Kitcat

Not so sure abt the low price: I sold an identical spec version of the same X-flow model Caterham here last year for $21.5K. It suggests to me that I should also post my '09 Birkin for sale this Spring on E-bay, as well as here, when I relist it.

$9K for a popcorn machine (maybe it came with a lifetime supply of popcorn?). Certainly the collector who amased, and now has sold, these little cars looks like a financial genius.

Decisions, decisions:)!. First: I will attend whatever event the group decides upon. Preference: For me, the weekend makes no difference. So I like Mon, Tues with SCDA as it includes a day on T-bolt vs. Trackdaze 2 days on Lightning. And, we have done this with them 2 years in a row and know they do a great job. I have never done an event w/Trackdaze so have no thoughts on them. I do know an incompetent sponsor can screw things up (usually by booking too many cars and being totally unorganized). That doesnt seem to be likely here since T-daze limits entries to a reasonable number. OTOH, I prefer Lighting as its so much simpler. And, if track newbies are tempted to try this, Lightning is the way to go as it is soooo much easier to learn than T-Bolt. I wish SCDA were doing T-bolt Monday, I'd do Sunday w/T-Daze and Mon w/SCDA on T-Bolt. Like Jeffs, 4 track days is likely too much for me, and maybe for my car. So, I will follow the group's decison and show up for whatever the consensus is, with a slight preference for SCDA.

New home for this excellent se7ens print, attached. These pix do not do this print justice. It is a beautiful, deep butterscotch yellow. It is not an exaggeration to say that my office is transformed.

WTex uses it on a Honda S2000 engine, I think.

I dont think Zetecs have a turbo issue. TurboTom (1turboFocus), who posted earlier on this thread, has done tons of turbo Zetecs. Visit the focusfantics.com forum (where he mostly posts) for more info abt turbo Zetecs than you need or want to know.

My memory is the Miata transmission is a big, stong, heavy lump. Skip will know for sure. Birkin USA (Texas Motor Works) has a $5K supercharger kit for Duratecs and, at last report, was developing one for Zetec versions too. Since the stock Birkin engine bay is almost the same size as the Caterham, this mite be worth exploring. Bumps rw hp to 300 and has a nice fat/flat torque curve. It runs on the T9 transmission.

Good job for a newbie! We need more pix! If you drive it home, will you have put more miles on her than you put on Orange? Keep us posted on itinerary. I have a tow vehicle and trailer and wld be happy to help out if you have need and are within striking distance. Or, I might just come to an overpass and waive you by. You do know that May is rain month in the mid-west? Not to mention tornados. Drys out by early June. BTW-A great, and often scenic, route from Cincy-to near Hagerstown MD is route 32, then 50, up I-79 abt 40 miles, then over on 68. Very lightly traveled, even on the interstates (except I-79). Almost no semi's. Once you hit I-70 just before Hagerston it gets ugly.

Brakes? Probably depends on ultimate power, right? So if your approximately 200 hp Zetec gets boosted to 300 hp, it is making the same as some of the fancy Cosworths that do just fine with standard brakes. If you go to 700 hp, maybe add hydraulics to the back of super high-tech (plywood) wing you run so it can be used as an air brake:). For bang for the buck, turbo is the way to go vs, more hp from an naturally aspirated engine. These seem to come in around $20-$30K. And, if you blow up your turbo engine, it's a short trip to the junk yard for a replacemenmt. But when you blow that $30K engine, you have to write another $30K check (and/or find a new hobby).

A Birkin has a tighter cockpit (you sit closer to the wheel) than a "long" cockpiit Caterham, so trying on each for size is important. I have never seen a Superprformance on the track. The little roll-over hoops are not enough protection. In terms of out-right performance, no other se7en will touch a V8 Stalker. Or, at least, nothing has come close at Grassroots Motor Sports Ultimate Car Challenge, at VIR. New se7ens take a pretty huge depreciation hit the first year, then seem to hold their value well after that. So buying used can save $.

Croc: I think it is time for you to post a photo of your Mustang: I consider it to be one of the coolest looking varients out there. Perhaps it even deserves its own thread to help focus the drool:)?

Our basement is overrun with tires, piles everywhere and my wife loves to kid me also: "When are you opening your own tire store, etc?" And every financial setback, or windfall is converted into race tire consequences: "Oh, too bad no race tires this month." or, "Look at that money, I can just imagine how many race tires it will buy." Not complaining tho, she is a saint to put up w/this expensive hobby.

