ottocycle

Karl, nice video. I like the system. Tom, great teaser, looking forward to the nationwide release!! Did my camera get any footage? (BTW, I think John might have my USB charger/download cable, I forgot to get it back off him). Thanks again for organizing what I hope turns into an annual event. Even my wife is keen on seeing the footage, hopefully we all look pretty good out there. Mike, us guys in the sub 150 HP cars have nothing to be ashamed of. I think a lot of the attendees had a newfound respect for those "funny lookin' cars" at the end of the day. That being said, where can I find another 100 BHP.... I think a special thanks to Jack and John for their collective assistance to everyone who was there. Trackdays are much more fun with a group than solo and you were a great group to hang out with. Count me in for the next one. Dermot, Heretic 1300.

I got nailed by the storm that was comming in. It pi**ed down. 65 mph traffic slowed to 45 due to bad visibility. Tom, thanks from me too. It was great to meet all you guys, I had a blast. It was a new track for me and I liked it a lot. I agree with Michael D, lets make it an annual event. Mike, I did not realize you rented the garage. Thanks for sharing it. It was very handy. You have a lovely car. Perhaps if I put a turbo on mine I might be able to hang with you long enough to see how it looks on track!!!! Tom, we are looking forward to the video you and your cousin put together. Thanks to everyone for making me feel welcome and I look forward to meetimg you all next time. Cheers- Dermot. Heretic 1300.

Are all the track suites booked up? I was planning on leaving my car at the track on Sunday and Monday night and driving to a local hotel if necessary. I will split a room with someone if there is any interest. Thanks, Dermot.

Sounds great. Mike and Scott have one of the suites at the track and I am hoping to mooch a couch off someone (I will chip in ,of course) who has space, otherwise I will get a room nearby. If we do dinner at the steakhouse Sunday, it might be nice to do a group buy for a cookout at the track Monday night if possible. Do they have any BBQ facilities?

Hello guys, Just a quick note to say I signed up this evening and spoke with Ian, the organizer of the event. A very nice guy. He said they have 9 Sevens in the intermediate group and he thinks they will be full by tomorrow (so if you are on the fence now is the time to deceide). I am looking forward to meeting you all and thanks to Michael D for reminding me about the event. Dermot. Heretic 1300.

Well said, I understand perfectly. I am no racer. I have done trackdays at Summit Point and enjoy it as well as the comraderie of fellow "gearheads". Thanks for putting it together. Dermot.

Tom, I think it will be great to have 20 7's in a group. The visuals would be fantastic but if they have to mix in a few M3's, Boxster's, Elise's etc in the group ... so be it. The important thing is, I believe, that we have equal performance among the various groups that pan out so that no one is blocking slower cars and the fast guys can run ahead of the pack. I just thought, if you feel you might not get the numbers you need perhaps mention it to some of the classic car clubs. You might find a few people interested in bringing out an old Jaguar or Alfa to make up the grid. I am looking forward to this. It looks like it might turn into a USA 7's gathering on the Sunday too. Cheers, Dermot.

Hello all, I am looking into attending the Goodwood Revival this September and wanted to ask if anyone had attended it and if they had advice and suggestions for accomodation or anything else. I am also looking for a source for vintage clothing here in the States. Any other sources of relevance would be appreciated. It will probably be the only time I get there it and I want to make the most of it. Extra points if anyone includes activities my wife would like, 3 days at the track may be pushing it.... Thanks, Dermot.

Put me on the hopeful list. It is too early for me to make a commitment now but I will by early May. I will talk with Michael D and perhaps convoy up together on Sunday. It might be nice, as someone suggested, to gather at the track that afternoon and have a social get together. I have never been to that track, are there camping facilities (showers)? Failing that, I would be interested in sharing a suite with someone (I can sleep anywhere but I will need a shower). If we get the numbers and interest we could perhaps organize food and drinks at the track for the Sunday and Monday, by having everyone chip into a common fund. Cheers- Dermot.

Photoshop!!!!

Happy New Year everyone. I too appreciate all the photos and have no interest in hijacking the thread, but it would be nice to see some photos or drawings of concept sevens. I have yet to see a realy nice re-design of the seven themed cars. Any takers???? If you want to keep this to seven styled cars only please say so and I will start a separate thread. Thanks.

I too am fascinated by the dynamics of three wheelers. They held track records back in the day when they competed with 8 liter Bentleys and such, but big cars were not noted for their agility. The Morgan, Ace and Triking have great aestethic appeal but I think on a purely performance per dollar scale the Seven has them licked. The romantic "Walter Mitty" factor is another matter completely. I would add this though, I think (never haven driven a three-wheeler) the driving experience and feedback sensations would be greater at speeds closer the legal limit than the seven (ie. the seven would need to be driven faster for similar feedback). One might keep ones liscense a day longer..... Just my 2c. Dermot.

Definitely off topic but I thought I would throw throw this out there. I am rebuilding a Jaguar engine this winter and instead of hanging it off the end of a traditional bell-housing mounted engine stand I thought I would build a stand that catches the block in the middle so that I could access the flywheel and timing gear. I remember seeing old photos of Alfa and Bugatti engines being assembled on cool looking stands and I thought I would try to build something similar. I would like to build something elegant as well as functional and I am shamelessly soliciting design input as well as ideas that might be useful additions to an engine stand. If anyone has any old pictures or design input I would love to hear from you. Cheers- Dermot. BTW: A Jaguar engine weighs about 75-100 lb. more than a small block Chevy.

