Al N.

Chuck- We need to do a little more recon for the meet just yet. The hope is to have the sign up available with a year (give or take a month or so) to go. Also, look for the 2008 "Open Enrollment period" for the club coming up in June-August. Even though we don't have a national this year, the dues help support the forum and other more regional meets, etc. -Al P.S. Oh, and we'll be giving out USA7s stickers with membership...the folks who went to Carlisle got a preview.

Dino- How is is registered in IL? -Al

I'm telling you man, there's a Series II revolution coming! (Box, once you reinforce the frame and axle, Superlight power to weight ratios are very very easily attainable...not that I've been researching this or anything... ) ) ---- Great stories all. I don't really have anything that cool. I met most of you jokers through this forum and/or the Se7ens.net list. I do remember that photo from Brett J.'s get together, though...right around the time I started looking around for a car. And now I've met the majority of Se7eners in the pic without ever having stepped foot in Indianapolis. One of my favorite things about Carlisle was just seeing "the old gang" again. A Seven would pull up, and I'd know "That's Jeff D." or "That's Dave W." or There's Paul B. and his dad" or "Oh, Michael D. brought Norm (can't mistake Norm's hat)?" And now I'll be able to do the same with Gary and Rob & Mary. I did have one somewhat random Se7en story from Carlisle....there was a couple (man in wheelchair) looking around the USA7s area and I introduced myself — turns out they live about 10 minutes away from me and have an expat RHD Cat that many of my friends in our area have reported having seen around over the past year. I've never seen their car, but now I've met them — 2.5 hours from our home base.

I know John Hartley's car when I see it! I'm thinking clams too, btw....

Oh Tom, you know and I know (and Laura knows) that it won't be my last Se7en...

Keep in mind that we had people drive 700-900 miles one way for Tail of the Dragon. And some of them earned some very fine prizes for their troubles. --- All kidding aside, the goal was to make the next national more centrally located, to allow people from both coasts to attend with a similar length of drive.

I think they actually don't put out much in stock road form...150 or so for the 1600. But since the basic config was used in Formula cars, I think the sky is the limit. $$$$ to fix though....

I met the car transporter in a nearby strip mall today at 7:30 AM. Enjoy it, Morgan! http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/805272246_PictureA.jpg http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/130269319_PictureB.jpg http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/743333279_PictureC.jpg http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1478288004_PictureD.jpg :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Don't despair if 2009 is too far for you....we plan on having more nationals...and since we have Wyoming/Montana already reconned.... --- In addition to the more centrally located biennial national meets, we have also suggested some large regional meets in the off years...like recent Texas Hill Country/Minnesota Lakes meets. Combine this sort of thing with regional static meets (like Carlisle and Knotts Berry Farm) and we'll have nice ongoing calendar of events. (Though, I will say that I'm jonesing to hit the Dragon sometime in the next few years....)

This past weekend at Carlisle, it occurred to me that some owners may not know about the se7ens.net listserv. Se7ens.net listserv USA list page Basically, it's an email based way of exchanging info/asking questions to fellow Se7en enthusiasts in the USA. You send your messages to an email address and get replies via email. I choose to get "journaled" entries...which batches a few together so I get one email a day with all the replies/questions for the day. You have to register with the site to get the updates. Many of USA7s forum members first met on this list serv and it's a good complementary (and complimentary!) resource to have in addition to the USA7s forum. Many people who are sporadic over here are regulars over there. Check it out if you haven't already...

We're considering doing a Club newsletter, and I think a "Se7en Driving Reflections" column would be a welcome regular section.

