Alaskossie

Ben at Rocky Mountain Sports Cars told me that when he served an apprenticeship at Caterham in England, he was present when Caterham did a series of timed 0-100-0 runs in a Superlight 500 for a British magazine. He said that traction was such a problem that the car was tested with a passenger (him) and a full tank of gas, to try to get some weight down in the rear. Tom Meacham

Here is a neat, long film clip taken on a public outing on the TT course on the Isle of Man. The camera car (forward-facing main camera and rear facing inset camera) is a 140 hp Caterham; the yellow Caterham is an R500 (250 hp), and the numerous bikes are ????? Go to: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8327980196197139838&q=caterham&hl=en If this doesn't get your blood up, rigor mortis has set in....

Boxologist, You may be right -- though I doubt it is in Switzerland (despite the Swiss flag), since Switzerland banned almost all motorized speed contests after the 1955 Pierre Levegh tragedy at Le Mans.

I believe the video was shot on a portion of the Isle of Man TT motorcycle course on a public closed-course day. I've seen other clips of this, one showing two Sevens and several bikes dicing. I'll see if I can locate it and post the url.

Here is a UK website for all sorts of Seven books (including the Tony Weale), as well as other Lotus books: http://www.lotus-books.com/html/super_seven.html Good luck! Tom Meacham

BTW, the Lotus Seven America as tested by R&T in July 1961 had a list price in the US of $2987. It had 40 horsepower. a curb weight of 960 lb., and a top speed of 85 mph. Zero to 60 was in 14.3 seconds, and the speed in the 1/4 mile was 67 mph. The lead paragraph of the test described the car's design as "rather dated," and went on to say, "...from any distance or angle, the Seven looks exactly like what it is: a racing car with a passenger's seat and enough road equipment to be "legal." On an everyday, all-weather basis it is absurdly impractical -- but therein lies its great charm." The last line of the test said, "To us, the Seven appears to be an almost perfect answer for the man who wants a real racing car that can be taken on an occasional Sunday drive." Still so true! Tom Meacham

Kitcat, I checked on the R&T road test of the Lotus Seven America (where both you and I first learned that the Seven existed), and it was the July 1961 issue -- my earlier post erroneously said 1962. (I've got all of the Road & Track issues to date, since I first subscribed in August of 1958). So I have been waiting 45 1/2 years to buy a Seven, and finally have one on order. You've accepted my wager, and have me beaten. So when are you going to gt off your duff and buy a Seven? Best wishes, Tom Meacham Anchorage, Alaska

I can speak from some experience. Unless the vehicle is 25 years old or older, it will be very difficult to bring it into the USA past US Customs, which listens very closely to EPA and DOT before signing off. You might be able to bring a bunch of miscellaneous parts (i. e., a disassembled non-approved vehicle) that are newer than 25 years,but you take the real chance of having the stuff imponded, re-exported at your expense, or sold involuntarily at auction for re-export. In 2000 I imported a Land Rover-based 1990 MWG Esarco 8X8 truck from England. I finally had it sitting in my back yard in January 2005, after 6 years of bonded Customs impoundment at $150/month. The 4-cyl. turbo diesel engine was clearly an "off-highway" engine under EPA regulations, but EPA and Customs had to insist on proof that this "off-highway engine" was in fact installed in an "off-highway vehicle," or else I faced seizure, involuntary auction, or re-export at my expense. For cryin' out loud, it was an 8X8, 4-axle vehicle with 4-wheel steering and three transfer cases, and EPA would not accept the logic that it was an "off-highway vehicle" unless I could fix it so that it could go no more than 25 mph (which in their eyes made it presumptively an "off-highway vehicle" -- don't tell an Abrams tank or a Baja-racing buggy that they aren't "off-highway vehicles" in the eyes of the law because they can go faster than 25 mph!!). So I had a certified truck shop sign an affidavit that they had put the Esarco into low range and then disconected the transfer case linkage, so that it couldn't go more than 25 mph. But it took years to reach this result, because EPA never reads its mail, never puts anything in writing, and has a bunch of bureaucrats staffing its compliance office who know nothing about vehicle engineering, dynamics, or uses, never leave the DC Beltway area, and are just putting in their time until retirement. My advice: don't go there..... I haven't even mentioned the $3000 I had to spend on vacuum trucks for the steam cleaning of the Esarco (twice) to meet Dept. of Agriculture requirments, first for mad cow disease, then for hoof and mouth disease. (Of course, a Seven probably won't have started its life on a British farm!) Tom Meacham Anchorage, Alaska

