Kitcat

Nice car, extremely reasonable price (IMHO).

Impressive mileage, trip, photos, heat. Not sure what the rest of us will do now for entertainment since the posts here will be winding down.

The expression:"wide open spaces" comes to mind after viewing some of these photos.

Any idea who put the most miles on their se7en (exclusive of trailering) on this tour? 600 miles in a day is a lot of driving in one of our little (loud, hot, bumpy, fumey) wonderful cars.

Seems like a great price for a terrific looking car. Have fun!

A perfect storm: inadequate tow vehicle (looks like a BMW 5 series wagon), probly rated to tow 1500-3500 lbs, if that, pulling a 5,000 + trailer/car combo, was probably using cruise control so wasn't able to respond instantly, towed car looks like it's back too far on its trailer so that the tongue is not properly loaded, and it looks like the driver finally hit the brakes, the trailer had inadequate or no brakes and "rear-ended" the tow vehicle and w/nowhere else to go, fell over on its side. Thus far my experiences in my new Touareg "tow rig" have been totally benign (knocking on wood). I'd say Martin's set up shd be able to handle most anything!

Life is good! If I had a "bucket list", driving the Beartooth in my se7en would be on it. Like others, I am hoping you guys just keep touring and posting:).

"Stunnning" is the word (and $245K the price!).

Go for the gold!

Trip sounds truly epic! Any touring tips for the rest of us? Since the cockpit in my car runs around 110+ degrees in temperate weather, I cant imagine driving in 105 degrees. When cruising any distance, I tend to run w/my "high visibility" top up, doors and rear window out. That keeps wind buffeting way down and the hot sun off. The air flow helps draw out the heat (a little). Except for getting in and out, it seems ideal. I went blatting that way yesterday in 93 degree weather and it was quite tolerable. What didn't you do that you wished you had? Were there things in hindsight you shd have brought with you (spare parts, Jim Beam, etc.)? Mike M.

Don't show this Hartley link to Karl. In fact, I am sorry I saw it:).

Just Google Sevens and Elans and ask abt it. I have no hard info. When I ordered Caterham pars there a week or so ago the owner, Chris, said he was abt to put such a vehicle up for sale. it will probably be more money than Craig Chima's. Seven and Elans' cars always seem to be listed at the high end of the price range. Happy hunting!

Karl: My car has 16 inches of room for my sorry butt. I suspect your SV sized seats are too wide, as Croc points out. Let me know. I only need one for the passenger. when i bought the Tillet CF for myself it was so much $$$$, I left the stock passenger seat as is. Mike M.

New Caymans are as fast as new M3's, which are pretty fast. Car and Driver's Lightening Lap at VIR this year had them and a new 911 all w/in a coupla 1/10's of a lap of each other.

Phew! Thx:). Someone got a h*ll of a car. FWIW, Sevens and Elans has, or is about to get, an almost identical car, right down to BDR engine.

They don't appear to have the anchor strap cutout for 5-6 piece harness, otherwise I'd be bidding.

Just a bump so someone buys this and I can quit looking at it:).

Bruce: A Boxster for $6.9K? That wld make a pretty good substitute for a Miata beater.

OK, the final photo goes into my "favorite se7en photo" category! I am surprised the parking lot at Mt R is so empty. Shdn't it be jammed? The roads sound fantastic, the traffic less so. Still, it's hard to beat "supremely enjoyable":)!

Mike D.: Chin requires an instructor for everyone new to the track, regardless of experience. And charges $100 extra for the privilege. I plan to get my money's worth. I understand it's a technical track and instructor time can be very helpful. Since it's a 2 day event, I will still have lots of solo time on track. Croc-I know what you mean abt no trailer. Frankly I am wondering how I got 4+ years into ownership w/o one. It has really expanded the number of tracks I can comfortably get to. And it has eliminated the (sizable) fear of being stranded in the middle of nowhere by a mechanical breakdown. I still can, and do, go for blats, use it as a DD in good weather, etc., etc. But, the trailer has added to my overall enjoyment of the vehicle. Of course, finding space to park a trailer/tow vehicle combo across the river from Manhattan is not as easily accomplished as in Cincy (I rented a trailer storage space 2 miles from home for $40/mo). Mike M.

I have signed up for 9/5-9/6 w/Chin Motorsports. Sorry to hear it is a hp/top speed track-I have neither. Everyone who goes there pronounces it their favorite/one of their favorite tracks. I used to drive there and sneak in w/friends when in high school in the early 60's and watch SCCA races and F1. Sort of a home coming in an odd time-warp way. Anyone else interested? Yellow SS/Croc? If I can drive from Cincy, you PA and NY guys can do it!

Still lookin forward to these posts. Entertaining AND educational: no zombies in the caves, cow patties on the road are bad. Stuff I wld never have otherwise known (or even thot to ask abt)!

I learned many things in my stint as an auto-X-er. I learned car control and vehicle dynamics. On some curves I learned I didn't have to apply the brakes to slow, just turning the steering wheel was enough. I learned the gas pedal was not an off-on switch, it would produce better results when modulated. I learned the car would go where I looked and I learned to look ahead, way ahead. I also learned humility. In 10 years, I won one auto-x, tho I was usually in the top 1/3 in my class. I had no talent, tho practice made me better than the average driver. I did have friends who had talent. They learned that other drivers in our stock class would buy 10 versions of a critical part and test them looking to see what part had a 1/2 hp advantage. Times as many parts as they thot wld make a difference. They learned that since shock absorbers were allowed to be re-valved, they could be jiggered to stay 1/2 compressed for the 30" run and then slowly return to normal height by "tech". This effectively lowered the car's ride height, which was otherwise illegal. Stock engines spent many hours on dynos looking for a coupla ponies that the scrutineers wouldn't realize were illegally gained. They bought high-end Hoosiers good for a few runs, towed to events, tested in the off season, etc., etc. Cheating was rampant, or at least believed to be rampant (made a convenient excuse for being creamed by another competitor). Typically people, like me, got the auto-X bug, went nuts for a while, had a ton of fun (I know I did at least) and finally grew tired of being beaten by drivers with more talent, $, and or commitment and moved on. When I look at the local folks dedicated to racing auto-x, there are almost no old timers. Virtually everyone has gone on to other things. I don't consider that an indictment, I learned car skills, made great friends and spent too much money. But anyone one getting in has to know that to be a top driver in auto-x takes amazing and non-stop effort. For some its worth it. One of the local guys who started when I did (Jason Saini-in '93) was a garage rat. He worked at a local tire shop as a gofor. When I bought sticky Hoosiers, he heat cycled them on the street for me as part of his duties. He ultimately became a national SCCA auto X champ in a Honda S2000. He lived breathed and slept auto-x. Now he's paid to road race. But for the rest of us, we have to find things about auto-x we love, besides winning. Mike M.

Jeez, great stuff. Almost glad I am not there, I'd miss these posts .

Finally watched. Kudos to cousin John and Tom! I had no trouble spotting the video from my $11.00 camera, right up on the bumpers (if sevens had bumpers). I remember even more dust in Croc's big off:). For those watching, be assured, everytime Croc was passed, it was his decision, not the passer's:). What fun!!!