NVP66S

Hadn't seen that, thanks for sharing.

At least they didn't misrepresent it by pretending the interior stayed dry, as did the Esprit in the Spy Who Loved Me. You'll also notice it's kinda slow and didn't have good depth maintenance ability. Those thrusters look like they're good for about 1 HP each. We had four 5HP thrusters on the Esprit, and the movie production company (Eon Productions) was asking for more speed. IIRC, the Shark Hunters that the bad guys used in the movie were single 5HP thrusters but far less drag. http://www.originalprop.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/James-Bond-Spy-Who-Loved-Me-Wet-Sub-Movie-Prop-Auction.jpg If you look at the Bond movie clips, you'll see the diving planes on the wheel well covers are rigged for positive lift. http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/james-bond-lotus-esprit-submarine.jpg That's because the Lotus is designed for aerodynamic downforce in thin air, and the lift in dense water needed to be countered. (lift is a direct function of density and velocity squared) I designed and built two subs at home many years ago, and if anyone here is seriously interested, I have ideas for a fun off-road vehicle that is trailered to the beach, drives off the trailer and across the beach, swims to the dive site, then dives. The driver and passenger have SCUBA mouthpieces similar to the Rinspeed. I estimate cost & difficulty to build to be about like a Locost. Propulsion by MinnKota trolling motors. Start with one of these: http://www.vincelewis.net/max6x6.html Gut the drivetrain, replace with electric motors and oil compensated Pb-acid batteries, add ballast tanks & SCUBA gear, etc.

Heh heh. Good one. Reminds me of this: The biology instructor at a posh suburban girl's junior college said during class, "Miss Smythe, would you please name the organ of the human body, which under the appropriate conditions, expands to six times its normal size, and define the conditions." Miss Smythe gasped, then said freezingly, "Mr. Perkins, I don't think that is a proper question to ask me. I assure you my parents will hear of this." With that she sat down red-faced. Unperturbed, Mr. Perkins called on Miss Johnson and asked the same question. Miss Johnson, with composure, replied, "The pupil of the eye, in dim light." "Correct," said Mr. Perkins. "And now, Miss Smythe, I have three things to say to you. One, you have not studied your lesson. Two, you have a dirty mind. And three, you will some day be faced with a dreadful disappointment."

Here in Mojave there are seven gas stations. The cheapest gas is cash price on 87 octane at $2.73/gal at the FasTrip convenience store. Ya gotta love California.

Very nice turbo installation, and I am impressed with the quality of the welding on the manifold. Good luck on the dyno!

I read that thread. It looks to me like the Chinese chassis manufacturer made 20 more than they thought their local market would absorb, and sold 20 through a 3rd party (AltraImports, Palatov) and not through Ariel. After that 20 sold, there are no more. Now I wonder if they or someone else will add more? Or are there enough exoskeleton cars already on the market? There's an interesting sub thread going about patents, copyrights, and design patents. This reminds me of the Selden/Ford patent battle. There, Selden had the patent on the gasoline automobile and wouldn't grant Ford a license. The legal fight took so long that Ford sold a lot of cars and had enough profits to fight and win. It is slowly sinking into this engineer's head what is actually meant by 'branding'. Everything I write is strictly my own opinion.

I read the article and the comments, and I agree it's well written. "When you do take it out, you're hit with a few other problems. Namely: driving the car isn't very enjoyable unless you're on an empty, winding back road. In cities, you have to contend with potholes, road debris, curbs, and other drivers, who aren't really checking their mirrors at all, let alone looking for a sports car that barely sits four feet off the ground. Blind spots are big, and the suspension is harsh. Normal city streets are cringeworthy, and filled with bumps you never even knew were there. It's not until you get out, away from crowds, and bad roads, and inattentive drivers, that you can really enjoy a car like this. I don't see that at all. My 3 mile commute always puts a smile on my face. Potholes? It's fun watching the fenders go up and down. I think the 7 is so light that potholes aren't so damaging to wheels, tires, etc. And the complaint about "looking [in the mirrors] for a sports car that barely sits four feet off the ground" Fthzzzzz That's a BIG car compared to a 7, and why is this a problem anyway? Nah, I enjoy my car every day. As for worrying about it in a mall parking lot, I don't worry. I fasten the tonneau and walk away from it.

Here's another one for ya....