An interesting thread. I agree that the Hartley V8 is a beautiful motor (I saw it at Carlisle a few years ago) but I put it into the realm of a Judd or Hart motor....... unobtainable exotica. As to more readily available options I think it depends on the car. I love the Busa engine in my car. I can rev the nuts off it at trackdays ant still putter around town. It is a great engine for a lightweight car. If I wanted a period looking car the BDA would be very cool. If I wanted a modern car engine in a modern seven where I was not watching my weight I think the Nissan SR20DET would be a great candidate. I have an absoloutly trashed/ratty Lotus Elan that I am considering turning into a hot-rod and have considered engine/trans options. I do not know if the Nissan would fit. Has anyone seen a viable modern motor for the old Elan? Cheers, Dermot.

Hello all, I know there are a number of engineers on this site and I thought I might find some info. Does anyone know of a source for aluminum honeycomb panels at a reasonable price? I searched the web and found great disparities. Any thoughts ??? Cheers- Dermot.

Bart, I tried to PM you about the wheels but I do not think it worked. Please send me your # or call me at 301 758 3341. Thanks, Dermot.

I believe the square plates are for checking camber and toe. By applying heat to a solid axle one can warp (bend) it slightly to alter the toe and the camber of the wheels. They might be used in this instance to monitor movement in the axle as the brace is being welded. Just my 2c. Cheers. Dermot. PS. Al, you might find out when they send you a bill!!!

Now THAT is a superlight!!!!!

Hello all, I have been running a set of Hoosier A6 tires on my car for 2 seasons and noticed that they are feeling a little "greasey" during the last few trackdays I did. I am not experienced enough yet to know if this is me or the track (people commented on the track being a little greasy the last time I was out, 95 degree day). My local track is Summit Point and my car does not feel as planted as it should. I would like to believe I am driving harder and reaching my limits of adhesion but the stopwatch tells me different. What I would like to know is this: What constitutes a heatcycle? Is a 20 minute track session with 40 minutes downtime between runs a heatcycle or does a day of 4 or 5 20 minute sessions constitute a heatcycle? I have at least 10 or more track days on my tires and bought them in April 2009. As my car weighs less than 1,400lbs on the track I still have plenty of meat on them, but I am wondering if they are heatcycled out. Depending on how it is calculated I have a minimum of 10 heatcycles or over 40 on my tires which are at least 18 months old. While I am not obsessed about lap times I feel this "greasyness" or "skittishness" is a line not to be crossed and if its the tires I need to replace them. I would like to get the rest of the season out of them and wait till next spring for my new ones. I am considering changing from 14" rims to 13". Do tire softeners help? When looking for replacement tires do some manufacturers have more heatcycles in their tires than others, and while I love the Hoosiers, they are expensive and if I am not going to wear them out perhaps I am better looking at a soft racing slick. I do not have to comply with any rules and regulations. Any recommendations? I would appreciate the knowledge of people more experienced that I. Thanks. Dermot.

Hello all, Just testing the waters. The time has come to replace my trackday tires an I am considering going from 14 inch rims to 13 as I will have a better tire selection and it will improve my gearing. I am looking for a deal on some 13X4X4.25 rims and will consider all offers and would like to get suggestions on what is the best lightweight rim out there V's cost. I am not sure about width yet but probably go with 7" and 9" or 8" and 10". I will need to borrow a set from someone to trial fit as far as clearance is concerned. If you know of any websites where I might find wheels please let me know. Also if you have any experience with heatcycles see my post on the subject. Thanks, Dermot.

I have done a few fuel injected cars and whatever route you choose to go, consider the fact that the end result is only as good as the tune you put on the finished motor. The most high tech state of the art system tuned badly will run worse than a cheap system tuned well. If you are learning, the easiest part of the process is the fabrication and hardware. The hardest part is the tuning and setup. The more sophisticated your EFI system is the better your end result will be IF IT IS TUNED CORRECTLY, if not you will have many more blind alleys to wander down. I would wager a simpler system could give you a better result if only because it gives you fewer adjustments to screw up! That being said I would research your project from the opposite end. Find a good dyno tuning facility and talk to them. Find out what system they are most familiar with and talk to the tuner. While a good tuner will be able to set up any system eventually, you do not need to pay him by the hour to learn your specific system. You will be spending a lot of time/money with them so make sure you are comfortable with the guy who reads the charts and makes the adjustments. Think of him as your cars doctor. You need to have a comfortable relationship and trust that as the dyno time builds you are getting a competent job. Just my 2 cents. Keep us posted. PS> Check out Abacus in Norfolk or Virginia Beach. IIRC they have experience with English Fords but I do not know if they have a rolling road dyno.

Looper Radiator in Rockville can clean, blast and seal coat your tank.

When did they start putting Toyota gas pedals in Holdens???? :) :)

I have a Busa motor in my car and it has a swinging oil pick up. I did it for two reasons. 1). It allowed me to lower the engine, my oil pan is 2" thick. 2). I knew the oiling system would be operating in a non bike mode and without the "well" that the stock unit has to pick up the oil I wanted the pick up to follow the oil. It is cheap insurance and I am pleasantly surprised to read Feff uses one in his Radical. My car will not corner as fast as his, and that is the bottom line. The more G's you pull the closer you get to needing a dry sump (I believe this is a $2,000.00 expense). If you autocross you may like to consider an Accusump. Good luck. Dermot.

Jim (and others), I agree it is confusing. I want a decent car camera for track days and the selection is very confusing. I have seen the GoPro HD and its picture looks good but I think wind noise could be a problem (is there a way of reducing this?). Does anyone have first hand recommendations?