Anaximander

Croc, That Mini looks like a job for Overhaulin'. If anybody can bring it back, Chip Foose and his gang are up for the task. As you well know, government types can at times capriciously make up their own rules and with the power of the government behind them, can enforce rather silly interpretations of those rules. I agree that the lack of uniformity in rule promulgation/enforcement is a likely culprit for some of the confusion. I am always a bit suspect of people trying to "protect" me. Where was NHTSA with the GM ignitions? How many years and lives did it take to get something done? Sheesh.

Daniel, Who in the heck do you think can afford some of these cars? It is us geezers that are propping up the market. If we left it to you young guys, sales would plummet because many of you young guys are raising families etc. instead of partying as much as us old guys/gals:cheers:

I lived in the San Fernando Valley where that seemed to have been filmed. There was an ad on one a bench in one of the scenes that mentioned Sherman Oaks which is in the SF Valley of Los Angeles. I too remember .32 gas.

xcarguy, It was all I could do to make sure I was securely buckled up for each run without having to worry about starting/stopping a GOPRO:willy_nilly: I did three ridealongs, and that combined with driving my own car x4 was enough of a workload for this rookie. However, I viewed your 19 minute video on that rainy/foggy day at COTA with your Stalker and I must say that I could feel adrenaline pulsing through my veins as I watched you pick off car after car. However, this grasshopper, in time, will hopefully be able to drive and chew gum at the same time. It is amazing how these large horsepower cars perform. I know that a large part of driving fast is really dependent on finesse rather than brute horsepower but when the course allows, having the extra ponies sure doesn't hurt. A GOPRO is definitely in my future. I am investing in Toyo R888's for the street today and maybe in a couple of months as I get things more sorted I will install a GOPRO. Astro Bob

The Allies silly. But only by one point. What a great group of folks with a terrific sense of humor.

Well, anyone looking for a very radically performing yet comfortable seven type car needs to look no further than St. Petersburg, Florida and the Stalker factory. About two months ago, I purchased a used street legal 2012 M-Spec (Brunton) Stalker from Glen Minehart, father of builder Scott Minehart who designs, builds, and races Stalkers. In fact, the whole family is into racing with Glen's wife Krista always giving Glen a run for his money and sometimes trading the podium in the E Modified Solo events when Scott is not there. Scott's brother just had a Stalker AXR version with the ultra wide rear tires built for him and Scott's young son is racing a cart. The AXR accommodates 14" wide rear wheels and Formula Atlantic rear tires without making the car any wider than a standard M-Spec version with 10" wide tires and wheels and is what Glen and Krista's car is. I attended my second only SCCA solo event (separated by more than 6 years) today and Glen and Krista were in attendance with their bright pearl orange AXR (autocross version). Glen reigned victorious today but Krista put in a very hot lap time that included a 360 spin (cold day with difficulty getting the tires warm) while staying on the course. The enthusiasm that the entire family shares for this marque is without question and makes them very exciting cars to consider. I am becoming a geezer at 65 but when placed in the M-Spec Stalker with racing slicks, the years simply melted away. Of course my driving techniques need to improve but I was steadily improving my times with each lap except the last where I pretty much tied my fastest lap. The Stalker's suspension made traversing the course at South Georgia Motorsports Park a breeze and I could feel in the seat of my pants a lot more potential with the 330 ponies under the beautifully crafted fiberglass nose. The people at the park were likely expecting some hot laps out of my Stalker but alas, being a novice, this was not to be. It did not seem like anybody was disappointed but very supportive and I think wishing me continued success in the new sport. Speaking about suspensions, one of the aspects of the M-spec Stalker that I favor very much is the fact that it is quite comfortable on the street but also significantly taut enough on the track to inspire confidence. I will likely spend 60% of my time on the street enjoying the qualities of a seven car (you all know how much fun these are) and the open air of North Florida/South Georgia roads but at the same time have a great time trying to improve my driving skills during the other 40% where I am doing x-cross events. If I was into an ultra luxury package, I would consider upgrading to their new XL version which is 4" wider than my car and has a 105" wheelbase as opposed to my 95" wheelbase. The XL sports 315 width tires as opposed to my 255's. The overall width of the XL is 76" and is a great road and track car from what I have heard. I also want to provide a large shoutout to Glen and Krista who were incredibly helpful in getting me oriented to the whole event and walking the course a couple of times with me to explain racing strategy. I really cannot say enough good things about this car. I am going to be ordering some new Toyo R888's for the street and continue to enjoy the sheer thrill of speed on racing slicks when at the track. Astro Bob

