Gherkin

I think Chris Harris' comment in the comparison video about driving the Morgan "...it says I like the principals of driving, I like being busy..." (at 4:45) is right on the point of these cars. This, to me, is a great summation of why I am driving a Seven. No ABS, traction control, or other driving aids. I have as much fun in my 40HP (at best) '59 FIAT 600 as I do in my 250+HP Birkin. The Morgan would be a blast for the same reasons; funky, a car you drive, basic and uncomplicated. One would look great in my garage...

I have one in my shop, it's really bad, possibly because the sump went dry... Chris

Nothing says Merry Christmas from California quite like a decorated palm tree, nice work! Although I must ask if anyone else sees the not-so-PG-rated aspect of the photo? Maybe it's just me...

I don't know about the factory supercharger set up, mine required removal of the factory pump since the SC sits in front of the engine facing rearward. Most supercharger systems on in-line engines hang from the side of the head and/or block but of course a 7 engine bay is really narrow for this approach. I believe it has been done with a different type of SC. Daniel, when I had my car aligned and corner weighted it tipped the scales at 1,163 lbs. with about 3 gals of gas. Unfortunately I didn't weigh the supercharger and fairly substantial bracket during assembly but I figure these items are about 20 lbs and the water injection pump is maybe 5 lbs. I have since replaced the big Optima battery with a lightweight lithium unit, this shaved 30+ lbs from the car (40 lb battery replaced by a 9 lb unit). Chris

Karl, I'm running a ProCharger system with a V8 Mustang throttle body, it is a really tight fit hanging off the front of the engine. I also have a water injection set up that starts misting water into the intake at about 4psi. The engine is a used unit with about 36,000 miles and is completely stock except for the stage II cams and oil sump. And Karl, don't let any of these guys do anything to talk you out of more power, they seem pretty scared of you:D... Chris

Wings, I'm running a Haltech Platinum 1000. Next up is an electronic controller for my electric water pump, the supercharger install necessitates the removal of the stock water pump and thermostat. With the EWP running full time I have trouble getting the car to stay at a reasonable operating temp as winter approaches, all was good when running on 80*+ days. Once I get that set up I will move on to fuel delivery and another tuning session. I am having trouble fouling the #4 spark plug; could be an injector or coil, I will be swapping coils around this weekend to see if the problem moves with the coil. I didn't do the full build on the car, some was done when I purchased it and I'm finding several items that I would have done differently and should have redone while I finished the car but I was in a hurry to get it on the road... Is your 327hp at the crank or at the wheels? The 250 I have at the wheels is an absolute blast, another 75 would be just crazy (crazy good...)! Chris

Thanks for the response. Here is the sheet from my first tune a couple of months ago. The injectors were hitting 100% duty cycle at just over 6,000 rpm. I still need to have them flowed to determine where to go size-wise. I am also getting just about 50 psi fuel pressure so I think I need to up the size and pressure of my pump. The car drives great with a very smooth power delivery from about 2,500 rpm to my current rev limit at 6,000 rpm. I have built turbo cars in the past but this is my first supercharged toy. I do really like the smooth delivery of power but it does lack the kick in the back of a quick spooling turbo.

When I registered mine in April of this year I was able to complete the process with the sequence form given to me at my first DMV visit. To date I haven't received any further docs in the mail from DMV. I did get a 90 day temp permit that allowed me to drive the car to the CHP and BAR station. However it goes for you now the tough part is over.

Very nice looking set-up and great performance! I have a question for you... What spark plugs and gap are you running? I have a supercharged 2.0 Duratec running 10 psi and have been trying to find the right plug/gap combination. Right now I have the factory Ford plugs gapped at .030 (I believe the factory spec is .055). With this set-up I have nearly eliminated all ignition misses but still have a slight one at about 4,500 rpm. Other plugs gave me pretty bad misses either low or high in the rpm range. The miss does move around with different plugs. OK, one more question... Have you upgraded the factory Ford coils? Thanks in advance, Chris

The DMV should have handed it to you along with the paperwork to be filled out by the CHP and printouts for the BAR inspection. I left my first appointment with mine. The certificate doesn't look like much; yours probably has a box at the top with the following inside: Sequence Number 2013322 Mine also has my name, address, and reg info including a Vehicle ID Number of "CHPREFERRAL" Do you have such a form?

