Alaskossie

John, I'm presently traveling (Tucson this week, Denver next), so am not internet-linked like I would like to be. Thanks for moving this event forward. Anything you come up with on the accommodations front is fine with me. I am looking forward to my maiden voyage in the Executive Superlight this coming Sunday at scannon's shop in Erie, CO, at his Colorado Sevens gathering. I'll let you know how it went -- if I've regained the use of my faculties.... Alaskossie

Skip, I'll try to be there, but my 7 will still be in the garage at Thomas Vintage. I don't get in to Denver until late on the 20th (Saturday). It will be fun to see the guys again (old and new).

Skip, The ground under that ski slope must have been groomed like a putting green.....one soft spot, and that Lambo goes head over Pirellis -- especially at the speed he was traveling.... Only a rich idiot would try that at on any ski slope with which I'm familiar...

This probably doesn't respond directly to your question, but Andy Wiltshire in UK makes some really beautiful aluminium replacement wings and nose cones for early Sevens, as well as replacement panels for Lotus Eleven, etc. Go to: http://andywiltshire.com/index.htm

Will you be around in either Gypsum or Erie, Colorado with your Birkin during March 20-28, when I'm planning to come down for the inaugural drive of my own Seven?

Al, Welcome aboard! Two of the Seven-type cars that have a little extra width, and are availble in the US in kit form, are the Caterham SV and its higher-spec variant, the Caterham CSR. Both are 4 inches wider through the cockpit than the standard, traditional Caterham Series 3. Go to: http://www.uscaterham.com/ http://www.caterham.co.uk/ For info.

I'll take that green/yellow Series I Seven with the Coventry Climax engine and the wobbly webs, please.....

Mike, I'll get the relevant measurement from the bottom of the frame tube to the bottom of my Cosworth dry sump. I'd have to drill an access hole in the sump guard for the drain plug on my Brise kidney tank for the dry sump system, but that can be a field modification. If all works out, I could get the sump guard unpainted, drill the hole, and then have it powder-coated. Tom

Mike, I assume that your sump guard is designed for a wet-sump Caterham? It would appear that the design could be a bit shallower, for installation on dry-sump Caterhams?

Skip, Was that Cobra Daytona coupe an original? I've never seen photos of a Daytona that was not blue and white.

Skip, That Ferrari is a BEAST -- and priceless! Almost the largest-displacement front-engined competition Ferrari ever built. Does the Shelby Collection own it? If it does, I suppose it is because of the Carroll Shelby connection.....?

Dean, Will there be a catalog published of the "Best of Britain" exhibit? If so, I'll bet there are a number of us who can't make it to Philly who would like to order a copy.

Skip, Yes, those are the same Tillet seats that I have. They fit me like a glove, and i believe they will be fine even for long stints in the saddle. I am adding an adjustable lumbar pad for added support. Your recent diet seems to have done wonders-- I'm pretty sure you could not have sat in my seats last summer without becoming permanently embedded in them! And perhaps you have lost weight in your feet also? Seriously, I don't think the pedal box has changed significantly with the new metric chassis. I'm pretty sure it is the same size as mine. Very hard to find additional room down there without adding external dimensions -- which is the reason for your SV. Surprised that the R500 has not gone to R&T and other west-coast mags for testing already. It should be very important to get it driven and in print, in time for those young blades (and older blades) whose late-spring desires are turning to thoughts of minimalist motoring...

Skip, I'm surprised that the R500 in Gulf Oil colors (light blue/orange stripe) is still at Rocky Mountain. It was all assembled and ready to be licensed when I was there in early December 2009. Ben had asked me to not circulate any photos of it until the magazines had had a chance to test it, and publish. This particular car has been sold to a fellow in California, and I would think he would be anxious to get his hands on it.