However, I haven't heard of Birkin not paying their bills? Just say'n. BTW, I love Caterhams. The F1 debacle is a sad story that hopefully will get turned around.

Xcarguy, I have GOT to get Scott Minehart to put in four wheel drive in my V8 Stalker. Heck, I grew up in L.A., maybe some of those smog genes are still in me and I can drive like that?

It has been sold. They had a "hold" for a few days and it now says "sold".

No, I have Scott/Glenn's Blue/Black Stalker. You can see the tiny pic in my Avatar standing next to the Storker (Scott is going to kick my butt for morphing the name as you so aptly have taught me xcarguy). The only cosmetic change I have made to the car is that I cut off the rear diffuser so it would fit on my utility trailer for hauling to x-cross events with racing tires/wheels. I have no plans to ever do wheel-to-wheel racing and will not be getting the car up to track speeds that I have seen it do on videos at Sebring.

Thanks Slomove. With 50K on the clock, that is a pretty clear indication that the car is a nice ride. I saw on your link that you got it with 600 miles so with all of those trips you have taken, it must be a sweet ride. I guess the reports of them being a bit tight are fairly accurate. Luckily, I have shrunk to 5'7" and 170 lbs. so would find the cockpit pretty comfy. Even the wider Storker benefits from narrow shoes for the pedals so that is not a big deal.

Hey, a Storker delivered me a Stalker last month. It was the M-Spec prototype #00 designed by Scott Meinhart that morphed into the XL that is up for sale. Mine is not a track only car and provides tons of smiles going down country roads. Plan to x-cross it for the first time this coming Sunday if the weather holds. Having a novice like me in a Stalker should makes those cones quiver with fear and not to mention the smiles I hope do not break out on the spectators faces if I behave like a fool. Yesterday, I gave a buddy of a mine a spirited ride who has several years of background in autocrossing. He commented how sorted and taut the suspension seemed but how surprisingly not punishing the ride was in a car that seemed so well sorted. I gave him a rudimentary explanation of the video that Scott has on the Stalker website about how he came up with the front/back independent suspensions. I have not ridden in other 7's for a long time (45 years) and so have no experience to compare the street ride comfort aspects? That white/black Stalker is a beauty! BTW, I was looking at the 2009 Birkin S3 that is for sale in my home state of Florida and it is a beaut!. How comfortable are those cars to drive on the street? In reading various threads, I had gotten a sense that they are a pretty tight fit and may ride somewhat harshly? Are any of these observations accurate? Bob S.

+ 1 :toetap05:

I can answer that one. Yes it was. They are about $3500 new.

Boo Hoo! Kevin emailed me today and said that he planned to loan his trailer to a friend and hopefully get a house where he could store his trailer. I had my sights on this jewel. Well, good for Kevin, bad for Bob. However, all is not lost. I am going to a machine shop this coming week and will have them craft some ramps for my current low-boy 6x12 trailer. It will also save Kevin and me a long road trip.

X, That picture of yours looks just like my car!!! Funny about those things. I just ordered Ross Bentley's book at your suggestion. I know that reading alone will not make me a better driver per se but I need to understand all of the concepts necessary to put them into play. One of the things I am learning from the Watts' book is the very different chassis dynamics that come into play when going around a cone. I really had no idea how many different forces are at play and developing an understanding and then practicing the techniques I think will be invaluable. Scott Minehart's chassis development in the M-Spec Stalker and subsequent XL's I suspect are going in a very positive direction. I had looked at his videos numerous times about the changes he had made to both the front and rear suspensions. The car rode surprisingly well on the street yesterday. I must say that the world looks VERY different seated in a 7 car. Door handles of subcompacts are above your head. Large SUV's coming in the opposite direction and slightly wandering over the median line give one a bit of pause. With about 300-400K lifetime motorcycle seat miles, the Stalker feels surprisingly like I am back on a motorcycle in some ways. Much like my days of motorcycling with high-performance bikes, I plan to use most opportunities in the car to learn something about myself and the machine. The goal of more active involvement in my driving is something that I had been missing for a while. I now realize from a beginning standpoint why everyone that is posting here and owns 7's are so enthusiastic about their rides. The open cockpit feel cannot be beat. Bob

