Kitcat

I thing the de Dion offers more "trunk" space than the IRS set up, no? Probably not the biggest consideration for most se7en owners:).

Bruce: I have seen the pic you posted above before and, based on it, thot that it wld be easy to tell the 2 models apart. But from ground level (as opposed to overhead), and with different colors and options (spare tire/no spare tire), the difference is much more subtle than the photo above suggests. Croc-I have not noticed any evil handling w/my car, even on rough roads. I have a Dedion with the softer all-around suspension, as opposed to the track oriented suspension. But I am running race rubber on the street and still the ride is acceptable smooth, firm but probably softer than my stock M3 rides or my prior vehicle, a stock R package Miata. Mike

How tight is "tight"? I took a look last night. The alternator belt didn't move much when I pushed it. If I pushed fairly hard it moved maybe a 1/3 inch.

Misc thots: When I was at the LOG 30 Summit Point track day earlier this month, my instructor (an Elise owner) drove my car the first session. The conversation, as we approached the first turn, went something like this: "You see that cone and those trees, you want to start dialing in a little steering right here, WHOAAA, what just happened? Oh my God, this thing turns in RIGHT NOW, forget what I just said, I have to get the hang of the car first, it is so incredibly responsive, suddenly my Elise feels like a boat!" JohnK, thx for the attachment. It's interesting to see how serious the effort is (and difficult the task is) to improve the car's already excellent handling while retaining its purity. My S3 weighs 1225 lbs, 100 less than the larger SV. When I was at LOG there were many SV's and I have to say I didn't notice any size difference compared to mine-their size is so proportionately larger you really have to look to see the difference. In fact, I didn't know they were SV's until their owners told me. Mike

Thx for the input. I will start w/the loose alternator belt theory and work from there. It is a 6 mo old battery and I keep it on the trickle charger so it usually starts right up.

As Caterham owners know, we have 3 info lights between the speedo and tach: A top one that is green (turn signals), a red middle one (ignition) and bottom (blue) brights. All are fairly useless as they wash out in ordinary daylight. However, my red light has started coming on upon hard acceleration. And it's brighter than the others and is hard to ignore. Is the light trying telling me something, or do I just have a short in the wiring? It flickers a bit, then stays on, starting around 4K rpm's. Since I do a lot of accelerating, the light is on a lot and is sort of annoying. Thx, Mike

The fine print says it's an original "Lotus/Chaterham" nose, made in 1981. At least that's how i read it.

Dingo: I recently left my ignition on so long the battery ran down and had to be recharged (I turned it on to have steering so I cld push the car a few feet, then forgot all abt the ignition). But no resulting problems with the Petronix.

I thot he did great. No one else cld remotely hang with him. He was in command of his car, he never spun, tho he did have a few "moments" . Sure, he used ALL of the track (and curbs, and grass, etc), but that is the fast way around. I wldnt ride with him either, but I wldn't want to compete against him.

Light steering under hard acceleration wld not be surprising. I heard of an instructor who had a unique way of showing this at trackdays w/newbies. He'd explain the phenomena, then reach over at a high acceleration straight, grab the steering wheel and yank it downwards. When the car continued along straight ahead, he'd make his point again. (I don't recommend trying this at home kids). Anyhow, if your steering feel returns on deceleration, it sort of suports this. Exactly how much HP does your engine make? Mike

Halloween car?

If your steering is so scary you think it might kill you, something is seriously wrong. Have you tightened all suspension components (not just the ones that are easy to reach, but all?). I had a huge steering stability problem at LOG 30 and Tom (YellowSS) Dx'd loose front upper A-arm bolts. They were nearly impossible to reach, so I had skipped them. When I finally tightened them, handling nirvana was restored. Ditto engine mounts. Checked air pressure (a little goes a long way in a 7, I run 16-18)? An alignment (with you in the driver's seat-or a comparable amt of weight substituted)? I think I have max caster dialed in-wh/helps with steering stability, a touch of toe-out (some toe-in wld be better for stability tho) and abt a degree of negative camber up front. Everyone has their own alignment preferences. Better tires (are yours damaged or do they have uneven wear). But something's out of whack. I cant believe a small change in engine placement wld have such an adverse effect on steering. Mike

I see that it is a "non-smoker". maybe he means the engine:)? Has anyone ever tried smoking in a se7en?