Fantastic, congratulations! Make sure you bring everything that satisfied the DMV for the SB100 qualification to your BAR appointment. You shouldn't need to show it or have any problems moving forward but that's the only place I had any issue. The regional guy felt he needed to second guess the DMV. I just supplied him with what the DMV needed to confirm qualification. Part of my problem was that I admitted to purchasing the partially completed car from the importer. The ref assumed that I had purchased it more complete than I did and from a registered auto manufacturer. What I learned: Just answer the questions and be be careful to not talk too much about the fantastic new car you will soon be driving legally on public roads. You will get to do plenty of that at nearly every gas stop... Chris

Make sure you get that CHP officer's business card, he sounds like a good ally to have "on the inside". I dropped the name of a local officer that I met through my FIAT ownership (I have a '69 600 and he has an X19). That seemed to make the process go smoother with the CHP inspector who was also a car guy, although smart enough to not be into FIATs... Compared to your journey they practically gave me my SB100/SPCN registration on a silver platter. It will all be well worth it in the end, this is for a long and exciting relationship with your 7. Chris

I received my SB100 number in April at my first DMV visit, it was #121. The clerk said that in recent years it hasn't been unusual for them to not issue all 500. Chris

I just went through this process a few months ago myself and it does need to be: 1. DMV 2. CHP 3. Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) 4. DMV The .pdf linked in post #10 was very helpful and accurate for my experience. I came to the DMV (set an appointment on line) with the paperwork listed in the above mentioned .pdf except for the MSO. I came very organized and that seemed to help compensate for any items I needed to explain. The gal I got at the DMV was familiar with the SB100 program but had only done a couple in about 5 years. She went and got the "binder" with the instructions and took the time to make sure she did everything right. She looked at the invoices for all major components and had a few questions to help her confirm that I had done the majority of the labor on the car. I left with my SB100 paperwork and the papers needed for the CHP and BAR visits. The CHP visit went smoothly as well but took longer than expected while the Officer researched the serial numbers of the engine and trans. If these numbers are difficult to see in a parking lot I suggest you get a close up photo or rubbing to make it easier for the Officer. After confirming the components were not stolen he then asked where I wanted the new CA issued number plate and drilled/riveted it in place. The BAR is where I had my only hiccup. The local ref wasn't sure the car really qualified for SB100 even though that determination is made by the DMV, not BAR. He wouldn't inspect my car until I produced photos of the build and proof of payment for the parts I had invoices for. I was able to get these to him via email and set another appointment where the inspection and paperwork were completed. I was not directed to have a brake and light inspection. My final stop at the DMV was about 10 minutes (with appointment) and I walked out with plates. The whole process took about six weeks. I hope this helps. All the best, Chris

Freak Out and Drive a 7

The TV show would be "The Auto-X Factor". Chris

If anyone could step up to be a paid club member I would think it would be you Mr. Cowell... On another note, I think Birkin's stock just went up a bit... Wait a minute, I just read the article linked in the first post. "Low rider: Simon looked quite comfortable in the luxury sports car"; I only have a lowley Birkin, just how luxurious are the Caterhams?? Chris

With rain forecast for tomorrow I played a little hooky and took my Saturday blat today. Temps finally staying out of the 90's means I don't have to bug the neighbors with my 7:00 am engine warm-up. Today's run started at about 70* and ended at about 76*, perfect. Nothing delivers more fun units per dollar than a 7! All the best, Sir Blartsalot

Oooo, I like that, very cool!

Wow, when you get sideways YOU GET SIDEWAYS!:jester:

Appropriate footwear is a must too...

Got a chance for another "perspective" today. The Short Bus was nothing like this when it was taking me to school... http://i1335.photobucket.com/albums/w674/chrisolander/Size%20Matters/KoolBus3_zpsc759ea4d.jpg Sorry about the bad light and camera phone but I had to take the pic quick before the guy came back from lunch and made the Birkin part of his obstacle course...:leaving: Chris

Sometimes it's all about perspective...

I saw this car at last month's Sacramento area EuroSunday event, it looked fantastic! It may need a "going over" before any really aggressive track time but it sure was put together and preserved well. It's amazing how much time you can spend looking over something so small...:drool:

OK, so now you have the front looking cleaner, when are you going to get around to cleaning the rest of the car? Great looking car, the headlights are perfect on it. I have the smaller 5 1/2" conventional headlights (compared to standard 7") on my Birkin but they still look a bit clunky if not traditional. I work in the automotive lighting industry and just can't be satisfied with "stock". Nice work on the functionality of the DRL's and turn signals. Chris