When I first saw the title, "Traffic light tripper," I thought maybe you were talking about those devices that fire trucks and police cars use to send a signal to a traffic light to instantly turn it green (and the intersecting street red). Some of these have fallen into "private" hands, I understand, where they might prove to be a very useful time-saver.... Our local government passed an ordinance a year ago, making their use illegal except for emergency vehicles. Darn!

i have imported two trucks (1980 Unimog 4X4 and 1975 Volvo 6X6) into the US under the 25-year exemption. It was completely straightforward with US Customs. No questions at all, once the original title documents were examined. However, these were fully-assembled vehicles in their country of origin. I suppose if there were a question with an unassembled kit (like if the engine were perhaps newer than the kit itself), then problems might arise. I guess it would be quite unusual to import a 25-year-old kit that had not yet been assembled into a car already. If it were assembled, then it should be treated just like any other 25-year-old car, I would think.

Goat, Thanks for the recent photos. I'll be in Colorado from March 20-28, and my car should be road-ready by that time, so maybe we can get together. Nice-looking Raceline oil pan! Whose yellow Seven (Birkin?) is that in the background? Tom Carlin's? Another Colorado Seven?

Goat, Sorry to hear that you are moving away from Colorado -- it would have been fun to see our "cousin" Sevens side by side, since you are using the same basic Duratec power plant that I am, and your color scheme (silver and carbon fiber) is just like mine (except that I painted the nose cone silver). And my Seven was in Greeley, and now is in Thornton, just down the road from you. Best of luck in the new home for your Seven -- your commute to Reno looks great!

Skip, I searched the USA7s forum under "Hoyt" and found nothing pertinent. I guess I should have also searched under "Volvo."

I'm not sure how the USA7s list missed this car (it was apparently featured in the July '09 Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car Magazine, but I didn't see it). It is now listed in the classified section of Sports Car Market magazine. It is a Seven-inspired roadster with a body made from a F-100 fighter drop tank, with Volvo PV544 running gear. Lots of vintage photos (at least one race photo with it leading a Lotus Seven) and current "restored" photos, at: http://www.motoringinvestments.com/Y101.htm Great early 1960’s Yankee inspiration and ingenuity at work here -- see photos and drawings of a Lotus Seven, and design and build one yourself, with a handy and appropriate drivetrain! Alaskossie

Does anyone else need a 2 1/2" inlet and outlet? If I ordered one for my car as part of a bulk buy, 3 inches is too large. Don't know if a "bulk buy" contemplates that all mufflers ordered will be of the same specification, but that would seem to be the only way the manufacturer could offer some discounted price.

Subbotin, Great shots of your friend's Seven in St. Petersburg! I think those are "calendar-ready" photos for a 2010 (or 2011?) USA7s calendar! Hank, a leather helmet similar to one that Subbotin was wearing is available new from : http://www.flying-jacket.com/product-details.aspx?id=15 I have one, and the quality is top-notch. Aviation Leathercraft make both traditional "flying helmets" like from WW II, and "motoring helmets" like you see in old photos from the early 1900's. Perfect for open-air motoring in a Seven!

Supersportsp, That's great! We're looking at the last week in July, and early August, as a tentative period to work around. Please contact JohnCH to get into an e-mail loop for more detailed plans as they develop. Wen we get something worked out trentatively, we can post it in the Events section of USA7s.

KYO, You might want to get a copy of Tony Weale's book, Lotus Seven: Restoration, Preparation, Maintenance (Osprey Books 1991, ISBN 1-85532-153-X). It is out of print I think, but used copies, and even an unauthorized reprint, may be available. Try Bruce Brammer of Lotus Books (in Germany): http://www.lotus-books.com/ There is lots of good historical info and details on all of the Sevens from the Series 2 up through the 1991 Caterhams.

ayseven, The Alaska Highway is all asphalt now -- I last drove it in 1998 in a low-clearance Escort Cosworth, and had no problems. There will be sections under repair or reconstruction, of course, but I hope to find out where in advance, and perhaps drive these sections at night when the traffic is lighter -- no motorhomes, etc. I first drove the Alcan in 1967, and it was 1200 miles of dirt road from Dawson Creek, BC to the Alaska border (though I was able to get my '67 Volvo up to 90 mph in a few places!). The paving of the entire Alaska Hwy. has admittedly taken a bit of the adventure out of the trip, but I'm sure there is enough left to make it interesting.