Alaskossie

Do you still have the Y-fitting and the threaded mounting rod for the spare tire? Please let me know, and if so, what you're asking. Thanks.

See: http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=26106&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=html&utm_campaign=2012-8-1

Obviously a weight-saving measure, a la Colin himself...

I have carbon fiber rear wing protectors that are clear-coated, and on my drive from Colorado to Alaska in 2010, they got pretty rock-blasted and pitted. I've bought a new pair, and have had them clear-coated. I'm planning to put a couple of layers (or more?) of thicker Clear-Bra on them before installing them. Any opinions on whether this will protect them, and whether the Clear-Bra can be removed and new layers put on when the existing layers get too pockmarked?? Also some food for thought: Giles Cooper from Australia drove his Lotus Elise from California to Colorado to Alaska a couple of months ago, and when I saw him in Anchorage, he swore by the NASCAR-type tear-off windshield film as having saved his hard-to-replace windshield from rock damage. If he had not mentioned it, I would have never noticed it on his windshield. Anybody used this stuff? Apparently Pegasus and other racing outlets carry it.

"The XI used a Seven frame with a few modifications for attaching the body and strengthening it for competition. The Elan's structure bears little resemblance to the Seven's." Skip, I believe the XI had IRS, which would have entailed some significant changes from the S1 Seven frame's live axle.

Skip, Now you're talking about "REALLY aero." Loved the XI with the twin head fairings..... as tested in R&T decades ago.

As far as the weight issue goes, I believe Hudrad has an aluminum-block Vx.

Contact bsimon or Hudrad on this forum.

MoPho, My wife and I were in LA for a long weekend, for my granddaughter's second birthday. My son and I attended a screening on Monday evening at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Theater (Samuel Goldwyn Theater) of the 1966 movie, "Grand Prix," in original 70mm Todd-AO, with awesome sound track. Tremendous... EvaMarie Saint and Bob Bondurant were in attendance, as honored guests and panelists. I'm now back home in sunny (and cool) Anchorage....

bball7754, Thanks for the link to the NYT article on the Alaska Hwy. -- I had not seen it. That is still one of the greatest adventure roads on the continent -- or anywhere.

While visiting the Petersen Museum in LA last weekend, I came across an exhibit of original automotive watercolors by Francois Bruere on the Museum's "Art Wall." I was not familiar with him; the works are very nice, most with a Le Mans theme. One in particular, "Camping Seven," was really fine. Some of his originals are available as prints on various websites, but apparently the Seven painting has not yet been released as a print. If it is, I'll get in line!

Oops -- the image didn't get sent. Here it is (hopefully).

Those of you who belong to the UK Lotus/Caterham Seven Club may have already seen this on BlatChat... I submitted a few photos for the 2011 Club calendar, but didn't get selected, and thought no more about it. Imagine my surprise when I got the July 2012 issue of Lowflying, and found that my Seven is on the front cover! The photo caption was pretty sketchy, so here are the details: The photo is of my S3 Seven, parked in front of the "signpost forest" at Watson Lake, BC Canada. (Sorry for the 90-degree rotation, but shrinking it to horizontal loses some detail). The photo was taken on August 25, 2010, at Watson Lake, Milepost 635 on the Alaska Highway, during my 6100-mile drive from Colorado to Alaska, via California. (Luckily this photo was taken before the accident: the following day a pickup truck in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, backed into that side of the Seven, leaving quite a large dent in bonnet and cowl). The well-known "signpost forest" started in 1942 with a single sign by a homesick U. S. Army road-construction crewman, and now comprises more than 72,000 signs -- official, unofficial, stolen, purpose-made, etc., from all over the world. (I had planned to display a tidy "Dartford, UK xxxx-km East" sign, but ran out of time to have it made up). Anyway, this may spur me to write up the blow-by-blow of my 2010 journey...

Spotted in the Petersen Museum parking garage in LA this past weekend.... I'm surprised the DMV issued it.

Here is an artist I've not heard of before, Chris Dugan, who has some rather nice art prints, among them two Sevens (no Elites yet, unfortunately): http://www.christopherdugan.co.uk/ordering.asp

Hank, Thanks! Very delectable -- both of them!

Hank, Great work by Graeme! This is something for me to consider..... How about posting his renderings of your Elite, also? We'd love to drool over them....

rdymond, Unfortunately, most of our curvy local mountain roads can be taken at speeds that are pretty terrifying in a Seven..... But, I'll admit, the scenery is spectacular!

Hot off the British presses: http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=26039&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=html&utm_campaign=2012-7-18 http://www.pitpass.com/46810-Work-begins-on-Caterhams-new-HQ http://www.pitpass.com/46813-Caterham-profits-reverse-by-more-than-30

Here is the stuff fantasies are made of -- a Seven carving passes in the Alps: http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=26031&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=html&utm_campaign=2012-7-17http:// Some day......

It appears that at least the owner of one Seven (among his other delectable sets of wheels) is moving to the dedicated race-track/garage/social hub being built in Thermal, California: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/17/sports/car-club-for-the-fast-and-the-affluent.html?_r=1&hpw How often does a Seven appear in a photo (or in print) in the New York Times? I'm afraid that Thermal would be a little to hot (and much too rich) for my tastes....

Mike, Welcome aboard! You've got one of the most photographed Sevens around. I recall that parking garage at Vail, Colorado in the "How the West was Driven" blat in 2005, when your car wouldn't run right at altitude, and the entire garage was filled with the smell of unburnt fuel.... Attached are a few of my snaps of your car from 2005 -- love the super-extended rear wings! (That woodpile must be the same as the one in the background of the shot you posted -- unless you've now got a gasogen convertor for your Seven!). Alaskossie Anchorage, Alaska

Skip, It is not entirely fixed. The cowl dent still remains, but the new bonnet latches properly. I have the replacement cowl painted, and will install it as soon as the weather turns bad in the fall. I want to drive the Seven this summer. My car took first place in the "exotic" category in this months' British Car Club Alaska concours, even with the cowl dent (which I had to explain to bystanders numerous times). bsimon -- I learned my "middle-finger lesson" in your rhd Seven in 2005; haven't made that mistake since.........

Klasik-69, A little off-topic.... I've got the larger road hazards (i. e., moose) up here in the Anchorage area, but I've yet to encounter one on the road in my Seven (knock on wood....!). However, I've had several encounters, a couple pretty close, in other cars. I'm thinking I may be able to drive under an adult moose in the Seven, but may lose the windscreen. Potholes aren't too bad in my area, but the lack of good paved Seven roads definitely is a drawback to Seven ownership. I've located a very good 9-mile mountain road, about 20 minutes out of Anchorage, and went on an 18-mile round-trip blat on it last week. I started at 10:30 pm, and ran the whole road under daylight conditions, on the longest day of the year. It was great. jlumba, if you drive up to Anchorage next September, we'll have to get Jim O'Malley and his Caterham SV, and make a dedicated trip on this road. Here is a photo of 2/3 of all of the Sevens in Alaska. Also, two weeks ago I had a visitor, Giles Cooper, driving his Lotus Elise from Australia to the Arctic Circle, via California and Colorado. See: http://elsiefrombottomtotop.blogspot.com/2012/06/anchorage.html After a 4-month odyssey, Giles has finally made it back to Anacortes, Washington, where his car will be shipped back to Australia. We believe it may be the first Lotus to cross the Arctic Circle in North America.

Well, the deer might have cleared a Seven.....