TurboWood

Here is a nice slap in the face to US-Caterham: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140106/CARNEWS/140109921 This article suggests the car isn't currently here...such B.S. It also states the superformance will only be offering rollers. Daniel

2-wks of work and it's a roller! Unfortunately it has to sit in this state for at least a few months. That should give me time to figure out the engine. Daniel

I've also been pleased with Jon's support. Anything that increases brand awareness in the US should be good for us. Daniel

The fun begins!

Looks great!

Thanks gents, I appreciate the kind words and encouragement. I'm hoping 7 ownership is different than the Supra. In 15 years I put about 35k miles on the Supra. I spent more time modifying and washing the car then I did driving it, but I did love driving it. I had grand dreams of taking it on track days, but when it came down to it I just never did. I've already noticed a huge mentality change between this community and the Supra community. In the Supra world there is a lot of focus on dyno tests, massive power (1000hp is almost normal), and having the most well taken care of car. Here it's clear that driving comes first. I'm looking forward to that! Daniel

These photos are a little separated in time, but the Supra I've owned for the last 15yrs is gone and the new Caterham has arrived! The timing is quite amazing since it showed up about ten days before Christmas. I fly back (from Shanghai) on the 24th so it will be opened Christmas day! I have not purchased the engine and transmission yet. It's going to be a slow build process as I am trying to use a GM ecotec engine and will have to work on it in pieces during periodic trips back from the far east. In any case, I'm very excited :cheers::willy_nilly::jester::auto: Daniel

How is a wet sump possible from a packaging point of view with the Duratec? I measured the total height of the Cosworth version at 23" from bottom of dry-sump to top of oil fill cap. The sump is still the lowest thing under the car. Attached is a picture of the car I measured (not mine). *edit* I should clarify. The 23" is to the bottom of the pan at the front of the car which is not actually the very lowest thing in the picture. The bell housing is the lowest thing. Maybe you have ~1" of available space. Daniel

It sure looks fun: http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/news/how-about-the-excellent-morgan-three-wheeler-48691_1.jpg

It's interesting to read all the negative comments in youtube despite how cool it will be. They are using fuel restricters on the engines which means they need to optimize BSFC just like the real world. The smaller turbocharged engines are also in alignment with the global trend and advancing ERS may actually allow such technology to be used in production which is really what racing should be a platform for.

What's the standard 7 inauguration procedure? A huge smoky burnout is appealing, but doesn't seem aligned with the heart of a 7. How about a video of pwning something exotic? Daniel

That's a very cool setup. I'll probably be bugging you. Here is a dyno from the Hahn website http://www.turbosystem.com/300hppull.jpg

It's weird right? Everyone just tries to help each other. I've not experienced that on any other forum. Usually it's just a bunch of "mine is bigger than yours" or even worse "my friends is bigger than yours". :grouphug:

Bruce, I think maybe timax's point was more general than specific. He did use Porsche as a specific example, but if we consider the argument to encompass all vintage vs. modern comparisons it makes more sense. Or maybe we need to separate road from track. On the street I fully agree with timax that the slower/lighter/etc. car would put a bigger smile on one's face. Can we call that the To your point, I have never driven a vintage 911, but it seems there is global consent that the older 911's are death traps at 10/10's. So, surely it would be terrifying knowing you were moments from spinning onto oncoming traffic. However, that's something that could be solved with a lot less than all the extras present on the modern 911's. Clearly regulation and business have had a significant (defining?) role in the path of the 911. Maybe we have only our own culture to blame. Daniel

Wings, Chris, Have either of you weighed your car? I would be curious what the penalty is for so much additional awesome. Daniel

Porsche is better than most. Take a look at BMW, Merc, or Nissan (GTR)! The E30 or original Skylines were tiny compared to the modern equivalent.

Can I suggest something like this: http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad115/TurboWood/Caterham/howtotowacar_zpsad956aeb.jpg

That's humbling.

Is there a reason you avoided the Torrance office (since your location is listed as Torrance)? That's effectively my home too when I'm not stuck in Shanghai. Daniel

Wow, that is a nice find! Let's see how long you can hold out before raising the boost. Curiosity would get the best of me.

I travel back and forth from LA and Shanghai. Work/home base is LA, but the job has me living in Shanghai for the moment. The 7 kit is due to arrive Thanksgiving week! I have to wait until Christmas to see it, but that's not a bad gift! I'm getting way ahead of myself asking about tires since I don't even have an assembled car yet, but it is one of my concerns. I hope to use the car regularly which could (hopefully will) result in needing new tires every year! Daniel

I'm a bit surprised by this as well. I believe CA has a law restricting the registration of cars from out of state with less than 7500miles. This was to prevent people going to Nevada and buying a car with no sales tax, but I too would have thought a car titled as pre-'73 from out of state (and at least 7500mi) would be good to go. How is the DMV able to distinguish between a real 60's 7 and a "replica" that is registered as a '60's by another state? Daniel

Mike, Did you ever give the R888's a try? Is the 235/50 too tall to fit in the back? It sounds like it could be stretched on the 9" rim (especially with an aspect ratio of 50). Daniel

Right you are! The format was not immediately obvious to me, but I get it now. So, let me refine my questions. 1) Rev signal from ECU to tach. Does anyone know what type of signal this is? 0-5V? 2) Malfunction signal. Can anyone confirm if this is on when grounded (ECU grounds the line to activate malfunction indicator light on tach)? 3) Oil pressure signal. The signal side of the pressure sensor is spliced with the tachometer and ECU. The other side is run to ground. How does this work? Why does the signal go to the tachometer? Thanks, Daniel

My only exposure to MOT is from watching Top Gear, but it definitely looks more thorough than anything a dealership would even do in the US. I suspect it's tied to the slippery slope of control that lawyers would fight in the US. It would be difficult to pass a law where the government determined if a car was safe. Even when you think about emissions, it's a very rough audit. It really only detects failed equipment, but can't detect significantly modified vehicles. For gasoline most emissions are in the first 30 seconds of startup anyway which isn't measured. Daniel