Davemk1

Being close to the limit is the fun part for me. With most performance cars you are going so fast when you are anywhere near the limit that if you screw up you won't be able to buff it out. With a Seven you can slide the thing around at most any speed. dave

IMO one of the core parts of a Seven's DNA is it's lack of weight. One can't add doors or a top or much of anything and still have the light weight. And once you put in a large motor you need a larger chassis and bigger brakes and larger wheels and tires and then the low weight part of the DNA is compromised. Don't get me wrong....... I love some of these larger and more powerful Sevens but in my mind they lean more toward hotrods than Sevens. In my mind once you cross the 1500 pound range you are transitioning from Seven to hotrod and it's just too far away from the original Sevens 1000 pounds. Dave

when there are more than 4 spark plugs. dave

As someone who has owned more than a few 1800ES's I'd start writing bad checks for one of these. Dave

My Birkin is a 1999 and it's a live axle model. I'm not sure but I think all new ones might have an IRS. You might take a look at Dick Brink's site to get more modern spec's. http://www.texasmotorworks7.com It's a seriously fun car. dave

I have a Birkin that I autocross and use on the street. I've made a rack that plugs into the rear of the car that carries the 13" slicks and I put the jack and tool box in the passenger footwell and I'm off to the races. I also drive it on the street a good bit just to run errands or for fun. I work from home so I have no commute so that doesn't figure in. I insure mine through Hagerty and feel they give good service for a fair price. I have agreed upon value and and full replacement cost. They said it was cool to run errands but they wanted to be sure that it was not my daily driver and that I didn't commute in it. They wanted proof of another car that I'd use to get to work. They didn't care how many miles I drove only that I had another "real" car. It's a very good autocross car and can be set up very well. The large amount of caster built into the front suspension is especially good so that I can run very little static camber (great for braking) but when turning you get very good dynamic camber. With the right air pressure for the given course and surface I usually have tire temps within 2 degrees across the width of the tire. I've never driven another Seven and maybe they are all this good. I don't know. But I can say that the Birkin is a very good choice to consider. dave

I for the most part agree with you but I wonder........... The Government should protect us from a foreign enemy from invading our shores. They should protect us from those bad guys looking to do us harm. Hard to argue with that. But shouldn't the Government also protect us from the nut job down the street with the shed full of automatic weapons? Or from the financial institution that is taking huge risks with our pensions to pad their own packets? Don't the real threats to our ability to pursue happiness come from those close to us, those all around us, inside our borders? Aren't laws and regulations in place to protect us from a person or company that is out to do us harm? Should "personal responsibility and survival of the fittest" be the means used to protect my aged father whose pension is worthless because GM was allowed to make such bad business decisions? Was the lineworker who started working as a kid and did his 40 years screwing door panels into ElCaminos supposed to think ahead 40 years and wonder if his company was going to screw him? I don't think it needs to be all or nothing. Without the rules and regs we will all suffer no matter how responsible we are. Due Respect, Dave

OK.......... I weighed mine when they came in and I didn't write it down but they were less than 12#. Better to ask Diamond if the weight is a concern to you. dave

I use Diamond racing wheels. They are lightweight steel wheels and they are made to order in most any bolt pattern and offset you'd like. Mine are 13 x 8 and they weigh about 11 pounds and only cost about $65 two years ago when I got them. Very good folks to deal with. FWIW brake clearance on my 1999 Birkin up front was no problem but it was very tight in the rear. I did a bit of grinding to high spots on the caliper to get it to clear. Dave

You got that right! My sympathy goes out the the guys working on the line who, through no fault of their own, are facing a new dark reality. I have zero sympathy for the company as a business as they signed on the dotted line with the unions. They made a very bad business decision and now they are paying for it. In my mind this is how it works. You screw up, you lose. Dave

As long as they keep holding out their hand for more billions of dollars I feel the lender has every right to tell them what to do. It's clear that left to their own devices they won't use it well. dave

I don't know that I can tag along at all on your trip but I'd like to come out to Chico and say hello and maybe have some dinner. Chico is about an hour from my place in Bozeman. dave

Wonderful day. Cool and crisp and the snow of a few days ago is almost gone. The background shows the Bridger mountains and Bridger Bowl Ski area. Dave

My Birkin is at work everyday. It can be hard to get work done when I'm not in the mood and the Birkin is sitting right there "needing" attention. Dave

Likewise...... I raised my clutch pedal pad and moved it to the outside and now my foot easily slips under it while cruising. I also move the gas pedal pad toward the inside and it's plenty comfy with my size 11.5 feet. Dave

You are going to love Chico Hot Springs. Natural hot springs and a 5 star restaurant housed in an old Montana ranch. I make it there pretty often. Dave

You are correct.... the floor might be considered to be non-structural. My seat sits on the floor but it's mounted on the front edge (under the thighs) and on the back top (between the shoulder blades. So in effect the weight is being carried by those spots and not by the thin alloy floor sheet. dave

I've never been in an SV. I think the added windshield height might be nice at my height (6'4") but I think the added width would be a bit of a bummer. I'm 6'4' and 185 pounds and I fit into my Birkin very well. I installed an Ultrashield race seat and I modified things a bit to get my butt lower in the car. I removed the seat adjustment rails as well as the tubular cross members under the seat so the new seat is directly on the floor of the car. This makes it so I'm looking through the windshield about 1/3 of the way down from the top. It never splits my vision since making the change. I considered dropping the floor but decided against it as I thought the outer sill would dig into my left armpit if the seat was much lower than it is now. I like how narrow the seating area is and how it locates me very well. I don't move around at all and it has a very secure feeling. The foot box is narrow but once I got used to it (as opposed to a 'normal' sedan) I have no trouble at all with the pedals. I wear a size 11 1/2 (Simpson) shoe and I wear driving shoes when I use the car. They've become my favorite shoes and I wear them all the time. So with this seat and the pedal box all the way forward I have just the right amount of leg room and I'm good and low. I used to think that if money was no object that I'd get an SV but after making the changes and enjoying the smallness of the car in it's handling I don't think I'd trade. My 2 cents. Enjoy the process. dave

Cool. be sure to set your front camber with your weight in the seat. With a double A arm set up you will gain camber on the right side and lose it on the left when you put your butt in the seat. I use sand bags to simulate my weight in the car so I can do the measuring. Have fun. dave

Mcmaster-carr. google and search and they will have them. dave

I just looked up my area and while they list a few good ones they miss the best the area has to offer. I wonder how they select them? dave

I owned a very nice 1966 Lotus Cortina a number of years back and sold it when I got deeper into autocross and the LoCort no longer fit my needs. I couldn't afford two cars so the Cortina had to go. As childish as it sounds watching it go onto the truck to be shipped to it's new home brought a tear to my eye. Dave

I agree...... hard is the new fast. dave

Mobil1 in my ZX1 Zetec. Dave

How tall are you? I ask because I'm 6'4" and I fit in my Seven better than I do an Elise. I certainly can't fit in an Elise with a helmet on with the top on the car. I really like the Elise and could own one...... if I could afford one. When I was looking for a car a number of years ago I was looking for a Seven or an Elise. The Elises have come down in price (used ones anyway) and if money was better might opt for the practicallity of one. But for now I'll just have to suffer along with the Seven and a Mini Cooper S as a daily driver I like my cars very much. dave