Mondo

This topic as come up before (you can use search on this site). It's pretty low on mine... I was there when 7evin dropped a wheel off the Buttonwillow track and ground down his S2K oil pan. Here's my soluton.. excuse the rust line, it's all aluminum but I didn't grind off the rust from a metal pipe that was resting on the square tubing. It's a little "MadMax" but I feel better;)

If it's registered as a pre-74 (or 76 can't remember) your in the clear and just go to the counter as any other car of that era... no smog. I don't know if they'll (DMV) want to actually see your car. I bought a 2005 G35 coupe from Texas and they wanted to confirm the VIN number. Otherwise you'll have to go the SB100 route (plenty of info if you "search")

I'm looking forward to doing some autoX but found out we don't do them locally anymore, they hold them kind of far away and I'll have to drive the car there and back (seen it done). Just putting it off as it seems a lot of effort for maybe 10 minutes of actual racing. I figure I'll either spaz out - getting all out of shape or embarrass myself for going so slow (probably after spazzing out;)). Old enough now that I don't really car as it's all about having fun. I really like the idea of being able to test the limits of the car (and my abilities) in a safe environment. Glad you had a frustrating but good time.

Your smog referee was easier than mine... he told me I had to have original gas tank and exhaust (plus no ECU error codes). Couldn't you tell the DMV they made a mistake on the model year per CHP? If you go the SB100 route, go in and get the paperwork done a couple weeks early (or to just double check what you have is ready to go) so all they have to do is call Sacramento. Register by body style not motor, late 60s Lotus 7. Good Luck mate, nice to have another S2K in California

nice work!

That's pretty much why the S2K & Stalker look the way they do (have you checked out my album?). Haven't seen the Westfield with the honda motor.. You may have to choose between horsepower or style (though the new Duratecs are getting close and the Cat/Birkins weigh a little less too). I doubt you'll really care about the HP difference on the street. The difference will be if your the kind of guy that will get the urge for more power after a while.... You can have a supercharged 340+hp S2K for less then the price of some newer Cats... anything over that is just bragging rights or is for the lunatic fringe (WestTexas & 7evin;)). I'm kind of in their camp as I want to be quicker (up to 100 or so) than a corvette... hence the saving up $$ for a supercharger on the stock motor. Don't discount the value of a pre-owned 7. They don't change that much (biggest exception being the Duratec motors) and the prices have come down considerably. Among the many nice cars I've seen for sale here, there's been Mopho's high performance Cat, a tricked out/high HP Nisson motored/ orange Westfield, an awesome Blue Birkin, and Chad's S2K was a steal! I could of bought Chad's car and added the supercharger for what I got in mine:( Decisions, decisions....

Kenny, WCM owners have a site for technical issues/help. Brian checks in and contributes as well. You'll see some pretty hardcore Auto X guys there and they often find things to trick out or improve on. http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Ultralite_USA/

Now thats what I'm talking about!!!

Sorry to hear this.... Sounds like New Jersey is one of the hardest places to register a car. Sometimes I think our club should have an old 60s 4 cylinder and we'll just loan it out for registration and the smog exceptions;) (does NJ require yearly inspections of old cars?). That windshield is funky... should definately show some pics without it (and the exhaust shield). Good luck

Kenny, As for the picture, keep in mind it's all relative... both cars are smaller than what you drove. One is tiny, the other is itsy-bitsy;) That being said, a Birkin was my second choice.

I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive Lab tests, he said I was doing 'fairly well' for my age. A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, 'Do you think I'll live to be 80?' He asked, 'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer or wine?' 'Oh no,' I replied. 'I'm not doing drugs, either!' Then he asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?' 'I said, 'No, my former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!' 'Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, sailing, hiking, or bicycling?' 'No, I don't,' I said. He asked, 'Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lot of sex?' 'No (didn't him about the 7),' I said. He looked at me and said.... 'Then, why do you even give a shit?'

I'm kind of embarrassed that a bigger than I like to admit issue was that I liked the look of the WCM better than the others (side shots are the most dramatic). I'm sure there are probably more traditionalist out there that have just the opposite feeling. Then when I found out about the honda drivetrain and all stateside parts availability (the only sole source WCM stuff is the chassis & bonnet I think) it was an easy decision for me. Also, it's very competitive in autoX so I Knew it handled well. Furthermore, it's probably got one of the widest drivers compartments (the passenger side is more standard/small;)) Besides Brian, you have WestTexas & 7evin relatively nearby that have the most experience in beating these cars up. They can also help you on build issues which I can't.... I just like to drive it! Good luck on whichever 7 you end up with, it's hard to go wrong.