Great to see everyone, old friends and new. Kudos to the Ohio contingent (Gary's car is particularly peppy!) and Dave W. for schlepping to Carlisle in their Se7ens despite the weather predictions. I was again reminded of the camaraderie of the USA7s group. Carlisle was a funny venue for us, because I think we're a very "let's drive and not stand around polishing and looking at our cars" bunch but Carlisle is a "stand around polishing and looking" event. But I think everyone had a good time and we met many new faces in addition to putting some faces to forum names. Don't worry Morgan, that orange car you see people working on was not your new car...but its sister car owned by Scott "I don't do the internet" L. Scott's car has an unpainted nose, 13" wheels, and (sigh) the full on Kevlar/Carbon buckets. Thanks a zillion to John V. for coordinating the tent and being his all-around amusing self, to Mazda for all that he does (including bringing the new "Club" bbq grill), Nancy W. for operating said grill, and Nancy, Scott L. and the kids for building the grill while Bob D. and Mazda sorted out Scott's ignition problem. 7-7-7 vets and DC area auto-x stalwarts Mike D. and Norm made it for a few hours...always good to see those guys. And a gentleman named Don drove in a "pre-lit" Westfield (it's in one of the pictures)...beautiful car that I thought was a late Series 1 or early Series 2 until I noticed it was LHD. He was very excited to find out about the club and forum. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Justin Sims of Brunton stopped by earlier in the day...he FTD'd the Auto-X in his Stalker (no surprise, right?). Extra special thanks go to Harold "Purple Se7en" for coming to the aid of a stranded forum member, Fisher Fury owner Dermot, with his truck and trailer. Awesome show of selflessness.

John V. is down in 'Bama... Tough call on the Cat vs. Westfield. If the Cat didn't have the BDR, I'd say Westie easy. However, note that the BDR is a bit of an "old school" motor perhaps best suited to seasoned Se7en or at least Brit-car owners. If you are looking for a seven where you turn the key and you know it's going to get you from A to B with a minimum of fuss, a newer, injected car may be the ticket. The Mazda Westie or WCM, GM powered Stalker, Honda powered WCMs, and most of the Zetec/Duratec powered Cats/Birkins fall into that category. I don't know if I'd put the BDR (not having one nor knowing anyone that runs one in the club) into that category. The recent thread on price not withstanding, we try not to judge asking/bought prices too much on this forum. So I won't try to say at what price the Cat becomes a "better" or "worse" buy than the Westie.

Although I'm a soon to be ex-Caterham "crazy spec" car owner, if bang for the buck is what you are going for....get the Westfield. A known car from a known source...many of us have seen it in person. Or maybe I'm just partial to Orange cars. See the recent thread on pricing (Deman sr27). That said, the Caterham is very tempting...if only for the BDR and low mileage. I think he's asking $35k....John V. (acting Club Prez and Barber Car Museum restoration guy) could probably look at it for you. If you have time and inclination, come up to Carlisle car show on Saturday (tomorrow May 17th) a bunch of us will be there and you can kick our tires/pick our brains in person. -A

Andrew7/Paul B.....I totally had my radio on that day, I promise!!! Rainy here in NJ. But looks like tomorrow will be only 50% chance of showers and clear in the am through 3 pm. With the rain, I'm not going to get to clean my car up much...oh well. Have pity on me John V. Planning on getting there between 7 and 8 AM (leaving home around 4:30!) on Saturday. Most of you know what I look like. -Al

Also on Craig's List....wants $35K. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/car/680079439.html

Dino...I think the discussion so far has highlighted a few price considerations for you. For starters, getting a sub $30k car done would be a good move for Deman USA. Doing so would help you get an "installed base" that John Ch. refers to. I think upmarket moves are interesting, but those sales will be more difficult and perhaps few and far between. If you did base a Se7en on "Godzilla" (the GTR)...I fear the price would be very high. And unless you're running 315s in the rear like Mr. Ebrahimi, you won't be able to put the power down. A four wheel drive Seven? Maybe if that's what you need to put traction down....but not quite adding lightness/simplifcating.

It's got a BDR, which is even more important...

Robert- The majority of us will be rolling in on Saturday. John V. will be there on Friday, though... There should be a large tent reserved for USA7s...but I don't know if you can get in after normal hours (vendors are allowed though). Regarding parking/camping, you'd have to check with Carlisle...I doubt they'd let you camp on the showfield...though you could bring your car over to the campground. -Al

David- Again, no offense intended in the comparison between your new car and my old one. The "sweet spot" for Se7ens is I think in that mid $20Ks range that you bought in. It may be a factor of how good the basic cars are that the "envelope pushers" like the SR27 (or the Superlight) have a smaller appeal. Good cars bought in the mid $20K price range will hold their value well. In fact, that's the range that I am pricing out for whatever's next... It's either that, or bite the bullet again and do an r500 type thing. Oh, behave! -Al

Looks like Chili's it is! Not a bad choice, good access to 81 and good value. And a known quantity as far as food quality goes. They technically don't take reservations, but said as long as I keep them posted via cell that day that they'll do their best to accommodate us. Looks like we'll have at least 15 people, probably closer to 20 or more when all is said and done. See you all soon. Someone remember to bring a good digicam, please?!?

