Kitcat

Thx, Shane, I had printed it earlier and lost it. I have spent the past day loading up, making preps. As I did so, I thought, Jeez, I kinda wish I had a bigger tow vehicle and a bigger trailer. Then I remembered that the first 2 USA7s events I attended, one of 800 miles, the other 1200, I did in my seven itself. Hauled everything in the passenger seat and in the small boot. Ran with the top up, doors off. Packed light, had a blast.

I am using reverse logic here: IF we all prepare for rain, it wont happen. I added an irrigation system to my yard this year and it has rained every other day as a result:). And rain in Millville can be very localized. We have had huge storms skim by us in other years there that were supposed to cause havoc. Besides, rain and wet track driving are excellent for teaching car control, as long as slicks aren't involved. So bring your "street tires".

What's the weather looking like for Fri-Sat, Tom? Seems like rain is a possibility so I will bring my rain gear/tires.

BEC consideration: does it have reverse? Many don't. I sold my '98 Xflow here to a resident of Ontario. As I recall we had to find proof of mfg date and with the serial #, got Caterham to confirm mfg date in writing. Altho built and registered as a '98. it was mfd as a '97 and I think that earlier date, was used to satisfy the 15 year rule.I know it was successfully registered in Ontario where it is licensed and driven.

I took the tow vehicle out on a deserted road with trailer and car attached and did some high speed panic stops to see how the Prodigy braking system worked. In a word: flawlessly. Defensive driving and moderate speeds are still the order of the day but I have cut a ton of distance off my braking zone. Croc: speaking of balancing 13" wheels, I discovered the weights have to be added to outside of the wheel. If they are placed inside, they hit the brake caliper on 1st rotation and go flying. Sure glad I did a test drive. Enjoyed your Mustang vid: your car is still my favorite Mustang of all time. The white 'Vette driver had clearly superior "straight line driving skill":). It was fun to see you catch him in the 2-3-4 sequence where he drove a pretty uninspired line. Shane: one of my first Caterham adventures was getting upside down in my Caterham's passenger seat so as to stick my head down in the footwell where the fuse box was and check for a blown fuse. I wiggled into it nice and tight and then set off the portable fire extinguisher that was strapped down there. I couldn't see, couldn't breath and couldn't move. Ahhh, the memories....

See the active thread "Caterham running hot" at the tech section of this forum. My Caterham X-flow did what yours is doing when I had air pockets in the cooling system. Once burped, it ran all day, even on hot summer days, at 75-80 mph on the interstates. Of course the driver overheated, but that's a different discussion:).

I had that problem 1st time I changed coolant on my X-flow. Turned out that my heater system was not getting filled if the car was level. So I parked it on a modest incline, nose up, and added more coolant. Quite a bit more, then ran it w/radiator cap off and heater on, added yet more and all was well.

Looks wonderful, great cars, great people, tacky Rt 66 tourist destinations=perfection:). And so is the butterfly shot, wow!

I loop tie downs over A-Arms in front and frame in back in a criss-cross pattern. That prevents forward and aft moment as well as lateral. I am pretty sure if my trailer ended up on its side, the car would not move. This is a subject of some debate as some say it is best to use the wheels to tie the car down so the suspension can work and to relieve stress on A-arms etc. Best to ck straps after abt 50 miles and at every stop thereafter for tightness, they can work loose. Also-be sure to shift into neutral after your car is in place:no need to batter the transmission with any rocking/lurching that may occur.

Great to hear you have taken this to heart Tom! Now for phase II: You know those tire-warmer covers they sell at Tire Rack that fit over the tire to keep in the heat between runs? Just leave them on when you return to the track! That way your tires will really heat up....AND they wont wear out thanks to the warmers and the wax interface between your tires and the harsh track surface:).

Tom: To extend the life of those Hoosiers, Tire Rack recommends 2 coats of wax on them too, all around, especially on the contact patch. Forget heat cycling, this is a new technique, so don't be surprised if you haven't heard of it. The wax compound really helps the rubber molecules cure. Best to apply before every track session for maximum effect!

Lightening both days. I use mostly 3-4-5th. Occ 6th. But, an experienced instructor there once told us we'd learn to be better on that track if we just selected one gear and did it all in that gear. I guess it wld simplify things? I think you will be ok jumping from 3rd to 5th. It's not that much different than 3rd-4th on the 5sp T9.

Pretty epic! No fenders on car or trailer and no weather protection. Must get pretty wet in foul weather. Makes my Caterham seem like a luxury car. Kudos to driver and daughter for making their dream happen together.

150 mph on T-bolt, in a '68 Stang, I am impressed!!! I do love Croc's Mustang, the photo doesn't do it justice.

I just spent some quality time on a large empty parking lot synching up my Prodigy remote trailer braking system. Looks like it is now working. All I can say is you stop a lot faster if 8 wheels are braking than if just the 4 on the tow vehicle are. Tom, my trailer is so basic it doesn't have a skylight to wear out(:.

Good that there are no pix, I am already envious enough:). You shd bring it to NJMP for its shakedown! It's just an aero se7en.

Good that there are no pix, I am already envious enough:).

I have had judges do that in my carer as a lawyer (never a good sign). Two even fell asleep and had to be woken up.

I have never seen them check seat belt expiration. Just helmet's Snell date. Maybe they did and I didn't notice.

That's just not right:)!!!

Nick: I can only echo Xcarguy's comment: "Awesome!!!". Cant be a lot of those still running around. With that huge "lump":) of an engine, it must weigh....900 pounds, maybe? Anyhow, what a car! I never heard of it-or of a Deek. My Caterham is starting to sound totally pedestrian.

You V8 Stalker guys make me sick (jealousy is not good;)). Why doesnt one of you get a 1/4 mile time, just so everyone knows how bad-a$$ your cars are?????

I just updated an old trailering thread (Trailering question). Read it and (hopefully) avoid making the countless mistakes I made, espcially early on.

Bump. I will add to things I think I have learned: When possible pack stuff in your tow vehicle, rather than the trailer, to help keep it from being overwhelmed by the overloaded trailer. Replace bias ply trailer tires w/steel belted radials as soon as possible. Maintain a trailer mileage log and do the necessary maintenance per that log (grease wheel bearings). They sell an after-market mileage device that attaches to a trailer wheel and records distance. Don't show up with 10' to spare to get your trailer out of storage after a winter of non-use. Twice I have found various locks rusted tight and impossible to get off in order to gain access to the trailer or the trailer hitch. Yes, with penetrating oil, a return home for a crow bar and a heat gun I was able to open it up. But way behind my already too tight schedule.

"Nice" doesn't do it justice. Many of the surfaces look gold-plated. My trailer features a rust color. Actually it is rust. Now you will have to upgrade your tow vehicle to keep pace w/your fancy trailer! As to tongue weight, I found some experimentation was helpful. When I use the max, the tow vehicle feels like the front wheels are barely touching the ground. Too far back and the ball and hitch rattle like crazy. So somewhere mid-point seems to work best. Keep your windows down and radio off and listen carefully the first coupla miles to determine if it is towing smoothly, effortlessly. As I recall, Tom's trailer ended up on its side once, so he does have stories to tell.