powderbrake

I agree with Rescue Bob. The motorcycles seem to be the biggest offenders of crossing the Yellow line and reckless driving. The cars do some reckless driving as well, but since they are unable to make the passes that the bikes can do, by default, they are a little more responsible. Keeping in mind the necessity of stayng in your lane, and operating at a speed at which you have vehicle control will prevent your causing accidents. It also helps somewhat if you are confronted with a guy in your lane. At the Dragon, I tried to practice the same thing I do at home when taking a "spirited" blat on a twisty road. I pretend the road is only 1 LANE WIDE. I stay in my lane, and take the best line I can at a speed which will keep me on the road ( and hopefully stop in time if needed). I am simply simulating a much narrower "track", which actually takes a bit more car control than using both lanes. I also tend to slow down at hill crests and blind turns in areas where I have not seen the road is clear ahead. That's not because I am a slow driving wussie, but because I went for a blat once on a favorite twisty road with my wife in the car, and as we were talking, I was not pushing it as hard as I would by myself. I came around the corner of a two lane country road, and there was a huge garbage truck PARKED in the MIDDLE of the road. I was able to stop, but two days before that I had come around that same corner at a speed at which there was no stopping in time. Needless to say, the mental image of my car compacted against the rear of that truck has changed my driving habits.

Here's some pics from 2006 http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/592296384_DSC_2907 (Small).JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1535004672_DSC_2908 (Small).JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1876427709_DSC_2917 (Small).JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/2119131598_DSC_2929 (Small).JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1331731996_DSC_3017 (Small).JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/387323190_DSC_3042 (Small).JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1929872675_DSC_3081 (Small).JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1264195725_DSC_3142 (Small).JPG

Quote: If so maybe a 7 will make it on the T shirts for a change. I doubt if it will happen this year. This event has always been the property of the Cobra crew, but as you know, the sevens are really starting to get their attention. While winning is fun, just the opportunity to get your car on the road course and drive the snot out of it is great fun. Finding out how fast you can push it around a corner is easy to do here. I should know, I have spun out each year, testing the limits of adhesion. I just do it when there is a lot of empty track behind me. and in the infield where there are no walls. I do not believe there has been a crash with damage to a car in the last 4 years that I have attended the event. For those who may not have participated in a "track day" don't be intimidated by the hot shoe drivers. You can run at your own pace, and there is NO passing in the corners, and ONLY on the straights when you give a wave by to the overtaking car. You are not holding them up for a record time .... the time records are taken on an individual run basis. So bring your seven, and have fun.

Calling all Se7eners !!!!! Run N Gun is a three day event for kit cars on Oct 11-13 at Gateway International Speedway in Madison IL, across the river from St.Louis, MO. For more details on Run N Gun, see www.runngun.com The course can be seen at http://www.gatewayraceway.com/ There are covered garages with electricity and air, and a friendly track staff that is interested in everyone having as much fun as possible. Last year the event supplied transponders, which allowed multiple cars on the track for their record time trials which went quickly. This gave more time for track sessions, and some cars got over 200 miles of track time on the road course, as there were about 45 cars at the event. Road course fun time is what makes this event so attractive. :hurray: Day one and half of day two is for running the road course, and there is an autocross on day two which is set up by the local SCCA on the track parking lot. Day three is drags on the dragstrip next to the road course. There is a group dinner at the track Friday night, which is covered by the entry fee. There is an additional day on Wednesday for test and tune. "From 9:00 am to noon, a seminar will be conducted by Morris Clement (two time National Champion) on car set up and preparation. Scales will be available to weigh the balance set up on your car and suggestions for improvements to make. Work done on your car can be made by you and your crew and then it can be tested on actual conditions during the Wednesday afternoon practice test and tune. This day is an entry only event and the cost is $100 for the day." Last year sevens took 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 16th, 17th and 30th place overall on the road course. That included a Viking, Stalkers, and Ultralites. I hope to see some Lotuses,Caterhams, Birkins, Locosts, Westfields and Demans there this year. It's time to blow those Cobras into the weeds !!!!! :boxing: I'm sending in my registration today for this year's Run N Gun. The fee is $425 if postmarked before 7/31. and $525 after that date.

The Superformance S1 is comparable to the Supeformance cobras, ie the fit and finsh is immaculate. It has a plush interior, and I believe was a little heavier tha an average 7. they stopped making them to concentrate on building Cobras.

For those going to Run N Gun: _____________________ Special Wednesday Want to realize the best performance from your vehicle? Wednesday, October 10, 2007 is the time to do it. From 9:00 am to noon, a seminar will be conducted by Morris Clement (two time National Champion) on car set up and preparation. Scales will be available to weigh the balance set up on your car and suggestions for improvements to make. Work done on your car can be made by you and your crew and then it can be tested on actual conditions during the Wednesday afternoon practice test and tune. This day is an entry only event and the cost is $100 for the day. Every Run 'N Gun participant should sign up for this day. The knowledge and experience gained by this will be invaluable. __________________________- see www.runngun.com for more details of the rest of the event, thursday thru Saturday

Loren/Kevin: Sorry to see the kink in the rear end, but I am sure you can straighten it or replace a section. I was thinking about all the work you put into installing the cool looking brake lights flush with the painted surface. maybe you can install some other kind, and save some work. Jerry

For us internet dummies, what's a WIKI?

