Al N.

Some new members have joined, so I thought I'd post to invite them to introduce themselves/their cars...

Thanks to the new folks who've signed up recently. Remember that Mazda and I are headed down to TotD next weekend for a recon trip. If you have specific questions about the event or the area, please email us directly or post them here before next Wed, Nov 1. Also, don't forget to complete the event questionnaire and/or read the current results in one of the posts above. Thanks again for your interest in the 7-7-7 event. -Al

Hmm...I wonder what's in that box? I know that the Pilot has a 3000 lbs enclosed trailer limit...and a 4500 lbs "boat trailer" limit (which I assume applies to all open trailers). Most of the commercially available trailers I've looked, with Seven loaded seemed to be around 2500, so I didn't want to push things to the limits. Again, I'm a trailering virgin, so pardon any naivete.Al Navarro2006-10-27 05:56:24

Mazda- Don't forget surge brakes...unless more experienced towing folks say they're not necessary for the kinds of cars we're putting on the trailers...seems like a smart safety measure, especially for those who have tow vehicles with not much capacity (Mazda, I think your Odyssey is about the same as my Pilot).

Ditto. How about "all for under $5k"? It's too bad that Brian James doesn't sell their trailers here. http://www.brianjames.co.uk/pages/start.html (click on the minno shuttle) That would be a good thing for Cat US or another distrib to look into. Hint. Hint.

Mazda- I'm shocked! The beginning of the show is used in an iron maiden song ("Run to the Hills", I think)..the soundtrack of our generation x youths. I actually am only familiar with it in in relation to Sevens and of course the similar sorts of shows at the time. -Al

Remote mic and LAN-C cable (toggles camera on and off) should be arriving...in time for our trip next week! I know, the wind noise sucks.

A few weeks ago, I bought that i/o port camera mount for my roll bar. I had first seen one of these rigs on Scott L's car down at Skyline East. So I finally got around to hooking it up and going for a drive. A clip of the blat is included. This is part of my favorite Seven loop in my area. Lots of bends, elevation changes, and the last covered bridge in Hunterdon County. Anyway, it's not going to win any awards from the academy, but it's got a Seven in it. So watch it already. Al Navarro2006-10-25 06:06:53

FWIW, I have one of those little C-TEK "smart" trickle chargers and it works well enough on the battery that came with the Caterham. I bought it after buying one of those big-a$$ schumacher ones that you can get at AutoZone. While I use that to jump start cars still, didn't seem as sophisticated as perhaps the Cat's battery warranted.

What do you guys think about wheel boots as a security measure? Would you use one for a Seven? (And yes, I know many of us have detachable steering wheels if not cut-off/immobilizer keys). Would you use one for another car? And in what situations? --- Full disclosure that I am asking this on behalf of a client at my day job. I personally can't think of an instance where I would use one...because my Seven lives in an electronically secured garage and I'm really never in an area where I am worried about it getting stolen (vandalized is a different story). Please advise if you care to/have time.

i wonder if this guy has the rights to use the silhouettes for those cars...if he's calling it a Caterham/Westfield, seems a bit odd. Trying to stay in the factories' good graces and all that. I've got some ideas for a cool shirt design and we're going to try to work with the folks who run the Tail of the Dragon website to make the shirts...all about supporting the local and all that. ---- On a related note, a reminder that Mazda and I are going down to the Dragon for a recon trip in two weekends. If you have any questions or issues that you want answer/guidance on — please post them here or write to us offline. Our basic objective is to check out the roads and host hotels, and also meet with various and sundry locals (like the photographer Daryl "Killboy" Cannon) to help get all of this stuff in place and finalized months before 777. Keep in mind that the official deadline to register will be May 7, 2007 - so that we have 2 full months to wrap up planning and coordination of the event.

Love the headers and carbon, Russ. Hope to meet you soon.

Jerry- Thanks so much for the great write-up and pix. I agree that this sort of inter-marque camraderie is the whole point behind the fledgling USA7s club. Can't wait to many of you next July. -Al "All for seven, seven for all."

There was another LEO thing last weekend...the Bordentown carshow. Apparently a Seven won (this originally said "one"...I must have been tired!). No big whup.Al Navarro2006-10-18 07:05:44

If it makes you feel any better, I do not have a broken ankle (but some pretty hairy work hours) and have not sat in the Seven for about a month. The good news is that the C-tek is hooked up and my social engagement for tomorrow was cancelled. I smell a blat in my immediate future. Finally.

Pix please?

Mazda-Keep in mind that I don't mean "racing" in terms of passing on the double yellow or weaving in and out of traffic...whenever someone tells me they had a "race" like this on a public road, I tune them out. I'm talking about simple 0-30, 40, 50 acceleration runs. I guess my question is, perhaps naively, would your local constabulary consider this sort of thing "racing" worthy of a ticket? I wouldn't, because is there any law about how fast one gets to the posted speed limit...besides the somewhat vague "reckless driving" charge.-Al

Folks- Last Friday, a road trip meal at a BK was rudely interrupted several times by the roar of American V-8ness (sometimes in pairs) coming off a traffic light at an intersection near said fast food establishment. In a whatever the opposite of a Carrie Bradshaw moment is, I thought to myself, "That's a pretty popular light to launch drag races off...I wonder if every town in America has their own Stoplight GP site." Feel free to chime in here...or at my Cat-centric blog, "Hairshirt Motoring". http://gardenstatesevens.org/wordpress/?p=62 -Al