It seems like the formula for the perfect se7en engine is a blend of lightness, compactness, power, reliability, serviceability. If so, the bike engined cars would seem to have an advantage, followed by the most modern 4 cyl engines (Duratec, Ecotec, etc) since modern car makers have roughly the same perameters.

Locost-My car came with the Petronix. Chris T at Sevens and Elans, who has built more Caterhams than anyone in the US (tho that probably isn't saying much), always uses them in his builds. I think it's a pure plug/play. Cost? Don't know. Since my used Caterham came with it, I never had to price one.

My X-Flow uses a Petronix distributor. It has been very reliable.

Drool, drool! Silver with a platinum stripe and carbon wings? I guess everyone is jumping on the Alakossie/MightyMike bandwagon:).

Good luck at the T-mile! Keep us posted. Mike

Given that they are selling copies of the Larry Ellison Cobra build book for $4,500.00, it wld be interesting to know what the actual car cost!

Gert: Interesting/tempting. My concern, aside from whether it wld fit a Cat, is heat. In my car, the key to survival in weather above 70 degrees is lots of air flow thru the cockpit (doors off, or bottom 1/2 of both doors flipped up). Your design seems to insulate the driver from the elements but does that mean it also traps the heat??? Mike

Like the Se7en, the Cobra has stood the test of time. Whereas most cars of their era have faded into distant memory,the Cobra and se7en have flourished and gotten better. Both body styles have timeless attraction. I love the aluminum bodied Cobra above. As noted tho, Cobras, while not exactly a dime a dozen, are much more common than se7ens. So I wouldn't trade, but I certainly wouldn't mind a Cobra to compliment my Caterham. One of my car-nut friends in college bought a used 289 in the late 60's for $5K. He still has it. I suspect it's worth more than his investment:). Not many hobbies are that profitable.

Dean: I confess I was amazed at your times. You were running on wagon wheel tires and, unless you are an experienced auto-X-er, you were feeling your way around the course, rather than storming around it like Norm Beaver, et al. What year is your 7? Mike

And a beautiful car it is (I thot they all looked terrific), good job glenntwincam. I guess Tony got 2nd. You have cycle fenders, no? Thx Jon. I thot the auto-x course had a 27 in it. Don't know whose trophy i got Mike

Perhaps so, but it was Tony's ancient and pretty scuzzy looking early 90's Cat that won, followed by a Seven from Rocky River Ohio, then mine. I voted for the Seven that Tony built for his dying friend. It was listed under Tony's son's name, tho, and like all the other very pretty Cats there, didn't win. Tony is a long time LOG attendee and LOONY member and I am sure got some votes as a familiar name.

,:),. Speaking of brand confusion:Yesterday I got a nice little trophy in the mail from LOG 30 announcing that I was the "Fastest 7" at the LOG auto-X. Really? Faster than Michael D, Norm Beaver and Scot in their souped up Caterhams? Or fastest "Lotus 7" (Which,as a Caterham 7, I was clearly not)? As other LOG attendees know (How can they forget when I keep reminding them:)) my cat took the "coveted" 3rd place in the LOG contest for prettiest Caterham. So one component of LOG recognized Caterhams as separate from the actual Lotus 7. I suspect that the auto-x folks assumed my Lotus badged Caterham was a Lotus (who can really tell?) and I snuck off with someone else's award(:. Box, any idea if my rather pathetic showing in the auto-x was actually fastest for all 7's, Caterhams included? Mike