Bruce K

I would like to compliment you, Croc. You are a busy man with significant professional endeavors, yet you faithfully search out and post the most comprehensive collection of Sevens I can find anywhere. Hemmings is a drop in your bucket of Seven goodies, and they're pretty good with rare cars. Aware as I am of the immense remuneration associated with this task, your results are even more wondrous. I hope to purchase another Seven soon, and I consult your work regularly. For all who have enjoyed the explosion of senses, the instantaneous reactions, the visceral impact that is otherwise known as piloting a Seven, I salute you. Please keep it up. You are doing more than you know for Seven ideology.

Manual SENT. I've also added you to the list of 50+ regular recipients. Be sure to send me any relevant how-to instructions on any common Seven repair or upgrade issues. Thanks!

Congrats to Astro Bob!

Agreed!

I drove alongside a Renault-blue C8 with black trim for about 10 miles on I-75 yesterday. Looked like it had a removable roof panel. The car is not voluptuous like a Ferrari 458 or Alfa 4C, or exotically angular like a Lambo Huracan or Aventador. It is, rather, pointedly purposeful, with an attractive nose, acceptable heinie and slick silhouette. The C7 was like that - function above form. A month ago, I drove alongside a white example that I liked better. Perhaps the color of the body and the trim is especially important for these cars. I saw a view of the road from the C8 cockpit in a video and it looks great - huge panorama - the A pillars are nearly outside your peripheral vision, and it seems as though you can see the road nearly under your front tires. I ABSOLUTELY believe your wife would rather travel beside in you in the cossetting, air-conditioned cockpit of a C8 as opposed to a Bruntonvoort. I also absolutely believe the Bruntonvoort driving experience is more analog, visceral and scintillating. Not to mention hundreds and hundreds of $$$ cheaper to operate every track day! I did not get a chance to work on possible purchase today, and tomorrow is also out. I will get to the matter on Wednesday.

I sent the text to 860 - sorry. Here's the questions: Does the title actually read "1962 Lotus Replica Kit Car", or just "1962 Lotus"? Do you have an appraisal on file, and if so, what is the appraisal date? What is the track history of the car? I would have specified manual steering - my only quibble. What is the power boosted steering like? Am I correct that it can be converted to a manual rack without major surgery? Please describe the other parts and features not priorly noted. My email is bruceakopitz@gmail.com. Also, I own a twin-axle enclosed car hauler, so I would not want the custom flatbed - is that a problem? Lastly, Croc states that you are selling your Stalker to purchase something more exciting. There are cars with slicker shapes, and cars better suited for bad weather, and cars vastly more luxurious, but what the heck is more exciting? Are you purchasing a used Atlas booster rocket? A jet-powered dragster? Or one of those modified Hummers from "Death Race"? I would like to know.

It was late, so I sent you some questions in a text, and included my email address. When I made the deal for the 4C, it was just 2 hours after the previous owner had listed his car on 4cforums.com. Would be remarkable if this was a parallel experience. I am in the middle of a new business deal, which augurs against this transaction, but does not foreclose it. On another topic, the national Alfa Owners magazine is printing an article I wrote for them detailing my 4C mods. They are sending a photographer and might feature my car on the cover. That will be something to remember! And wouldn't it be cool to add many new chapters to the "Sevens Maintenance & Upgrade Manual" devoted to Bruntons! BTW, when I sold my incredible WCM (what a magnificent Seven!), my initial conversation with the ultimate purchaser occurred mere hours after I had placed my solitary ad for the car - in this forum!

What a beautiful car. After independent analysis of all the market offerings, a Brunton - and particularly your configuration - is exactly what I am looking for. The timing is imperfect, however. I will see what I can do.

Incredible itinerary. Is it your Social Security card or your Driver's License that ends in "007"?

In my last post, I used confusing terminology. This 189-page manual, created over several years through the cooperation of the USA7s community, contains very thorough repair and upgrade info for the WCM S2K, but is also quite helpful for owners of Caterhams, Birkins, HK's, Westfields and more. Yours free if you provide me with your email address, either through response to this thread or via private message. Thanks!

