ottocycle

Karl, Thats great news. I am lookng forward to gettinhg on track with you guys again this year although the ante has been raised. At least I will get to see your tail lights as you blast by me. Glad things are looking up. Cheers, Dermot.

Karl, Ditto to what the other members said. I winced when I saw the photo but as others have said, 'glass and steel can be repaired or replaced, I am glad you are OK. You have the right attitude too and hopefully we will meet at NJMP again this June. I am looking forward to running with everyone again. I think I can presume for everyone and say that if you need help locating parts let us know. This network might help speed up their aquisition. Take a long hot soak in the tub. Dermot.

Count me in too. I had a great time last year. I cannot speak for them but I think Mike D and Scott will be in for it too. It should be a blast... Dermot. Hayabusa/Fury.

Thanks Mike, I appreciate and agree with your comments. I "know enough to be dangerous" and have a modest library to help me along. What I did not explain clearly is this. I know that one cannot get aerodynamic efficiency and viable down-force from a seven, I was thinking of ways to reduce the lift. We have all felt it at the track at speed, for example at NJMP at the end of the pit straight as one goes over the rise the car gets light. For want of a better term I would call it a "gravity damper" as the vector powering us up the rise and air bubble under the front of the car cause it to ride on a cushion of uncertainty as the front end is unloaded and goes into full droop. If my car was faster it would "yump" as our Scandinavian friends would say. Mike D's "snowplow" has helped to minimize this and from what I understand Caterham went to a lot of trouble with your CSR to minimize this characteristic. On my Fury I get a build up of air under the hood that lightens the front end over 100 mph. I am thinking of ways to minimize this buildup of air and by isolating the underhood area from the intake air it cannot lift the car. That is why your car and the recent Shelby roadster (I cannot remember its full name) have the separate duct for the radiator. I was wondering if there might be any benefit to venting that hot radiator air under the car rather than over (I know it sounds counterintuitive) but having thought about it further without skirts and a wing profile under the car I do not see it having any benefits. (The easier path of logic here is, of course, if it worked everyone would do it. QED.) I am hoping my next car will be lighter so I am paying more attention to lift. See you at NJMP in the Spring. Cheers- Dermot.

Hello all, It is cold damp winter day in Washington and I have been pondering ideas for my "steam-punk seven" project. It is all academic at this stage but as I think about the bits I have and how I can string them together a couple of questions have come to mind that I would like to get some answers to from those more qualified than I. I know some of you have converted their cars to a "wide-track" front end. How do you like the conversion? I can appreciate the advantages it would have as far as camber control is concerned, particularly with wide modern tires, but unless the upright or chassis pick up points are also changed, lengthening the stock wishbones would throw off the factory designed roll center. Does it matter or am I missing something? As we all deal with aero issues on our cars I am interested in reducing high speed front end lift. I read the thread about aero, diffusers etc. and agree with IAN7 that it is hard to make a brick aerodynamic but it is important to try to minimize the front end lift. I am thinking of enclosing the bottom of my car and ducting the radiator over the hood like the CSR's. I then thought about the possibilities of ducting that hot air under the car towards a tail diffuser. Without skirts would the air be accelerated enough to make a difference or would it cause additional lift? Any ideas? Thanks, Dermot. Fury/Hayabusa.

Looks great. Where did you get the zip tied brake line clamps? Cheers- Dermot.

I agree with Crazymike in your assessment of the Harley motor. The Morgan uses an S&S motor which is a combination of car engine, Harley and S&S parts. With 1900 cc capacity and a little more than 100 hp delivered it is a heavy inefficient unit although it has a great torque curve. It does have visual appeal and being a pre unit motor it is easy to separate the gearbox (not the case with more modern bike motors) and run the Mazda transmission with reverse. The Italians and Japanese build better V twins but they do not have the visual appeal in the sportbike models (water cooling and fairings cover up the engine architecture on most models) and the big Jap cruiser V twins are too asymmetrical, in my opinion, to be appealing. I had a Moto Guzzi Le Mans during my bike riding days and I like them a lot. If I was in a position to do a 3 wheeler in the Morgan tradition I would seriously consider a Guzzi powered unit. The ACE, Triking and Morgan all look to be nice cars and I would be happy to have any one in my garage. Having a Hayabusa LSIS myself I am a fan of bike powered cars. Dermot.

Busanostra, THAT IS SERIOUS HEAT. Thanks for the tip. I will work on insulation and cooling. It can be quite difficult to get it under control. I like the diffuser and chin spoiler. Even if they just "inspire" more confidence; they work!!!! Cheers- Dermot.

