Kitcat

One of the auto-x tire manufacturers (Hoosier?) noted 2 years ago that going to v wide tires hurt times because the tires didn't warm up to operating temperatures in a typical 30"-60" auto-x run, followed by 15-25' wait for the next run, since the 7 is so light. I am sure on a road course that would be less of a concern. When I spoke to RMSC about it when replacing my stock 195's they suggested going up to 205 and avoiding 225's, for the same reason. My auto -x experience, in my Miata, was Hoosiers were best (tho v short -lived) then Kumos, then Toyo RA1's. But the Toyos stayed grippy, even after 8 years. The Kumos only had so many heat cycles then they were shot. Hence the 205x15 RA1's on my Prisoner wheels. They are a nice comprimise between all out track tire and a comfortable street tire. JBH: 185 up front & 235 at the back would really imbalance my car and would cause huge "push" since the back would have so much more grip. Why are you thinking about such a large stagger (massive engine power?)

Call Tire Rack. They love these kinds of questions. I thought all of the current DOT legal race rubber was radial (Toyo/Hoosier, Kumo, etc), but I am certainly no expert.

I started a discussion a few days ago on the Sevens list about replacing my stock 36 liter Caterham tank with something from ATM or Fuel Safe. The downside of the stock tank is it is in a vulnerable spot and has little impact resistance. The downside of fuel cells are cost ($4K+ for the 55 liter Caterham unit, about $1.5K for the 7 gallon Fuel Safe unit). They also have a limited useful life and should be inspected annually & replaced every 5 to 7 years (more cost). They also reduce tank capacity and there can be the usual fitment issues Both Nathan at RMSC and Chris T at Sevens and Elans recommend the honeycomb stuff. Nathan said that the kit supplied by Caterham (for about $400), provides a very tough, nearly impenetrable surface protector. I am inclined to try it. The tank has to be partially removed to glue the pre-cut panels but otherwise it is simple/cheap and, no loss of tank volume, annual inspections/fitment issues.

Per Fuel Safe, their foam cell reduces capacity by 8%. But, their standard size is 7 gallons, whereas, per RMSC, the stock Caterham tank is 36 liters, or about 9 gallons. So the FS tank wld reduce capacity by abt 1/3, as noted above. I seem to need to stop & refuel every 100-150 miles in my Crossflow and reducing that by 1/3 is not going to work. So I may get a larger size FS, and sacrifice some "boot" space or I may follow RMSC's suggestion and simply add the honeycomb panels Caterham sells (for about $350) which can be glued to the existing tank and make it much more resistant to puncture. I must say I am heartened (stunned even) by the fact that a guy walked away from an endo in a Seven!

When chatting w/Nathan at RMSC yesterday about a safer fuel tank for my car, he mentioned they have Seven there that had been recently rolled several times and then stuffed backwards into a tree (no the gas tank, which did have a 11" gash, did not explode). Anyone here know anything?

Gentleman: We thank you, and others, for your service. I recall the hostile treatment soldiers in uniform got during the Vietnam era (a mere 10 years). This summer while at the airport some soldiers in uniform got off an airplane and the entire airport broke into applause. Wow!

Hey-remember I said it could be 65+ too-think positive.

Since it's Veteran's Day I want to pass on my appreciation to our members, and others, who have served their country in the military. Feel free to ID yourselves and take a bow. As an attorney who handles VA disability cases, I am painfully aware of how often veterans are forgotten/overlooked/ignored by the government after their service has been completed. So a special thanks to those who have accepted the responsibility of service, only to be frustrated when it was the government's time to return the favor. Mike

It better have a great personality because it sure is ugly!

Thanks Al/Box. I m prepared to sacrifice some "luggage" room for safety. I can always get some soft-bits luggage if storage becomes a concern. I have to say, my "boot" looks abt the same size as Al's anyhow.

Hijack: Al, I want to replace my standard Caterham 8 gallon tank w/one a bit more resistant to exploding. Who built yours and at what cost? Did you lose any fuel capacity & if so how much? I assume its a custom deal or do they make a standard "Caterham gas tank". I'd love to just be able to call someplace & say "Give me what Al got". Is it that simple or do I have to start taking measurements? Any other issues to be aware of? Mike

Hey, that's how I feel when I am driving my 7!

I have a Caterham and live in Cincy and would be happy to introduce you to some good Ohio micro-brews & talk of all things Sevens. You can tutor me on how to actually pronounce my car's name (I am told it is not cat-ter-ham). Weather here in January can be anything from 65 to minus 30F. So check before coming. Depending on the weather your visit may or may not involve a ride/view of my car. Other locals/nearby shd feel free to join us.

