Mondo

I can understand using/replicating as much S2000 suspension parts as possible... My 7, with an S2000 motor and Subaru independent rear end, weighs 1450lbs. There are no sway bars and I can't imagine the need for one (front or rear). Got a feeling your car will be approximately the same weight and that bar will be way overkill and may negatively affect handling. You can always use it as a template for a smaller diameter one should you feel it's needed after completion. It should be noted I have no engineering or mechanical backround so my comments are more for you to get a second opinion then to actually go by what I say;) That rear shock set up looks trick and I'm sure you can get it dialed in with a little research. Keep up the good work!

I'm sure there are plenty of cars there that get the heart racing but I thought this one was particularly good. 1961 Mercedes 190 with new mercedes running gear AMG biturbo V12... check out the subtle widening of the body (web page) http://www.hotrodscustomstuff.com/photos/mercedes-bent-1961-190-sl.html

Thanks for the compliment.... But I'm pretty sure there's a few things I've done in my younger days that would of put me in contention for that award;) ,

I'd think the real trick would be using the brakes & throttle;)

Gert, Pretty cool picture, nice to get that shot after all that front suspension work you just did. Car looks super clean.

I think that way most of the time but you have to figure in that a company that sells cars all over the world, has to make compromises for the variety of terrain the car may travel. I remember the revelation I had with suspension set up for my particular sportbike & skill level. Once I remember thinking I was just having a bad day until I realized there was way too much air pressure in the tires and adjusted them. I'm definately not "expert material" when it comes to riding but was kind of proud of myself that I could tell the difference and actually ride faster. It's helped me with my car as I've adjusted ride height, corner balanced the car, and now play with tire pressures to make it feel a little loose or tight to me. Still probably far away from what a professional driver could do to make the car handle better but it's kind of fun playing around with it.

Guess there's nothing that says a front wing has to be the close to the ground.

If it was me, and the camera was still running, you'd see me getting sick at the thought of all the damage I just did. Guess that's why I don't race;) ,

I have the leather skull cap & vintage goggles... but look too much like a dork in it. You got to have the right shape face for it (not a narrow face & big nose;) ) I have a hat that's sort of like a lined baseball cap but a flap folds down covering ears and back of head. Good for 50-60 degree weather http://www.blair.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=2999&mr:referralID=470a53f0-e719-11df-af68-001b2166becc Really cold, wear a balaclava http://www.compacc.com/Apparel-Mens-Street-Headwear ,

When I had my tune done at Bisimoto his recommendation was a turbo due to the tweaking you can do across the powerband at different speeds. Instead of needlessly spinning the tires in low gears you can progressively add boost the faster you go. That sounded pretty interesting to me. The AEM ECU also has a traction control function for us drivers with more power than skill to help keep us from wadding up the car. Another thing that sounded interesting to me;) For some reason, I wasn't much interested in the launch control function. ,

Clutchless up & down shifts... This is great for bike engine 7s (paddle shifter accessory) and it looks like they're working on car sequential gearboxes. http://www.flatshifter.com/

10,000rpm! I get nervous at 8 grand... know you've done a lot of work to that motor so it can handle it.

I've heard of "itchy trigger finger"... but "stinky trigger toe"

I might try to make... saw where you guys were talking about it starting at 7am.... I'd probably leave around 6 and so might get there closer to 8. Would that still work (too crowded)?

I've always thought the S-1 looked to be the most civilized version of a 7 and would be good for road trips (as much as any 7 can be). With the SB100, someone from California ought to jump on it... nice price too. Good luck... though I'm sure you'll miss it when it's gone.

I can't imagine going that fast in my S2K... noticed you had just the front wing on. Did it handle well at speed?

Bump Loren, never got an update on how successful or "eventful" the race was.

With a custom made location for the engine you might want to check the 4 wheel balance of the car too (preferrably with you in it). Have the castor checked when you get the alignment done. The more castor the more the car wants to stay straight (a little heavier steering too). I can cruise the freeways well past the speed limit... though with the really sensitive steering, approaching triple digits on country roads, with their dips, imprefections, is too scary for me. Disclaimer: I would never intentially go over the speed limit;)

I saw someone with a quaiffe in his Caterham that wasn't use to it and downshifted by mistake... he lost a U-joint at best and damaged the box at worst (he did have one of those metal straps that kept the driveshaft from going crazy though it still did come thru the tunnel a bit. They make automatic rev matching systems for bikes and I think sequential boxes... bikes also have slipper-clutches for downshifting (that would be nice). Anyway, I agree he was aggressive and used the whole track but he is on a racetrack afterall so can't really knock him for getting after it... and it's his car to damage (hopefully). His passes were ok, though it must of been in the "advanced" group as there were no passing hand signals etc.. At least we know how he gets rid of stress;) .

For us runts that don't truly have a Lotus and don't want to offend the purists with improper badging... "Not us" '

Just printed it out and stuck it on the steering wheel for the heck of it. Probably would look better on glossy paper. The logo is in my album. Feel free to copy it and use it as you see fit. Someone with better skills can probably find a better "N" font than I could. I used to have a Yamaha that I took some decals and swapped the second "h" with another "m"... funny how few noticed.

This is what I did today. Kind of proud of myself.. with my limited skills. Bought a harness extension and moved the ECU from the engine compartment, near the exhaust to the rear compartment. Some zip ties, a little velcro, "plumber's tape" (thin strapping) and viola. Now I just need to figure out how to enclose the hole in the trunk I made for the harness. I didn't remove the connector plugs so there's a 2in hole that I put some rubber C channel around to protect from chafing and the carpet still covers most of it. Think I'll make a little plate, drill the appropriate size hole (about 5/8in) for the harness, then cut it in half, find a grommet, and mount it under the carpet. Loren, I looked at your suggestion but the way some of my connector pins/wires were hooked up (they weren't all in one harness), I couldn't just drill a hole and mount the ECU in nearby passenger footwell without splicing/extending some individual wires. This option was literally "plug and play".