Kitcat

My computer says 3 hours to download, wh/it is doing at the moment. Not only do you have faster cars than me, you have faster computers!

The Tetons are amazingly beautiful. I was there in '60 and again in 2000. Jackson Hole exploded over that period, scenery stayed beautiful. We had the same heat experience: mid '90's coming in, water froze in the campgrounds up in the mountains that nite. Good luck w/the repair! As some poster here aptly noted, adventure begins when plans fall apart (easy for me to say tho, sitting at work, living vicariously:)).

Tom: Given that the rest of us are contributing nothing to your effort, no need to apologize. Mike M.

I was once called the "blue enema" by another driver at a track day who seemed to feel it was their right not to give me a point by. So I mercilessly rode their bumper. Around and around. They complained afterwards that they thot I was going to drive right up their exhaust pipe:). I had mentioned this story to Tom and cousin John at NJMP, so figured he'd get the post. I know, I know, the mature thing for me to do wld have been to pit in, leave some space, and head back out. But, sadly, I am not always the calmest, most rationale person when on the track. Mike M.

Hey Steve. Only the advanced group has open passing, if that makes a difference. And, like you, I was uneasy about it. But at my last event they combined the intermediate group (where I was) with the advanced group at the end of the day as so many people had left. And, it was a revelation. It wasn't bumpin and tradin paint and dive bombing. People were polite and moved over and typically gave (un-required)point-bys. It just opened the track up and stopped all the inadvertent blocking that goes on. I concluded I was safer in that group as I wasn't being driven crazy by some thoughtless Corvette owner who pulled away on the straight, and then puttered around everywhere else, causing delays. So I wasn't tempted to try a crazy pass, or pass w/o a point-by (wh/I occasionally do in the heat of frustration-wh/my fellow se7en drivers at NJMP can confirm, for better or worse). The other characteristic the advanced group drivers had was they really monitored their mirrors and pulled aside everywhere and anywhere, including mid-turn, to let faster cars by instantly. My car is poorly suited to the typical pass-only-on-the-straights approach as my competitors' "straight line driving skills" are typically better than mine. So off they go on the straight, then they block my car on the corners where I cant pass. I will see if it continues to work well and report back here. Mike

Rzempel: Great post/photo, keep 'em coming!

I am taking my se7en to Putnam Park race track, Sunday 7/31 and to Mid-Ohio race track Thursday, August 11. Both with 10/10ths Motorsports. I have done many track days with them and they run a good event w/minimal BS and lots of track time. Novice (w/instructors), intermediate and advanced (passing at will, wherever, whenever, point-bys not required-no "trains"). Anyone one else game? Mike M

You just needed the "blue enema" to urge you on:). Or, Croc's car! I agree, being the only se7en isn't as much fun. And all those questions from other drivers.... Still, not much can top a day at the track. And, there is always someone faster.

Speaking of firsts: A guy in a huge honking pickup looked over at me as we were slowly cruisin side by side down the street today and he said:"How fast does it go?" I said, faster than your truck. So he down shifted and took off like he had a jet engine. Almost ran thru the red lite ahead. I gave him a friendly wave and turned right immediately:).

Details/more pix/cost?

For sale at Sevens and Elans. Mercedes Benz silver w/dark red sripe, red leather interior. 8500 miles, 500 on the newly rebuilt Zetec w/213 hp on dyno. I have seen photos and it's lovely, looks brand new. Cost $49K. I bumped into it on 7/7 (!) when ordering parts for my car from them. No affiliation, etc. Mike M.

Remember it well. I had owned my car 6 weeks. Didn't participate in many activities (Was fixing stuff that kept breaking, on the way there, there, on the way home-what a baptism:)). In fact, it wldn't start after this photo and I was left there, tinkering away, trouble shooting an electrical issue that stopped me in my tracks, off and on, for 14 more months. I am the 2nd car from the left in the 2nd full row (not counting the 2 historic 7's up front as a row). It was dazzling to see so many seven variants in one spot, nearly all immaculate-or better! Al and Mazda out did them selves on that one!

Two years ago the stanchion cost me $460 and the areo-screens were $150 each. Bought from Sevens and Elans. Don't ask what the semi-functional mirrors cost, it's too ridiculous to admit on a public forum! I think Southwind7 made an identical unit for $12.00:).

For road use I keep my full windshield on. I switch to my Brooklands occasionally, or for track days, but I like the extra flying rock/debris protection. We have all had cracked windshields on our family cars when something whacked us. Sure goggles protect your eyes, but what abt your forehead? On track I have a full face helmet. Still, the look is so cool w/Brooklands....

My RA1's are pretty quiet, even at maximum slip angle. They toss a lot of stones in the cockpit and add road rash to the fenders. But when/if they ever wear out, I will get anther set. They do well at the track, wear well (10K miles and counting) and are good in the rain (at least while they have tread).

