Al N.

Ah, a quonset hut! Thanks for the pix Brent....Mazda, can/should this go into "events" section? I took Orange out yesterday too...first time in WEEKS. Short blat, but a great reminder of what makes these cars so fun. For the record, I drained the batttery trying to cold start it on Sat, plugged it in and shot some pyroil starting fluid (ether) into the ITBs and it held the most consistent cold-start idle ever on Sunday. Also got the trailer into the garage (it was like that scene in Austin powers when he tries to make a 3 point turn, and it turns out more like an 11 pointer.

Bernie & Phil- Thanks for the write up and pix. And of course, for the mention of USA7s! Hope to see you all at a more centrally located national meet in the future. -A

Southwind...you've met a few Se7eners already, and I thnk enjoyed your time with them. Right? I think that's all you need to know. As Mazda says, at this forum and the club it's associated with, we're pretty mellow when it comes to marque snobbery, concours wax jobs, and the like. We like to drive (though some of us get to drive their cars more than others... :cry: ). That said, there are a few guys who are HARDCORE about Auto-Xing your Se7en, though I won't name names ... :jester: In all seriousness, what exactly do you want to know about "what's out here" that your experiences with the Ohio owners and forum members hasn't already illustrated? Do you want to know about what kind of events and owner meet-ups happen? Most of those have been covered in posts here over the year(s!).

Sidescreens? Heaters? Quiet running cars with torso room to spare? Exactly what sorts of Se7ens are you running there on the other side of the Monongahela? Because mine certainly fails on all counts listed above! :jester:

Steve- While the S4 is definitely unique in appearance, the folks I've met (and there were over 100 owners and friends at the 7-7-7 meet) were totally into the two well-turned outS4s that came (Scott N and Ken G.). If anything, the S4s do have that that added cachet of being original Lotus cars. Also, if you haven't already guessed, this forum and the club behind it are fairly "anti-snob" and marque (and series ) inclusive. -Al

Bruce-do you mind reaching out to him for a group buy sort of situation?

Loren- I know, I know! I read about SW7s in GRM or Kit Car back when ownership was just a pipe dream for me. What I was trying to get at is that — were it not for Gert and Bernie, who had plans/traditions of hosting meets/trips in the works — the start up USA7s club would have had just one large event in its first year. But instead, we had 3 very different, marque-inclusive large events. Which reinforces the national, marque-inclusive scope that is one of the goals of the club. Thanks again to all the organizers and attendees. Here's to many more successful USA7s events! -Al

Gert- No worries. I was trying to post over there to get word to Magnus, but seem to have forgotten my password. No, really. I will hand it to "the other forum" that if you want to know the ins and outs of a DuraTec build, or tech in general, it's a great place. Also good source for race/trackday info. And I know lots of folks use both...just wish I didn't have to log on twice to do that!:_deadhorse: -Al

I was over on the CCC (California Caterham Club) site (gasp!) and saw that Magnus is going ot be there. I'll be out for a client at the AAPEX show....the sister show to SEMA that covers "normal" aftermarket stuff like timing belts.

Tim White. His car is featured in the Automobile article, chasing Steve T. in an "action shot". I love Tony C.'s white car, too. Damn, I'm getting all nostalgic. When are we going to all get together again? Not soon enough, i say. It's really awesome that the Club was able to get 3 great (and different) events in it's first year. Thanks again to Bernie (and Dick!) and Gert for hooking up with USA7s. Here's to many more successful outings in the years to come.

Tom...that's what NJ used to have...but I according to this guy: "I called the MVC today and finally spoke with someone who knew something. He said that as of September 1st, they are more strictly enforcing the collector status because it was being abused. He said the law itself did not change, just that it was now being enforced." I don't know about the law not changing, because the clause "The vehicle cannot be a kit or replica vehicle, or be identified as a reconstructed vehicle." was definitely not in the materials I received when I went through the Collector Car process in 2005.

I've seen those wheels & tires before somewhere... You need to get some WIDE front fenders there, Robert!

Folks- Through correspondence with a "future owner" in my neck of the woods, I've learned that NJ has changed its code on registering kit cars. While my car is grandfathered, it is my understanding that you can no longer title a kit-build as a reconstructed vehicle then get collector registration (which absolves you of the more stringent safety/emissions inspections). This changed on Sept 1, 2007. So, for all prospective Se7en owners in NJ, I recommend: A) Buying a modern Se7en that's been successfully titled (as an old Lotus or whatever!) in another state (though this still might not be easy to tranfer to NJ) OR B) Buying a vintage Lotus/Caterham/other that falls into the classic category (25 years old or more) You could always move to a more Se7en friendly state, but that seems a bit drastic....the bottom line is that I would not start a kit-build of any sort with the intention of using it as a street car here in the Garden State.

I'll try to translate... "There's nothing like a strange language to vex an american. Not like here where everyone gets it." That second sentence is iffy....

I'm pretty sure I have the Pectel T2.

I tell ya...I will miss ANOTHER event in my backyard. Got to help my wife with a wedding show in the poconos...will be out the whole day.:cry: When you're in Frenchtown, check out the garage on the corner where the blinking light is (there's only one in town). My wife is subletting the office part for an office/gallery, and we're in the process of freshening it up. ALSO, I'm trying to turn that space into a marque-inclusive (even beyond Se7ens) meet up for area drives in the future, complete with a website of events/drives (tentatively called "racestreetgarage.com" ).

Not SVT, but here is a thread with my Zetec chart with Focus 12 cams and ITBs...the entire thread is worth reading as people chime in with input on rwhp vs. crank hp, etc. Al N's Superlight on the Dyno

When someone has time, can you do a little write up on the event and post please? I see a few cars from 7-7-7, but also a few that are new to me....and is the light or is that Pink Se7en in the one pic? (No, not Dick's...in the background of the first shot....

It is Aztec Orange. Powered by Zetec with individual throttle bodies. 6-speed caterham gearbox. See dyno (done in 4th and not 6th) here: Orange Dyno Chart & Video If things work out, I'm going to put a new head and cam on it over the winter.

Graeme G. did the clams to cycle conversion, and his car was one of my favorites at the 7-7-7 meet. You do have the mounting holes, but I think Graeme put a rivet or something in each hole and it looked fine.

Obi-wan...combien de Se7ens etait la? (if my verb tense or other grammar is off, forgive me!) -Al

Read about this here: BMW vs. Mitsu Commercial on Al's Blog And let me know what you think.

Isn't "sale" French for "dirty"...that would translate to "dirty ass":jester: That car's always been a bit of a role model for me...even when it was green: Orange at home

You know, this sounds like a job for Cherik....give him a shout via his site: Cherik's Site. Tell him you're from the USA7s forum

Good to see that the Jackal's old mount has gone to a good home. Welcome aboard.