lotusman1951

I gave up on the 2014 Birkin offered in Ebay-posted its availability on this forum for others interested-reconsidered my position-asked my wife if its OK to own another weird car but to keep it for holiday/family visits in California. Intend to pick it up in 2 weeks. This will complement my Fury in Maryland which is proving very special- Previously I had sought a Caterham SV Duratec in California for $25K-The Birkin will accomplish the same end. Anyhow, since I stirred the pot on this forum as to its availability-I felt there should be some communication about the process. Drive Safe Kevin

I have come to terms with the recent Ebay offering of the 2014 Duratec Birkin in California. The advice of the USA7s community about Birkins and TMW and the forthrightness of the owner has been great, I live in Bethesda Maryland-my Kids and Grandkids in Southern California whom I visit and enjoy-but its been 30 years of rent a cars and motels. Yuck! So the plan is to use the Birkin as my occasional California Car-and I need a storage/garage situation within Taxi distance of LAX, John Wayne, Long Beach, San Diego and could use suggestions/help. My kids grew up with TVRs, Allards, Loti, etc. The grandkids only exposed to SUVs need some experience with the other end of the spectrum-and I need to run the left coast from top to bottom. That's the plan-if I can get a sensitive to 7s storage situation- Thanks Kevin

The Birkin/duratech California will take 22K-

Nice car-bid on it myself. Truly the first thing that needs doing is to cut the gearshift lever down to size and perhaps (with a torch) bend it aft. Ford gearboxes are a delight-alternate a quick shifter from Burtons UK-The standard cortina unit installed in the car is very out of place and a buzz kill. Enjoy with elan Kevin

John Went over your past posts Xflow/Cortina/4.10 LHD Arizona-so what makes it a replica-like a Caterham replica or so many others I can see the extra tubes and squared transmission tunnel-so what is it ? and do you have a BIN price/ Kevin lotusman1951@yahoo.com

John, A few details please. Lotus style or Locost, Drive was a crossflow? what trans rear end? Weight? Location for a drive away adventure like PCH, od Blue Ridge Parkway? Kevin Looks good

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Racing is life-everything else is just waiting-McQueen/LeMans What I am avoiding like a drunk wanting a drink is to do another build/restoration or major mod on another car/yacht or motorcycle-a winters activity. I do these builds and sometimes I keep it for decades wear out the tires-and sometimes I don't like them. Its a dark pit of owning and not using fully what you have built as art. I love wearing out what I have built. the doing and the driving. So I want to drive rather than fix. I love the creative side of fixing. Tempted to obtain yet another special car-the dark winter crossword puzzle that I have done to often. Just Waiting Kevin

Happy and sober this AM We all share the love of exuberant cars-I am thinking about exuberant land activities to do, for the last 20 years I have been doing the NY to Bahamas cruising seasonally on a 20 ton trawler. So a land based adventure in a minimal way-like our minimal cars. My first X county in a VW bug then a TVR-and 3 times by motorcycle. So I need a variation of that - I have considered RVs but its a BUS. The Honda Groms seem 7 like in their minimal self. Anyhow Kevin

To tell you the truth I have it made. I have wonderful roads inches from my doorstep 18 miles of twisty river roads, one stop sign, two lane, truly drop dead 180mph sprint road with no cops. That's my back yard. I do it all the time, and I have sporting cars-and I have done these things and enjoy them-I mean to coast in Neutral into Great Falls National Park, Gravity with launch at 50 in a 20-is it better in an F-40 or a Seven?. To decibal the white House with a Supertrapp on a Sunday Morning -purely out of the American freedom to be "special". So I am 64 and wanting to visit my Kids in So.Cal.-got grandkids now and I have been visiting So.Cal forever-work and kids.hotels and rentacars. So I want to do an ultimate-British Columbia to Baha, seasonally correct. I have done coast to coast and back in 12 days on an Yamaha RZ350-and have a neat rambling experience- Done the last decade Trawlering on the East Coast So I admit it-VW campers make cute-and after that-the selection turns big dumb and ugly-If I could get something --No RVs are death. I have been drinking and---well I will continue this you are a special group--have helped before. I flip between buying a boat and going to Cuba-or doing A Honda GROM down PCH. Need Focus and done

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11s in general are noisy from interior reflected sound and panel rattles-compared to sevens. With early westfields you get MG uprights and hubs verses Spitfire stuff used in Caterhams-so you have to love kingpins. Westfields have a stronger/smarter frame and front suspension than lotus s3 7s and early Caterhams. Some 11s have Alfa and Lotus engines-so much better than A series austin/mg-the MG transmission in Westfields is yuck compared to a ford/cortina unit. So a Westfield with ford uprights and discs, backed by a twin can with CR ford gears-going thru a Datsun B210 rear-and you need 15 inch wheels. That's the way to go IMHO. Former S1/7 Westfield owner

Hi if you have COPD-I would not free vent these gases-they go into the air-and unless you are moving -you breath them Kevin

