Kitcat

60, and still no 7 First got interested when a friend smuggled a R & T magazine into study hall in '61 or so and showed me an article on the Lotus 7 kit (For about $1.2K, as I remember). It was referred to in R & T as a TDRC (thinly disguised race car) back then and the stock sports car drivers (M.G's, TR3's, etc.) hated it because they were so uncompetitive against it on the track. One favorite memory is walking to law school at the U. of Ill. every morning in the late 60's & seeing a 7 tool down the street, make an abrupt right hand turn into the parking lot, seemingly without slowing, and passing underneath the crossgate without stopping, due to its low stature. Jeez:cool!

How much $ for a complete 250 hp turbo'd engine, with FM supplying the engine (and doing install)?

For those who have not noticed, Westfield has just teamed up with FlyinMiata (www.flyinmiata.com) to produce a Miata-based Westfield variant. Flyin Miata is probably the premier Miata tuner in the country, with many performance goodies, including a large range of turbo'd Miata engines, as well as numerous other performance goodies. It is also home to Keith Tanner, a 7-nut of the first order. For some time Westfield has made a model based on a Miata donor car. Now that model is being sold as a kit, or turn-key vehicle, by F-Miata. Given their Miata expertise, this seems like a perfect fit. I was quoted a price of approximately $33K for a turn-key car with 185 rear horse-power and the customary "options" (such as a windshield/roof, etc). Seems like a deal for a car they say weighs about 1240 lbs.

Arm restraints would have kept him from using one arm to hold on to his cage while steering with the other: a driving technique that is unique. He is lucky to be alive after getting out just as his car was hit.

For an interesting, and possibly helpful, account of another 7 owner's trevails in solving a similar problem, go to : www.mycaterham.com. In particular click on "mechanical" and then "engine 2-electrical". Turns out there are roughly a zillion things that can cause the problem and this guy explored most before finally hitting on the solution.Kitcat2006-12-05 11:06:43

Tightest, most dangerous track I ever saw-like racing in a tunnel. Most crowded too. A wreck up front would have been an extreme disaster. Still, what a driver!

Isn't drag the combination of Cd times frontal area? If so, why isn't the 7's somewhat brick-like Cd offset by its tiny size?

Given the upcoming 7's meet at Tail of the Dragon and the apparently occasional discrepancy between advertised wight and actual weight of 7's clones (See recent Tech discussion) perhaps a "weigh-in" could be part of the upcoming TOTD 7's meet? Does anyone have a competent set of portable scales to lend to the cause? Perhaps there could be an award to the lightest participant? As a prospective buyer, I would be interested in knowing how much lightness has actually been added to the various Birkin, Caterham, Ultralite, etc., models.

Caterham is pronounced: a) Cat-eram, b) Kate-eram?

Does Performance Engineering do the engine installs on Nobles (which are sold in the US via 1G racing, also in Ross, OH)?

So is my wife's patience. When I brought home my Evo for her to admire for the first time, a friend pointed to the huge wing and said "What's that?" To which my wife quipped: "Grounds for divorce!"

The thought has crossed my mindhttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif. There are actually a surprising number for sale, including two very similar to yours. You are asking the least money so that's a plus. But as you know, there are so many options it's not always apple to apples. Anyhow I have decided to just continue to live the 7 dream vicariously for now.

Estimated HP? Any recurrent issues (intermittent short, etc.?). Where did you do the track days & what were your times?

Little stuff I can live with: it's the leaking transmission that fouls the clutch and requires pulling the engine/tranny to get at or the mystery electrical glitch that shorts out the ignition intermittently which is of concern.

He had a roll cage which I am sure helped. It's not the damage to the car but the damage to the driver that concerns me. I enjoyed watching his video: I can see where the go-kart analogy comes from now (zero lean, instant turn-in, very collectible when the rear steps put, huge stopping power).

Track days only-no organized competition. I hadn't thought about the rain issue. Many of the track days I ran in my Miata & my Evo were in rain. Also many of the trips there and back were in the rain. You can't just put the top up and run your 7?

Like new, low-milage Elises are going for $32K. Any thoughts on how they compare with similarly priced 7 clones (Caterham or otherwise) as a track car? My family has lots of daily drivers('05 Prius,'03 T-Bird, '07 Accord) so my interest is in a car that is streetable enough to drive to the track in minimal comfort, then excel at the track. I don't want to have to buy a tow vehicle/trailer as I don't have room to store them and would rather put that extra money in to a car.

As a newbie I have a couple of concerns about a 7 clone as a fun car/track car/auto-x car. One is mechanical reliability (see my "fiddlin" post). Another is safety. I test drove a classic Caterham last year (Is it pronounced Kate-erham or Cat-erham?). It was so narrow that my arm was actually outside of the car. What if you are rammed from the side by someone running a red light or by another track day car that gets out of shape? Does the aluminum honeycomb provide meaningful protection? What about the slightly larger SV model, does it provide more crush space? Is it necessary to install a large SCCA type roll cage (Exoskeleton)? Are the non-Caterham options any safer (Birkin, Ultralite)?

I have been toying with getting a Caterham or other 7 derivative. From reading about them I get the impression that there is a sizable amount of fiddling with things to keep the cars operational: Drive, fiddle with something that is loose or broke, drive, fiddle with some thing is loose or broke, repeat. How true is this?Kitcat2006-10-28 11:50:33