Speaking of Birkins, the one persistent complaint I have heard about them here on the Forum is wiring issues. Maybe the Birkin faithful can comment? My impression is that after 2004 it got better, but prior to that the wiring mite be problematic (As in:"I had to completely rewire the d*@m thing").

If you can wrap your left leg around the back of your neck while straddling the entrance and holding the side screen up with your right hand, then it's no problemo. Pluses: once in, there is a surprising amt of room and visibility is decent. And, I think the car looks cool with the top up, which is nice.

Cost: priceless (haven't got the credit card bill yet, tho as I recall it was around $500). The killers were the Caterham 6 pt belts at $353 (each!). Well, they DO say Caterham on them.

Lowcost: It is WELL over $44K for a new CSR Seven. Assuming it's reasonably optioned, over $75K would be closer to it. It is a bit over $44K for a base Caterham with a crossflow these days, assuming you have them supply the engine/tranny & put it together. Do it yourself & maybe save $5K. Find your own engine, etc., & save another $5-$10K. Makes an Ulltralite look like a deal, not to mention the new Westfield sitting over there in the For-Sale section of this forum!

I have noticed several other threads in which members talk about putting their car away for the winter (or putting them on jack stands so as to rebuild them from top to bottom). Cold weather seems to be the explanation. So, when is it too cold to drive a Seven? I like to ski and it's never too cold to ski. As a newbie owner facing his first winter with a Seven, my plan is to don my ski apparel, and keep on motoring (as long as there is no snow/salt/etc). Am I alone in this? What is the coldest day you have driven your Seven with the top down?. With the top up?

When I registered my '97 Caterham in Ohio this summer it had a NJ title so it was quite easy-just a matter of a visual inspection and some paperwork. Go to Ohio's BMV site for info. You will need to trailer it to the BMV so it can be inspected or you can drive illegally there-I had temporary NJ plates so I just drove it there. Everyone loved it and came outside to look at it and share all their favorite car stories. Then they all stayed outside to hear how it sounded when I drove off. Some applauded! They were so dazzled that they didn't notice a huge typo we made in NJ where I bought the car: Seller certified it had 17K miles but it really only had 13K. So it looked like I had fiddled with the odometer-I was sweating bullets but they missed it completely, tho it was one of the things they had to check. Have car insurance or an insurance binder too. I expect it will be more complex for you as you have no title. My seller registered it in NJ as a '98 but with a '67 Pinto engine, to get around the NJ smog rues. Here in Cincy we have no smog rules or inspections so its not an issue. Apparently if you register as a "collector car" in Ohio that gets you around any smog requirements elsewhere in Ohio. Good luck!

I live 30' from Ross Ohio, home of Rossion Motorcars (formerly 1G Racing). They were the exclusive importer for the Noble and now make the Rossion (sort of a reskinned/upgraded Noble). Anyhow, their bread and butter vehicle for years has been the Cobra replica which greatly outsells the Noble. They also marketed a Seven clone called the Superperformance S1. All of these vehicles are made in the same factory in S. Africa, and sold exclusively though the company's small headquarters in Ross. I enjoyed a spirited run up there just this last weekend in my 7, which fit right in with all of the Cobras and other exotics parked everywhere in their garage.

I replaced my stock roll-over bar with the upgraded unit. The shipping weight for the FIA spec Caterham bar is 33 pounds. I just got around to weighing the stock bar: 8.5 pounds! About the same as the aluminum bicycle rack I use on my Accord. I am sure the stock bar is better than nothing, but the question is, how much better?

I plan to at least do the LOG 28 track day at Putnam Park. Will decide the rest later. Mike

Athens7: Maybe the dyno reads low? Everything I have read about these devices suggests that they are wonderful at establishing a baseline hp # and then serving as a tool to optimize that # thru careful tuning. Which you did to good effect. They are less useful at establishing an accurate horsepower number. How does the car do in the real world? Is it fast? Take it to a drag strip and get some #'s. Maybe it's the dyno that's off.

The "Sevens community" is quite small. Except for this Forum, contact is minimal, just because there are so few owners out there. Ownership (like life) is what you make it. I love track days and just bombing around in it. Others like auto-x, and others mostly like to work on their cars. Except for the Dragon and 2 track days, I have not seen a Seven on the road in 40 years. But its not lonely. Try getting into & out of an ordinary gas stop in under 5'. Its hard not to answer the questions of the excited onlookers, young and old. I can assure you, tho, snobbery is not part of the equation (You have to be humble to climb out of one in front of other people)

OK, this my new favorite Ultralight. I love the "hot-roded" look (removal of everything extraneous-not easily done on a car that is minimalist to begin with). I am beginning to thing black is the ideal color for LISS's. Athens7's black Caterham, also pictured in this forum section , is a knockout too. Is the hood bulge necessary with the Miata engine? What does the car weigh? How does it perform compared to the Honda engined versions?