Some of the guys down south (L.A. area) have been up here (this is from Bakersfield to Glennville thru Woody) but I have to admit to having an awesome 100 mile loop that is very enjoyable, little traffic (though you do have to be on the lookout for an occassional horse/cattle trailers taking up the narrow road) and seldom a cop. There's not a lot of places to turn around so they don't even bother unless your a complete idiot. A lot of what's in the video is road that you can see a few corners ahead as you travel it so you know if a car is coming... hence a lot of the yellow line crossing:) Plenty of other roads as well as I'm kind of surrounded on 3 sides with mountains. Not to mention Buttonwillow & Willowsprings Raceways close by (now I'm just rubbing it in..). Only downside, no A/C, as it's hot as hell in the summer (plus a little smoggy at times). No ash here yet

Took my daughter's boyfriend out Sunday and he brought his camcorder. He was so excited he couldn't wait to post something on Youtube. So I gave him some pics/info to go along with the ride. He was dissappointed because some of the best twisties weren't on the tape... he hit "pause" instead of "record". The bad thing was he spent a lot of time mixing music and the sound of the exhaust and when we put it on Youtube they muted the sound due to copyright. I put one of their generic songs on there (but it sure lacks without that beautiful exhaust sound). It was recorded with HighDef so looks pretty good but you'll need a pretty high speed connection for it not to be jerky if you choose to hit the HD button.

Thanks Kevin, It'll definately be while before I can afford it but nice to know I won't have to re-invent the wheel. I assume you decided on the dry sump after your "how to JB weld an oilpan" class at Buttonwillow;)

V-Robb, Curious how it went today?

Can't wait to hear about the build! Any custom bracketry/parts from your current set up you won't be needing;) I'm finally getting used to the car, eliminated some squeaks, rattles & had it on Buttonwillow raceway! I'll have to take off the big windshield if I want any top speed though. Putting on an exhaust heatshield next week. Last thing to really fix is making a bigger opening on top of the fuel tank, for access, and putting in a good fuel box thingy(?) to keep gas near the fuel pump. Took my daughter's boyfriend for a ride today and he took his video camera. The guy was amped up when we got home! He's making a little something to put on Youtube shortly. Poor kid, he was embarrassed that he hit the pause instead of record on some of the more "entertaining" bits of road. I'll let you guys know when it's up.

I think my oversized tires and oversized windscreen keep me below 125:( But having done it at the track and on the road, I'll definately save it for the track as the roads I travel are not that smooth and the little dips etc.. make things too dicey for me in the triple digits. It's almost the exact opposite of my old sportbike... the faster the smoother on it.

I thought of incorporating this helmet light into the dash... then you could mount the unit more conspicously (though where you mounted it would give you the best protection front/rear) http://www.radarbusters.com/radar-detector-accessories/other-accessories/hardsystem.cfm

The in-cab video looks good but when I watch the one taken from the bystander (wife/girlfriend) it shows how quick your really going. Great job!

Once I get a little more padding in my seat I'll be up for multi-hour drives (couple hour freeway drive is borderline for me right now). Should be fun, sorry to miss it.

Having ridden in Kevin's car I can attest to his craziness.... now where can I find $7K to get my supercharger;)

Thanks guys. I have Falken rt615 tires, though a bit wider than normal (185 front & 275 rear), so I think I'll lower the pressure a bit on the rear as our roads aren't too bad. Also agree that the senses are heightened being so close to the rear tires and the backroads aren't the best place to be testing the limits of traction anyway. The cornerweights are based with me in the car and it's got a pretty low ride height, actually raised the car a bit after scraping my oilpan:( I'm way to inexperienced to play with spring rates and imagine Brian (WCM owner) knows much more than me. So, with all that, adjusting tire pressure should allow me to play around without getting things screwed up too much;) Nice to know I'm not off base, thanks again

Nice! My daughter is a senior this year and she drives my 67 Chev truck to school. But next year I plan on getting her a miata to drive to college (a little further drive). I like the fact that you can find one in just about any price range.

Thanks Loren, I'll try dropping the pressure a pound or two next time out.... really having fun with the car now:)