Alaskossie

Skip, What was your route?

Skip, So, you're rooming with Ross Robbins? Sounds like you all will have a great time at LOG31. Give us the full skinny when you're back.

No, the handling is not screwed up. Flyin Miata's V-8 Miata took third overall in the Open class in last week's Targa Newfoundland. See http://flyinmiata.com/V8/

No, Hank is not the next one of us LSIS owners to be seduced by "the feminine side " -- I am. Attached are photos of the 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata with 17,000 miles that I (with Skip Cannon's considerable help) have located in Colorado. I put a down payment on it a week ago, and hope to close the transaction this week. Next on the list will be getting the car to Flyin' Miata in Grand Junction, Colorado, and checking the build list for their Chevrolet LS-series V-8 conversion, with the Getrag 6-speed transmission and Getrag differential, and a host of upgrade mods to match. What I'm looking for is basically a 21st-century equivalent of the Sunbeam Tiger, and with handling commensurate with the power; we'll see if this will be it.

Perhaps -- but it's a lot stronger, and better-looking, to boot!

Yes, and I had bed-liner applied to the underside of the front ad rear wings. A weight penalty certainly, but no star-cracks, dimples or pockmarks from rocks launched by the tires.

With my Caterham "Executive Superlight," I'm a card-carrying member of Carbonfiberics Anonymous..... 2006 Caterham S3, 2.3 Cosworth Duratec with c/f nose cone, c/f nosecone winglets, c/f front and rear wings, and full-coverage c/f rear wing protectors (Millwood), c/f rear light blocks, c/f 5 1/2-inch headlamps, c/f turn signal pods (now mounting full-time running lights), m/c front turn signals (the only simulated c/f on the car), c/f SPA rear-view mirrors, c/f door-sill protectors (Alutex silver c/f), c/f footwell crossmember protectors, c/f dash panel, c/f engine air intake box, c/f intake trumpets, c/f intake housing, c/f engine cam and plug cover (Reverie, coil-on-plug), and c/f Tillett seats. The c/f rear wing protectors took a beating on my 6150-mile Colorado - Alaska drive last year, and I wish I had layered them with 2 or 3 layers of 3M film. After seeing a Series 3 from Texas at LOG 27 with front and rear wings that had a milky, powdery white surface appearance from repeated moisture exposure to unprotected c/f, I had all of my exposed c/f bits sprayed with clear lacquer for moisture protection, before installation. Because c/f is a porous weave, it will soak up a lot of lacquer, and several coats were required on the wings, but at least they now won't soak up water and leave the white residue when the water dries. A side benefit of lacquering is that my front and rear wings have great, 3-dimensional depth to the weave, and a high gloss that waxing really brings out. Anyone know of a 12-step program for this addiction...?

As some of you know, I own what might politely be called a "fully-accessorized" Seven (aka the Executive Superlight). Well, I'm apparently the first in USA (and perhaps on the entire Continent), to acquire a Seven Tyre Bag. Stuart Golding of the Warwickshire 7s Club in UK makes these up. If you properly carry a tail-mounted spare tire on your Seven-type car (as I do), you may have sometimes looked at the empty circular space that the spare wheel encloses (pierced by the tire mounting rod), and wondered if it could somehow be put to good use. Apparently Stuart and I were thinking along parallel lines, because he has designed and produced a round, heavy-duty nylon bag (essentially a big donut with a tube in the center), with a zipper closure. He makes them in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, depending on your wheel diameter. See photo attached. I think it may be the perfect place to carry Seven-cleaning bits like a sponge, chamois, mesh bug sponge, a few small terry towels, and perhaps a small collapsible canvas bucket. Stuart's Tyre Bag sells for £33.00, and is available from 7bags@stuartgolding.co.uk. Those of you who run with no spare are simply out of luck here....

I'm already satisfied that I can handle a short or long (6100-mile) blat in a Seven, and even enjoy it. But a long cross-country trip without doors and without A/C is a bit much to ask of the wife (after all, we're both on the far, far side of 65+ years old, as much as I hate to admit it!)..... So an LS3/Miata is definitely in the works. I'm already entertaining ideas for an appropriate personalized Alaska license plate (6 numbers/letters max) for the hyper-Miata. Any clever ideas or witty suggestions? (I already have an appropriate one in mind, and it is available and "acceptable," but I don't want to spill the beans until I have a car to put it on, and have it wrapped up). The State of Alaska license plate website is fun to browse and tinker with: https://www.dmv.alaska.gov/dmv_online_services/akpages/akplate.aspx Even "GAYCAR" and "CHIKCAR" appear "acceptable," and available. But not "BVRB8," which "....could be inappropriate or offensive to others." However, for some unexplained reason, "BEVRB8" is acceptable, and available. (I recall seeing "BVRB8" on a Corvette, and was amazed -- maybe they later took it away from him). I'm attaching a photo of a personalized plate a friend recently got for his new Lotus Exige. When I applied in person for the plate "SAVANT" for my 2004 Audi S4 Avant, the helpful DMV desk clerk informed me that "IDIOT" was also available....thanks a lot! Anyway, I'm open to suggestions for a suitable plate for an LS3/Miata.