Hi, Mondo. Good to hear from you. Compared to my Lotus Exige, my Alfa Romeo 4C is: Faster to both 60 and 100 mph; Sexier; Flatter through the twisties; More comfortable; (Though still spartan) more luxurious, with deviated stitching, leather everywhere and lots of tastefully-exposed carbon fiber; Easier to get in and out of; Preferred by the wife; Equally dependable (being Italian, surprise!); Already appreciating, rather than depreciating at this point in the ownership cycle; Capable of shifting in slightly more than a single eyeblink (DCT); 7" longer, 6" wider, and roughly the same height; 400 pounds heavier, remarkable given all that carbon fiber, but then again, it is a much larger car; Equipped with better standard brakes; Better protected from stone chips by extensive standard factory protective paint film; Equipped with significantly more powerful headlights; Better at prioritizing and sharing data through its LCD dash, which keeps a tach and speedo front and center, but also highlights g-force through turns, driving mode selected (by color-coding the entire display), problems like low fuel and so on; Possessed of a deeper and more resonant voice; Possessed of better rearward sightlines; Lower in its center of gravity; Sexier; Did I say sexier?

Really? I have never seen a Birkin without a roll hoop, or disc brakes, or rubber equivalent to a Caterham. The Caterham and the Birkin are very similar - the uninitiated cannot tell them apart - and none of the differences contribute to dangerous driving. And the roll center of a Caterham or Birkin is ridiculously low - you can give yourself a manicure, using the pavement at speed while driving either of them. Are you calling ALL Super Sevens unsafe? In relative terms - compared to federalized cars with crush zones, collapsible columns, air bags and more - you are correct. But compared to the Alfaguar, all the well-regarded Seven designs are as safe as a hospital bed. Plus this - in a Caterham, Birkin, Brunton and other Sevens, you can drive out of accidents because of the incredible handling. You can accelerate out of accidents because of the awesome power-to-weight ratio. You can brake your way out of accidents because of the world-class stopping power. I have done all three, or close enough so I can claim it. NONE of these claims apply to the Alfaguar. The Alfaguar is art, not auto.

I called the owner - nice guy, not too car-savvy, feels he's too old for the car now at 83 years old. According to him, the car is a completely buck-built one-off, and not a copy of anything except that it has a general Super Seven appearance. No photos yet. The owner confided that he did not know exactly why he bought it, and I, for one, cannot hazard a guess. It seems to be exactly the wrong kind of investment in every way: No builder's reputation, no race history, not a tribute to anything (except hubris), exactly ZERO spare parts, unknown engineering and setup. It reminds me of a project car recently featured in the WSJ. The builder had no experience, and no defined objective, and combined the chassis of a powerful Jag XK140 with a buck-built, Alfa-inspired aluminum body. If you look at the images in the article (link below), the Alfaguar's steering wheel is mounted on a non-collapsible column, in NASCAR-proximity to the driver's chest, on a flat plane pointed directly at his heart. That, plus no crush zones, lap belts only, no professional chassis setup, antiquated brakes, skinny tires, high center of gravity, no roll hoops AND big power = death on wheels. I think this replica displays some of the same possibilities. Regarding the WSJ car, I applaud the builder's energy and inventiveness, and the beauty of his finished product. However, the owner should drain the fluids and mount it sideways on a wall. It is auto art, not a performance vehicle. An old Alfa P2 Grand Prix race car from 100 years ago was safer. Here's the article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/its-not-an-alfa-romeo-or-a-jaguarits-a-tribute-to-both-11566914306?shareToken=stecfa0eea90af4452a91525ff653599aa&reflink=article_email_share

Astro Bob - Your car reminds me of the Donkervort GTO. The Brunton is more minimal in the interior, but the exterior impression is similar, with that long wheelbase, wide track, cycle fenders, Formula 1-style pushrod suspension, and enormous Lurch's-coffin hood! The weights are very close, with both the Brunton and Donkervort coming in at over 1,600 pounds. And I suspect our venerable LS3 will blow away that high-tech Audi 5-cylinder in the Dutch car, which tops out at about 400 hp. The Audi motor in the Donkervort is narrower, which permits enclosure of the engine compartment, but I kind of like that old American hot-rod tradition of V8 headers coiling out the side - plus, the engine runs cooler.

What a beautiful car! This is the way to option a Brunton Classic: Specify the XL chassis and add the M-Spec rear. Then specify trim, windshield surround and rollbar in satin black, against silver paint and anthracite rims, with just a touch of old-school chrome in the old-school headlamps. Those M-Spec curved rear fenders make the buffeting disappear, but still retain the classic Seven proportions. Does Scott make an M-Spec rear that would cover 11" wide wheels?

Xcarguy - I don't mean to be a pest, but do you know the offsets on your 11' rears and your 9.5 fronts? Or is there a supplier that I should talk to about that? Thanks!

Terrific insights, Croc. Though it sounds like a blast, and the size of the package (SV) is great, I want more durability and longevity. I don't want to be stuck on the side of the road $500 away by flatbed. My Caterhams have only had to be towed twice and the Porsche once - that's an estimable record for a lifetime of beautiful blatting. I want to keep it that way. Your advice prevents my mistakes - thanks!

Thanks for the prompt reply, Xcarguy. Your experience prevents my mistakes.

Croc - your work on this site is amazing - thanks for all your contributions. I looked at the Caterham SV with the professionally-installed Hayabusa that you listed among Sevens for sale. I once owned an OMS D Sports racer with a Yamaha R1 bike motor and sequential trans, but that was only 1000 cc's producing around 150 hp - nothing like the power claimed for this Hayabusa car (around 270 hp). The D Sporter was a momentum car - modest acceleration, forcing you to keep up speed using aero around turns. Will this Caterham be the same - all revs and no grunt? The claimed weight of the Caterham is 1,100 lbs, so lightening, or lying, must have occurred. What is your opinion concerning this car? The owner claims it is one-of-one professionally engineered-and-built Hayabusa Caterhams in the USA, which I think implies that all the rest are in Canada, as I have heard of a shop up there in the polite provinces that puts out cars like this. Hayabusas appear to be reasonably inexpensive to replace, even higher-spec turbo models with over 300 hp. And the Suzuki trans supplies sequential flat-shifting. But is the engine/trans up to hustling this 1,100 lb load around on the street? Will it roll for a dependable 30K to 50K miles before major rebuild? Would it be a fun car to drive, both track and street? Based on experience, I prefer the arrow (lightweight Caterhams and Birkins) over the spear (Brunton, Draken) - but is it time for a new weapon of war?

According to this recent article, the CSR is reborn, at least in Europe: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/caterham-seven-485-csr-now-available-in-continental-europe-136274.html

Hello, community. Anyone who has already received this manual is on my list and an updated copy will be emailed shortly. If you have not rcvd this manual priorly, please message me your email address. I will send you a PDF of this large (188 pages) and growing body of knowledge. Thanks!

Xcarguy - thanks for the prompt response. I presume that the street tires are mounted on the standard 9" wide x 17" diameter wheels - correct? Thanks!

xcarguy - what size front wheels for the track? what sizes rubber for both street and track? Thanks!

Croc - (Regarding a Stalker V8) the EMCO sequential costs a very affordable $28,296 (!!!), so is not an appropriate option. The Quaife, however, costs less than half at $11,541. It comes stock with stronger straight-cut gears, like the Quaife 5 speed I enjoyed in a BDP-equipped Caterham several years ago. That car's very quick and positive shifting action was a blast, and I enjoyed the "supercharger whine" from the straight-cut gears. Additionally, the Quaife comes standard with dogs for positive gear engagement. A Quaife sequential, plus a dry sump (about $3,000) would be affordable upgrades that would improve performance (trannie) and longevity (dry sump).

I am blown away by all the useful info provided by forum members on my recently-posted questions. Croc - (Regarding a Stalker V8) the EMCO sequential costs a very affordable $28,296 (!!!), so is not an appropriate option. The Quaife, however, costs less than half at $11,541. It comes stock with stronger straight-cut gears, like the Quaife 5 speed I enjoyed in a BDP-equipped Caterham several years ago. That car's very quick and positive shifting action was a blast, and I enjoyed the "supercharger whine" from the straight-cut gears. Additionally, the Quaife comes standard with dogs for positive gear engagement. A Quaife sequential, plus a dry sump (about $3,000) would be affordable upgrades that would improve performance (trannie) and longevity (dry sump). Kitkat - Dick Brink is still a dealer, to my knowledge, unless he has been displaced and is now "unofficial". What gives on this score? He has Birkins for sale at this moment. Regarding Stalker weight, I thought they were a minimum of 1,700 lbs with LS power. However, the Inet disagrees, and your 1,600 pound figure appears everywhere. Is that figure of 1,600 pounds a reasonable anticipation for a complete LS Stalker? Anyone - If I go with a Stalker, I have been advised by one owner to convert to 10" rear wheels to reduce spin. He claims the 9" fronts are adequate, but the car needs more rear rubber, and wheel to control it. Do you agree? Anyone - I live in Michigan, and need some warmth to extend the driving season. My Sevens have all had heaters (the two Caterhams) or, in the case of my WCM S2K, I cut square holes in the aluminum shrouding of the trans tunnel, one on each side. I used velcro-equipped plexiglass plates, and positioned them over the holes. Completely covered, no heat. Partially to fully UNcovered, plenty of heat boiled up. I believe I was told by Glenn Minehart that heaters were not an option, but I will verify that. If not an option, what do you think about the square holes on either side of the trans tunnel??? Thanks for all the great input!