Mike, Hello. Sorry I was not able to meet you guys at NJMP. It looks like you all had a great time. I will see you there next Spring if Tom puts on another gathering (hint, hint). I have been playing with a turbo for my car and am working on the electronics at the moment. I want to get a few more horses so that I can try to keep up with you guys. Send me a PM with your phone # or e mail and I will fill you in on my long term plans for my next project. I would be interested to hear what your impression of the turbocharged cars is. I am not looking for crazy numbers just enough to be competitive. My comment on aero was related to my search for more knowledge on the subject of aerodynamics. I know it is complicated but I wanted to know where positive gains could be made by the home mechanic rather than getting involved with wind tunnels or computer modeling. Cheers- Dermot. PS: Are you in Singapore or en route to OZ?

I agree with Croc. I saw the Hartley V8 at Carlisle about 5 or 6 years ago and talked with John Hartley. A very nice guy and he was working with an Atom V8 installation for a west coast customer. He was talking about a Sainz or Hewland style sequential transmission and a Motec electronic fuel injection system. I remember the figure of 50 to 60 K for the package being mentioned. The price was way out of my range but if I won the lotto I would buy one tomorrow. It would be a decision of the heart not the head. It is a "Faberge Egg" of an engine and a wonderful example of technical pornography. I would also like to support an engineer of John Hartleys capabilities. Men like him who have the courage to beat that lonely path have a hard road to hoe and were I in a position to patronize their efforts I would. The downside includes what Croc said regarding the fact that, due to the limited numbers he makes, each buyer is the R&D department and should enter the deal assuming that there will be development issues, and be pleasantly surprised if there are none. I also think that this engine is overkill for a seven. If one has more horsepower than the car can handle (4th gear wheelspin with 10" tires) then I think one needs to work on chassis dynamics and/or aero improvements. I am working on turbo-charging a Hayabusa to give me a little more power so as I can play with sevens in the 220-250 hp range (there are a number of them out there, you know who you are......) but after that I think downforce will provide better lap-times than horsepower. As aside, I do not want to hijack this thread, if anyone can point me to some sites where I can find information on underbody ground effect profiles I would appreciate it. I want to learn more about ground effect. just my 2c worth. Dermot.

Guys, I am pleased you all had such a good time. I am sorry I could not make it but I will move heaven and earth to make it next season. I had a blast last time and even though my car is not as fast as you guys it was great fun. I have freshened up the engine for next season and while the car is still for sale if I do not sell it I will be there. I am working on her successor which I hope will have less weight and more horsepower. We shall see...... I would encourage everyone who is thinking of playing at the track or who regularly does to join us next year at NJMP. It is a fun track and a great bunch of guys. Cheers- Dermot.

Sorry, I cannot get it to upload the files. I will try again later.

Here are a couple of photos as promised. The Mallock is built along the same lines as a Lotus Seven. It is a little narrower and lower. When I got it in Cornwall, UK it had a 2 gallon Shell jerrycan as a fuel tank and a 1.25" roll bar that came up to the base of my skull that was a U shaped affectation that did not have any bracing. The whole car weighed 875 lbs. I added a fuel cell and aluminum containment box, a proper roll bar and another roll bar in front of the engine to meet SCCA requirements. The car now weighs about 1,000 lbs. The engine is offset to the left and the rear axle is shortened on the left side. It is a hoot to drive. I have not driven it in a long time because my local track requires one to be able to carry an instructor unless one has a current racing license, which I do not. When I got it I wanted to go vintage racing and I got my license. I am not a gifted driver and they put me in with a group that was way too fast for me. I was a complete rookie and they put me in with a group of Chevrons and other fast mid engined sportsracers. I was too slow and was "driving in my mirrors" all the time. I felt like a mackerel among shark. I then ran in a group of big American sedans, Camaros and GT350 Mustangs. This was a little better as the speed differential was not so great since what I lost on the straights I could make up in the corners but I ran into the problem of invisibility. When I got close enough to pass the cars I was too low to be safely seen, they could not hear me as they had thundering V8's, so the whole process became one of extreme defensive driving and no fun. I since built "The Heretic", a 2 seater bike engined car (See cars for sale section) where I am learning to drive and deal with traffic. I do not know if I wil ever race it again but I really like it and think it is a really cool car. Here are a couple of photos to give you an idea. /Users/dermot/Desktop/100_1643.JPG /Users/dermot/Desktop/100_1645.JPG /Users/dermot/Desktop/100_1644.JPG