Guys, I hope you guys will go easy on the "hairdresser's car" thing --- since I'm seriously on the lookout for a low-mileage Miata NB body style, and I have Skip Cannon on the trail. On our way back from the USA7s Black Hills blat, Skip and I diverted to Flyin' Miata in Grand Junction, Colorado, and I drove FM's just-finished LS conversion (see photos). I did not wring the car out because we were in the residential neighborhood of FM, and it was a customer car, but I was very impressed with the balance, and the torque (in any gear, at any speed!). It is a modern Sunbeam Tiger -- with three times the grunt. With the Miata, I'm looking for a fun all-weather summertime car, and a relaxed cruiser that my wife will enjoy being a passenger in -- the Tilletts in my Seven are too narrow for her, and the Seven is a bit of a "hair-shirt" acquired taste, as we all know. So if my ship comes in (I'm hoping to settle a big, 8-year-old piece of litigation soon), I'll plan to have Skip and Flyin' Miata on the case....and an LS conversion in the garage before too long.

Mike, So sorry to hear that your back problems force the sale of your Birkin, and probably your Elise also. That is an unreasonably stiff penalty for a moment's mishap. I have been really impressed with the level of detail in your Birkin fettling. And I enjoyed meeting you at one of Skip's Colorado Seven gatherings. Best of luck in coping with the effects of your injury. I hope you can find something to occupy your imagination and skill that equals the quick and interesting and iconic cars that you have pursued to date. Tom Meacham

Aiden, If the car is titled as in fact being over 25 years old, and all of your paperwork is in order, you should have no trouble from US Customs, Federal EPA, or Federal DOT. i have imported two ex-military vehicles from Europe that were more than 25 years old, and US Customs recognized the rules and just waved them through. I had to pay the prescribed customs duty on them, but it was not much. The 1990 ex-military vehicle that I imported in 2000? That is another story entirely... Good luck!

Finally got my Odd Couple together in the work bay of my garage, ready to repair the crumpled cowl on the Seven. Don't worry, the emergency brake is set on the 'Mog. Alaskossie

Here is the last batch of Black Hills Tour photos. #13 Badlands discussion -- do we take the 13-mile dirt short-cut, or the longer route? #14 We took the longer route -- which turned out to include about 20 miles of dirt. #15 Derek Walker at speed, in the oldest Seven on the Tour. #16 Gert and Rosie watching the rainstorm, high above Dayton, Wyoming. #17 Summer snowbanks on the Beartooth Highway, Wyoming.

Here is the third batch of Black Hills photos. #9 Another tunnel on the Needles Highway. #10 Pigtail-turn trestle on Iron Mountain Road. #11 Roadside barriers on the Needles Highway. #12 Evening bench-racing at the Rocket Motel.

Here is the second group of Black Hills photos. #5 Herb talks Sevens with Dallas, who drove 400 miles from northern SD with his wife Sonja to see his first Seven, and catch the bug. #6 Beautiful Black Hills sweepers. #7 Only to be impeded by a lollygagging 'Vette driver who would not pull over... #8 One of several Needles Hwy. tunnels

I'm going to upload some Black Hills Tour photos, in groups of four (hope I don't overload things!). Not too familiar with how this is done... I'll add captions here, to go with each group of photos. #1 Sevens parked at Wind Cave NP, their occupants ready to descend into the cave. #2 Beautiful sweeping mountain curves, little traffic, Black Hills. #3 Bob Simon performs fuel pump replacement with fuel tank in situ. Herb performs sahib role. #4 Night scene at the Rocket Motel, our Tour HQ.

Geert, Was Stewart's Stalker the only Seven on the trip that had no problems and/or issues? Bill's Stalker's problem was pretty minor....so I'd say the Stalkers won the reliability prize, overall. Alaskossie

Where do Colorado/Wyoming/Kansas/N. Mexico, etc. fit into that regional mix?

Jturrell, What wheels and tires did you order? Those sure look like track-only tires.

Picked up a copy of European Car Magazine (August (!) 2011 issue) today, and on p. 80 there is a 6-page spread, with photos and text, of assembling Caterham SV, "Clockwork Orange," at Caterham USA in Denver. It has a 6-speed and a 2.0 liter, 220 hp Duratec. Fairly superficial article, but enticing nonetheless. Ben Wofford had told me a number of months ago that a fellow who lives in Denver and who sometimes writes for European Car was following the assembly of this car. i think it now belongs to someone on this list who lives in New York State (don't recall who). On p. 88, there is a photo of Ben (though unidentified) at the wheel, somewhere west of Denver.... Alaskossie

Derek, Sort of like most Sevens, then, I guess? Alaskossie

Skip, Lots of static electricity there... Right now, I can look out my window and see the steam wisp rising from Mt. Redoubt volcano, about 100 miles away.....wonder when it will act up again....? Alaskossie

I'd like a copy of the route book. Thanks. tmeacham@gci.net Alaskossie

I recently picked up a copy of the June 2011 Car & Driver magazine. Beneath the C&D logo, opposite the magazine's date, is the caption, "In Memory of David E. Davis Jr." This issue of C&D contains several writers' tributes to David E., and some selections from his writings. However, I spotted only one advertiser's recognition of his passing -- a full-page tribute from Audi. Well done, Audi! Alaskossie