Davemk1

A few autocross friends and I bought some scales for corner weighting so it's really simple. Put the car on the scales, put the read-out next to the car where you can see it, plunk your butt in the saddle and see what you've got. In a perfect world the corner weights would be 50% and the right-left balance would also be 50%. But the world isn't perfect so while it's easy to get a 50% corner weight it's near impossible to get a 50% right-left. So I just concentrate on the corner weight. The only way to offset my near 200# of driver and helmet would be to add a lot of weight to the passenger side. I've removed as much weight as possible from the driver side to help but it's a token effort really. So corner weighting - I get the car set up EXACTLY how I race it. Race slicks set up with proper air pressure, 1/4 tank of fuel, my helmet on my head (yes it feels silly sitting in your car standing still in your garage with your helmet on), etc. Look at the read out and make a plan as to what spring to adjust, make the adjustment and recheck. The scales are very sensitive and can tell the difference between my hands on the steering wheel and my hand in my lap. Not that it matters really but why not go all the way. Tweak, check, tweak, and repeat. It's very easy really. My car weighs 1241 (in race trim) without me in it and 1431 with me in the car. I have a 50% corner weight and 49.4% front and 50.6% rear. 53.6% of the weight is on the driver's side and 46.4% on the passenger. As for the car weight and the SCCA. It's a bit convoluted and you need to look closely at the rule book. The min weight for DM (weight with driver) is 1380 with a 2.0L motor. But there are two additional weight considerations. One is that the Birkin ( and most Sevens) incur a 40# modified tub penalty. So the min weight then becomes 1420 for a Birkin. But (there's always a 'but' isn't there?) there is another more obscure rule that says IF you have less than 51% of the weight on the drive wheels you can deduct another 35#. So with my car, since it's weight distribution is less than 51% rear I can consider removing weight from the car AS LONG AS I don't end up with 51% or more of the weight on the rear. In my case this means I can effectively remove weight from the middle to the rear of the car, get the weight down to the adjusted min of 1385. For me this means at large important events I'll remove the windshield (and gain a big aero advantage- 11 pounds) and the rear luggage tray (4.5 pounds) which will bring my weight down to 1415 and still have less than 51% of the weight on the rear. Due to the variable weight of the fuel and the fact that not all scales read the same I want to stay about 20 pounds over the limit just in case. All this said I think the whole weight deal is only important at large events where they actually impound the car and weigh it. If you just want to compete locally and have fun then corner weight the car and don't worry about the overall weight. No one else will care and you will no doubt be above the min unless you try hard to not be. But if you want to compete on a national level it all matters. So far I've done well locally but have never been to the big show in Topeka. I hope to go this year. I'm sure I will get my butt kicked with the HP I'm running (145) but that makes the whole weight deal even more important. Plus the whole thing is interesting and fun for me. I hope that helps. dave

It's dead simple and really cheap. I used black ASB sheet from McMaster Carr. If you haven't heard of them they are the giant of industrial supply online. I used 1/16" sheet and it cost about $10 for enough material for both sides. Making them was simple. The Birkin has aluminum spats that are riveted on. I drilled out the rivets and removed the spats. I then taped them down to the ABS sheet and traced with a sharpie marker. I also drilled the ABS for the rivets by just passing the drill bit through the old and into the new pieces. I then cut the ABS with tin snips ( I think heavy kitchen shears would do it). Now all you need to do is rivet the new ones on and have a good dark beer while sitting alone in the garage. The last part is optional. have fun. Dave

The driveshaft hoops come from Woody at MSI. My era of Birkin had the driveshaft tunnel riveted in so I got to drill out 48 rivets. A fun day. I made the splitter out of 1/8" ABS sheet and angle aluminum. The whole deal just bolts on and weighs less than 3 pounds. I have no idea if it "works" but I doubt it hurts and I was underweight for Dmod anyway. Another way to look at it might be to say it must work as I haven't slid off the road yet! Thanks for asking. dave P.S..........the little grill in the splitter is to keep big bugs out of the fresh air intake I've run from the splitter to the foot box. I hate when bees go up my pants! http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/608352650_DSC_9010.jpghttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1146541531_DSC_9046.jpghttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1214039026_DSC_9049.jpg