Thanks guys, I am hoping too it is just a plug but Murphy is alive and well..... I will take some pictures of it tomorrow. I am hoping there is a Seven at the show and I can get a photo of the two together. Mine is an early pre aero car, and when I tell people it is like a minimalist Seven they look at me as if I am crazy until they see it. It is hard to have less car than a Seven and still have a car, but Mallock did it. I have been a big fan of specialist car builders for years and Arthur Mallock was one of those characters England produces from time to time that was a genius with live axled cars. He was devoted to improving vehicle dynamics and considered engines to be a necessary evil. His later designs along with Mike Mc Dermott (no relation) created front engined live axled cars that could lap some English race tracks within a couple of seconds of the fastest Formula 3 cars of the day. Pretty impressive. I will check on the leads you gave me and hopefully get some pics uploaded this weekend. Cheers-, Dermot

Hello all, I am testing the waters here and hopefully this enquiry is purely academic but here goes. I re-commissioned an old 1969 Mallock U2 Mk8 this week that I had stored for the past 5 years. It has a Lotus Ford Twincam engine. A friend asked me if I would put into a local car show this weekend that is featuring old race cars. When I stored the car I was very careful about draining fluids and preserving things. After building oil pressure I fired her up and she ran like a top except I have a big water leak from the block behind the flywheel under the bell-housing. It sickened me as I thought I had stored the motor well. I have not removed the gearbox and diagnosed what happened yet, I will do it after the show. I am hoping that I popped a freeze plug but cannot help but assume the worst and cracked the block. What I want to know is how hard is it to find a Kent block, does anyone have one (it might be good to have a spare) and what can I get one for. I have been out of the 1600cc Ford loop for a while and need to refresh my memory. Any website recommendations? Cheers- Dermot.

I too live in Maryland, and have been driving my Jag C -Type replica for about 17 years with the tag under the pasenger seat with no problems. The Heretic is the same way. Both have historic tags, I do not know if that makes a difference. Welcome to the area. Dermot Heretic/Hayabusa 1300.

I too will be away in September, and October is filling up but perhaps November (although we run the risk with weather that late in the year). We should definitly block in 3 or 4 dates for next year to get a 7's group together for trackday weekends. I will see if I can get something going with Summit Point (piggyback on another group of club trackday) for next season. The track is the only place where we can stretch the legs of these cars nowadays and it is great to get together with you guys. Cheers- Dermot. Heretic 1300.

I agree with Hank. In my opinion the Hayabusa is the best bike engine out there for a street LSIS. It has sufficient horsepower, but more importantly it has a big fat torque curve for a 4 cylinder. The ZX14 (another awesome engine) probably has bigger numbers but it is not as developed and there are not as many "off the shelf" tuning goodies for it. I think modern sportsbike engines are the best deal per dollar per horsepower and are as close to Formula 1 technology as I will ever get. I have a Hayabusa Fury (see for sale section) that weighs about 1,170 lbs that I run on the street and do occasional trackdays with and it is great. I worry a lot of 911's and Z06's with it and have great fun on the backroads. The clutch is not an issue nor is the lack of reverse. For track only I would seriously look at the R1 Yamaha as it revs to 14K and is a lighter unit. You can build a track only car under 1,000 lbs and the torque curve is not as critical (although I believe a wide torque curve is always a good thing). Before I start a great debate here I know one can put a street car together under 1,000lbs. but I believe it will require a lot of expensive bits and comfort tradeoffs (I like padded seats!!!!). I hope this helps, Dermot.

Very cool. I went to a model engineering show a few years ago in York PA where they had model steam and I/C engines. At lunchtime they opened the back doors and a few guys started up a series of scale I/C engines including an Offenhauser $ cyl., a 9 cyl. radial and a supercharged 6 cyl.Lycoming. Absoloutly amazing. Model steam is big in the UK. Guys build large scale steam trains that run on tracks pulling carriages with the operator sitting on a "Saddle" over the train operating the controls. I remember them from the days before CNC when each part was milled or turned by hand. I have no idea whet they are doing nowadays with digital technology but I bet it is awesome. Dermot.

"BRAKES!!! We don't need no stinken brakes. They only slow you down". Karl, it must be my driving style. I went to a lot of trouble to have powerful brakes. You have twice the HP I have so you were probably on your brakes harder and longer than I scrubbing off more speed. I have an in line pressure switch that activates the LED brake lights. Before they let me on the track that morning the tech guy checked to see that they were operating, so I believe they are. I will check them the next time I am at my shop. Thanks to you and Croc for your feedback.

