Kitcat

An honest 166 hp from a Crossflow is pretty decent. Mine makes 93hp. BBall mentioned his made 115hp with the 244 cam.As we have seen elsewhere on this site, even Zetecs advertised as 210 hp are dynoed at 145 hp etc. So, it looks like a special engine in a run-of-the-mill mid 90's Cat.

It is a puzzle: It has right hand drive, right hand exhaust, nose cone mesh (heat exhaust?), knock off wheels, many lovely custom-looking details, and some less lovely ones (the steering wheel looks likes it belongs on a dune buggy). The word Jahre (printed on the hood/bonnet) is German for year. The Donkervoort has dual nose cone meshes and rt hand exhaust but is LHD.

I think a Seven is a Seven when it looks like a Seven. The LiSS's that I can think of pass that test. For instance, Stalkers pass that standard with flying colors but weigh around 1800 lbs. I think light weight is one measure (my car weighs about 1250) but simplicity of design and appearance and function also count. And this is one of the few car sites where a car over 1500 lbs is considered to be heavy-most car owners would be thrilled to get their car under 2000 lbs. My Miata was about 2100 lbs and I was pretty proud of its lightness. I agree Andrew 7's dad's car is amazing. Andrew's own Lowcost is no slouch either.

Had a similar recent experience with a '60's Camaro. 5 turns lock to lock, skinny steering wheel, not power assisted, vague and heavy. Combined with brakes that were ineffective and unpredictable and that pulled the car violently side to side it was a walk down memory lane (I got my license in 1962 driving a Chevy). The bad old days:)! Hardly any car cooler looking and more macho than the 'Vette you were driving tho.

Yes, that was on Dick Brink's site when I was looking for a car 2 years ago-the wheels are unforgettable! Pure Ghetto:). Al: Big difference between asking price and sold price. As I recall D Brink wanted $32K a few years ago and probably sold it for less. Now the car has more miles and the seller wants more. We'll see. And I recall a car just like yours selling for $32.5K the year before you sold yours (I am still mad I didn't buy it!). Mike

Just had my first oil change on my '08 BMW M3-9.3 quarts of 10W-60 Castrol TWS full synthetic-wow! Any thots on the use of this particular oil in a Kent engine? Seems like it might be perfect given the engine's loose build tolerances. It has 1000 ppm ZDDP.

I always assume that any wreck I am involved on on the road in my Seven will make arm restraints irrelevant(:. The odds of being in a head-on, or side swiped, T-boned, or rear ended on the street seem much higher than getting upside down. The worst would be a driver's side hit (someone runs a red light/stop sign, etc., and there I am, a sitting duck, with my left arm as my only crash protection). It's a risk and I am always aware of it on the street. Just as I was when I drove a motorcycle. In fact I think my motorcycle driving made me a better Seven driver: Assume you are invisible, leave lights on, keep rev's (and noise) up, carry a loud horn, don't trust green lights, or assume your right of way will be respected, etc. It doesn't ruin the experience, but I am always on high alert in my Seven. And, there are times when the car's diminutive size is a plus. Recently I was headed south in the "passing" lane of a 4 lane city highway (2 lanes in each direction). I saw someone on my left (east) side waiting to pull out of a driveway and into my lane. I was doing all of the above so didn't worry about being seen. But out they came anyway, at the last second, right into my lane, also headed south. I couldn't pull into the "slow" lane, there was a car headed south there also. What to do? I made a 3rd lane and squeezed into the small space between the two cars, and poped out the other side. In a normal car, there would have been a collision. On the track: helmet, arm restraints, FIA roll-over bar, 6 point harness, ignition kill switch, and HANS device. It takes 5-10' to get the extra safety stuff on and isn't practical for the street. Mike

Sounds pretty slick. But so far, I am quite happy w/my Caterham's set up: 2 convex side mirrors mounted on either side of the windshield and a center mounted rear view mirror. All work with or without the top on. All can easily be adjusted while seated in the driver's seat. I have great rearview vision even when strapped in for track days with a HANS device that severely limits head movement.

LowFlyer: Didn't the front bar add "push" (understeer)? If so, how did you restore the car's handling neutrality? Typically a rear bar would be added but I don't see that you did that. Mike

I assume we pay dues because unlike other forums that I occasionally frequent (BMW, 'Vette, Miata, Lotus, etc.) there are no sponsors w/deep pockets to pay the freight for the overhead in return for advertising? Our cars are the very definition of "exclusive" with the result that there are no advertisers seeking our business. I have heard of members here who so value the site that they throw in a little extra, on top of regular dues, just to keep things rolling. Nothin to stop others from doing the same:). I do like the voluntary nature of the whole payment thing tho. And, if overhead gets to be a concern, just put out the call, I am sure lots of folks will step up to help. Mike

To me the most amazing thing abt the video was the co-pilot reading his notes (and not barfing), the pedestrians right on the track(Plz kill me, no, kill me!) and the total absence of any safety considerations on course (trees everywhere, etc.). The driving wasn't bad either.