It's been a very cold and snowy spring here in Bozeman but we have had some days to get out on clear roads. The Bridger Mountains are in the background and my home is near the base of the mountains as viewed from this spot. Really good driving round here. I've done a bunch of work on my Birkin in the past month and it's all coming together just in time for our first autocross race this weekend. I've recently - 1) installed an emergency cut off switch 2) installed driveshaft safety hoops (fun drilling rivets!) 3) made and installed a front splitter 4) corner weighted and balanced 5) made a passenger side cone deflector for the rear fender 6) made new ABS fender spats for the rear fenders to replace the ratty alloy versions. The added side benefit is that they are quieter when rocks whack them. Now it's time for a fun summer. Dave http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1546558906_DSC_9025.jpg

Hagerty for my Birkin. Agreed value and unlimited mileage. They asked how many miles a year I might drive the car and I told them 10,000. They asked where am I going with all those miles. I told them that everything in MT is far away and I work from home and drive for fun. OK they said. I think I pay something like $320 for the year. Dave

I've never seen a drain on my ZX1. I use the lovely "loosen a hose and slide it off slowly and get the fluid all over your shirt sleeve and floor" technique. Is there another way? dave

I'm sorry.........both are sold at this point. dave

I saw that yesterday.......nice looking car. The one thing I wonder about is where the battery is? Normally they are above the passenger footwell. dave

My having an Eleven might be a pipe dream but a guy can dream can't he? I'd been thinking that it would be fun to build one but have it updated a bit for reliability. Maybe a simple 125 HP Zetec and a ford 5 speed tranny. That would ruin the old school feeling a bit but also make for more relaxed trouble free cruising. Seems like it would be fun to drive and autocross. Anyone seen a Westfield with a Zetec? dave

I got my springs from Woody at MSI. He should be able to give you good advice concerning the spring rate and A arm bending. As I recall (I'm not the expert) the bent arms were a result of the spring/shock bottoming out resulting in a big spike load to the A arms. St the ride height correctly (294 mm) and you should be fine. dave

I don't know about how your engine weight compares to the Zetec I've got but I can tell you I've settled on 350# in the front and 175# in the rear and it's wonderfully balanced and not harsh. Put some 8" springs on it and you'll be fine. If they are over 9" installed they must be 10" free length. dave

Looks to me like someone put the wrong length springs in. My Birkin has 8" front springs. Could yours be 10"? Dave

So the Westfield banner ad brings this to mind. I love the Eleven. I love it maybe too much. That said has anyone driven one of these things? Any idea on how tall a drive will fit? Just thinking aloud. Dave

So as some of you might recall I own a Birkin S3. I use it for general fun driving, running errands and lots of autocross. My car has not so much horsepower (145-ish) and my budget is limited. So I've been thinking about trying to make the aerodynamics a bit smoother to help in some of the high speed autocross events we have here. I don't expect that I can get any real downforce but I was thinking that if I could minimize lift and make it a bit more slippery that would be cool. Spring is only months away here in Montana so it's time for the work to be done before the race season starts. My idea of getting the airflow a bit better are three fold - 1) a front air-damn/splitter - this is very simple and I've mocked it up with cardboard and it doesn't even look that stupid. 2) a rear diffuser - much like the front splitter this is simple. I've made one form cardboard and think that both this and the front splitter could be made from sheets of 1/8" ABS. 3) a cover that would bridge the undertray under the rear axle. Bridging from the seat base area to the gas tank area. - This one would be very difficult and in the end wouldn't be too effective. Just too much stuff moving up and down and hanging low to make a good clean flowing cover. All this said I wonder if I might ask some questions and get some opinions. A) IF the whole thing was done well do you think it might do what I want it to do? B) knowing that autocross is for the most part a low speed deal do you feel that the extra weight (I'm guessing about 25 pounds) would be worth it? In other words would the weight hurt more than the aero helps? C) the hard part design and construction-wise would be the rear axle undertray. Laying on my back and staring underneath the car makes me think that WITHOUT the rear axle undertray that the rear diffuser would be worthless. The air flow under the car would be pretty smooth at the front and once it gets to the rear axle area is must swirl around in a big way and make a high pressure area and therefore drag and maybe lift. Does this make sense to you? D) does it seem that just the front splitter alone would be worth anything? E) can anyone think of anything or any other way to make the car slip through the air a bit easier? I'll be rigging up a way to easily remove the windshield as that seems like a big deal. Other than that anyone have any ideas? Thanks for reading and your time. Dave

