11Budlite

That's just not right! Bruce

"I think I can say from all members a big THANKS to Mazda for his work on this site." - Agreed, another big thanks Mazda! Bruce

Welcome Tom, I have a Zetec in my Birkin and am very happy with it, but if I was starting over I would definitely go with a Duratec. Lighter, more modern design, and better cylinder head/bigger valves so much easier to get 250 hp out of a Duratec. Not sure between 2.0 and 2.3, but I thought the 2.3 had a longer stroke and was taller so could have more fitment issues. Also the exhaust is on the passenger side for LHD cars so I would consider that a benefit as well. Dick Brink is a good guy to go to for all things se7en. I'm more of a car engine guy, but I'm sure some of the BEC guys will be along with their recommendations. Good luck in your search. Bruce

How'd I miss that one!

How about one for sale: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C77627 Bruce

A lot of modified and racing Austin Sevens out there as well. Bruce PS: I went to Manage Attachments. Not sure how it's going to work out...

As Jack said, you can try VB, or you can try Moss and other Brit car suppliers, Cobra suppliers, and even eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Vintage-Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__Chrome-Dash-Mirror-AC-Cobra-Austin-Healey-Bugeye_W0QQitemZ200313317169QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ3360QQddiZ2811QQadnZVintageQ20CarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item200313317169&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A1171%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 Bruce

"Reading in the loo is a pastime enjoyed by most cultures. I know that it's expanded my education excrementaly..." :rofl: Bruce :7drive:

I was informed by the owner that the car is sold and it's moving up the coast to NJ. If the new owner is out there, let us know. Bruce :7drive:

rjontzen - Series 4's are still cooler than 99.9% of the cars on the road today, but given a choice I'll take a S1-S3. Besides, a Series 4 is a REAL Lotus, but my Birkin is just a replica! Bruce :7drive:

:iagree: Nice drawings Martin. I like your choice of color for the fender. :thumbs: Bruce :7drive:

Found this video on YouTube. Could this be someone we know?? Sorry if it's been posted before, but I don't remember it. Bruce :7drive:

"Not to be too argumenitive, but isn't an 11 just a 7 with a streamlined body shell?" - I think you'll find that the Westfield Eleven frame and the early pre-lit Westfield Seven frame are very similar. I have an article from a kit car magazine from the 80's that had a road test of both cars and I'm sure they were close. Not sure how the later Westfield Seven with IRS compares. As Martin described, I think you'll find that comparing an original Lotus Eleven (even the later Series 2) frame to an original Lotus Seven frame is a little different. Although based on the same principles/construction techniques, and very similar in the cockpit area (if you don't count the side pontoons on the Eleven) the front chassis of the Eleven is wider and the rear trunk area behind the seats is different as well. I wish there was a better picture of a bare Lotus Eleven frame on the web, but this is the quickest one I could find: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/918667970_chapmanframe.jpg Bruce :7drive:

Oops, double post - delete A/R

Welcome Ben - Not sure how the early cars are ID'd, but my 2001 Birkin is a Build-It-Yourself model that I bought as a demo from a dealer in Florida. On my car it has the chassis number BIY1899 stamped on a plate welded to the upper left diagonal support in the engine bay and on a flat plate below the roll bar in the back (can't remember but I think it's the right side). Bruce :7drive:

Welcome aboard! I'm a big fan of the Lotus and Westfield Eleven's and would love to see pics of your car. Bruce :7drive:

I'll add my two cents on Birkin exhausts. My 2001 Birkin has a 2.5" collector pipe ending at a 2-bolt flange that attaches to the front of the muffler which has the same 2-bolt flange but the ID of the muffler and tailpipe is 2". Obviously this is not optimum for exhaust flow with the 1/4" step all the way around the circumference of the muffler flange. This has been one of the few disappointments (along with the wiring and stock seats) that I've had with the Birkin. It also seemed like some of the exhaust packing was blown out so I decided to replace it with something a little better. I decided to go with a side exit exhaust that's 2.5" all the way through, repackable, and very light. I'm hoping it'll sound a little better too. Bruce :7drive:

KiwiBirkin - Just wanted to add that the Momo bolt circle should be 6-bolt x 2.75" (or 70mm) and are held on with M5-0.8 countersunk screws on the Birkin supplied hub. Bruce :7drive:

KiwiBirkin - What type of hub/steering wheel do you have on your car now? Could the hub be re-drilled to mount the Momo wheel? I just took the steering wheel off my 2001 Birkin and measured the shaft in the spline area and came up with .684" or appr 11/16". I counted 40 splines. Sure seems like an oddball size. The hub on my car has the 6-hole bolt circle that mounts Momo, Sparco, OMP, and maybe some other wheels. You can also try contacting Dick Brink at Texas Motor Works for more info. He's the US Birkin importer and has helped me with sourcing parts for my car. Real nice guy too! Shipping might be a killer to NZ but he should be able to help you with more accurate info than I can provide. Here's his link: http://texasmotorworks7.com/ Bruce :7drive:

"Bruce, did you see where they put the 2 driving lights on the 65, I never saw that before " DB6 - I think I have seen that before, but I can't remember where...probably on the SimpleSevens site. If I'm not mistaken, the two objects mounted to the grill on his S2 were badges not driving lights. I could be wrong.... Bruce :7drive:

Welcome Kiwi. Nice looking car and a great deal too! Bruce :7drive:

I'd have to agree on the looks of the Series 4...I just don't see myself ever owning one because I prefer the classic looks of the S1-S3 models. I did visit a car collection on Cape Cod owned by a gentleman named Bill who has a S2 and a S4 Lotus Seven among his collection of 50-60 mostly British cars. We got to talking about the differences between the two and although he prefers the looks of the earlier model, he thought that the S4 was the better driver. I don't remember the exact details but I could have sworn he thought the handling was better, the extra power of the twin cam motor in the S4 probably didn't hurt, and I'm sure he mentioned that the extra room in the interior was a benefit as well. Here's a link to his collection: http://www.toadhallcars.com/default.asp Bruce :7drive:

Jeff7 did not answer my requests via this thread or PM about where he got his info that the car was sold. :nonod: Since I contacted the owner and Bill said it was still for sale, please disregard the statement that the car is sold. Here is the latest link to the Hemmings ad for contact info: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/caterham/super_7/805561.html Bruce :7drive:

Thanks Gert, just the info I was looking for. Once again you're a big help! Bruce :7drive:

I'm showing my complete ignorance when it comes to cell phones, but if I wanted to call England would there be any reason not to use my cell phone? I've never tried it and I have to make a call tomorrow morning. TIA, Bruce :7drive: