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/

Doug, Tried to PM you but as usual I cant generate a PM here. I'll email you. Mike

Thinking of getting rid of the Atom Maverick?

As if Bakersfield has a cool climate in the summer!

Rod, California offers 500 SB100 per year. I havent heard about this year, but the past 4 - 5 years all 500 were issued the first day of the year. I dont imagine there was any less demand this year. My bet is that you're screwed for this year and will need to be at your friendly local DMV office bright and early the morning of 2 January, 2010. In the meantime if you're lucky you'll find an understanding DMV office which will issue you a temp until then. Sorry for the bad news. Mike Wills

At that price I assume you are buying just the engine, not a complete package (engine-trans-ecu-wiring harness)? Prices I've seen for a complete package seem to be in the $5000 - $6000 range. Havent yet come across anything that I was willing to spend that kind of money on. Either the engine or the seller has scared me off so far. Any suggestions on a good source? Mike

Loren, Define "good deal". Still looking on and off for an engine/trans for my Ultralite. Mike

Mazda, Here's a couple of pictures. Brian buys as much as possible off the shelf to keep the cost down. This is an AFCO radiator part number 80107N and Summit sells it for $255.95. If you need a custom radiator to fit your car I'd highly recommend C&R Racing in Indianapolis,IN. They made the radiator for my airplane and its exactly what I wanted and was pretty reasonable too. Mike Wills http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1485467107_DSCN0750 (Small).JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1376551230_DSCN0749 (Small).JPG

The boost pump in my airplane is the same Facet pump. 300+ hours of operation with no problems. They are the standard in the RV series of kit planes (5000+ currently flying) and I've never heard of any problem with them. Mike Wills

In my opinion it misses the whole point of using molded composite in the first place. The advantage of molded composite is that you can get a very complex shape, put the strength where needed, etc... In other words a molded monocoque eliminating the frame altogether. If you want to build a space frame and increase stiffness/reduce weight, use 4130 steel rather than mild steel. Save the carbon and the $ for a more reasonable application. Unless of course you are one of those types that just has to have it for the bling factor.

My $.02. My background is in hot rod style cars. My last was a Datsun 240Z with 383 Chevy small block at about 500HP. It was a fun car and even handled halfway decent. But could not put the power down without blowing away the tires. Got away from cars for a while and took up flying airplanes. Flying gives a new perspective to power to weight ratios. During this time I've been driving a bone stock 91 Toyota MR2 Turbo. And so another thing I've come to realize is that while the MR2 is not what you call a powerhouse, it is more fun to drive than any of the hot rods I had. When I decided to get another fast car I decided to look at light small engine cars. I'm driving on the street so insane top end speed isnt a requirement. A friend has an Ariel Atom. 0 - 60 in under 3 seconds. Its an awesome car and I love the look but not the price tag. Concept is similar to a 7 so started looking at them. I ruled out cars like the Stalker. To me those cars miss the point of a 7 - a small light car with a little 4 cyl engine. Not a criticism, just a personal choice. I like the idea of kicking butt on some of the local Cobra guys with a 4 cylinder car. Style is a very personal thing. The Ultralite in particular is very polarizing - people either love the look or hate it. Personally I love it - looks like a modernized 7 to me. While most of the other 7s look "quaint" or "cute" the Ultralite looks all business. Just my opinion. And I really like the Honda engine. Reliable, great power, and I think the lack of bottom end/peakiness actually works in a light car to keep the power hooked up under acceleration. I went to Texas to meet Brian and I took a ride with Loren in his car. Sold. I bought a kit from Brian and its coming together now. Hope to have it on the road by the end of the year. In the end my advice is the same as everyone else. I dont think you can go wrong with any 7. Pick the one that fits you physically and financially, and the one that looks right to you. Any of them can be as insanely fast as you care to make it. I'm not sure if you are planning on building, or buying a driver. If thinking about building PM me if you'd like.