Looks like we might have Justin B. of Stalker joining us....he shot me an email today.

Dino & Paul- Having recently sold my well sorted/well upgraded/very lightly used Caterham Superlight and watching some of the action on other cars for sale here, I have the following observations about the Se7ens marketplace circa Spring 2008... For starters, it's relatively easy to sell a car under $30k. It's very tough to sell one over $40k — EVEN THOUGH THAT CAR MAY BE $20-30K MORE CAR than the cheaper ones. It seems like, when it comes to thoroughly single purpose cars like ours, people have a price threshold in their head (and perhaps their checkbook) that they can't exceed. For example, there was a nice crossflow Caterham listed at $27K recently here from the west coast that sold pretty quickly. Let's assume it sold for $25K....then take my old car, which had full carbon everything, the hottest motor Caterham USA offered in 2004, plus several key upgrades including a $7500 fuel cell (when you count parts and installation), AND a 6-speed box. No offense to the buyer or seller of the ali & yellow car, but Orange would eat that thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in terms of pure performance. And it was 13 years newer and had wide track suspension, big brakes, etc. But it took me 2 months to find a buyer for Orange...whereas that car sold in a week. I intentionally did not list price in my listings at first....and while I got many calls and emails early on, most people were like "I was looking to spend $35Kish"...and while yes, I've seen some Superlights sell for the mid $30K range, those were A) bargains for the new owners, B) lacking some feature or other I had on my car (full windshield or 6 speed or fuel cell). Fortunately, I could afford to wait to find a buyer who would appreciate the condition and state of tune/prep of my car. The other thing I've noticed is that the less common brands seem to be a harder sell too. In some ways, I think that's a partially a fault of our hobby. After all, everyone who has been around a few of the brands knows that there are amazing non-Caterham/Birkin (the most common names) cars out there. And I've seen some Cats/Birks that were rough too. But perhaps to the casual fan...the person who is intrigued with our little cars and wants to dip a toe in...maybe they need to see the Caterham or Birkin name to feel good about the purchase. There have been a few Stalkers and WCMs changing hands, which is a good sign — but really, to see that Orange Westfield (with a bulletproof Miata drivetrain and leather buckets which make my old Tillett look like the pieces of plastic they are) languish in the market in the mid $20Ks is a bit sickening. People are going to buy the SR27 based on pure performance reasons. You don't have a Caterham or Birkin or even the Westfield lineage story. WCM and Brunton seem to be building good reputations based on performance/powertrain durability/accessibility/customer service/owners community....both are sub $40K cars (by and large, please correct me if I'm wrong). So pricing the SR27 in a similar manner might work. Maybe not the answer you wanted to hear...but just my 2¢. The other thing to consider is to do more PR — whether actively courting media or doing something like One Lap — I'm sure Brian and Jerre are going to get a lot more interest thanks to Kevin and Michelle's recent performance. -Al

Just asking. 'Cause, you know... Serious observations from anyone who has driven or owned both would be very welcome. (Yes, Jon C., this means no slagging the ability of the S2 frame to handle massive amounts of POWAH!!!!) I'd also be interested in hearing what a carbed car is like vs. an injection car.

Loren- Thanks for keeping us posted on the exploits of Kevin and Michelle...a great read and inspirational to all Se7eners! I've only met Kevin and Michelle twice, but I've always come away thinking "Man, those are some of the nicest people." I remember driving to VIR a few weeks after the Dragon...when Kevin was guest driving the Deman...he and Dino were shaking down the SR27 on the access roads and when I pulled up in my TT, and rolled down the window, Kevin took a second to place my face, smiled and said "Hey, brother!" And Michelle doled out the rehyrdating fluids freely. Good peeps. Give them my best and tell them to fly the USA7s banner high if they had space to bring it along. -Al