JohnCh

Are you sure it's metric and not standard? 9/16" is pretty close to 14mm. Definitely pick up a thread gauge as that will give you the definitive answer. -John

Toyo states that 6" is the preferred wheel width for the 205/60-13 R888 and RA1. I checked with them before buying my wheels back in 2012 and they confirmed this recommendation. Given they do recommend wider wheels for 205/50 and wider still for 205/45, there is likely something about the 60 profile that works better with the narrower rim. Having run both tires, I prefer the RA1 to the R888 for road use. The RA1 has a 10% softer sidewall -- better for a very light car like a se7en -- and I found it more forgiving when pushed. That's not to say the R888 isn't a forgiving tire, but on my car the RA1 feels more playful in the corners, and hence, more fun. I can't comment on lap times differences since my car is used exclusively on the street and back roads. I also don't have experience with either tire in standing water, but it's probably worth a call to Toyo to ask. They've always been very helpful to me in the past and likely have a quantitative view on this aspect of the tires. -John

I have a 2.0L Duratec with Kent DTEC10 cams, some head work, and Jenveys. It's mapped correctly and fires up just like my real cars. -John

In addition to what has been mentioned above, I'd confirm that the fuel pressure regulator is doing it's job. If current fuel pressure is much higher than what what was used to create the map, your mpg (and power) will drop. -John

Are you sure the O2 is narrow band? The Pectel is pretty sophisticated so i'd be surprised if it doesn't use a wide band and have an interface that shows live AFR, or better yet, log it. -John

Looks like the builder took inspiration from the Caterham Levante when selecting mirrors and headlights. -John

A single pic won't cut it. I suspect there are enough of us interested in the car that it warrants a thread of it's own! -John

For mirrors, see this thread. Several options including what's been mentioned here. The bonnet is a little tricky. If it has to come from the UK on it's own (i.e. not bundled in a container with some kits) shipping costs won't be cheap due to the size. I'd check with Rocky Mountain Caterham and Beachman Racing to see if either have any spares in stock or incoming shipments to which they can add it. As per xcarguy, also check local fabricators. The cost may be much higher than a new bonnet, but it might net out when shipping costs are added to the total. Perhaps the bonnet isn't so far gone that it's more cost effective to have them fix and refinish it? In addition to engine and trans information, what clutch master is installed (brand and part number)? If it's the stock part, the clutch shouldn't be overly light, but you never know what changes have been made by prior owners. Also, when was the transmission fluid last changed and do you know what's in it? That can also play a factor in shifting smoothness. Thanks, John

I am using a Raceline supplied AP Racing HD clutch and pressure plate on my Duratec. No complaints. -John

Welcome and sorry to hear the dealers haven't met your expectations. Not sure what brand you're looking for, but if you are considering a Westfield, contact the US distributor directly. Tom is a good guy and very helpful. if you are looking for a Caterham, Bruce Beachman of Beachman Racing has a very good reputation on the forum, and as per this recent thread, the guys at Rocky Mountain Caterham are back in business. A lot of people on the forum have had very good experiences with them when buying their cars. I've also had positive experiences sourcing parts from them, even though I have a Westfield. Over the years some Caterham dealers have been a little uppity with me regarding Westfield ownership, so they score extra points in my book. If you are looking for something else, it might be worth posting the desired brand(s) to get other recommendations. -John

"again" would imply that I stopped being in trouble at some point. And no, nothing new since the Elan...but there were a few upgrades -John

No need to for an admin to do this. Feel free to create the thread in Member Rides. There isn't much frequent new content there (only 5 posts in the past 5 months) so no need to make it a sticky, but happy to revisit that if things change and traffic drives it down the page. Before Croc jumps in and corrects your error, I'll simply admit that I'm not worthy of anyone's respect :jester: -John