Karl: I am looking forward to the new hp/torq graphs. I will guestimate 20 more hp and 3 lbs torq. That wld make your already very impressive 2.3 liter, naturally aspirated motor even more impressive. You seem very close to upper limits here. 9500 rpm's is really wild, I cant wait to hear it at NJMP!

Looks good. I thot that Texas Motor Works was the only authorized dealer/representative but I was obviously wrong. When did you start selling them officially? Do you get your kits thru TMW, or straight from S Africa?

PM sent on possible source of used clam set.

Don: I know nothing about the early Birkins, and (sadly) have nearly zero mechanical skills/knowledge. I wld suggest googling "birkin owners group", and posting your question there. It's a Yahoo based discussion group on all things Birkin. Maybe also post here with a new topic heading, as there are many much more mechanically inlined/knowledgeable Birkin owners here as well. Brake upgrade may not be essential. Have you had issues? My experience is our cars are so light and have so much wind resistance that just lifting off the accelerator is often enough. And the fronts do 80% of the braking anyhow.Just a thot.

The guy, LOL! I can say that while the cars are visually simlar, they are different in critical areas. For instance, when I tried to put my official Caterham Brooklands screens on my Birkin it was all wrong, a bit too wide, wrong shape. When I put my official Caterham carbon fiber Tilet seat into the Birkin, the Birkin was too narrow. After I removed the intertior panels from the Birkin if freed up enough room for the seat. So, doors, who knows? There IS a lot of overlap with the body so perhaps precise fitament isnt critical. I no longer have Caterham doors (side screens) as current Cat is track only. And dont ask Texas Moror Works, they should know, but dont (told me the brooklands wld just drop right in-not!).

And, when you day 59 pounds each, I assume you mean 5.9 pounds, right? Beautiful cars, btw.

I know I speak for everyone on this forum when I say I am not one bit jealous of your garage:).

Ooooh, the equalizer:). Sure wld settle some arguments. Like others tho, I like having my excuses for not catching driver "X". It makes total sense to save your X-Flow for spirited street driving and using this on track. Especially if the already low price is not firm. Virtually the same spec as my track-only Cat, for $8K less money (currently).

Croc has done his usual thorough job here. I wld add that my first Caterham was a '98 w/X-flow engine that was registed in NJ. I bought it there from the original owner who convinced DMV that it had a 1960's Ford Pinto engine, thereby avoiding some of the the crazy stuff.

I wonder how many (any?) newer Caterhams than this were equipped with this engine? In other words, is it the last Kent engined Caterham to come off the assembly line, so to speak? If so, that mite add some value?

Alaskossie: Those are very tempting photos. The idea of a semi-reliable Europa is very appealing, especially with that car's power and other spec. I am suffering from cabin fever and photos like that arent helping:)!

Maybe do a "search" for "registration" and "NJ" first on this site. Or wait for Croc, et al, to comment . That might be the single biggest obstacle. And, does it have a title? My Caterham race car does not, just a bill of sale. I am not sure how much of a hassle getting a title will be. As to the questions you actually asked, I think making it streetable is pretty simple, the car lilkely was streetable and then de-contented when made track ready. So wiring, fuses etc shd be in place (tho getting access to things may be a PITA). Hopefully, there will be people with the parts you want sitting in their basements and you won't have to go to Caterham for what you need which is signif $. Reliability. Properly maintained Caterhams are pretty stout. Tne occasional nightmare seems to be electrical/ECU, not mechanical. Understand tho, that they are much less reliable than, say, a Miata, or any other modern car. So the expression:"It's always something" seems relevant. Usually that something is minor and, if you have some mechanical skills and time, easily fiixed. Seats and harnesses, do a search here as well, many discussions in the past. Brooklands, I dont know but suspect a windshield is mandatory. It seems like a whole lotta Caterham for this price (cheapest I have EVER seen, incl old broken down, short cockpit, solid axle, 4sp, Kent engined cars). It is ideal for someone with a need for a pure track car, but at this price, I agree that it is tempting for a street conversion.

Does the Morgan have an aluminum "bonnet", like the se7en? The single strap in the middle mite warp a se7en bonnet. I have seen plenty of se7ens, mine included, where owner forgot to secure all the hood latches before headed to the street/track, so the leather strap wld be a nice safety redundancy.