11Budlite

Thanks for the history lesson Dermot! Yes, that's the guy. It'd been so long since I saw the show that I couldn't remember his name, but I did remember how impressed I was with the craftsmanship! Bruce :7drive:

Thanks for the info! Bruce :7drive:

Unbelievable!! The talent in some of the drivers out there continues to amaze me! I think my daughter (drives a WRX and is a big fan of his) has a piece of one of his cars that got thrown/broken off during a rally up in Maine a couple years back. Bruce :7drive:

Ordered on 11/07, they came today. They certainly seem pretty nice for the money, but I've never really checked out driving shoes before so I don't know how they compare to others. They are just a bit wider than my narrowed Reebok Classics that I've been using, but they seem to fit ok on the pedals in my Birkin. Even came with a leather Piloti key fob. Here's some pics: http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/19802732_20081113_0001.JPG http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/363044825_20081113_0002.JPG http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/1873956669_20081113_0003.JPG There is a scuff on the toe of the left shoe but I could have done that when I tried them in the car or I could have rec'd it that way, I'm just not sure. Bruce :7drive:

"what? no NASCAR drivers?" - I think you missed Carl Edwards. He should be a pretty good representative from NASCAR. Bruce :7drive:

Mondo - Did you try Dick Brink in Texas? Here's his website: http://www.texasmotorworks7.com/ Bruce :7drive:

:iagree: Thanks to all who have served, past and present. :flag: :flag: :flag: Bruce :flag:

Shotgunslade - What organization are you going to be running your car at LRP with? I'm hoping to get my Birkin on track for some DE-type events after doing some safety mods over the winter. My only track experience was a PCA DE at Watkins Glen a few years back and it'd be fun to do it again. At a minimum it'd be fun to check out the event and watch you run. Bruce :7drive: PS: The look on your daughter's face is priceless!

I ordered a pair as well. I figure for $30 how can you go wrong. Some of my friends that hunt have used them in the past and have been happy with them. I'll let you know how they look when they arrive. Bruce :7drive:

Thanks Gary. I measured my dual 4.5" x 7" K&N's and it looks like the JC40 model is the closest in overall size to them. I'll have to open up the cutout in the hood a little bit to get the ITG to fit if I decide to switch over. "I have plans of BRG on the rest of it." - Getting tired of polishing aluminum are we? Bruce :7drive:

If you download the 2008 catalog from that site it has a lot more info. It looks like the JC50 model might work and that's available in the flat-top or domed (sausage) model. The domed model could be the one that Gary has. Bruce :7drive:

Delayne - Can't help you with the model number, but it looks like Gary might have the Raceair model where you probably have the Megaflow model. Check out this site: http://www.itgairfilters.com/index.asp Bruce :7drive:

Nice one Dave! We (actually Nancy) bought a 2003 Mini Cooper new and we love it! I don't get to drive it much, but we have taken a few long trips in it including TOTD and it's been great. We even have a Thule rack that we put on when we take our mountain bikes with us. If I were buying one, I would have gotten the Cooper S just for the extra horsepower and the 6th speed, but she's been very happy and routinely gets 29-30mpg around town and 37-38mpg on the highway. Here's the latest photo I have with the Rota Slipstreams/Falken tires we put on in the spring. We put some Blizzak's on the original wheels for last winter and it did great in the snow! http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/1289304222_20080804_0002.JPG Bruce :7drive:

Check out this site for some paint codes. Ironic that the listing for "Lotus Yellow" is Code L07... http://www.mikecauser.com/lotus/parts/paint_codes.html Bruce :7drive:

Congrats, that is a beauty! Clamshells, BRG w/ yellow band on the nose, modern Zetec motor, Minilites, red seats....PERFECT!!! Bruce :7drive:

"I think they will stop direct backward spray that would wind up in the passenger compartment." - After driving my car in the wet I can honestly say that your fenders are only going to stop a small portion of the spray that's sent up by the front wheels. Especially when you're taking a left hand turn and the wheel is pointing right at you! The case of Lotus "elbow" only adds to the adventure of driving in the wet! Here's a photo of my rear fender after a wet drive into work on Friday morning. If you look close you can see a part of a leaf stuck to the rollbar: http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/644619132_20081109_0003.JPG "Tomorrow is going to be clear, sunny, and 60 DegF in NJ. Might make use of those Texas plates." - Great idea!! Bruce :7rain:

Congrats, that's one sweet ride! :thumbs: "so I can go after the elusive NJ street legal status" - Watch out for potholes, that thing is low! Bruce :7drive:

Congrats, your S4 looks nice! You might want to check out this site on original Sevens if you haven't already done so: http://www.simplesevens.org/ Bruce :7drive:

Looks good Gary. I think if I have to put my front plate on, that's the way I'll do it. I see you've changed you're paint scheme so it's very similar to another Birkin owner from Ohio! Bruce :7drive:

I saw this mentioned on Pelican last night. Nice deal, in case anyone is interested. http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=484305&pn=1 Bruce :7drive:

That Ferrari special is beautiful! The bare aluminum car in the parking lot with the three K&N's, I think was made by a ex-Brit sheetmetal guy that worked for one of the hot rod builders or restoration shops. Can't remember his name but I think it was his daily driver that he made out of various TR6 parts. It was a small part of a bigger feature on "Rides" or one of those shows. Here's one of my favorites. The HWM-Stovebolt Special: http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/192241537_30.jpg And here's one called "The Murray Brothers Special" that was made by a local garage a couple towns over from me. I saw it at Lime Rock one weekend and it was really nice. He drives it on the road, track, and even ran it on the salt flats. There was a nice article about it in the July '08 issue of Hot Rod magazine: http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/135354549_Murray%20Bros%20Special.jpg Bruce :7drive: PS: Not sure what happened to the last picture, but you can do a google image search of "Murray Brothers Special" and it should be the first picture.

This should be fun! Bruce :7drive:

I hope you don't mind Kyo, but I borrowed the photo of the chassis from your blog. I had looked at photos/illustrations of the original Lotus 7 chassis before, and I know the Series 2 are the weakest of all the chassis, but I'm just amazed at the lack of support in the trans tunnel and seat area. I mean, there's nothing there other than the sheet of aluminum! http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/1286640779_untitled.bmp I was also going to recommend that you visit the LocostUSA site but I see you've already got a good thread going there. Lot's of practical hands-on knowledge on there. Bruce :7drive:

Never been a big fan of the sound of a Mazda rotary motor, but that thing must fly! Bruce :7drive:

Kyo - Some interesting reading on DSK's investigation into chassis rigidity: http://www.simplesevens.org/DSK/history/dsk10.htm Some info on general failures of the Lotus 7 with a small section on chassis failures: http://www.simplesevens.org/failures.htm And finally a story of a Series 2 restoration which includes the strengthening mods the owner incorporated into the chassis: http://www.gglotus.org/ggtech/7-hamai-restore/projseve.htm And I know that Dennis Ortenburger's book "Legend of the Lotus Seven" has some info on chassis weaknesses and mods as well. I'm sure there's more out there but these are the ones I can think of for now... Bruce :7drive: