Bruce K

Nice to think of a fellow forum member like this. However, the blue car is not a T70 - I don't think I see one in the entire pack. The # 6 car could be a McClaren, but hard to say, as I don't believe the poster artist was especially interested in a precise depiction. The # 1 car is closest in configuration to a Lola T70, but lacks the air intakes on the tops of the quarters, and also the brake cooling inlets on either side of the radiator inlet. The XKE has front brake cooling inlets that I have never seen on any XKE. And car # 66 has 8 open exhaust pipes of incredible shortness, which terminate directly behind the driver's head - I have never seen this arrangement in any sports car, for good reason - can you imagine the carillon of bells ringing in your head after just a few laps in # 66? I believe the artist was more intrigued by the color, feelings and sensations of a tight knot of roaring roadsters, elbows out as they round a curve. If this poster was a '69 effort (as the banner across the track and graphic style suggest), the event couldn't be a vintage race, as many of the cars in the field were too new at that time. And yet, it looks like a vintage Allard and Cunningham bringing up the rear - again, emotion over accuracy of details.

Well, yes, with that fusion-powered booster rocket you call your SV race Cat. But you will faster than anything under a well-prepared Formula 3000, so slaying my dragon is more like stepping on the tail of an anole lizard.

All in good fun, John!

This guy! He tries to make things better by calling me a prick! As if a "mild" prick somehow ameliorates the appellation - unbelievable! Croc, if this is how you treat friends, sagas might be written regarding your treatment of enemies. I promise to NEVER owe you money - I can only imagine the language a debt might generate. It's a good thing we're old, or a call to pugilism might be in order. If you ever drive my Lola, the things I will be saying about you while you are out on the track . . .

And just when I thought I was somebody special . . .

Old plastics are also difficult to clean without removing the protective finish. Too many car lots submit their inventory to "detailing" which leaves the old plastic clean, but unprotected and sticky. It then collects dust, small insects, dirt and more, and subsequent cleanings by the new owners begin removing the color. Unprotected old plastic also ages quickly, developing cracks. Specialized products like Car Guys Plastic Restorer should be used in lieu of strong detergents, oily solutions that leave sticky residues or harsh cleaning chemicals. I really enjoy this thread. We occasionally discuss Sevens, but the world is our oyster here, and every car ever created is subject for polite, informed discussion. I have owned Sevens my entire adult life, with various brief periods of respite (like now). Sevens drew me to this forum, but the open-ended nature of this thread is something special and will hopefully increase in importance. Look at the results: 9 pages of invigorating input in only a few weeks, and all of it interesting and often provocative. I am happy to boast that I was the thorn in Croc's side that lead to the establishment of this thread. Gadflies, like ordinary flies, have their purpose. Getting close to the goal of a full tribute to car # 83 piloted in the '60's by the immortal A. J. Foyt. Mike at Sentry Body and Paint in GA is busy recreating the paint and graphics as I write. I have contacted A. J. for an authorized signature. While most T70's were fitted with bored-out SBC's, A. J. installed a big-block 427 Ford for improved oomph on long straights and out of corners. I will retain my current Chevy engine, which has only 495 miles on the odo, and was crafted by well-regarded Hypercision Performance located near Chicago. Family owned, 40 years in business, and able to provide me a durable, hi-revving 460 hp:

Really pretty, too, with that burnt silver color. The Miata's Elan heritage is completely apparent in the profile, the distribution of components, the stance and the overall proportions of your car. If Colin Chapman had continued to develop the Elan (no chance - has was always on to the next big idea), she would have looked and performed like your Miata.

Your Karma is stronger than mine.

That nose is reminiscent of an early Foxbat Mustang. Funny story about the impact of your RHD car on the uninitiated corner worker. Someone should rage by him in that Lemons car with the body installed backwards. Loved your word choice regarding the interior color of the SS Holden: Cerulean blue. It is one of my favorite colors and phrases. In order to match A J Foyt's car # 83, my Lola is being painted a version of cerulean blue right now. I liked your karma story regarding the smartass BMW driver. Who do these guys think they are, and why tempt fate? I was driving a hot Seven at my favorite local short track in Waterford MI when a Porsche joker said something similar to me: "You'll know what to do when I fill up your rear view mirror, won't you?" I told him, yeah, drive faster and fill up yours. Which that little Seven did.

