Bonjo2

where in VA? You can get a title with a MSO and chassis serial/VIN and vintage plates with only a "self inspection." Once I got my title (1962 Lotus Seven Replica), I registered normally, so I could drive far and often. I found a small shop that does the inspection. 90% of the places will not even attempt inspection, or allow you to drive into garage. If you are close by, I can show you the place I go to. Big ones. DOT or DOT looking Lights and Glass windshield Mirrors Fenders (I told them mine were in shop, and that I'll install later in the day) Emergency and Parking Brake. (I have Drift brake and wood block I can shove between it and the dash) Wiper ability for driver windshield (I use a extendable squeegee) Signals that appear to be high enough and wide enough Mine are too narrow in front, supposed to be at least 36" Have checklist printed and have an answer for all the items. Like SFI/FIA ratings on seat belts exceed DOT standards...

I got hooked after seeing one at vintage weekend at Limerock. Seeing the little silver and green cars swarm the jag, alfa and porsche's at the end of the straights under braking... Many years later got a ride in a zetec caterham with way more power than needed. Hooked. Did a bike powered locost, then got a stalker with a V8. They are all so much fun to drive. More like a sport bike than car. And the one's most like a sport bike the best experience. I am sure someone on this board is close and could give you a ride. Personally, the Cats and Westies always look best. Caterhams = simple, small, classic looks, crazy prices for $450 of steel and brazing. The Westfield is bigger, like the locost/stalker, but has amazing fiberglass bodywork that looks fantastic, especially in the Featherweight models. The locost can be made to look great, but most end up looking way off. The stalker, like locost, can look outstanding, or like muscle car mike loaded his cart at autozone. One great thing about the Stalker and many locosts, is that in the US, replacement parts are cheap.... Plus, larger tubing and simple design give a chassis capable of supporting a 500BPH power plant! Seems the Birkin and Superformance the one's I most often see, look good, but maybe a little too refined and car like, like the Panoz. The problem with most sevens is folks always want more.. And, when you start modifying things too much without proper engineering support, the chassis welds and areas around welds can crack. Another issue is that all of these cars have drilled chassis tubes with dissimilar metals riveted on, so rust, oxidation, and galvanic corrosion a real issue--sometimes powder coating hides issue until total failure. All the well sorted cars are a blast (doesn't apply to all locosts). Get a ride and see if you can drive one of these lightweight marvels..

Very nice car, with all weather gear to boot!

Damn. Awesome! Would love to see more like this.

He's been doing it since I've been alive. Which car are you looking for? I know he went through several giant boxes of negatives a few years back.

http://www.vintageracer.net gotta plug my old man's website. He's got some of the greatest racing photos. Yes, a couple of sevens in the vintage.... enjoy

FIXED. Nothing about over-revving a motor is cheap. I sure wish a fuse had blown. At least no main bearings! The electric bits were worse then mechanical. Melling hp oil pump failed, spring cracked and compressed to side, relief valve stuck open. Electric power steering fried main line but no fuse pop, re-wired and reset, good to go. Crank position sensor—dead. Cam position sensor dead. (LS motor still runs without each, rough) Oil pressure sensor, dead x2 (these suckers are sensitive). Digidash wiring loom melted, from the electric steering wire burn. Next time, not to tape wires together… New clutch and lightweight flywheel things to get used to. Gearing is amazing, no more instant burn out in first and second. Now, just goes and snaps neck. Nothing like second and third gear now…

FIXED. Nothing about over-revving a motor is cheap. I sure wish a fuse had blown. At least no main bearings! The electric bits were worse then mechanical. Melling hp oil pump failed, spring cracked and compressed to side, relief valve stuck open. Electric power steering fried main line but no fuse pop, re-wired and reset, good to go. Crank position sensor—dead. Cam position sensor dead. (LS motor still runs without each, rough) Oil pressure sensor, dead x2 (these suckers are . Digidash wiring loom melted, from the electric steering wire burn. Next time, not to tape wires together… The digidash New clutch and lightweight flywheel to get used to. Gearing is amazing, no more instant burn out in first and second. Now, just goes and snaps neck. Nothing like second and third gear now…

Added a 20 psi to the ddII 7.5 psi oil pressure warning. I might need to gets bigger tank than 1 gal, to prime higher than 20 psi. I can only get about a quart in through galley before drop off. Compression good on all 8, and sparkers look clean

Short lived revival. No oil pressure, replaced sensors, primed to 20 psi. Nothing. I hope the over rev didn't spin a main bearing. Checked valley gaskets, compression, and oil pump pick up o-ring... All sound. Now to replace oil pump (again) and see if that works. I really don't want to do main bearings or rebuild..

Lightweight flywheel, 800 ftlb puck clutch, underdrive balancer, new tie rod ends, radiator supports, and stickers

Funny how a minor repair turns into a complete overhaul. New t56 super magnum, 3:08 gears, dif, oil cooler, intake, cleaned up wiring etc.... Car is now completely nuts. First gear is used and goes past 60!

Outstanding!

Great looking car. Did you make the windshield? Looks awesome

Front wings

drop them seats another 1.5

email or PM for photos.

