Duratec has gone through three sets: stock, Kent DTEC10 and Kent DTEC20. The sound has changed each time. AFR. If the tune is on the richer end vs. leaner end, the sound tends to be a little more baritone. Even if the engines are identical down to the last detail, the recording and playback change will have an affect. In addition to microphone position as Croc points out, the microphone itself imparts a sonic signature, which is why many producers and musicians have their personal favorites. Also, try listening to the playback through your devices speakers then through high quality headphones. There will be a difference. Here is a Duratec with the DTEC20 cams and the microphone located near my left hip, so closer to the intake than the exhaust. And yes, crossflows do sound best :-) -John

Welcome back! The image issue is likely due to file size. Please see this how-to topic in the help section and PM me if that doesn't fix it. http://www.usa7s.net/vb/showthread.php?12996-Posting-photos-Process-amp-FAQ Thanks, John

Different people will have different opinions on this subject, so you need to go with whatever makes the most sense to you. Having owned two small cars in black (e36 M Coupe) and silver (NA Miata) and two very small cars in red (Westfield) and screaming yellow (Elan), I would never buy something in the latter category that wasn't close to eye searing in color. I've had more people do dumb things around the black and silver cars than around the red and yellow variants. I also find that I spot brightly colored cars more quickly when I'm behind the wheel. Now if there was quantitative data that a red or yellow car was measurably safer than a black or silver vehicle, I suspect my insurance company would have different rates based on the color. Since they don't, my assumption is the collision frequency difference isn't substantial. Regardless, I'm more comfortable in a small car when its color is anything but subtle. As lucky dawg writes, running with headlights at all times is a smart approach for any se7en. -John

The Westfield Mega S2000 and Superformance S1 are both pretty rare in the US, yet there is someone in AZ who owns both. He's put together this short comparison video and has promised more detailed reviews of each in the future. -John

Great video! I'd love to see some more photos of the car when you get a chance. -John

They look like the earlier version of the Intatrim Odyssey. Current model is very similarly shaped, but the slots for the harnesses are handled differently. -John

I just received a cease and desist order from his attorneys, so it looks like the deCrocification tool was a use-once piece of software. SENC, you have a PM incoming. -John

Kind of. It has a native de-Crocification tool that removes sarcasm, non PC comments, and obvious HR violations from his posts. As a test, we ran the initial version of what he wrote above through the tool which converted it to what you now see. I will admit, the original version was more amusing (and even mentioned you by name), but...well, progress. -John

Selfishly, I would like to see us using more modern software, with fewer bugs that leave me screaming at the computer "why the f&*# did that happen? why??" and that has a better interface for how people like to use the forum; easily upload photos to posts whether from an image hosting service or from your device, simple youtube uploads, a mobile interface that accommodates the much smaller screen size, far more intuitive galleries (how many of you even know we have galleries now?), places to host and manage articles, etc. It's not perfect, and some people will have a knee-jerk reaction that they don't like it simply because it's different, but I think this is a case, where different creates a significantly better user experience. I'll put together some simple user guides before launch to speed up the learning process and ease the transition. The new software even has a native support ticket system. Having an issue posting something or paying for club membership? Simply open a ticket in that relevant area and you immediately go into a queue where your issue is addressed. No more trying to figure out who to email or PM, or taking a tangent in an existing thread to express your understandable frustration with no clue if I've actually seen it. This will also provide analytics to highlight any problem areas we can address through feature changes, or how-to articles. It's a modern forum for old school car owners. BTW If anyone here uses the WSCC or OZClubbies forum, you are familiar with the Invision Platform. Prior to making the decision on which way to go, we did significant research on the major players and felt this option gives us the best package for the future. We hope to work through the migration timeline over the next couple of weeks and will give plenty of notice before the switch occurs. -John

I haven't come across that issue before in my research. Is it possible the lean running is due to the engine ingesting hot air, rather than injector location? Thanks, John

Another option is to use Torx or Torx Plus head fasteners. They take more torque and repetitive fastening without rounding than hex or Phillips head alternatives. -John

Thanks, I hadn't considered the increase mass for that 4" column of air and how that could impact pulse tuning. Without doing the math (any volunteers?) it doesn't seem like it would alter the effective length of the runner a significant amount. By any chance have you played around with this on a dyno and have any numbers you could share? Thanks, John

A 1000+ drive mile home in spotty weather is proof those 8 years were well spent! As others have said great first post and great first drive. -John

After consuming several hours of Croc's video consulting time earlier this year, I eventually opted for the DJI. I didn't need the overlays of the Garmin (that's a very cool feature for track videos), preferred the DJI's less bulky setup for an external microphone, and liked the second screen on the front of the camera to help positioning from the driver's seat. No regrets. -John

Thanks repsna. CarlB, somehow I missed your earlier reply. I didn't want to muddy this conversation from the outset by bringing up that option, but it is something I'm considering and was the impetus for my initial post. If people with real world experience had said they found a benefit at the top end from moving the injector to the TB, but there was a noticeable change to the drivability around town, then I was planning to go the dual injector route. Yes, it would be overkill for my setup, but sometimes I like overkill. Also, there is a chance I may have a new engine loom made, so I this could be done as part of that process. Thanks, John

Some bugs? SOME?? I wish that was the case. :jester: Yes, a picture would be great. Also considering posting an introduction in the So, tell us a little about yourselves thread. -John

Thanks. From what I've read, the effect from mounting in the TB is most pronounced over 7000rpm. Not sure if that's accurate, but my engine does rev to 8000+, so if true, there may be benefit for my installation. Did you notice any degradation to idle, low rpm running, or throttle response when the injectors were mounted in the TB? Thanks, John

Sorry Christopher, we've had some very random issues where the backend software doesn't properly apply the user group rules. We are working on a fix. -John

Croc, does this mean the ease and willingness to pay on a claim by Hagerty may vary by the state where the policy is issued, or does Hagerty control those decisions regardless of the state issued insurance company behind a specific policy? Thanks, John

Thanks Repsna, did you run the injectors in either the Roller Barrel or ITB before settling on the head mount? Thanks, John

Because the last few posts have gone off topic, I'm removing them so we can focus on this beautiful 420S that's for sale. Thanks, John

Thanks Snig. Micromike, please see PM I just sent. Thanks, John

Beautiful car! What is the spec of the Duratec? BTW looks like the link provided by Imgur was missing the file extension, so adding that and embedding the photo here. -John