11Budlite

CJ - I'll PM my contact info and we can set something up. :7fume: "My other future projects - and this would be further down the road (a few years, probably) - are a 73 Carrera RSR replica, and something like a Triumph Bonneville Cafe Racer." - Very interesting projects as well. I'm another one that just recently sold my Porsche. I'm having so much fun with my Birkin that I just sold a '89 911. I might get another some day, but for now I like the lower operating costs of the Zetec motor, simple drivetrain, and 15" wheels/tires. Bruce :7drive:

I was giving out rides to my niece and nephew on Labor Day and noticed that while driving the voltage was below 12 volts, not the 14+ that I usually see. With the car shut off and the ignition on, I noticed that the ignition light wasn't lit. I checked the bulb and it was still good, the wiring all seems to be in place and the belt is tight. The ignition terminal at the alternator lights up when you turn on the ignition and the B+ terminal is hooked up properly. Does anybody know what would cause the light to not be lit with the key on and the engine not started? It's a rebuilt alternator from a Geo that I got from Autozone. I think I have a lifetime warranty on it as well. Thanks, Bruce :7frog:

"what emblems are in the wheel caps?" - Those look to be the stock Panasport caps. I also use the Rolite kit and find if I use my Porter Cable random orbital buffer it's a manageable job. The kit I bought came with a polymer sealant as a final step, but I haven't tried it yet. That should help with the fingerprint issue....either that or get some cotton gloves. Jim F also recommended Metal Armor in a previous post. I probably won't try it until I run out of the Rolite, but it might be worth checking into. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=2322&p=1 Bruce :7drive:

You might also want to check with Esko on the USA and Birkinowners mailing lists. I think at one time he had a source for gear reduction starters. Bruce :7drive:

Sorry to hear about your troubles Robert. Here's a couple pictures of my Birkin Zetec starter just in case it's the same or similar. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1441107932_IMG_0413.JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1724982328_IMG_0427.JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/618251455_IMG_0451.JPG Let me know if you need any more info or photos. Bruce :7drive:

Welcome CJ. John is correct, I just recently registered my Birkin in Ct and would be glad to help you in any way I can. Let me know. Bruce :7drive:

Not too far from New Jersey either..... Bruce :7drive:

Thought I'd give a quick update on this event. Nancy and I were able to get a babysitter for our granddaughter so we headed up to Lime Rock on Saturday. The weather looked to have cleared up from the overnight rain with only a slight mist coming down when we left the house. Well, about two miles into the drive, it started to rain. :ack: It wasn't a hard rain, but it was enough to cause the inside of the windshield and the dash to get covered with water and to give Nancy and I a good case of Seven elbow. I should mention that I still haven't put the top on or even taken the protective wrapper off the side curtains/doors. Luckily we had hooded jackets to keep us relatively dry and a rag to wipe off the inside of the windshield. I asked Nancy if she wanted to put on the Birkini top we had brought along, but she said "I'm ok if you're ok". It's good to have a partner who's willing to sacrifice for this se7en sickness! So we motored on up the scenic roads to LRP with curious glances from the surrounding traffic. The rain did start to let up about halfway into the one hour trip and by the time we got there it had stopped. We met up with Ed R. and some members of the Lotus Enthusisasts Org in the Lotus corral and were a little disappointed to find we were the only Seven there. :ack: There were 5 Esprits, 3 Elises, 2 Exiges, 2 Europas, a 67 Elan, an Elan M100, and our Birkin. It was still pretty cool but I would have loved to see more se7ens! There was a pleasant surprise when another gentleman named Ed came up to me and started checking out my Birkin. He said he had read about Birkins but had never seen one in person before and he was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the car. Turns out he is an old school sports car enthusiast, has a Caterham (an all red '92 Supersprint if I remember correctly) and he lives in the next town over about 8 miles from my house! I mentioned to him about USA7's and he knew about it and has visited the site, but I don't believe he is active here. We exchanged contact info and I plan to check out his car soon and maybe go for a cruise together! :7drive: So the weather starts to clear up and Nancy and I walk around the track and check out the pits. We've been coming to this event since the early 80's and I must say that the turnout of really impressive cars has increased as the years have gone on. The number of tractor trailers in the pits for an "amateur" event is mind-boggling! Nancy and I head back to the corral to get ready for the parade laps at lunch time. We have 15-16 cars lined up double-wide to follow the pace car out on the track. We start off down the diving turn and onto the main straight and Nancy has the camera out to try to take some pictures. The first is going through Big Bend: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/988924667_20080831_0107.JPG The start of the Esses: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1107828174_20080831_0110.JPG This shot gives you a decent idea how steep the original Uphill turn is and why they had to put in a chicane to keep the faster IMSA/GTP cars from going airborne: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/2028806689_20080831_0118R.jpg And here is a shot of a nice yellow Europa heading out of Big Bend to the Esses and one of the only times we were able to accelerate at a decent rate: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/2011844454_20080831_0128.JPG The parade laps were over in only two laps and the pace was WAY too slow for me....maybe the previous years pace had something to do with it. :toetap: Here's a shot of the Lotus corral: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/498932432_20080831_0138.JPG And a few other various shots of vintage racecars. A Series 1 on the No Name Straight: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1634613097_20080831_0220A.jpg A very fast Lotus Eleven running a little wide: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1081539711_20080830_0008.JPG Anoth

It was our pleasure to meet Bill and Marcy at the TOTD last summer. One of the cool moments of the event was following Mr Wilson's Series 1 chasing Bill and Marcy's Caterham on the way to Fontana for the group photo shoot. Here's one of the many photos we took of the two of them "playing" on the twisty roads to Fontana: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/791985507_IMG_0324.JPG We send our best and hope that Bill is feeling better soon. Bruce and Nancy