Wow - a 620 SV chassis - that's a bodacious vehicle. Before I bought the Lola, I tried to buy the S3 620R Hillbank was selling, but they wanted $90K used. They are willing to sit on a vehicle for several years in order to get close to their asking price - that's good for the Caterham market, but bad for individual purchasers. For the price they are asking for this S version, I was able to purchase and refurbish my hybrid Lola T70 ("hybrid" does NOT mean semi-electric - I mean the car is composed of factory, original and replica parts, the latter often different from factory spec). Both the 620 and the Lola are deranged open-top flyweight English roadsters, but FOR ME there is more fun and comfort available from the Lola - bigger cockpit, larger footwell, gobs more torque, safer confines, cheaper parts (my deal included an entire extra body, 4 extra wheels, a spare transaxle AND the engine is SBC), a super-sexy silhouette AND a bucket-list item - an HSR logbook, so I could move up from track days to vintage racing on occasion. I like what I hear from vintage racers. There is a big premium placed on hardware protection including freedom from contact. Those that exchange paint are given 30 day suspensions, and repeat offenses can result in loss of an entire season - too many valuable and gorgeous cars running in vintage. Too me, vintage racing sounds like an amped-up track day, where there really IS a trophy for the winners. I will not be an elbows-out racer - participation is adequate for me, and at the rare event where there are only 3 cars in my class, guess what - a TROPHY as long as I finish the race.

And it's a pagoda! Maybe not the SL styling pinnacle, but very pretty still, and your example looks very straight. A wonderful GT for racking up those highway miles. Reminds me of our domestic Thunderbirds, and a bit like the original Lincoln Continental. My Lola was manufactured in 2003 and after 2012 experienced only occasional engine restarts. Thus, I felt most comfortable replacing nearly ever rubber part. These included every tire, all the flex brake lines, the master and slave cylinders, the flexible fuel lines, the valve cover gaskets, ignition wires and lots more. I also replaced all the stainless-mesh reinforced lines, several of which were bulging or collapsing (all were the old-style rubber-cored lines, which I replaced with longer-lasting teflon-cored varieties). I also sent the brake calipers and shocks in to be rebuilt,. Replacing aged-out tires can be important - I've had blowouts in passenger vehicles from aged-out rubber. One stuck me just over the crown of an overpass, just under the line of sight of approaching traffic until they were right on my bumper - DURING AN ICE STORM! That was an exciting hour!

And, of course, the brother from another mother, the Toyota Supra. I agree with you - as more sports car designs revert to the '60's architecture of rear mid-engine, the supply of new long-nose, short-wheelbase coupes is dwindling. Too bad - think of the beauty of a Ferrari 250 GTO or 275 GTB, the Corvette split-window coupe, the Michelotti-designed '70's TR6, and all the other wonderful front-mid-engined Ferraris like the GTB 599. But, functionally and at the limit, the rear mid-engined architecture provides superior vehicle performance including acceleration, which is why Corvette abandoned decades of heritage and gave us the C8, and why Eric Broadley designed my Lola the way he did. Something lost, something gained!

@Marek- My friend, I have to disagree, but only in part. There are many, many beautiful cars available to us, none of which can be fairly described as "appliances". My current three sports cars are examples, as are the silver Targa Porsche, the classic Cadillacs, the gorgeous BMW M1 sedan and many others featured on these pages. And I don't believe the Z4 is original at all - instead, it is an apex form of the long-nose, short wheelbase sports coupe, with many precedents and antecedents. I agree that it has developed into an elevated form of the breed - but it is a breed, including the Triumph Spitfire, the Jag XKE and the Ferrari Lusso coupes that I referenced earlier. And that's a VERY short list. I otherwise agree with your opinions.

What a great color of Blue! Like the deep ocean, with only a glimmer of sunlight penetrating. When the Z4 coupes were first introduced, I regarded their shape as odd, but only because my third eye was still seeing the convertible. Later, I understood the design lineage, from Delahaye in the '30's to Michelotti's Triumph Spitfire coupe, Sayer's Jaguar XKE coupe, and the Ferrari Lusso coupe - airplane-tarmac hood, seats barely ahead of the rear axle (guaranteeing that you will know the road), and that classic double-bubble profile. Unlike some vehicles, such as the aforementioned XKE, later iterations of the Z4, like WDB's coupe, exhibited improved profiles and proportions, with only a small penalty in weight and size. And, like the larger GT coupes, this BMW can tour - as WDB noted, super for long weekend trips, and I'll bet it would be fun to take over the Rockies!

The 1 Series, especially in early format, always seemed like the ultimate sports saloon to me - lightweight, tossable, tons of pace. And that bluish silver is not a compromise - the car looks great in that color, and the paint looks matchable (unlike Alfa Romeo Competizione Red and so many others - one dinged quarter and you're painting the whole damn car). I like the front bumper, as I am a sucker for track-oriented upgrades. Just hit those approaches on an angle - both my 935 and my Alfa 4C are lower than your M1, and I make it work. Scrapes should be rare, and visible only from underneath, whereas you view and admire the remaining 99.8% of your car many times every day. What I like about these pages of USA7's, in addition to all the fun car details, are the personal experiences with beloved vehicles, such as your various vacations, frequently associated with important events in your life. So, you will be pleased to understand that, per the rules, past autos and associated details/memories are fair game, though to receive less emphasis than current sporters: "4. Can include currently owned cars, past cars or even your daily driver (unless it is a Toyota Camry as they are kitchen appliances and not cars as enthusiasts would understand them). 5. We are not looking for a long list of your past cars but instead a bit more detail around a car that you owned/still own that has meaning for you."