Birkin S3 with 1/2 tank of fuel and my little 13" race slicks - 1258 pounds. Dave

Can't you just unplug spark plug wires one by one until it won't spin the tires anymore? dave

I have two Birkin parts up for grabs. I'm not looking to get rich with these but just want to get them out of the house and keep them out of the landfill. If I could get enough money for them to cover my time in packing them and bringing them to the shipper that would be fine. Both parts came from a 1999 Birkin S3. 1) stock roll bar - I replaced the roll bar on my Birkin with taller one I made to clear my big tall head. So this stock height original is up for grabs. It's kind of big and bulky so shipping will be a few bucks. If anyone out there is looking to do what I did............ that is make a tall bar for the Birkin, you could use the plates on the ends of this bar to save yourself a good chunk of time in machining. If you just need the ends I'd be happy to cut it up and send just the ends which would be a bunch cheaper. Buyer pays shipping. 2) stock Birkin seat - I replaced my drivers seat with a race seat and will never go back so the original needs to go. It's in good shape with one triangle tear where the seat rubs against the suspension bolt on removal. It's very light but obviously a bit bulky so plan on that for shipping cost. Buyer pays shipping. No reasonable offer refused. Let's just keep this stuff out of the landfill. Please contact me off list with offers if interested. Thanks, dave

I think there are plenty of stories out there that can support either side of the control argument. When I was 17 I moved away from home to Pensacola Fl. I was working in a bike shop on the bad side of town. One day a guy walked in and looked normal at first. I went back to what I was doing. Next thing I knew he was standing at the counter, about 3' from me pointing a pistol at my head. If you've never had this happen it's hard to describe. He was high or crazy or both. The look in his eye told me clearly that I would be lucky to walk away alive. If there had been a gun under the counter and I had the guts to reach for it he would have killed me. I have no doubt about this. I opened the register and let him take every cent. He left. I then called the cops who picked him up a few minutes later a few blocks down robbing a dry cleaner. He took a few shots at a cop and they managed to get him without killing him. He went to jail. If I had a gun then and the balls to pull it out I would not be typing this story now. My pulse is up just thinking about it now even 28 years later. One might think that an experience like this might make me want a gun. It didn't. I suspect that might seem ironic to some but it makes sense to me. I also suspect that others might feel the same way after looking at a man with nothing to lose pointing a pistol at them. Cops told me later that the gun had been stolen from a residence. Just say'in. dave

That's impossible to say I guess. I only have this one perspective. I know when I get older I won't be as able to protect myself but I can't say for sure how I'd feel. My opinion might change. I do know that we all make choices and this is a great country that allows us to do so. I left the east coast where I made much more money than I do now to live where I live. We seldom lock the doors. I leave me keys in my car most of the time. Our neighbors are very in tune with our movements and likewise. If anything is amiss something happens. It's as safe a place to live as I know of. There is of course still crime. There was a drug related murder in town last year. A very big deal and a rare thing. In the end I don't think guns are a real deterrent nor are they particularly effect at getting the bad guy. They might make use feel better but that only goes so far. Every time I read about one little kid shooting another with dad's gun it makes me sick. Sure dad should not leave a gun around loaded. But is he supposed to lock the ammo up in the gun safe and unlock it at 3AM and load his gun while the bad guy is stealing his stereo? Not a practical thing at all. The gun won't do squat without bullets. And if the gun isn't kept in the gun safe then it's ripe for being stolen. They have large street value and easy to sell. I doubt many folks that buy their guns from the local thug go out and register them so they can go to the target range for practice. They are sold and used in more crimes. It puts more guns on the streets. The idea that guns might deter crime just by the notion that there MIGHT be a gun in a house is nonsense. The criminal mind doesn't work that way. They don't look at cost and effect. They want your TV so they can sell it and buy some dope. Simple stuff. Sure if everyone in your area knows you are packing then maybe the crack-head will pick a different house but it's a concealed weapon so how are they to know. It just doesn't add up to me. IMO a good alarm system and good lighting are much more effective in keeping the bad man away. dave

