Al N.

I know exactly what hose that is, Steve. The solution is cutting back the water pump housing just a bit and angling th rack to allow just a little more clearance.

Busa, you are loco. Besides the forum (which Mazda started and continues to maintain), there is the Club, which was necessary to establish in order to host the 7-7-7 and PNW events in a way that protected the organizers from liability. And of course, it costs money to host the forum and pay insurance for the Club. The actual ncorporation of the Club was sponsored by 9 individual owners a while back. I would never advocate getting rid of this forum in favor of a magazine, whether online or in print...as has been noted, it's a great resource — and arguably the ONLY marque-inclusive, North American (thanks our Canadian friends here) forum dedicated to LSiS vehicles.

Since I went all Raceline water rail on myself, I have some spare hoses (no, Yellow...not yours ) that I really have no need for. I was just going to throw them out, BUT my mech stopped me and said "Why don't you bring them down to your meet, that way you have some spares in case anyone blows a hose." (The world needs more mechanics like Wil de Groot and the guys at Exoticars-USA, IMHO.) So, since I'm bringing these hoses (and that thermostat housing thingy)...I was thinking we could start a few "Club parts bins"....and bring them to every larger event just in case. Not anything expensive, but stuff you might have lying around after your various and sundry "upgrades". I figure we'd start with a Caterham Bin, a Birkin Bin, a Stalker Bin, and an Ultralite Bin. I have no idea where these bins will be stored when not needed nor how they will get shipped to the events, but I think it could be useful.

I just realized that you can see evidence of another recent mod in that shot of the hood...new Hella Supertones. They are scary loud, and are wired in tandem with my stock horns, which sounded a bit wimpy, IMHO.

I just had my JJ half-hood retrimmed...so now you can see the Wolo when the top is up. I know some folks were interested in this so here's a pic. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/674331544_RetrimmedJJhood.jpg

Some more prizes came in...from my friends at Groupe1620 and Seize sur Vingt in NYC. An incentive for those of you traveling/driving for far off...these guys frequently top the "Best of NYC" reviews in New York Magazine (one of the owners is a friend from college): http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/284580314_Traveled-Driven.jpg

For Steve T: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1163920800_RacelineRail.jpg http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1296669947_backorail.jpg

Thanks for chiming in Gert... I think there are probably others who would feel the same way about B). So let's just toss that out. I guess my fantasy is that we get some regional organizers to come out of the woodwork between now and the end of the year. Even 2 car meet ups are fun and worth publicizing...like your drive with Stan recently. I have to say that i like receiving Low Flying despite the focus on UK events/cars. Good production values. And the new Remarque from the US Lotus Club is developing into a nice publication too - though a bit shy on Se7en-centric content. Would be nice to have an online pub (to save on printing) that was US-Se7en centric. Maybe we can do it as a wiki/blog type deal.

What it doesn't say is that they make an awful racket in neutral at idle when the clutch is not depressed... http://www.blatchat.com/T.asp?id=61066 and http://www.blatchat.com/T.asp?id=32145 btw, the beast is back, some pix on the improvements to come :hurray:

One that you've heard of... All kidding aside, I do want to think of the future of the club beyond 777 and PNW. Remaining independent would be fine, but the options above could also make sense. Would love to hear other opinions, even dissenting ones.

Mike, if it's a squealing noise, it might be a simple belt tensioning issue...

Folks- Since there haven't been many nominees for the open officers slots, I want people to consider a few other options for helping perpetuate the club and keeping it healthy: A) Perhaps folding the club into another larger US club, as a "special interest group" B) Considering aligning with the UK "mothership" club as the US chapter This last option was considered when we first started knocking around the need for a national Se7ens club, but was not pursued, mainly because we don't live in the UK and the dues for that club are pretty steep in light of the number of events they have here in the US. I'm not saying that either one is going to happen if we don't elect some new officers, but just wanted to get some feedback from the forum and event registrants. It's something that's been on my mind and I just wanted to put it out there. -Al

Drew-Reading your list almost makes me want to start planning a more central meet for next year. ALMOST.

Oi! Play nice with those Porsches, boys....since I know Lentz has a Stuttgart product, hopefully he'll keep the charge of the light brigade in check. Nah, what fun would that be. Don't break anything gentlemen. Save it for July 7th...:_deadhorse:

I know there are a few folks coming up from the ATL...thought I might start a thread here to let people discuss routes/caravan potential amongst themselves. FYI, I know a few journalists who are flying into ATL, so please advise on the smartest/funnest route.