@BirkinBernie- You know, when you analyze it, it is no surprise that your Caddies and the Crown Vic make good tow vehicles, because they are like pickup trucks with passenger car bodies. Long strong frames, big V8 motors, heavy-duty trannies, plenty of shocks and springs, giant load space - sounds like I'm describing a pickup truck! With the Caddies, though, you get that once-in-a-lifetime styling, living room comfort, and smooth water-is-always-calm ride - all non-attributes of pickup trucks. Plus, pickups are so big, and harder to get into - you sort of fall into an old Caddy or a Crown Vic. The length difference between your Cat and the Vic is amazing - the Vic is officially 212" and the Cat S3 122", so just a little more than half the length!

John - you made me laugh, which is appreciated. Regarding these duplicates, in each instance, I received an email indicating that someone had responded to a post of mine. When I went to the page, I would see Croc's riposte, minus my rejoinder. So, in each case, I made the same reply. At first, I presumed that I didn't properly save my response, or some other technicality, but after seeing so many copies, I was certain something was amiss, and contacted administration. No, it was not tequila (I don't drink), nor was it keyboard stuttuttuttuttuttuttering, and I am using the same Google browser for the last several years, with no prior problems. Bizarre!

@Croc- Why does your riposte concerning my Hitler comment, and my rejoinder, keep getting repeated? It has now reprinted 6 times, when once is certainly enough!

Mark this day on your calendars, men!

@NSXguy- My tastes in background, focus and lighting are revealed in the following photos. These cars are my Kopitz Keepers - cars I cannot imagine selling. I don't have any images yet of my Mona Lola, as da Vinci (aka Mike Cotrell of Sentry Body & Paint in Lillburn GA) has not yet concluded his work. All 6 were shot by professional photographers, including Dave Hammond, president of our local Alfa club and past National president:

@NSXguy- Great images with tremendous detail and pigment. So often, images are throwaways because they are so easy with a phone cam. The abandoned factory background and the lighting are superb. There is something about the juxtaposition of ruination and perfection that highlights the extremes of each. It is rumored that Hitler had Eva Braun urinate on his face just moments before stepping out speak to massed millions - from ultimate debasement to ultimate glory - different elements, but the same effect. The saloons are fantastic. A 4WD Ford Escort with Cosworth motor held either the overall or the sedan record at Waterford years ago - a very going machine. And my first Cat was a crossflow - an extremely torquey motor, a perfect match for Webers. I was cruising a boulevard north of Detroit at that time, when a mighty V8 TVR Tuscan rolled alongside. He demanded that we punch, so I did - and that Caterham put 3 car lengths on him! Not to be messed with, the 1,700 CC crossflow. The Lancia looks awesome, also. The Cat is so completely different a driving experience than those comfy saloons - I'd be interested to hear more about the saloon performance.

Hell, @BirkinBernie - just throw it in the trunk - you'll still have room for a Ducati Monster in the back seat!

@BirkinBernieYou would adjust, just from the front of the pack. As the BDR motor wore down, though, I noticed Cats with tuned Duratechs were keeping up with me at Waterford, my favorite local track in Clarkston MI. They never passed me, but I couldn't shake them. And theirs were factory motors, with inexpensive parts and universal service. I vowed, at that point, to make my make my next Cat an example with aluminum-block Duratech. I broke that vow, but on a great Seven - a WCM S2K Ultralite with Honda S2000 motor/trans and Subaru independent rear. It also had a great boulevard ride, and terrific track talent, but I still believed the right Cat would be a superior ride, and just a little prettier, to boot. That's when I bought the Superlight R400 / 500 with all the mods. I wish I could have kept that car - a perfect Caterham, for me. But with the Lola coming soon, I don't have room for two bonkers topless flyweight Tyrannosaurus-voiced English roadsters!. And I can't say for sure ,because I lack experience with the Lola, but it has all the hallmarks of a Kopitz Keeper - a car the steering wheel of which will require detachment from my stiff cold fingers before possibility of sale.

@BirkinBernie - I like your signature photo. My 2nd Super Seven (out of 4 over 40 years) appears to have borne the same livery scheme - raw aluminum with red nose and fenders. What is your motor? Mine was a Cosworth BDR. The Cosworth motor was incredible during its prime, with 250 hp, 9,000 useful RPM and a sound any Hell's Angel would envy. However, I sold the car because I did not want the hassle and liability of rebuilding that Cosworth - too much money and too many delays. Plus, any internal warranty work would mean pulling, crating and shipping the motor - twice! A real risk, as that happened to the car's prior owner.

Another nice post. I feel the same way about my Porsche 935 and Alfa 4C - my kids will may sell them, but not me. Big question for you, if you care to share - did your wife get pregnant IN the mister twister? Is so, I want you to reference the chapter in the Kama Sutra that explains how!