No I don't own a gun. I do have a big oak stick under my bed an 10 years of martial arts training on how to swing it. I sleep just fine. Yes I actually live in MT. I'm the token non-gun owner. dave

The whole thing is funny to me considering the statistics and the "human factor" if you will. * you are more likely to be shot by your own gun if there is one in the house. * your kids/family are more likely to be shot by your gun. * will you really have the guts to look at another human being and pull the trigger knowing you might kill them? Many folks will say "yes" but when push comes to shove they will hesitate and it's a done deal. * your gun will do you no good if the "bad guy" gets it from you. As cocky as it sounds I can take your gun from you. If I'm within 5 - 6 feet of you I can take your gun. If I'm further away than that I can talk you into letting me get closer. It's what I'm trained to do. The gun owner doesn't want to shoot anyone and will, thank goodness, shoot at the last possible moment. This delay will let me take it from you. One might say "yeah but you are not a 'bad guy' who is going to break into my house" and you are right. I have no plans to do this. But it's not just "good" guys who have the training and experience. * cops are more likely to get shot when they show up at your house after you have call them to come save you. * the statistics show that the least likely person to get shot is the bad guy. * the last and weakest argument about the right to bear arms is the whole "we should be able to overthrow the government" deal. Does anyone really think that we as citizens, no matter how many guns we have and how good we are with them, can overthrow the government at this point? I don't really think our handguns are going to do much against the strongest military in the history of the planet. It's just not realistic to think that we can be effective this way. That ship sailed a long time ago when one could take common hand tools and a crude rifle and take over city hall. The Constitution, as wonderful as it is, was written in a place and time much different that we live in now and I feel it doesn't address this very well at this time. I personally don't fall definitively on one side or the other on this. I just wish folks were more realistic about their ability to use a gun and how effective it will be to keep the bad man away, while at the same time not killing the ones they love. It all looks easy on TV but the reality of the situation is real and different. dave

I have a DNA and like it very much. dave http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1686905587_DSC_7337.jpg

Woody's kit consists of rod ends in a machined aluminum tube. The big advantage of them over the stock arms the elimination of the stick-tion at the pivots. The stock arms have urethane bushings that have a high resistance to pivoting and in effect add to the spring and damping rates but a good bit. The reduced friction of Woody's kit allows for the rear suspension to be much more supple without it being soft. Call Woody @ MSI 707 448 3322. I've gotten a good number of things from Woody for my Birkin over the past few years and have been treated very well and he is a wealth of knowledge. Dave

Money and time very well spent in my book. The side benefit is you can actually get the thrust angle of the rear axle set correctly. All good stuff. Dave

Eggsactly - there is the famous bridge. There was also a bridge that fell on the NYS thruway about 10 years ago killing 9 as I recall. There was the tunnel in Portland that was closed due to the ceiling falling in. The issue isn't one of all the stuff collapsing around us at once but the slow failure of the system. Too slow to ring the alarm but failure nonetheless. In so many cases there are no plans in place to replace or repair these things BEFORE they become unusable and there is very little funding set aside to take care of the issues when they come up. Everything has a finite life-span. These things will need to be replaced and it will need to be paid for. It feels to me like we aren't preparing for that. I love cheap gas........ don't get me wrong but we will pay somehow. Dave