"I did not find a seven car on Ebay (full size, Scalectrix does not count) for sale but I did find the 1977 Lotus Esprit submarine from James Bond's The Spy Who Shagged Me. Asking $1 million dollars. I guarantee if you try to use it as a submarine you will drown thanks to the way Lucas electrics work...err....dont work under water. Probably the same issue above water too! :rofl: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lotus-Esprit-Classic-1977-Lotus-Esprit-/191438604024?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2c92a146f8&item=191438604024&pt=US_Cars_Trucks " If anyone here is seriously considering this, send me a PM. I used to work for the company that built it, and though I did not work on that project, I did similar stuff and the guys who built and flew it are old friends. The project engineer on that sub had a S1 Europa that he bought new. BTW, $1 million is far more than the initial build cost, and there were no Lucas electrics.

The definition of mid-engine that I understand is the engine is between the wheel centerlines. In the case of our sevens, this is both correct and within the spirit of the definition, as no part of the engine lies outside the centerlines. There's front mid, and rear mid. I had a rear mid Toyota MR-2 and the weight bias was forward of my front mid Westfield, which was measured at 45/55 f/r. Surprised me when I weighed it. Early VWs and 911s are rear engine cars because the engine CG is behind the rear 'axle', even though parts of the engine reside forward of the centerline. Now I gotta go back to my notes to see if that was empty or with me sitting in it. I do remember it had about 3 gal gas in that far-aft tank and the spare tire was in place.

Well, dang. I used my Lotus Elan +2 as a daily driver when I lived in Alabama and I didn't even realize that museum was there.

What is on the placques by the cars? I toured the Unser museum near Albuquerque, and the information was about the races and the drivers. I'm more interested in the cars.

Getting ready to jump into Wally the Westie to go to a celebration with co-workers. I've found that works much better than dinner with family. It's 76F outside at 1PM and the windmills are stopped, so no heavy clothing to ride in the open car. :cheers:

Now that's very silly!

+1 on that. When I titled and registered my car in TX several months ago, I was impressed that every single clerk said to me: "How can I help you?" and actually meant it. I've seen Can-Ams driving in TX, and I have heard no problems with Elio.

n Don't know about RC models. but Chapman did build an airplane called the MicroLight, Here's a thread discussing it: http://www.canardzone.com/forum/topic/16546-colin-chapmans-lotus-microlight/

There is a Mazda-Westfield near you. I don't know the status, but the kit arrived about 10 months ago. Look up member MPG. Dan

Sane people? I was at a car show in Lancaster, CA a month ago with my Westfield and talked to many people. Several of them were surprised that I was going to drive it home. 30 miles. On the streets. Within the speed limits (OK, sorta). I don't call that sane.... I don't know what it is, but I don't call it sanity. Heck, motorcycles have fewer creature comforts and people don't give them a second thought. Post-Naderism?

I bought a Westfield kit last year. When registering in Texas, it was a big deal that I bought it from a US dealer rather than import it myself.

Went to the 11AM service at the cemetery. This tiny little desert town always manages to have a well represented turnout.

Looks like they all have cycle wings. Do they no longer offer clamshell wings?

This owner is happy. As for popularity, I have yet to meet a single Westie owner in person in the US, if you don't count the Flyin' Miata demo car. Kinda strange, I think considering the 200/year sold in the UK. I guess most of them go out the door as completed cars, which are not available here.

I wanted one of these in the worst way when I was in college in 1971. I missed by 2 weeks one that sold for $3500. The seller told me: "Oh, you don't want that car because it needs a new fuel pump and the frame is rusty" Didn't matter, as I couldn't raise the $3500. So I traded my 4 year old VW squareback and $200 for a 190SL. Sad, tired car. I learned a lot about working on cars. Sold it in ~1977. added $500 and bought a 1964 230SL. Shoulda kept them both.....

Zinc Chromate is an excellent primer for aluminum. Sticks well and good at corrosion protection. It's getting hard to fine because the EPA hates it for good reason. Very toxic if you eat it. Sounds like it's not galvanic corrosion. Dan

Ballistic battery = awesome performance for the weight. I've had one half that size on my motorcycle for 2 years and zero problems. If you do decide to switch to a Lithium battery, make sure it is of the Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry. They don't blow up, don't catch fire, and are compatible with commercial vehicle charging systems. Ballistic and Shorai are of the chemistry, don't know about the others.