X, It was a beautiful slightly Fall afternoon in North Florida/South Georgia and I decided to put some seat time in with the M-Spec Stalker. What FUN!!! It certainly has enough horsepower to keep me happy for a while. Of course, now I am dreaming of putting a LS1 Vette engine in it as if I need more power? Getting power to the ground in 2nd and 3rd can be a bit challenging if you are a fool with the throttle. The approximate 70 -75miles I put on the car on the back roads of Florida/Georgia were sublime. I did not get the car out of fourth gear at any time but know that a gendarme would love to have encountered me along my journey for some local funding. I am practicing my car handling and transition from high-performance motorcycles to a high-performance car. Different concepts to a certain degree but some are the same. I have begun reading Henry Watts "Secrets of Solo Racing" and am learning a ton of new things as they relate to four-wheeled vehicles in search of better performance. Today's lesson was how to hold the steering wheel at the 9-3 position and not rest my arms on anything. Learning to become an active driver is certainly going to require acquisition of many new skills or honing of ones long forgotten. Bob

I have been meaning to introduce myself. I am the lucky owner of a blue M-Spec Stalker #000 that was owned by Glen and Scott Minehart. It has a L33 V8 with LS1 heads, 2000 Camaro 6-speed trans, Cadillac CTS rear end (3:42?). I have a wonderfully supportive wife who is tickled for me with the new car. No kids. I have been a hardcore amateur astronomer for the past 14 years with my largest telescope being a 32" f/3.6 Newtonian reflector at a dark site in Northwest Central Florida (Chiefland Astronomy Village). In 1966, I almost bought a 1962 or 1963 Lotus Super 7 but my father talked me out of it and instead offered me his 1964 Triumph TR4. I had a great time carving the canyons of Southern California (Tuna, Topanga, Malibu, Mulholland). Since that time, I have always wanted to get that missing 7. I did briefly own a 1972 Lotus Elan S2 when I was living in the SF Bay Area in 1978. Did do a stint from high-school until now with many high-performance and some lower performance motorcycles (about 90 of them) including such bikes as Yam R1, Hon VTR1000, Duc 748, etc. While looking at Caterhams and Birkins, I came across the Stalkers and found that their manufacturing facility was close by to me in St. Petersburg, Florida. Gave them a call, took a ride in the M-Spec Stalker and was frankly blown away by the performance of the V8 and more importantly the suspension. Long story made short, #000 arrived in my garage this past weekend. Have only had three brief opportunities to drive it but I can tell that there are many smiles/miles ahead of me. It now has a license plate and insurance so I can cruise around the hundreds of miles of country roads in North Florida/Southern Georgia. Plan to join the Dixie Chapter of SCCA and learn how to be a much better driver via x-cross. I have no illusions of taking 3rd in class with it at the Nationals like Scott did when he first built the car. Just want to have fun and enjoy the 7 experience that so many of you are already very familiar with. BTW, this is a great site for learning about all kinds of 7's. As someone said, they are ALL good. Bob

Toedrag, I am a newbie to this site and a new M-Spec Stalker owner (#1). It is almost exhausting to read all of the things one has to do to build this car in the short amount of time that you have done it in so far. You seem to have the patience of Job. Lacking any major skills or patience for that matter, I am glad that M-Spec #1 came my way. However, I know I will never have even a small fraction of the understanding and appreciation of my car's various bits compared to your build. Congrats on what seems to be a very rapid and precise build. Bob Schilling

Kevin, I PM'ed you about your trailer. Thanks, Bob