JohnCh

Sean, taunting people with that fact would just be arrogant, and as I've already established, we're not arrogant. -John

I own 2 Porsches and find the Arrogant Bastard Beer line offensive -- just because we're better than everyone else doesn't make us arrogant. For the record, this is the official beer of the Porsche Club of America and is what all my Porsche-owning friends and I drink: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/04/d5/6f/04d56f6e46681295a984fc4420c826f7.jpg -John

Now that Carlisle is just 3 months away, thought I'd revisit this thread to see if folks are still interested in making this a bigger USA7s event. I'm toying with flying out there if that's the case, but given my schedule, really need to lock things down over the next month. BTW looks like British Cars will be featured. So who's in? Thanks, John

Randy Grubb of Blastolene fame owns (owned?) a Birkin and has posted here before that he can make custom aluminum fenders for se7ens. Not sure about cost, but I'm sure the quality is pretty spectacular. He previously posted his contact details here. -John

I put together a gear comparison chart a while ago that might be helpful. It shows speeds in gear, rpm after an upshift, and the rpm when cruising at 70 mph for the Caterham 6-speed, the BGH long 1st gear (E2) and two versions of the BGH Sporting close (E7): one with the shortest 1st and tallest 5th, and the other with tightest 1st and 5th combo. The speed in gear and revs at 70mph data assume a 7500rpm redline and 205/60-13 rear tires. I ended up keeping my 3.62 LSD diff and going with the BGH long 1st gearbox. My engine (210hp 2.0L Duratec) has such a broad torque curve that the 6-speed was pointless, and although I would prefer the E7 for the tighter gap from 3rd-4th, those ratios are really optimized for a 3.92. No complaints. http://www.throttle-steer.com/uploads/1/1/0/8/11083275/7645517_orig.jpg -John

Continuing the Colonoscopy hijack (which is wrong on so many levels...), if you haven't heard the colorectal surgeon song, it's worth a few minutes. -John

Looks like Terry joined the California Caterham Club site and started a PBB thread here. Might be another thread to monitor for updates. -John

On the same postal scale, my outgoing PC680 weighed 14lb 10oz vs. just 3lb 4.5oz for the Evo 2. So yeah, there is a bit of a weight savings to be had... -John

But I bet the zip ties are lighter! -John

Wouldn't that be considered cruel and unusual punishment? -John

It's not hard to fabricate something. I built the tray out of sheet aluminum and the hold down brackets out of thicker stock bent to shape. http://www.throttle-steer.com/uploads/1/1/0/8/11083275/409951_orig.jpg -John

Terry has a thread about this tour on BlatChat, so my guess is updates will land there. Given this was not an official USA7s tour, I don't see why he would cancel it, although I suppose he could opt to make it a Caterham-only event. -John

Another happy Ballistic Evo 2 owner here. I installed mine 2 years ago and it's worked great, even starting the car in low 30F weather. -John

My PC680 was 7-1/2 years old and still going strong when I replaced it with something lighter. -John

Worse. http://www.throttle-steer.com/uploads/1/1/0/8/11083275/1272213_orig.jpg -John

Never underestimate the power of compromising photos :jester: -John

I live in WA and own a Westfield and they let me join Just posted this info to the Superformance thread here. -John

Bruce, is there a functional reason for using the ducted nose on the SV, but not the S3, or is it simply a matter of cost savings by standardizing on the same nose for the wider models? Thanks, John

Curious what this will cost. Cartek makes an 8-channel wireless system that is available through Pegasus Auto Racing, but it's over $1k. Pretty sure you can get them in the UK for quite a bit less, but it will still be pricey. If you are only looking to avoid a separate connector for a detachable wheel, Spa Design makes 8 and 12 pin quick release hubs that might be worth looking into. You still need to deal with wires to the base of the hub though, which the wireless system avoids. My wheel isn't detachable, so I've opted to stay old school with a coiled cord feeding the buttons through the hub. And yes, having the horn button in the right place is nice http://www.throttle-steer.com/uploads/1/1/0/8/11083275/1334551_orig.jpg -John

Another option is the Schroth harness with their ASM technology. The inner shoulder harness has an extra flap of material sewn into it, which extends in a collision. The resulting twist in your body lifts your inner hip and keeps it above the lap belt, thereby minimizing the chance submarining. I run these in the Westfield and my track Miata, although when on track, I also use the optional 5th & 6th points. The video below shows what happens in a collision when using a 3-point, standard 4-point, and the Schroth with ASM. -John

Another good place to get input is in the Wheel & Tire forum on Miata.net. Although fat pigs by se7en standards, the older Miatas are still pretty light and are used as daily drivers in all kinds of weather, so lots of threads on all season and dedicated snow tires. -John

Ron, post something on California Caterham Club. There are several guys on there who live in the area, but who don't visit this forum very often. -John

A friend (and former Westfield owner) lives in Walla Walla. Supposed to be a lot of great roads nearby. If no one here has recommendations, check out the group tests and user reviews on Tire Rack. There is a lot of really good information there that should point you in the right direction. -John

I just happen to live near Seattle. To date I've run Yoko AO32R, Toyo T1S, R888, and RA1. The Yoko's were flat terrible when temps dipped below 60F. Back then I had a crossflow but could get wheel spin in 3rd gear in those conditions. The T1S was put on prior to USA2005 in anticipation of rain. They were later replaced by a set of 13" R888 that proved just as grippy in a back-to-back test on a 48F day. This comparison was done with both sets of tires stone cold. Although the R888 and RA1 both work significantly better when hot, they still work surprisingly well above freezing. Rain is a different story -John

That's the first turbo Duratec I've heard of on either side of the pond. Any additional details you can share about the engine? Thanks, John