lowflyer

Wow! An Italian starter on an English engine... living on the edge, no matter how you cut it.

Jim, are you sure that your fan is working? Second point, the Stalker set up requires that the engine be "burped" to get all the air out of the cooling system. If you have opened up the cooling system recently (worked on the radiator, thermostat, etc.) you may have air trapped in the cylinder heads. You can't have the radiator cap off during this job, and the cap has to be the right type also. I also drilled a 1/4" hole in the side flange of the thermostat, which allows a small amount of bypass during the warming up phase - also a good preventative against a thermostat sticking closed or not opening up fully. Also, is the area around the radiator sealed off to prevent air flowing around the rad, rather than going through it? Mine will run up to about 200 degrees sitting at lights and such on a 90 degree day. I wired my fan two ways. One is a manual switch which allows me to turn the fan on in anticipation of heating up - traffic build up, slow running, etc. There is also an auto switch in the bottom of the rad which turns the fan on at about 195-200 degrees. In extreme cases, it will run hot though. Last fall I took it up into the mountains of northern Arizona. The temps at 5000-6000' altitude were in the 70's/80's, but at one point we got stuck in a construction zone in a fairly low area. The temps were in the 90's+ and after several minutes the water temp gauge was pushing 240! A little scary. Only getting car moving again solved the problem. My suspicion is mostly about air in the system, though. Ken Edney Chandler, AZ

The Stalker has never been a real "pusher", as far as understeer is concerned. Plus, it can always be overcome with the throttle. What I was seeing in photos that were taken of the car at local autocross events was body roll so bad that the inside wheels (both front and rear) were becoming so "light" that overall handling was effected. The outside tires were doing so much of the work that the car simply wasn't operating at maximum efficiency. The outside front tire, especially is being overworked, which certainly can cause understeer. Check out these two photos. The first was taken before the sway bar was put on. As a matter of fact, it was the main reason I felt that the car needed one. The second photo is taken with the bar. Both photos are taken with the car in the middle of a 35-40 mph corner, both with the same tires. If you notice, in the first photo the car is rolled over so much that the inside tires are doing very little. Check the distance between the top of the rear tire and the bottom of the fender. The inside rear tire is so "light" that it's easy to spin. In the second photo the roll is under control, to the point that inside rear tire spin is pretty much not an issue. BTW, I'm running a Torsen LSD, so the car will continue forward with the inside tire spinning. Since I'm using the 15" tire/wheel combo, the ride height is greater than the Stalkers that use the 13" race tire set up, which increases the roll center. Some of the owners running the car recognized the problem and came up with shims to stiffen the front springs, which increases roll resistance. My solution does the same thing, except that it doesn't increase static spring stiffness, so I can leave the springs alone for street driving and still have the benefit. I thought about putting a rear bar on, as well, but haven't seen the need for it. As an aside, one of my friends has a Stalker which runs the 13" race tires. He had a strange wear pattern on the inside of the rear tires, which he couldn't understand. After looking at some photos of his car (no sway bar), I suggested it was caused by the car "rolling over" far enough that the outside of the rear tire (the tire inside the turn) was lifting off the road, and spinning. The race tires have a very stiff carcass/side wall, which in my opinion, caused the tire wear. Either way, I like the bar for both street and the occasional autocross. BTW, the original Lotus 7 used a front bar, but not a rear one.

I voted for LoFlyn, mostly because of my "handle" and the fact that I have LOFLYIN on my '96 Impala SS. I spent some time flying search and rescue for the County Sheriff's Office, mostly at low altitudes, so.... Now, it mostly describes my driving style. I labored over a vanity plate for my Stalker for a while and just this year came up with the plate "THDREAM". All during the build, when my wife came home the first question was, normally, "so, how's the dream doing today". Building a car in a garage in Phoenix, AZ over June, July and August sometimes meant that the dream could be a "wet dream".

The Stalker is made without a "sway bar", but I decided to make my own. It was quite simple. I used a 5/8" piece of solid round stock, mostly because the adjustable end links that I found were 5/8". They came from a Formula Mazda race car. The bar is mounted in 5/8" Heim joints. The joints are mounted in small sections of steel tubing welded to the frame of the car. At the ends I used the lower mounting bolt for the shock absorber. The amount of added spring stiffness computes to between 280 and 360 lbs, depending on the placement of the adjustable end link. The overall net effect is substantial, taking most of the body roll out of the car without adding to the ride stiffness. http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3798&g2_page=2 http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3798&g2_page=3 Photos available at the link shown above.

When your package absolutely, positively has to be there over night.....

My Stalker V6 is black, I've had a "thing" for black cars for several years. Besides the looks the decision was based on a simple principal, that black is black. By that I mean that while there are hundreds of shades of almost all colors there is only one true black. That means that in event of a chip, scratch, etc. a touch-up is much simpler. I found this to be true with my last black car, a Zink Formula Ford. Being a race car, and an open wheeled one at that, chips were a way of life. I was even able to make fiberglass repairs to the nose and repaint the entire piece with a can of black rattle-can paint. For a quick touch up, I use a black felt tip pen. Besides, when it's clean and shiney, what looks better than a black car. Mine even has a contrasting pair of pin stripes. Ken Edney Chandler, AZ

I can attest to the quality of Bill's trailer, as well as his "analness" (is that a word?). The trailer is much better than you would ever find for sale at a retail outlet. The "trick" part (unless he's changed it) is that the tilt mechanism is run by a worm gear that is activated by a cordless electric drill. The trailer tilts or "untilts" (is that a word?) in a very few seconds. Nice work Bill.