I'll be 64 next week, and I've got my first Seven or order right now from Caterham (a Classic model with 250 hp 2.3 Cosworth Duratec and 6-speed Caterham transmission). I'll wager that I've lusted after a Seven longer (since first reading the R&T road test of the Lotus Seven America in the summer of 1962) without doing anything about it -- 44 1/2 years -- than anyone else on the list. Any takers? Tom Meacham Anchorage, Alaska

Robert, A good selection of photos. I imagine that 348 hp through the front wheels was a real handful -- or was the XR4ti four-wheel-drive? I can't recall. My Escort Cosworth 4X4 was tuned by Eggenberger in Switzerland before I got it -- stroked to 2.3 litres, new engine management; showed 378 hp and 435 ft./lb. of torque on their dyno. It is currently down with a burst fuel line, though (I'm lucky it didn't catch fire!). The line is a bear to unfasten and fix, since the space in the engine compartment is so cramped. Here is our website on the car -- though it needs updating: http://www.meachams.com/cossies/ Tom

Robert, Sorry you had to sacrifice your built XR4ti to your Seven dream. I own a 1995 Ford Escort RS Coswoth 4X4, and I imagine that your XR4ti had some engine and mechanical parts in common. What modifications had you made to your XR4ti?

Steve, I'm sure Scott will fit in the standard Caterham seats, but the Tillets have an iron grip on some people... Hate to arrive in California, to find tht he doesn't fit! Send me your e-mail address and I'll follow up on this with you. Tom

SteveT, My son Scott is an attorney with a national legal research firm in Charlottesville. His wife is a history professor at VA Commonwealth University, and commutes to Richmond. Scott is planning to join me for a part of the 2007 West Coast Tour, but we have yet to learn whether he comfortably fits in a Tillett seat, which is what my Seven will be equipped with... Hope he does! BTW, my mother's maiden name was Taylor..... All the best, Tom

I'm a new member, and live in Anchorage, Alaska, which has been home since Uncle Sam sent me up here from Colorado in 1967. I am probably one of the very few pre-baby boomer members (born 1943). I've subscribed to Road & Track magazine since August 1958 (and I still have every issue since then!). I first noticed the Lotus Seven when R&T tested the Seven America in September 1962 (subtitled, "What is it, daddy? It's a kit car, son"). I've wanted one ever since (going on 45 years now) -- but apparently not badly enough to actually do something about it, except to collect nearly every photo and scrap of info on the Seven that I could lay hands on, over the last four decades. I did visit the original Caterham "factory" (if it could be called that) in Caterham-on-the-Hill, UK, in 1985, just before they moved to their current location. That's all changed, as a result of a year ago September, when my Colorado friends Jeff and Bob (and Bob's Caterham Seven VX Evo) and I joined up with the Brits' "How the West was Driven 2005 Tour," for three days of touring in the high Rockies in the fall colors. (My brief write-up and some of my photos appeared in the May 2006 Low Flying). This week I hope to finalize my order for a Caterham Classic/Duratc 2.3 with Ben at Rocky Mountain in Denver. My plans are to have it assembled and shaken down in time to join the West Coast 2007 Tour. I'm presently coordinating with my two adult sons (who live in Charlottesville, VA and Los Angeles) to join me for parts of the 2007 Tour. When one gets to be of a certain age, and goes through a number of life experiences (and faces the prospect of mortality through the unexpected departure of friends and relatives who had a lot more living to do), one realizes that if there is something one always wanted to do but just never got around to it, then time's a-wastin'! The "car culture" in Alaska has never been large, but there are some neat, classic, and well-loved rides up here. Only one other Seven in Anchorage (that I know of), and one outside Fairbanks, Alaska -- both Caterhams. In real life I've been a natural resources and land use attorney since 1971, and am still working for a living. My daily driver is a 2004 Audi S4 Avant (4-wheel-drive, of course!). My summer driver (stored winters) is a low-mileage 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo. My "Alaskossie" handle comes from my 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth 4WD rally car, which I had modified before importing it new in 1998 (through Sun International in California). It is one of about 15 street-registered examples in the US. It was enlarged to 2.4 liters and tuned to 378 hp and 435 lb/ft. of torque by Eggenberger in Switzerland, before it came over here. With studded tires, it is the perfect winter performance car for Alaska! Sorry for the length of this post -- my turn to sit down, shut up, and listen.... Alaskossie2006-11-18 23:27:19