Al: I could use a couple large black stickers. All that were left were white, and my trailer is all white. I could use one black small sticker. I have one on the nose of my car. and I'd like one on the tail Jerry

Sam's Club is a good source for jacks and jackstands. One note of caution on those low cost "aluminum racing jacks" I have one and it is not as "easy" to use as an old fashisoned floor jack. The "racing" jacks are a rapid lift with fewer pumps, ( I suppose they help you simulate a NASCAR tire change) and as a result, they are not as precision a lifting device as a floor jack with a smaller piston. They also tend to drop precipitously when you open the release valve. All that aside, they are light, and handy to use. With a seven, it's easy to pump up and if you are careful they will go down slowly. With my Tahoe, I have to really lean on the handle to lift the SUV, and I have to be EXTREMELY careful when lowering.

Ned the Red; If you click on the "Configurator" on the www.flyinmiata.com/westfield website. It gives pricing. The Sevens community is a small one, and you may find that the USA7s members and other seven websites will give you more info than the manufacturers, no matter which brand that you choose. If you are already committed to a Caterham, that is certainly the marque with the provenance.

I believe the Ultralite at Putnam was Paul Snyder ( A Red and silver paint job). He just recntly finished his kit and he told me he was having fuel delivery problems at Putnam. I know that bball7754 is fast, he had no problem keeping up with a couple of Ultralites when we were on a 3 day cruise in the Ozarks last summer.

I use a visor mount to hold my Valentine 1 on the hood, in the middle between my mirrors. I wired to a lighter socket in the passenger footwell. The detector is upside down, which means the front and rear arrows are inverted, but I am used to it. Since the "speaker" ( actually a 1/8 diameter hole) is now on the passenger side, I can't hear it. I then got a remote audio module from Valentine, and installed it under the dash on the left side. I wear an earphone in my left ear, and now I can hear the alerts. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/741762407_DSC_4069 (Medium).JPG

I like the badge, it will help a lot if everone wears theirs so I can put some names and faces together. I need repetition and reinforcement to remember the names. ( My wife says I leave the house with a clean slate each morning) The pencil is a good idea as well. Good job Al.

You can never have too much hosepower.......................you can however have too little traction. Only $30K for the engine? I'll take the pair, Please equip them with the quick detach coupling so I can swap them in and out to compare them.

Great idea. I may check that here in Missouri. I checked all kinds of variations of "seven" ( we only get 6 digits) and they were all taken.

I agree, this is the whole concept of the club, let's not lose it. So far the events have been the incentive for people to join the club, and the event organizers, Al and Gert have done an incredible amount of work to pull off these two events. It is difficult to find people who will go to that much effort with no reward except to meet other se7en owners, however, someone will step forward to host the next event. An electronic publication would be a nice feature for the membership. I believe we can get floor nominations for the officer positions at the meeting, as well as a "editor" for a newsletter. Mazda's incredible efforts to keep up the website should not be lost. The USA7s Forum is the "glue" that keeps this group together. Yes, there will be forums or email lists that will cater to specific brands, and they will serve the purpose of exchanging the details of that specific brand ( "where do I get a left handed, BST pipe thread for the oil line on a 1600cc crossflow ?"), but I believe this forum can become the First place to go to get info on se7ens activity in the USA.

Look closely, and you can just barely see the sequential shift lights under the top portion of the steering wheel.

Great display. What's that center right gague that occasionally gores to max? I assumed oil pressure or fuel level.

I would love to see a closeup video of the display as you rev it up. It really appers to be bright and viewable. As to the car....... Fenders ?..... We don't need no steenkin fenders!!!

Loren: The trailer looks great. I understand your construction, and the fact the sheet metal will act as a stressed member when you screw it on to the sides. Triangulating the sides will only add strength in vertical bending of the sides, and they have no load in that direction. It will not help the side to side bending, which is mostly generated by wind forces. Multiple latches ( like our adjustable hood latches) between the sides and the top will help to rigidize the whole box, as well as pins or other method to tie the top to the sides and not allow the top to move from side to side relative to the sides. I wish I had a low trailer like that, I have a 7X16 Utility trailer, and being much higher, it creates more drag.

I believe you will find the heat insulation to be a good investment. I covered the passenger footwell with the aluminized mylar with fiberglass backing, as well as the whole passenger side ( my exhaust is on the pass side), and it remains as cool or cooler than the drivers side. The stuff really works. Your car is really coming together, and just in time.

Too harsh ? Not by a long shot. What a weenie that guy was. He was in city traffic, and complaining of the buffeting! He had a windshield and side curtains. I would invite him for a ride in my Ultralite, with just those brooklands style windscreens. He would probably start to cry and ask to get out. Of course I wouldn't let him out, I'd take it to 100mph where the buffeting makes your hair hurt.

I blew a gulp of coffeeout of my nose when I read that LOL :lol: I suggest a bravery award for Kitcat. Buying a car like a seven and driving it 700+miles home is BRAVE. :hurray: All of your experiences, like the ride, trying to drink while driving, hitting the ignition switch are classic, and you will surely remember them fondly as part of being a Se7en owner.

If you were haing any more fun, we would have to charge you an entertainment tax !!!