So in the world of V8 engined neat cars-Cobras,Panteras, Cheata's Outlaw cars, anything. Whats right about a well designed 914 with 350hp running thru a 901 gearbox? My only 914 drive made me HATE the gearchange-The balance of the 914 and the 350 chevy.its being in LA near my kids--so go to 16K?-more, on ebay

Seeking complete car as built by David Kaplans company- One last seen with a RX7 engine in New Jersey I sold mine to Arizona. special car so I am seeking another perhaps

Exhaust heat can be managed best if the exhaust system does not have to pass your footwell-MIATAs NA/NB have left side exhausts-if you were to pick an engine that had a right hand exhaust everything would be more nice--My advice is to store the twin webers and go to a single downdraft-this will change your HP to about 85-from perhaps 100HP.-sub $500 perhaps 2 hours work.

I will toddle off 177 miles north to purchase a Miata NC automatic-a pleasure in my advancing years-I will have been the largest, heaviest and largest displacement-in my lifetime. $8K 64K miles full option car no hardtop -thats as simple as it gets.

So how bad is it, I have a Coupe and a roadster, 2 small motorcycles- Cash in my pocket from the sale of the BRGs and the Meyers Tow'd in Baha came up. So emails back and forth-there is nothing "wrong" with this deal-Tijuana to LaPaz-cash for keys, expired US tags-good to the border the seller claims. The Tow'd can scare people who drive Lotus Sevens-for all sorts of reasons-but this is the CLASSIC 10 out of 10 buy a car, wring it out and make money and experience the BAHA 1000-a Steve McQueen quality experience. Sub $5K. 14 inches of rainfall projected in November-stopped me, third world in the mud. Such a weenie, Kevin 318ti BMW Fury 1400 pounds/240hp Kawasaki 250 Super Sherpa Honda Wave 125

Lunatic Fringe, yes-each and every recreation has an edge-the skydivers without chutes, shark fishing in an inner tube, cactus jumping bacon frying nudists. So 7ers-you be that subset -people have cautioned you about how dangerous, or funny, or special your motoring is-Lunatic Fringe. My bathroom reading is old Road and Tracks-does that mean anything? My dog car is a BMW318ti how alter ego can you get..I feel dizzy- Kevin

Tow'd dreams from LaPAZ to LA. There is a $4000 Meyers Tow'd in Baha-This is one of 200 tubed framed post Manx buggies that Bruce Meyers created-a kissing cousin of a lotus 7 from a light cheap focused car perspective. So as soon as I can I need to fly to Mexico, bring cash and drive an antique. who knows what condition 1000 miles north-no spanish. silly

If I looked back on all the things I learned in --whatever-Point being is that I have totally lost track of most of the Motorcycles, Cars, Boats and Women I have known-long committed affairs. 12 years with my Moto Guzzi V7 Sport, 20 years with an Allard K2, an armada of boats from kayaks to 50ft passagemakers. This week after 20 years I parted with my his and hers British Racing Green Miatas-stick and supercharaged and auto and stock. 12 months since I sold the Yacht. before that the MZ660 motorcycle was sold off. There have been a dozenish lotus in my past. Today, I should be buying a 2007 Miata with auto to replace the BRGs-and I am reluctant. The Fisher Fury that I bought off this website, has sorted out with 500 miles trouble free. My review of the car as compared to say a lotus 7 is that its stiffer, takes bumps better, and has better wind control at speeds-80mph being smooth windwise. The 7s have been less squeeky-body rattles and such and they are easier to get in and out of. I have , in the past used elans, elises and cortinas as daily drivers-The Fury was bought as a project to fill in the void of the sold Yacht-not to be a Miata replacement-perhaps thats whats happened-that I am reluctant to replace the Miata because of the Fury ? I know some of you out there have more than a passing addiction to "things that move"-I think I am going through some sort of withdrawal. This posting helps me think out the situation. Kevin

I offered 20K-he said not even close.

The Fisher Fury got on the scales today-1400 pounds even-full tank. My last DSK/YBM 7 was 1300 pounds-There is a Factory Five 818 on BAT , 1900 pounds-the Polaris slingshot 3 wheeler is 1700+. I use as many alloy parts as I can-lugnuts, hubs, steering rack, radiators, driveshaft, diff carrier, Head, transmission case, brake calipers, wheels gauges,-the car was a special lightweight special-I was hoping for less than 1300. What I read in the books is that Series 1 sevens were less than 1000 pounds-I don't know if that's true. Anyone wish to share there numbers? Kevin Kearney PS Touched 200 miles today 7 grand shifts, dyno tune next week at MACH 5 in Sterling Va.

If it were not beam front axle instead of a split front axle suspension correct for a 6 it would be OK-

I found some Harley Davidson bobbins with a spring thats welded to the end plates and enclosed in rubber. That might do and then the next will be the VW idea. Thanks Kevin