athens7

What a surprise, Jim Robertson's name next to FTD! The more things change, the more they remain the same. After setting the standard in Atlanta, Jim's now schooling those Texas guys. Way to go Jim!

And to think automakers are wasting all that time and money developing cylinder deactivation systems!

BGH seems to be the only source that opposes using Redline transmission fluid. Many people on Blatchat use the MTL GL-4 (70W80). John Esposito (Quantum Mechanics) says the T-9 was designed for semi-syn, but it's not generally available in the USA. If one doesn't want to buy Comma oil from the UK (I want to use fluids I can reasonably expect to find in my area), John says the best choice is Redline MT-90 GL-4 (75W90). My car came with Castrol 80W90, and I found it to be fine when hot, but stiff and balky when cold. I much prefer the MT-90 that's in the box now. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that GL-5 fluid is anathema to these transmissions, as it allows the synchros to wear out prematurely. Perhaps in colder climates the MTL would be good, but the original spec on the T-9 calls for 75W90 or equivalent, and perhaps using the lighter weight MTL contributes to the premature wear the folks at BGH worry about.

+1 on the sump guard-Raceline sumps are expensive, not to mention internal engine components! Mine came from Jeff Sloan at British Auto. I have several blemishes on it that would otherwise have been on the sump.

My motor ran 90-100 degrees Celsius when I got it. After replacing the thermostat with a 180 degree Farenheit unit, it runs right at 80 degrees Celsius, by the gauge. It is much happier at cooler temperatures, according to the dyno charts.

Mobil 1 5W30 (SVT Zetec).

Nice looking car! It's always good to find another one of the SVT cars-they are unique in several respects, making certain discussions/solutions like intake air flow and engine management tuning inapplicable to other cars. The more of these that are connected on forums like this, the more likely we will be to find and share useful info. Blatchat is virtually useless in regards to this drive train configuration, as the Zetec ST170 (as the SVT is known over there) is almost unheard of in a UK Seven application.

That Chapman guy was a rather clever fellow!

I found Prototipos to be VERY narrow. I have a D width foot, and could not find a comfortable pair. The Monacos are wider, and Nomex lined, but they look like an Italian take on old Converse low tops (they are comfortable, though).

Mazda, my mutual funds are down 50% since 2007 and I don't have enough money to buy all the 7 related toys I want; can you help? Oh, never mind, I just figured I was asking for help with stuff, and...

I've been in and out of the site a couple of times now, and every time I come back, it shows my last visit was 12/31/1969 at 7 pm. Even if I close my browser and re-open, it is the same. What's up?

No matter what you choose, leave some budget room for upgrades. As soon as you start driving your new car, you will find things you want to fiddle with, no matter how it's equipped. Ask anyone here what their "upgrades accomplished" list looks like, or , worse yet, what their "upgrades still to do" list looks like. When I'm 3 years dead, my ghost will be fiddling with my car!

Got mine some time back (46). I thought I had replied; just another example of creeping senility.

What about the Braille batteries? Expensive, but an interesting argument about carbon fiber vs. metal jacketing, especially considering the heat under the bonnet of our cars. Has anyone tried one of these: http://braillebattery.com/index.php/batteries/b2015c/#

Thanks, Martin and Mazda.

Excellent link, Andrew. Hope it doesn't crash my network (just my virus paranoia)!

73 degrees today, so on the road!:hurray:

The connector visible in the foreground of the bottom center of the 2nd photo was spliced into the harness. I chose to keep the original connector to the distributor in place so that I could use either system (as much for testing as anything). Otherwise, no changes. It is not a true sequential system, as it uses stock engine management, and thus fires 2 coils at the same time, but most people I've spoken with say coil-on-plug is almost always preferable to distributors/plug wires for many reasons, including the ones John mentioned. My guy said he would be happy to make these for any interested parties.

Eliminates the distributor and plug wires (always trying to clean up a crowded engine bay) , plus picked up a couple of hp and lbs-ft using copper plugs instead of the platinum ones. If anyone knows what the electrical connector that mounts on the distributor bracket is for (upper center of picture, with green wire), please chime in; I'd like to remove the bracket, but don't want to eliminate a necessary ground until I have an alternative. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1515756239_DSC02193.JPG http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/151152531_DSC02194.JPG

Repairs: New right rear wing-injured during repeated cone killing sprees - DONE Maintenance: Replace brake/transmission/differential fluids Upgrades: Coil-on-plug direct ignition with copper spark plugs. I hope to free up space by eliminating the distributor so that I can install a cold air intake, as well as maybe pick up about 5 hp. Postponed due to economic impacts: Aforementioned cold air intake New exhaust system

Time or money; you spend one or the other. If you buy from Caterham USA, or a Caterham dealer, your only hassle is the state titling & registration (not necessarily without trauma-it took me 11 months to get my title!). Or, based on some of the anecdotes in this thread, you can do all the importing yourself and deal with the Feds, the shipper, etc. Also, the Caterham USA driveline will be, in most respects, ready to install and compatible with your chassis, vs. a complete engineer-it-yourself project. I've not for a single day regreted my purchase, but the car is a special purpose instrument and should not be bought new unless it's exactly what you want. The resale is fine, AFTER the initial depreciation, which seems to be substantial. I haven't seen a used Caterham change hands for over $50k, and this thread certianly illustrates what a well equipped new 7 costs, so it's not hard to do the depreciation math.

At current pricing and availabilty of new Caterhams, I think this car is a terrific buy. It's MUCH less expensive than a new one, and, at least for me, the purchase price was just the starting point of the investment (upgradeitis is an addiction!). So whatever one pays, there's always more $$$$ to spend as one discovers the idiosyncracies and opportunities of his/her car. Tom, I wouldn't dis anyone's 7, I was simply noting that more hp can equal even more fun. Of course, my car is a slug by Ebrahimi standards, so there's always a bigger fish.