I screwed up with the photos. Here is my 2nd attempt. If they do not come through I will get them on tonight (Thanks to Mazda!!).

Karl, I have my car up for sale with a view to building a "Son of Heretic", faster sharper track car. I would be interested in the seats if it sells and if you still have the seats l would like to talk with you. Thanks, Dermot.

Hello all, After the fun at NJMP I am considering selling my car and building a lighter faster unit this winter, rather than modify what I have. I am putting this feeler out there, as my car is so unique I have no idea what the interest will be. It has been tailored and modified so much from where I started that I will give a general overview as impartially as I can and if any members who have seen the car in person want to ad their own impartial observations I would appreciate it. I think it is the only way to give an unbiased assessment of the car. Now to the details: It is road registered in Maryland as a historic vehicle and I built it as a learning tool for track days that I could drive on the road (mainly to test its reliability before taking it to the track). I bought the car in the UK with a Rover V8 engine. It was a brochure cover car for Fisher, in silver. It went like a scalded dog but was very tail happy and unbalanced when I got it. It also had very little leg room. I am 6'3" and it was impossible for me to fit the car comfortably. I knew when I got it I wanted to do a bike engine conversion so it did not bother me. I modified the front end to accommodate the Hayabuysa engine and put 12" into the foot well. The engine is basically stock except it has a modified oiling system and a different intake and exhaust. It also has heavier duty clutch springs. I had it dynoed (145 HP at the rear wheels) to ensure my air fuel ratios were in a safe zone. I modified the hood to fit the engine. It has 4 piston brakes up front with lightweight rotors and stainless lines all round. I put special hardened shafts and needle roller bearings in the upper rocker arms (to minimize stiction). The gear shifting is done via a paddle shifter behind the steering wheel. It is like flashing your headlights to change gear. After the engine swop I would still get sudden sudden over-steer issues and I thought it was an alignment or shock issue. It turned out that the existing axle was cracked and flexing under certain loads causing toe out at the rear. I replaced the Ford Cortina axle with a Toyota unit and installed a different diff ratio, 2.90. The rear axle is located by 2 Watts linkages running front to rear and laterally by a Panhard bar. The Watts linkages ensure the axle goes up and down in a straight line (as against an arc with trailing arms), getting rid of the potential for roll steer. I also converted the axle from drum brakes to lightweight discs with Willwood calipers. I got a pair of custom made Bilstein shocks for the rear. There is a removable roll bar with 5 point belts for both seats. The last time I weighed her she was 1,395 lbs. gassed up with me in her (I weigh 235#). The car is not show quality, I built it to use hard. It is very presentable but I would say an 85 to 90%. That is just my opinion. It comes with a trailer and a set of 14" real Minilite wheels with Hoosier A6 track tires. I have owned many cars over the years and can honestly say this is the most fun vehicle I have ever owned. It is a blast to drive. Those who know will tell you that having all the right bits and pieces is all very well but if the car is not developed and set up well it will break your heart, or even kill you. If I may boast a little here I have this car set up beautifully. It took time but it was worth it. It has given me enough confidence in my fabrication, engineering and development skills to want to build my own clean sheet design. (Foolish hubris perhaps!!!). As an aside, when I did a track-day with the Ferrari club a few years ago I got behind a 355 Challenge car and could stay with him. On the long straight he had more top end than I and would pull away at about 125-130 mph but I could brake later than him at the end and be on his tail the rest of the way round the track. Do not get me wrong, I am not a great gifted driver. I enjoy the process, but I have to work at it. I remember saying to myself: "This is heresy. I should not be able to do this with this little car." After that I called the car the Heretic. I consider $25,000.00 to be a fair price. If you are seriously interested you can call me at 301 758 3341. Thanks.

Tom, Congrats to you and John on the video production. I have never seen my car run before. Let us know when you are heading to NJMP again, perhaps a few of us might be able to make it. Also I want to extend a general invite to everyone who attended the trackday, and anyone else, to come to my local track, Summit Point, West Virginia for a trackday. Google them and check it out. It is not as nice or new as NJMP but it is fun. Croc, I too am thinking of ways to boost the performance of my car. This stuff is a drug..... Dermot. Heretic 1300.

Mike, I thought you were in the 120-140 HP range. Brilliant driving and an endorsement of the dynamic capabilities and minimum inertia of lightweight vehicles. I think the footage will be educational for all of us. I have never seen or heard my car running on the track. I am interested to see what it looks like. Dermot Heretic 1300