Mazda- I heard back from ST and SL, Arya can have my second room for Sunday.-Al

Mazda-I think the "nut behind the wheel" is about the only thing that hasn't had a complete overhaul on FrankenSe7en.

Nothing that a few beers and a call to my therapist couldn't get me through...:jester: It was a sad few hours though.:cry:

The recent listing of that Birkin in NY and the comments there, not to mention Mr. Ebrahimi's own efforts over the past year, led me to think that very few people leave their cars in "as purchased" condition. So what mods/upgrdades have you done since getting your car? And if you feel you have the time/energy...what mods/upgrades do you think are essential for the type of car you have (kind of the opposite of that "what mods do you wish you had not done" thread). I'll start: ATL Fuel Cell Custom Fabricated Sump Guard* Dual 12v power outlets Jet Hot Coated Headers Jill Judd Half-Hood Jill Judd Trackday Cover Raceline Water Rail *I'd say out of all of these things, the Sump Guard is the only MUST.

The recent listing of that Birkin in NY and the comments there, not to mention Mr. Ebrahimi's own efforts over the past year, led me to think that very few people leave their cars in "as purchased" condition. So what mods/upgrdades have you done since getting your car? And if you feel you have the time/energy...what mods/upgrades do you think are essential for the type of car you have (kind of the opposite of that "what mods do you wish you had not done" thread). I'll start: ATL Fuel Cell Custom Fabricated Sump Guard* Dual 12v power outlets Jet Hot Coated Headers Jill Judd Half-Hood Jill Judd Trackday Cover Raceline Water Rail *I'd say out of all of these things, the Sump Guard is the only MUST.

Folks- My inlaws are coming down for the event, but will be leaving on Sunday. Which means I have two spare beds in a private room available at Tapoco for SUNDAY NIGHT ONLY. No charge. Instead of cancelling for one night, I thought I'd offer them up to anyone — especially if Sunday night accomodations are a make/break factor in anyone considering running in the Auto-X. For the record, I had offered this to two of my pals from last year's Skyline meet, but I can't recall either claiming dibs yet. They still have right of first refusal, but I wanted to see if anyone else needed a room. I will notify them if anyone else chimes in here. -Al

Some recent good news and other things to note: A) I think that the Organic Racing "One Lap" car is going to make an appearance courtesy of Kevin B., Loren's co-driver in that crazy endurance event. Thanks for stepping up Kevin, I know a lot of folks who are going to want to see that supercharger! B) The Tamiya JPE model is done and will be at the event. However, instead of giving it away as a prize for something, we are thinking of raffling it off — with proceeds split between club and perhaps the local EMS/Sherriff. Would love know what people think (and what's a fair ticket cost?). In the end, I personally felt that everyone should have a shot at taking this great model home, and not just people with the "nicest" Se7en (whatever that might mean). Thanks again to Bill and Marcy Power for their efforts on the model. C) In a similar "support the locals" vein, it might be nice to have a food pantry drive at the event. Even one can or box of nonperishable food per car would be welcome, and I found a pantry in the area who would appreciate it. Don't stress about it when you're packing, you could even pick up something from the grocery store in Robbinsville. D) In a leap of faith, we ordered some logo'd baseball caps. Black with silver 7-tail icon. They'll go for about $15, and are first come first-served (we can always order some more if the demand is high). E) PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that the Friday night "car show" was intended to be totally casual and not something that anybody should lose sleep over "entering" or preparing for. If you are a paid event attendee, you're entered. It's just a nice way to meet people and cars up close, and make use of the space at Tapoco. I'm just two weeks away from starting my trek down to the Dragon. Looking forward to meeting all of you. -Al

Mike - All those Elise/Exiges were just too indimidated by your sheer manliness and rad paint job. :cheers: Any pix?

Here in NJ, I have the collector car inspection sticker (a triangle), which I think pretty much keeps the police away. And besides, I drive like a grandma (unless of course, I'm trying to keep up with a few folks who shall remain nameless)

Keep in mind that there are a few versions of the CamEye LANC controller (1.4 and 1.6) and that one works with some cameras and the other works with, well, others.