Link says:"Page cannot be found".

At NJMP I chatted w/a guy in a red Miata who was putting up a pretty good fight w/our Sevens, much better than the assembled 'Vettes, etc. I asked (hopefully) if he had a supercharger. He popped the hood and showed me his un-boosted 1.8 liter stock engine, "with 220,000 miles on it." I pointed out to him that I had had the exact car 10 years earlier. Back then I put it on the same chassis dyno that I tested my Caterham more recently, and they made identical power. So, here's this guy, lugging another 1000 lbs around NJMP, almost holding his own. I know its a favorite argument hereabouts to debate the Miata's relative Macho-ness, or perceived lack thereof, but I am relieved he didn't have a boosted engine. It cld have been embarrassing! Somehow, my Miata managed to go 80K miles, many at auto-x's and track-days, for a fraction of the maintenance $ I routinely put into my Caterham. I am not tempted to buy another Miata (yet:)), but it is a pretty amazing vehicle (IMHO).

As noted elsewhere: I got 11.5 towing my Caterham over the "mountains" of Maryland (Plz don't laugh Skip:)), 13.5 on the trip back over the "mountains" of PA, which were not as steep, or frequent. Diesel is abt $3.90. Yellow SS told me he got 11.5 towing his much bigger trailer w/his new F150.

Not sure, but I think Look took over Haulmark. The trailer was $4.3K. I was not able to find anything else that cheap that was as nice. It was possible to spend amazing amounts of $ on enclosed all-aluminum trailers ($10K and up), that didn't have as much storage, but were much more tow-able due to their lightness. Going with the Touareg TDI solved the need for a feather-weight trailer, while at the same time matching or exceeding the gas mileage of the lighter tow vehicles, at least when not hooked to a trailer. Diesel is more expensive than regular gas but is less than the premium gas I had to use in my M3. My Toureg was a low-mileage demo and was discounted $5K, wh/helped. It's also the bottom of the line "Sport" model and therefore abt $10K less than the premium edition.

Attached is a photo of my new tow vehicle/trailer combo. Made it to NJMP and back 2 days after purchase. VW is a Touareg-2 TDI. With trailer, my highway mileage averaged 11.5-13.5. Around town w/trailer, 17 mpg. Without trailer, I am at 23 mpg around town, 30+ at a steady 70 mph. So my 5000 lb tow vehicle gets better mileage than my 1250 lb Caterham. (And accelerates faster thu 1/4 mile:))! I "sacrificed" my '08 M3 coupe to purchase this set-up. So far, no regrets. The Touareg is a better daily driver and I can now go to more distant track venues with my Caterham, which is more fun (tho less speedy) on the track. The Touareg uses urea as part of its emissions system. That has made for some interesting conversations. My wife:"So let me get this straight: you have to pee into the gas tank to make it work?" Uh, not exactly, but in a round about way maybe:). The 7x16 trailer is a V-nosed trailer made by Look. It has tons of extra room for whatever junk I want to drag along besides my Caterham. It weighs 2400 lbs, car weighs 1250 lbs so all well under the 7700lb tow capacity of the Touareg. Mike M.

Not to mention, one of the fastest cars, period, on the planet. And maybe THE fastest car that can be legally driven on the street?

Those were pretty tidy lines, for the 1st time out! I was lost most of the 1st session, on the wrong side of the track, etc, in half the places, and was massively sideways 3x in a row at the "octopus", until I finally realized I had to slow it up there. Like Karl's car, yours sounds fabulous! I never really heard it as I had my helmet on when you passed me and my car's noise, wind, etc., drowned your sound out. Mike M.

Conrats. Someone got a nice se7en! And, thx for sharing selling price. It seems fair and offers a nice benchmark for others in the market.

Dermot: Caterham says 135 hp, chassis dyno says 95(:. But I have 93 lbs torque (probably double yours:)). My plan is to add some ponies this winter, we'll see, how the financial picture looks. After 4 years w/the car, I am very comfortable w/it & I know what the car can and can't do. So, I can drive it much closer to the edge than some of the guys w/higher hp cars. The biggest difference I noticed on the NJMP tracks was I was not slowing nearly as soon, or as much, as others before turns. So what I lost in acceleration, I often gained back in the braking zone. Mike M.

Dermot: Yes, and some of us have sub 100hp cars:). You drove away from me on the straights as fast as anyone there! Your car is too cool. Did you give any point byes (I know you let me by on an early lap of T-bolt whilst learning the line, but once you figured the course out, you seemed pretty unbeatable). Maybe Croc, anyone else? This whole event just proves the worthwhile theory that, while youth is fleeting, immaturity can last a lifetime! We are all living proof:).