Kitcat

I have now booked a track side VIP suite, as has been my tradition the last 6 years. Cost $121 per nite with tax for a pretty bare-bones, but adequate, room. The big upside for me is that there is no driving to and from the track to an offsite room. Yes, the motorcycle guys just HAVE to crack their throttles wide open at 6:30-7:00 every morning-who needs an alarm:)? Folks willing to spend abt 2x can rent a onsite condo wh/are very plush and much further from the noisy track garages (The VIP Suites are on top of the garages). I did rent a condo 1x and enjoyed it, tho I was only in the room to sleep so it was sort of waste of $.

Oh yeah, I can definitely detect a small scowl there:). Work often helps define who we are. Take that away and it can effect self image. Easy for me to say, but patience is a virtue. You are doing everything in your power to change the situation. That's really all you can expect of yourself.

I am reliably informed that this car has recently sold.

Caterham wind screen will likely not fit Birkin. I tried to swap my Caterham Brooklands windscreen onto my Birkin and it wasn't remotely close. Tho the cars look the same, the dimensions are quite different. If the windscreen is flexible plastic maybe it could be bent to fit? But, the metal frame for the Brooklands was too wide and too deep (or visa versa).

Yes, the NJMP event fits your "semi-sporty" criteria. No one takes themselves too seriousy at that event.

Those locks seize up in hot weather. So I always turn on my se7en's air conditioing when that happens to me....

Gert, aka:Slomove. His work is impeccable or whatever category exists way beyond impeccable!

Thx for these weekly photo updates, Bob. I always look forward to them.

Both are beautiful, glad to see you enjoying them!

James: Except, as with most Caterham parts these days, these are "Out of stock" (In addition to being very expensive).

Wow, it IS the right thing to do, but few would even consider it, let alone do it! Kudos to you. I watch the BAT site daily and thought a critical difference between your sale and many others was your prompt and candid response to bidders' questions. So often a car is listed and then relevant questions go unanswered.

Price is up to $21K and climbing. Couple of interested buyers seem to have fallen for this nicely done replica. As long as people keep bidding it up within the allotted few minutes, more time is added so who knows when (and where $$) it will end?

Skip: I assume the '16 with the V8 conversion will have a modified suspension as well?

Now that's a kit car! Like John B, I wonder if you pay extra for the engine:)? And if it must be purchased separately and is not installed by the mfr? Can a Storker version be far behind (at 1/2 the cost)?

I just spent an inordinate amount of time listening to talk radio and watching cable news shows opine, incorrectly, on the First Amendment (whilst visiting with an under-the-weather relative). So knowing the vast reach of our Forum, I am going to post here and straighten this whole thing out once and for all (Or at least get it off my chest). OK-The First Amendment simply says that CONGRESS shall make no law abridging the right to free speech. After 2+ centuries of Constitutional amendments (like the 14th) and Supreme Court interpretations, the First Amendment is now understood to say the GOVERNMENT shall make no law abridging free speech. Is Donald Trump Congress or the government? Of course not. THERFORE, he is free to impose whatever rules he wants at his rally's (dress code, hand salute, signs, whatever he wants-it's his friggin event, he gets to make the rules). And, the citizens who dont care for what he is saying have NO constitutional right to disrupt his rally or to interfere with his right to conduct it however he wants to. End of discussion. IF protesters want to protest, they must so outside the rally venue. IF the talking heads' interpretation of free speech were right, then anyone could interfere with any group's efforts to assemble and express their thoughts, as loudly and inappropriately as they want. In other words: dont like the Catholic religion, go into their service every Sunday and disrupt it, dont like a lecture being given on a nearby campus, attend and yell until it shuts down. So all the First Amendment means is, for instance, that no government agency can establish standards defining what we are allowed to say. The First Amendment has a very, very, very limited scope and application. Which is, of course, totally consistent with the Framers' belief that people would do best with as little government control of their speech and thoughts as possible. I am no fan of the Donald or his rabble-rousing speeches. I am just saying that the First Amendment gives me zero authority to enter his rally and to disrupt it, or even to enter wearing a Rubio T-shirt or to hold up a Cruz sign inside the rally. I feel better aleady-And I know that, since this is a private (Non-government) Forum, with its own rules, the moderators can delete this post and I will have suffered no violation of my First Amendment rights:).

The S1 above is similar spec to the $100K+ supercharged Caterham so is this a bargain? Does the roll-over design make any sense? Weird gauge placement. I wonder if the front cycle fenders are too small to fit? Overall I like it a lot. I mite steal the snorkel intake design.

Spinning obver 90 mph? It just needs a bigger rear wing!

Tom, what is the upper limit for se7ens in our run group, 25-30?

Great racing d15! So many lead changes. Your braking (and superior line) against his hp/aero and decent line. You'd be leading most of us at the July event at Lightening, even with you underpowered car (a 1'15 lap is pretty cool!).

If it was a detonation problem, wouldn't you have some trace of damage to the head/valves? You pulled the head and all was fine, right? As my post above notes, the current theory for my SVT's spluttering issues is inadequate fueling over 3500 rpm's, so maybe there is something to your engine having fueling issues, even tho no visible detonation damage-yet. BTW-I think the "stock" Caterham fuel pump is made by Bosch for Porsches. We replaced it with a higher capacity pump.

Tom: Have you tried substituting Kentucky bourbon for Water Wetter in your coolant system? I have heard that can really help:). The more expensive the bourbon the better results-remember, this is a Cosworth, not a lowly Zetec. And, best of all, unlike the Water Wetter, you can drink anything that's left over!

Car started spluttering on wide open throttle at end of last year's NJMP event. So in August I took it to my mechanic's and it is starting to look like I will actually get it back next week. The cat and trailer were gone so long that when I checked my trailer spot last week, a squatter trailer had taken over. So I had him evicted. Things replaced, fixed, etc; spark plugs, spark plug wires, gas, O2 sensor, leak down showed low compression in 4th cyl, valve job, source the valve gasket, new bolts, its a SVT so nothing is kept in stock by Ford or parts stores, some things are available at Massive, some in England, car is put on dyno, wont pull over 3500 rpm's w/o going lean (which is likely why engine was spluttering and then damaged), fuel system makes good pressure, but volume isn't there, fuel pump is suspected (4th in 1200 miles), after head scratching it is decided to install a return fuel system in place of the current return-less system, car is plumbed for that, extra fuel filters are added, incl before the fuel pump,ECU is reprogrammed to understand this change, much larger capacity fuel pump is added, everything is buttoned up, back to the dyno, now the car makes great, smooth, reliable power (161 hp, 143 torque at rear wheels). Looks like I will be ready for NJMP/summer.

Sean: What is 213-04.com? When I google that I get gibberish.

Chassis dyno, so rear wheels. Should go up a bit on unleaded race gas. Rev limit was 7200 (400 more than i thot I had).

Just got dyno results back on my totally stock SVT Zetec engine. I make 161 hp, 141 torque. Much help from 1turbofocus. No ITB's, no header, no hot cam, i run a stock airbox and filter, etc. If it is also reliable power I will be a happy camper.