Great story! I especially like the reciprocal act of kindness: I would only grudgingly give up my copy of Automobile Magazine showing all of the Sevens lined up, including mine, at the 50th 7's bash 2 years ago. Reminds me of: "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers," a line from Tennessee Williams, Streetcar named Desire. A line I always fall back on when caught completely unprepared for some jackpot I've gotten myself into.

Question for open trailer folks: Do you put a car cover on your Seven when towing? If so, are there any issues (excessive flapping, rubbing down of paint, etc.). Given the less-is-more philosophy of se7ens in general, the lightweight, minimal approach is more attractive to me, not that I'd refuse to ride/sleep in Kevin's full-tilt set up (as long as he was paying for the fuel:)).

People laugh when I say I have a heater in my Seven. It really helps when its cold tho. Always keep a sweatshirt in the "boot" as well, for those occasional chilly moments.

When I was in the market last fall for a high end performance car, I called some Cadillac dealers locally and asked about testing a CTS-V (556 hp). They made it clear that I would have to pay a sizable dealer "markup" if I bought one. Also no test drive could be promised. So, instead of luring me into a Cadillac showroom for the first time in my life, they made it easy to go elsewhere. I bought a BMW M3. They were dealing on price and basically had interest free loans. And they acted like they were glad to see me, instead of the buzz-off attitude at Cadillac. Whither GM?

I know BBall was signed up and I was hoping he had upheld the honor of all of us other Crossflow owners:)!

Any word on how Seven's fared at the LOG Auto-X? Ditto today's trackday?

I just weighed the Tillet carbon fiber seat I have in my basement (awaiting eventual installation). On a bathroom scale it weighs about 4 1/2 lbs, the mounting brackets/hardware weigh abt 6 1/2 lbs for a total of 11lbs. I doubt the existing stock cloth seat and brackets weighs much more, its basically a structured throw pillow. The leather ones probly are a bit heavier. The reason I am doing the Tillet is it has an anchor belt cut out and I do track days a coupla times a year. It also holds me much more snugly, tho wont be nearly as comfortable on trips. I find the cloth seats with their generous thigh support and amount of rake supremely comfortable, especially when paired with an aftermarket lumbar pillow. Mike

I have been getting all my (many) Caterham parts from Chris at Sevens and Elans in the Boston area. I started with Caterham/Rocky Mountain Sports Cars, but they would occasionally drop the ball, stop answering their phone, etc., etc. But they were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, as is Chris. Mike

If I were in the market, this would be on my short list. Zetec Caterhams don't usually sell for $25K. Looks like they were ambitious about trying to heat proof the cockpit also. And, it has the FIA roll-over bar, some weather equipment, etc, and looks pristine, at least in the photos.

Let's wait to see what he does then we'll have a basis to decide if it made sense. Clearly, N. Korea stumped the prior 2 administrations so it wouldn't be shocking if he pulled the Bad-Dog approach employed by the Bushies. I don't find the all-out-war alternative too attractive. As far as the faithful Clinton bashers go, see above, I saw recently that a conservative pundit listed Clinton ahead of Bushes I & II as being governed by conservative principles (He abolished welfare, signed NAFTA, actually balanced the budget(!), and reduced the speed of government growth). As we know, the budget, and deficit, went immediately out of whack and the government grew by leaps and bounds in the 8 years after the Republicans took over the White House and Congress.

Ah, the "Chaterham" version of the Seven-a distant cousin of a Caterham perhaps?. 1100 lbs seems a bit low & 250 hp out of even a BDA engine seems a bit high. Especially now that it has been "smogged". Still, pretty nice from what little can be gleaned from the photos. Does have a FIA roll-over bar, seats have no headrests, as far as I can tell tho.

Let's face it, we had lots of warning 911 was going to happen without having to resort to torture. Those in the White House at the time of 911 chose to ignore the warnings for one reason or another. At least per Richard Clarke's book about the matter, the facts of which were not disputed by the White House when the book was released. And as the country's chief anti-terrorism official at the time of 911, Clarke was in a position to know. So, it was not necessary to torture anyone to get actionable intelligence that 911 was imminent. The problem was getting those in power to take the warning seriously. That, however takes a completely different kind of "intelligence". Then, after it was too late to do anything meaningful, the torture policy was amended courtesy of some very imaginative attorneys, and what was always understood as torture was no longer. Unfortunately, other than making those White House folks feel better for dropping the ball on 911, the new policy doesn't seem to have accomplished much, at least of a positive nature. What I have never really understood is why the Republicans in power have always gotten a free pass on 911. There were there, they had the info it was coming and yet they did nothing. Instead they instituted a torture policy and then took bows for keeping the country safe after 911. Of course, at that point it was too late. Sort of like a pitcher bragging about a shut out after giving up 15 runs in the first inning, if you will. To put it another way, what would my conservative brethern here in the Seven community say if Obama or Clinton had been in power at the time of 911?

Looks like 10-15 separate Sevens-nice turn out!

Really like the black cage on the white body! Get used to the rock star treatment, it never ends. Every stop involves the 4 H's: How fast, How much $, How's the gas mileage and Hoo makes it? Also get used to other drivers zooming right up to your rear bumper (OK, where your rear bumper would be if you had one) to get a closer look. It can be a bit unnerving. Mike