Even as a "paid member", I must plead ignorant as to the candidates. Is it possible for you (or them) to supply a short resume' of who they are and what involvement they have had with the club to date. I guess I'm a little "gun shy" about voting for folks I don't know.... maybe it has something to do with our government!

Another vote for a "low hauler" motorcycle trailer. Mine is also a 7' x 14, but with a flat nose. I picked mine up used, so not as many choices. It's a good size for a 7 type vehicle, it will fit either inside a normal garage or behind a fence, if the local HOA is a consideration. Reasonably well made, weighs about 2200 lbs empty. With the Stalker inside it gets about 13-14 mpg with a 6 cylinder Trailblazer. Plus it can be marketed to either a small car crowd or the motorcycle folks when time comes to sell it. Ken Edney Chandler, AZ

Looks like your question has been answered, the CL listing has been removed. You don't want a trailer with no suspension for carrying a car, even a 7. Too "bouncy" to be safe.

My Stalker is black and while it does show dust and dirt it does have one major advantage. The stone chips are easy to touch up with a black felt tip pen! Try that with your pearls and browns and yellows! BTW, I had a '72 Datsun 240Z "back in the day" that was a very fashionable metallic root beer brown. I later found out that the factory (for whom I worked) had announced that the color was "unmatchable" so far as body repairs were concerned. The problem wasn't the base color, it was the gold metallic which was laid on in the clear coat. They dropped the color in '74. Given how easy it is for our cars to "sandblast" themselves I would suggest a solid color unless you like to repaint them every year or two.

Ding - Ding - Ding, we have multiple winners, although Solder Guy is the most accurate in his answer.

At the risk of highjacking the thread... I would like to pose a trivia question. First though, let me add to those that have thanked all of the vets who have paid the price for our freedom. Now the question... why was Arlington Military Cemetery placed where it is? I will offer one hint, it was established during the Civil War (or as it is known in the south, "The period of Yankee agression"). No prizes, other than the satisfaction of adding a bit of knowledge to our personal "hard drives". Ken Edney Chandler, AZ

I really like the whole idea. I think it would be easy to sell a couple hundred, if that's the minimum you would need to gear up production. Of course, it would also depend on the final retail cost vs. production costs. Just placing ads on some of the autocross/track day websites should sell a bunch. Good luck and keep us informed.

Many years ago my dog got skunked and it was not pretty. He was a Sheltie (miniature Collie) and had long hair. Everything in the house stunk. Skunk odor is actually an oil, and until you get rid of the oil the odor will remain. I tried the tomato juice, but it had only a small effect. I found, at a janitorial supply house, a product called Nilium. It's a desecant - a product that actually eats odors, not just masks them. You mix the Nilium with water in a spray bottle and spray the entire area. Inside the house it can be used on virtually any surface, carpets, drapes, furniture, whatever. It has a pleasant "fruity" smell which goes away within about an hour and leaves... nothing. No odor at all. I also used it on a rental house that had been occupied by a smoker for two years. It took three applications but within 24 hours - no odors. I also have used it in a carpet shampoo machine, works great. A quart bottle is about $7 or $8.00 and mixes up gallons with water. BTW, this is the same stuff that is used in public restrooms, such as airports, bus and train stations. Good stuff! Not generally available at "normal" stores, so check industrial cleaning supply houses, janitorial supply houses.

I like it!!! Are you going to make some for resale? Any idea of price? When you talk about the range, I assume you are referring to the top RPM. So, if it's set for a 6000 max, when do the lights start to light? Great design. Ken Edney Chandler, AZ

re: the use of "standard rockers" If you're planning on running the engine in the 7000 rpm range you will need to replace the standard rockers and stands with machined steel ones, instead of the cast iron stock pieces. The rocker shafts and stands will actually deflect with the heavier springs and higher rpms. Don't ask me how I know this.

The flange on the header is often the cause for an exhaust leak. While it's a hassle, next time you take the header off use a steel straightedge to check the mate surface for being flat. I ended up using a belt sander on mine to get it close.

Wasn't suggesting that he use a FF engine, just an example of what a good, "built" crossflow can cost.

A couple of years ago I bought a 711M core for $350. Then add a Holbay head (big valve), a Kent cam and lifters, light flywheel, .060 over pistons, intake manifold and single Weber 40mm, and rings and other goodies = about $2500 (all used parts except the pistons/rings). Another $1100-1200 for machine shop work, plus gasket set and my own time. I would think that about $5500 to $6000 for a fresh one would be reasonable, but a lot depends on who builds it. I ran a Formula Ford for a couple of years and a "stock" one from one of the big name engine builders with about 110 hp on a single 32/36 Weber runs about 10,000 bucks! You used to be able to pick up the 1600 Pinto cores for about $50.00, back "in the day".

The roads are selected by the viewers. You can sign on and submit your suggestions, along with reviews of the roads.

Doubt that I'll make it, got some friends coming into town tomorrow night. But, ya' never know!

Check out the Autometer line-up of products. They seem to have a "look" for just about anyones taste. I went with the "old school" look of the white on black Pro series, but there are lots of choices. They also have a programmable mechanical speedo. Good luck.

And I expect the fame to last another 15 or 20 seconds. I opened the new copy of Classic Motorsports magazine tonight, only to find my car featured in the "reader's ride" section. I had submitted the photo about 2 years ago, and had forgotten about it. The photo was taken at a drag strip, the first time I went, by one of the track photographers. He gave me copies of the shots he took. I submitted one to the magazine as part of an email. I have to assume that I failed to supply my name with the email, or they lost it since the only refer to the owner of the car by my email address name. Hey, fame is fleeting - so I'll take it!