rv-4mike

A friend of mine with a Zetec powered Caterham sticks a 180 degree turn on the end of the muffler and runs a second muffler in series directly above the first. Then a second larger radius 180 on that muffler to get the exhaust headed toward the back of the car again. Secondary muffler and plumbing could be made removable when not needed, but my buddy doesnt drive the car on the street, only uses it for autocross and track days, so his install is semi permanent. Looks funny but it works. Wish I had a picture.

Jim, Looks like you bought Chad Marsh's car. I bought and started my kit same time as Chad. Unfortunately I had a bunch of setbacks in getting it together and its still not done. I've been away from this forum for probably a year or so. Looks like I finally have an engine lined up though and my project is getting back on track. Interesting turn of events. When I bought my kit from Brian he thought I was the first Ultralite in CA. Now there are least 3 others, all drivers, and mines still a pile of parts. Oh well. I'll get it on the road one day.

In CA SB100 is the way to go. The downside is the limited number available so be at DMV as early as possible on Jan 2. If you are one of the lucky 500 the rest is all upside. Never worry about smog again. I saw an Ultima this past weekend at the Coronado Speed Festival with CA plates on it courtesy of SB100. Before SB100 there wouldnt have been any legal way possible that I know of to get an Ultima street licensed in CA.

At the Coronado Speed Festival yesterday. Local autocrosser David Laird had his 7 in the display area with for sale signs on it. I dont really know David so I'm no shill for him - he's a friend of a friend so I'd met him once before. The car is titled as a 62 Lotus. From his flier it has a 78 Series 3 Caterham chassis, 1800cc Cortina motor, and has been licensed in CA for 30 years so is completely street legal. This would be a great deal for someone - David is asking $17,900. Hope I'm not bending any rules by posting this here. Just seemed like such a good deal that somebody here could be interested. I have his contact info if anyone wants it. Just PM me.

Kenny, I have an Ultralite S2K that I bought as an on again off again project. Finances as well as time issues have turned it into a very long build process, but I am still making progress (slowly). I'm unable to PM you (for some reason my config doesnt allow me to originate a PM but I can send a PM in reply??), but if you shoot me a PM I will reply and tell you a little about my build experiences.

You asked for aluminum cleaning info. I asked this question recently at a museum restoration shop where they restor high dollar WW2 era aircraft. The answer is what you'd expect - lots of elbow grease. Start with sandpaper to remove all scratches, all the way to 2000 grit. Then polish with Nuvite. See: http://www.nuvitechemical.com/ Nuvite is expensive stuff but universally acknowledged in the airplane world as the best polish system going.

Standard Ultralite rear fenders are 12" wide. Bit of a different look because they are square to the body and aluminum rather than fiberglass - could be polished. I guess it's a matter of opinion but i really like the look - one of the things that sold me on the car.

If you love F1 check this out. Turn the volume up. http://metacool.typepad.com/metacool/2006/02/unabashed_gearh.html

Bob, My RV-4 took 13 years to get to first flight. Going with Mazda Rotary power had a lot to do with that though. I'll be interested to see how you come along with the BugE. I think its a great concept and sure is different from everything else on the road. Let me know how it goes. Mike

Bob, That's cool. I was looking at the BugE a few months ago. Stock as delivered in kit form it seems a little crude and maybe a little over priced, but still pretty functional. For those of us living in SoCal something like this is probably the perfect compromise for a commuter vehicle. But at the moment I already have too many projects with a kit built plane that just made its first flight, a glider on the verge of first flight after a major overhaul, and the Ultralite S2K still under construction. The BugE could be my 2010 project so keep us posted. Mike

Daniel, Brian is continually upgrading the cars and it seems no two are exactly alike. So even if there were a manual as old as your car is it probably wouldnt apply. The cars are pretty simple and straight forward though so if you are mechanically inclined I'd say you'll figure it out. Maybe the trickiest part is that there is so much adjustability in the suspension that it's time consuming to understand how to set it up. I havent tackled this yet as my car is still under construction. Any questions you have, Brian is a real nice guy and I'm sure he'll help you out. For wheels/tires I followed the pack and got the 225 and 245 Falken Azenis. Obviously cant comment on the performance yet but I'm pleased with the fit and the look.

Wow, that's amazing that there is that much difference in size between the Ultralite and Birkin. Everytime I walk out in the garage and see the Ultralite I'm shocked at what a tiny little car it is. Obviously a matter of perspective.

I like to build stuff so bought a kit even though price wise you are probably better off buying a used running car. I just finished building an airplane and was going through builder withdrawal. I'm also partial to the Ultralite and about halfway through the build (taking way too long - too many other projects going on at the same time). I was sold on the car after driving Loren's first Ultralite a couple of years ago. If you want details on my experience PM me. As Loren mentioned the Ultralite is a different look than the typical Seven. Most Seven enthusiasts either love it or hate it - doesnt seem to be a middle ground. To me most of the other Seven's look "quaint", while the Ultralite looks all business. But again that is a matter of personal preference. Regardless of which Seven you choose, you cant go wrong on the performance. For a Seven the Ultralite is actually pretty roomy. And I love the Honda drivetrain. I actually started out looking at a Cobra. A friend of mine built a Factory Five Cobra. They are beautiful cars. But I changed my mind after I drove his. They can be fast, but they are big, bulky, drive like a truck, and because of the really wide trans tunnel they are actually less comfortable than the Ultralite. If you want a car that looks fast a Cobra is a good choice - if you want a car that IS fast you're looking in the right place. I will contradict a previous poster on Cobra insurance - at least in buddies case insurance was easy and actually pretty affordable.

Where did you get your headlights? Thats a different look!

Driving home from work tonight I heard a commercial on the radio for USA7s! Unfortunately it had nothing to do with our favorite car/club/forum. It was for a rugby tournament being played at Petco Park here in San Diego. For a moment I thought the Lotus 7 was finally getting some well deserved recognition. http://www.usasevens.com/