!!!MONTHLY ORGANIZER UPDATE!!! Note that this email was sent to all 62 people who have registered for the event at the official registration page: http://www.usa7s.com/forum/eventregistration/index.aspx I am posting it here as a courtesy for people who have not yet registered as well as the few people who may have not received it due to technical difficulties or incorrect email address (if this applies to you, please shoot a note to Mazda). FYI, Hempy and Pete C. from TX, I got error messages from the email addresses you supplied when you registered. Please correct those when you get a chance. Note that this is a very long post, but worth reading (IMHO!). FWIW, on my way to Niagara Falls this past weekend, I saw a convoy of motorcycles...probably about 25 strong. Impressive. Now imagine a convoy of Sevens 50 or more strong! Not a bad way to spin up interest in our little cars. ---------- Dear 7-7-7 Registrant- Thanks to all the folks who took the time to complete our short online questionnaire from early September. We wanted to share some of the results with you — which were definitely helpful to us, in terms of knowing what people want (and don’t want) out of the event next July. In the responses to open-ended questions, many people have expressed a desire to keep things as laid back as possible, with a minimum of idiotic behavior, on and off the road. We couldn’t agree more and will work hard to make it a civilized, fun event where fans and owners of “four wheeled motorbikes” can meet other folks who share the same passions. Now, on to the results of the questionnaire: Mix of marques Caterham – 19 Birkin – 11 Locost (including CMC & Coveland) – 8 Stalker –8 Lotus – 6 Ultralite – 4 Rotus – 4 Misc –1 (Lotus Elise) Headcount If we count correctly (some folks stated “0” for Total Number Attending, which we converted to “1”s), there will be between 100-125 people (owners/enthusiasts/family) attending this event. Note that as the date approaches, interest in the event will most likely grow, so that the numbers of non-owning spectators may grow too. Very few people are bringing kids, and all but one of kids are under 10 years of age (still may be enough to warrant a dedicated babysitter). Geographic distribution TX & VA – 9 cars each PA, OH, MD – 5 cars GA & NC – 4 cars NJ, FL, IN, MI, NY – 2 cars CA, CT, IL, KY, MA, MO, TN, SC – 1 car Interest in proposed events Informal Car Show – 85% Auto-X – 80% Tech Sessions – 83% The most popular suggested topics for Tech Sessions were: Tuning, upgrades, drivetrain and Suspension, setup, etc. Interest in memorabilia included as part of registration fee T-Shirt – 68% Yes/32% No Dash Plaque – 45% Yes/55% No Poster – 24% Yes/76% No (I guess we definitely won’t be doing a poster then!) When asked what sorts of other things might be interesting, the following came up: Ball cap, program booklet, and Vinyl sticker (the sticker is a great idea, since it’s relatively cheap and would look pretty mean on the tail of a Se7en). Interest in memorabilia available “a la carte” T-Shirt – 51% in favor Dash Plaque – 32% in favor Poster – 29% in favor Hardcover Book – 24% in favor Group Photo – 70% in favor Some interest was expressed in an event video as well as polo shirts and other small memorabilia. Interest in live music 51% Yes 49% No In the open-ended comments portion, some folks expressed a desire not to have a loud DJ. Rest assured, we won’t. However, if we can get some sponsorship (more on that later) it might be nice to have a local band play for the car show/mixer. How much free time would you like to have Answers ranged anywhere from 10% to 80%, with the average figure coming in at 35%. Large and Small Group Drives The average number of Large Group drives suggested was 1.67. The average number of Small Group drives suggested was 2.29. One interesting approach would be t

Mazda - Are you planning to lead some late night assaults on the Dragon next July? Uhm..count me in.-Al

A pix of my helmet, for the people who may not have already seen it... http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/20061010_161724_lot6-2.JPG

As you know, I roll with a Schuberth flip-up helmet most all of the time (for any drive longer than 15 minutes or so). But there are times (like when we were down on Skyline, in a relatively controlled environment) when i drive without to get more sensory overload out of the experience. I think that's the big tradeoff for me...having a helmet makes me feel a little more blind/deaf...so I am more vigilant about checking my mirrors, etc. I the hearing thing is a larger part of the equation...I can hear a motorcycle come up hard in the next late better than I might be able to see it (closing rate too fast, small front aspect, in blind spot, etc.) It's worth the tradeoff most of the time, since the rocks and pollen/dust really get me down. Also, Laura prefers that I wear one...and anything to make my ownership of the car less loathesome. -A

Mazda- I have to say that should this transpire, I will miss the patina of Frankenseven. The blue and white is Ecurie Ecosse livery, IIRC. My vote is to stick with BRG. Or perhaps go Olive Drab to kick the stealth mode into high gear. -A

As one other Se7en who straps his 6 and 9 year olds (not simultaneously, of course) into the car occassionally, with helmets, I've though about this too. I worry more about the little one than her older sister. I'll look into those neck collars. One point I will make is that Laura's Mag-8 is much lighter than either the Kid's Bell Star 500 or my Schuberth. And I've thought about getting the kids an XS Mag-8...although the multi-size fit pads on the Bell are pretty cool.

i had it set so that I to "approve" comments, but I'll change that when I get a chance. Your post is live now.