I spoke with Mazda about your request and we're fine with a dedicated thread in the Member Rides section. One request though; please remember this site was intentionally created as a brand agnostic forum to celebrate cars inspired by the Lotus 7, and we don't want to undermine that brief. If you do things like plan events as mentioned earlier, please keep that off the forum unless they are open to non-Caterham owners. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions. Thanks, John

It happened just north of San Francisco on the way back from USA2005. I hit the carcass with the left front, it then shot up along the tub (look closely and you can the rubber marks), hit the polycarbonate wind deflector, then down to the rear wing. Without the deflector, or if that was just made from plexiglass, it would have been a head or shoulder hit at over 70mph. i.e. it wouldn't have ended well... -John

Sometimes it's not a cone. Sometimes it's a tire carcass jumping in front of you on a very dark section of freeway at 5:30am. http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15150&stc=1 -John

Look for something sitting on the top of a piston, scrapes/gouges on the cylinder walls, and if any of the valves are bent or tweaked. As you look at the valves within a cylinder or go cylinder to cylinder, treat this like a game of "one of these things is not like the others." If you find something, you probably found the problem. BTW don't forget to check the sparkplugs as per my earlier post. If one of those is damaged or really oily, that's likely the cylinder with the damage. -John

I knew I could count on you to back me up. And it was the Elan this time. Last weekend I almost turned it into a 4-wheeled candle. The price for that Jegs SVT engine is much less than I expected. Isn't there a visual difference between the SVT and regular Zetec cam covers? Just thinking of ways to narrow down the engine version if no one knows how to decipher the block number. -John

Sorry, being a sarcastic a-hole just comes naturally to me Pull the plugs (keep them in order so you know which plug came from each cylinder) and look for a bent electrode, flecks of metal, chipped/cracked insulator, oil soaked, or discolored compared to the rest. Post photos if anything looks suspect. -John

Don't forget, in addition to the 8 intake valves, you have 8 exhaust valves. If those are visible from the intake, then you have a serious problem :jester: Have you removed the sparkplugs yet to look for damage? If something is banging around the combustion chamber, it can visibly damage the plug. Shining a flashlight down the sparkplug port "could" also reveal a piece of metal on top of the piston, but I'd spend $40 and buy a borescope that you can put down that opening and give it a good once over. Nothing may have broken off, but you could have bent a valve. I have this one that works well and would do the job. -John

Check out Protex. They make a number of different styles and their site includes dimensional drawings which should come in handy. -John

Hmm... Although the article called it a Westfield, upon closer examination, I'm not sure what this is. It has some Westfield elements (scuttle, dash, transmission tunnel) but some Caterham elements as well (door sill angle, rear wings/tub interface, windscreen pillars). Whatever it is, it's a more interesting camera car than a Cayenne.

Apparently fast SUVs have become the standard camera cars for high speed automotive and motorcycle video work. A German film production company, however, has taken a different approach and decided to add some lightness in the form of a bike-engined Westfield. Slide show here, and video of it in action is here. http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=14910&stc=1 -John

I should have known better than to think you missed one, let alone two cars :banghead: Fortunately the Elan doesn't need a restoration; just dry weather so I can enjoy it. Upgrades though are another story. I recently swapped out the crappy M&S tires for a set of Michelin XAS FF in the correct size (BIG difference!) and a larger, hollow front ARB just arrived from the UK. I suppose the next step is an LS swap :jester: -John

I don't recall seeing either of these cars in previous posts. They are offered by a Seattle shop that imports cars from Japan. The Caterham is RHD with a 1600 Crossflow and the Fejer is LHD with a 2L Toyota mill. No idea on condition, but pricing seems very reasonable. '88 Caterham S3 RHD '84 Fejer Super Seven -John

I had to replace some tappets about 6 years ago and discovered it was a lot easier buying them from my local Mazda dealer. Below are the part number conversions from my notes: 3.302: LF01-12-556 3.382: LF01-12-561 3.522: LF01-12-568 3.625: LF01-12-574 3.650: LF01-12-575 3.725: LF01-12-578 -John