Local pickup only for remaining wings Rear Wings--Birkin 12" new never installed $200 Rear Wings 2--Stalker 12" red Cammo vinyl and bed liner front, used, drilled for Caterham rear lights. $100

Yeah, the video 1/4 looks to be about 125 due low rpm shift to 4th. Maybe a 100 shot of nitrous in 4th and then a 200 shot in 5th would help. Doing the math I think 155-160 about all this car will do. 175-180 would need almost double the bph but I think grip limiting. 200 in such a short sprint would need major drag reduction

You guys are so funny. It's a little electric power steering unit, that's needed on a porker. T56 magnum is a totally different animal, but with a yoke, simple bolt in. To rebuild would cost over 3k to make t56 able to shift at 6-7k rpm. It just sucks that both are so darn heavy. The latest magnums are world class--about time. I will be swapping in 3:08 gears and getting the short ratio transmission, so should be good on track day and going straight. I think motor ok. A cap on intake blew off, dipstick shot out, and line to TB came off. Plugged dipstick and now oil pressure back to 40 idle, from 21 post incident. Aero. Covering the engine tray and under the rear axle about it for now. I tried a couple other things, spoiler, diffuser without noticeable effect. Removing rear boot cover, venting hood, removing front fenders and headlights, and mounting front license plate all help reduce lift. The roll cage, rear wings, and passenger compartment are impossible to negate without a body.

This is the only video I have of a run that I could get 4th and 5th gear. I ran hard to 1/4 but then had nothing in 4th and 5th. The previous runs it would jump out of fourth, and not engage 5th. The next run I grenaded 4th, then over-rev'd motor to 8120 RPM at 135 (dig dash max display). I tested days prior to 165mph and had no issues shifting to 5th, but the day of the race the car had different issues.... Weekend started bad, tons of rain and fog, and then ignition key popped out while trailering to event. Hot wired car to make runs, then failure after failure... Ran 120 when everyone drying the track (including local police and fire crews) but told to keep to highway speeds. Best of the day on dig dash showed 134 at 1/4 mile, then coast to traps at 67-134. The run in video I shorted 4th and got 5th, but no RPMS and car couldn't push out of it's way... Nobody touched me to 1/4, even the 900BPH crowd, and the Stalker got all sorts of attention for accelerating so quick to 1/4, but fell flat on the 1/2. Last year I had similar issues and held 4th gear to 142mph at 7200 rpm. When I blew transmission, my electric power steering fried as I coasted in. This was bad in that I blew 4th gear at 1/4 mile mark and had oil pressure lights, smoke etc... and had to wait until the 1/2 mile point to release my seatbelts to reach the kill switch. I thought the tranny would take out my right leg given the vibration and noise. I made my wife push me to trailer a 1/4 mile--Funny. I'll find out more in the coming weeks as to the damage. Hopefully motor survived. Rear axle flex broke seal for dif housing, oil on alternator and right side header. Bottom line is the S-10 rear axle, and stock T-56 isn't up to the power my car is putting down. If shifts went well I should have been over 150, maybe touch 160. Now to prep for next year. I need a solid transmission that will handle the 500+ rear wheel torque and to replace panard bar to make room for a reinforced axle, or drop big coin for a 8.5, 8.8, or 9" rear. I also need new brake mounts as my lower hole on the right side broke. Damn..... I guess the sticky 315's are as bit much.. Now thinking of a 175-200Mph 7 plan, though might need to cash out my failing IRA to make possible now that I am a stay at home dad.. Grrrrr...

I love it! Great car with a great motor and nutty transmission... Car Porn 100+

I thought back in the early 90's that a seven would be even more amazing if built by the bicycle industry. Back then the Specialized M2 or the high end Reynold's steel customs, or the Lightspeed titanium. This really only makes sense if you're running a motor, drivetrain, wheels with as much effort in weight loss.... Spend $400 more per custom wheel, then a lighter flywheel etc... Carbon fiber springs? Having ridden custom butted framed bikes, I can say there is a lot the seven community could adapt with regard flex and forward motion control. But, we've no ultra lightweight motor, less the snow machine/sportbike...

No. I had looked at coolers in past and even got one when I purchased the accusump, but sold both when got the custom oil pan and high flow oil pump. There wasn't enough room to ensure good airflow with the thick C&R radiator and huge puller fan. I toyed with the idea of using two small units in a levante style, but now think now a small/medium double cooler with -10 AN lines to tie oil cooler and heater core best, placed horizontal just under top surface of nose cone's extractor vent with a small fan pushing up from under. Since recent tune haven't had any issue--I had car running idle for over 45min after running 9 back to back 0-150mph runs. Oil temp hit only 245 and water only 205. I know of many who run their heater lines through a radiator that has 2 separate circuits, or the three channel drag race radiators (normally radiator, oil cooler and tranny cooler). Kinda like the old days of drag racing and autocross when you ran your heater on high for the extra cooling. I'm currently at odds with my car, the transmission, steering, and rear end... Give me a call sometime, during the day, if you can. Even with all the LS power, it's easy to reach the limit and then you quickly realize the stuff that's not up to the velocity, revs, or sideways antics..

I love it. Cheap donor parts, and 3 times the ground clearance! Beach Buggy!