"Definitely try to make the Saturday "parade" laps! " - We're counting on it!! Bruce :7drive:

"You do that too? " - Not yet, but if I get that QR hub for Christmas I will. :yesnod: Bruce :7drive:

"-I keep the steering wheel under my pillow at night" - OMG we're a sick bunch!! Bruce :7drive:

No affiliation, etc: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AWNA%3AUS%3A1123&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D8&viewitem=&item=110283689918&_trksid=e11010.m204 http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/2061379871_61f7_3.jpg Bruce :7drive:

"I think you will find that your 7 will be faster and more fun." - I agree Martin. Lighter weight, more horsepower, lower CG, stickier tires, it HAS to be more fun! Finally was able to upload a photo: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1323595098_20080823_0026R.jpg http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1225731483_20080823_0014R.jpg Bruce :7drive:

"If you are deeply infected, you will want to have more than one 7." - I agree with that completely. For some strange reason I keep scanning the ads for an original Lotus 7... Bruce :7drive:

"I'm having a problem here, where do I install one these shift knobs on my car?" - Paul, since you're "smart" enough to stick a motorcycle engine in a sports car, I think you can figure out where to put it!! :leaving: "crap, uploading images quit working..." - I've been having the same problem. Bruce :7drive:

Thanks for the info Al...wish you could make it. As long as we can get a baby sitter, Nancy and I will be there with the Birkin. Would love to meet up with any other Seven owners/enthusiasts. Bruce :7drive:

Well put David!! :thumbs: After driving much more mundane sports cars over the years, I can't imagine being without my Seven. To me, the entertainment value of just $20 of gas can't be beat!! :7fume: Bruce

The infamous "money" shift.... :ack: Bruce :7drive:

It looks like it's up and running now.... Bruce :7drive:

Nancy and I were finally able to co-ordinate taking a day off from work on Friday and spent about 5 hours driving the back roads of northwestern Connecticut. It was a beautiful day, the traffic was minimal, and the Birkin was in its element. We stopped at Lime Rock where there was a BMWCCA drivers school being held and the Birkin attracted a fair amount of attention. One of my options for next year to get the Birkin on track is to join the BMWCCA and do their drivers school (Nancy has a Mini Cooper as her daily driver). Maybe I could even convince her to take her Cooper on track to see which is faster! It was a most enjoyable day, had a nice lunch at the Mountainside Cafe just north of Lime Rock, and Nancy took some photos of the Birkin alongside the Housatonic River by the side of one of my favorite roads. Crossing Route 4, Route 7 follows the Housatonic river north to where it passes the West Cornwall covered bridge and then continues on to Route 112 and Lime Rock Park. Route 7 in this area is not only a fun drive with all kinds of twists and turns, but is also tremendously scenic with the river on one side - lots of kayakers and fishermen, forest on the other (spectacular when the leaves are changing), a state park, the covered bridge, and the anticipation of motorsports at Lime Rock right up the road. Tried to upload a photo of the Birkin parked alongside the Housatonic, but it didn't work.... Bruce :7drive: PS: One thing the drive did convince me of was the need for some mods over the winter. Seats, harnesses, exhaust, and driveshaft safety hoops are all on the list.

DB, I think the Puma Speed Cats are a popular normal looking shoe that se7en enthusiasts can use everyday. I have two pairs of old-style Reebok Classics in black and white that I took a die grinder to the edges to give some more clearance, and these have worked fine for driving on the street and don't look out of place at work. Some of the new versions of the Reebok Classic don't look as narrow and have much heavier lugged soles. Bruce :7drive:

So far I've let three other people drive my car with me in it. My son Matt was the first and I think he was a little surprised/thrilled when I pulled over and offered to let him drive. Needless to say we were on some twisty back-country roads and he had some fun. Nancy has driven it once but I think she was a little nervous and was shifting too soon...she'll get the hang of it. And then on my future son-in-law's birthday, I asked him if he wanted to go for a ride in the Birkin and he said sure. Well, we drove out on some back roads near the house and when I pulled over and asked him what size shoes he wore, he looked at me like I was nuts. I already knew that he wore the same size as me and there was no way he was going to be able to drive with the sneakers he had on, so he borrowed my shoes and was able to take it for a spin. I don't think I could have found a better birthday present for him, the said it all! I agree with Al that "it's just a car". I've offered rides and drives to more people as I'm getting more comfortable with the reliability/driveability of the Birkin. Some have been happy with just a ride and others didn't even want to go for a ride, either because they thought it wasn't safe or they didn't think they'd fit! Bruce :7drive:

It'll be interesting to see what this one goes for. It does have the ZX1 motor, nice 3-pc wheels, the factory cut-out hood if you ever decide to go to ITB's, catalytic converter for states that require emission testing, and the newer seats which are supposed to be a little better than the version in my car. It does look like it has the older wiring and fuse box which could be an issue. And I'm not sure what size/offset the wheels and tires are but there seems to be a decent gap on the inside in the front. And I'd want to double check that the Raceline "head" is actually the cylinder head and not the water rail. Bruce :7drive:

Mazda - Don't really have any first hand knowledge of this situation, but I thought you could check out this previous thread and maybe find some helpful info: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=1636 In the thread JBH posted a link to an excellent Schroth manual on all things related to harnesses. http://www.schrothracing.com/docs/Competition_Instructions.pdf Maybe your situation is addressed in it. Bruce :7drive: