sporqster

That depends on the 7:d A lot of homebuilt 7's (mine for instance) has a racing seat bolted in place, sized for the driver. Mine is a 'by the book' frame and there's a good 4" of space behind the driver's seat that is could be moved back without frame modifications- so it could accomidate up to 4" longer legs, I suppose if the seat were all the way back. You may also be more comfortable with a smaller steering wheel- preferrably a removable one - though I have gotten used to slipping in under my steering wheel easily without taking it off. The biggest challenge I bet you'll run into is keeping your head (particularly with helmet, if you're in to that sort of thing) under the roll bar, but that's fixed easily enough with a slightly taller roll bar. I don't know about fitting in there with rain gear installed.... I betcha someone on your coast might be willing to let you try one on - maybe even go for a ride :-)

Like this? http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/230,234_Hydraulic-Wheel-Load-Checker.html?itemNo=weight%20checker

Yes and no. The green cylinder is full of hydraulic fluid, so assuming it's bled properly, it better not move at all. The assembly as shown applies has a TAN(41.09deg) multiplication factor on the cylinder (I didn't expect you could eyeball that angle ). I didn't totally pull that angle out of my butt. I picked this angle such that the the 7/8" Diameter cylinder with a 140MPA gauge would actually output a multiple of 10 of the weight on it - so when the gauge reads 35MPA, it is really displaying a 350 pound weight - get it? The static friction and binding is a concern of mine as well - which is part of why I'm using 1/4" steel plate for the linkages - should prevent binding a little. But since the assembly doesn't move, as long as the forces are transmitted into the pins, they don't need to move (well, can't move really). I slotted the tube so that I can calibrate the assembly such that I can nail the 10X weight in pounds, shown on the MPA scale gauge. (this is done by slotting the holes on the upper 1" square tube, and connecting the top with rod ends LH and RH threaded... haven't modeled that part yet. The cylinder is rated for 2250psi under operating conditions (7/8" Dia cyl, so 1350lbf) divide by that the TAN(41.09) and you've got 'round about 1500 lbs you can put on the scale without maxing out the cylinder. Of course the gauge is maxed out at 1400lbs. 1400lbs on one wheel is a dadgum heavy automobile.

I'm actually working on this with a 1400lb max working weight (per wheel)- so you could use this to set up your pickup truck if you wanted to. The load cell is basically a surplus industrial single-acting hydraulic cylinder with a gauge stuck in the port. That is then inside a piece of tubing with just a slightly larger ID than the OD of the cylinder. The weight of the wheel functions like a scissor jack to compress the cylinder, resulting in a pressure reading. Based on what I've gathered from talking to the guys in the lab where I work, I should be able to get around +- 5% readings on the weight, most of the error in the cheap pressure gauge I'm looking at. I'm eyeballing the total cost of this to be about $50 each, $200 for the set of 4, in materials. Not uber cheap, but heckuvalot cheaper than a set of longacre's. Has anyone seen or attempted a rig like this? feedback? experiences? any reason you can think of that this is a really dumb idea? I'm sure someone has thought of doing something like this before, and I tend to think there must be a reason nothing like this is commercially available (to my knowlege). http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CHEAPSCL.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/EXPLOSION.JPG

Is that $400 for the whole set? That makes me wonder if I could eBay the used fiberglass ones and get aluminum ones without going in the hole too terribly deep on the trade.

Yeah, headlight bracket is no biggie if I do it without detaching from the car - an hour or two tops. I'm not sure 13's will fit around the brakes, though maybe they would- it's kinda close on them with the 14's. Maybe I'll post on the Alfa Romeo forums and see if anyone's got some 13's on a spider (as that is what the brakes and knuckles, rear, are from). I also have the minor alterior motive of wanting to share a tire size with my wife's 911. BUT I may end up hanging my head and selling some rims w/rubber in the end. :nonod: Somewhat off topic for this forum, but here goes - I bought this car already assembled and a little used, but in great shape. But I'm not thrilled with the rubber bushings that are everywhere in the rear end suspension. seems like they squeak and shift a lot, and I was considering going to rod ends for adjustability and the reduce some of the slop. It might also help me move the rear tires in board some. What's the downside to using rod ends for trailing arm connections, or is there one?

Well, I found a deal on some 15 x 7 Rota's and some 'gently' used Hoosiers that I tought would make a great track combo for my Locost. the tires are 225/45-15's quite a bit wider, and a tiny bit taller than the 185/60-14's that were on the car - but the abundance of 15" racing tire leftovers and cool look of the relatively cheap rotas convinced me I was going to make them work. First shot - rear tires rub the bolt head where the upper trailing arm meets the body. If I replaced these with rod ends that might take car of that, (as the bushing is pretty wide) but a little grinding on the bolt head, and a 1/4" wheel spacer, and voila it appeared to clear. (tell me about increasing the rear track width 1/2" - I know that on paper that would cause the car to push more. Demonstrably? Is it worth going to a lot of effort changing the trailing arm pickups in order to remove the 1/4" spacers?) front tires rubbed the fender bracket (motorcycle style fenders) just a little and were too close for comfort on the clearance between the fender and the tire. Cut off the tabs on the bracket, repositioned, rewelded, repainted, and reattached the brackets and fenders, now about 1/2" taller and 1/2" further inboard. Went for a test drive. problem - on the front under hard cornering, or if you hit a bump while cornering, the fender can contact the headlamp (barely). problem - on the rear under medium cornering or if you hit a bump at all, the tires (which hang out of the fenders) hit the rear fenders. All fenders are fiberglass. What is the most prudent, cost effective course of action? moving the headlights up and in? moving the rear fenders up on the body? (I can go up about an inch) Wider fenders all around so the wheels don't hang out the sides of them (though that does have a certain 'racer boy' quality, doesn't it?). Any better ideas? I bet I'm not the first person to run into issues trying to stuff more rubber under a 7.

I'm just teasin ya! Maybe the "Hoosier" logo refers to the driver, not necessarily the tires? Nice lookin 7 BTW!

Pics look awesome! I SO wish I could've made it. I had to be in some wedding in Indiana that day (such a sorry excuse). I still can't find Waldo, but I did notice something interesting http://www.savannahoosiers.com/hoosiers.JPG http://www.stopandgotires.com/models/Azenis-RT-615.jpg Great street tires, tho - got 'em on my Subie.

I'll have to see if it'll work in Xine tonight (I've gone all Ubuntu-Linux at home)... If not, Windows inside Ubuntu with vmware works pretty dadgum good anyway.

Cool - how are you feeding the RPM/Throttle/Speed data to the file? was this a manual operation??? I would love to be able to do something like this for the 'bumper cam'- maybe even add G's to the data if possible...

Bump for still seeking an instructer. If I don't recruit someone they're going to get stuck with a PCA instructor. Not the end of the world- but I would imagine they'd just be "along for the ride" concerning sorting out a 7. I'll throw in breakfast and a guest room on Wilmington Island for a willing victim, er instructor + guest. So all you really have to do is get here!

Polaski - cool place to visit if you've never been, about a mile from my house. My 7 is a 'pretty much by the book' frame, Toyota 4AG 20V silvertop motor, and Alfa Romeo rear end and front knuckles. SDS fuel and ignition advance control, and those oh-so-stylish rims were lifted from the Alfa. I've got some eBay Rotas on the way. the 7DM is a temporary stick vinyl - But I put so much effort into cutting it, painting it, and lining it up that I just left it on the car!

I already posted this pic from my cruise around the island today, but thought it applicable the the discussion here.... if only I had welded a gun rack the the roll bar... http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE11.JPG

These glasses stay on my head pretty good well over 100mph http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE6.JPG Doesn't keep me from getting pelted in the face with the strap I forgot to secure!

I've not really posted any pics of myself or my 7 on here, and it was a beautiful day out today so I figured we'd take her out for a spin and snap a few pics. Check out what pulled into the gas station on Tybee! (Mine is the little one!) http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE12.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE13.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE14.JPG Look closely in the background of this one - I'm going to have to figure out a way to mount a gun rack on the roll bar!!! :jester: I'm just kidding! I love deer. So flavorful... http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE11.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE10.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE9.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE7.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE6.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE5.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE4.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE3.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE2.JPG http://www.savannahoosiers.com/CRUISE1.JPG

By squirley, consider where I'm coming from - My first car was a CRX, then A WRX, There was an Opel GT in there somewhere but it was never really driven very hard. Everything I've driven on a track or auto-x before tended go in a straight line when in trouble, unlike the 7, which tends to be a bit more tail happy when in trouble. - very controllably tail happy - and I put on quite a show drifting around the autocross course, but as my time slips will testify, sideways is NOT the fastest way around the course. I also am learning the importance of gentle throttle application on the auto-x course, as in either the CRX or WRX I can just plant it anywhere near the last 25% of a corner and be fine - I actually used that to some extent to track out at the end of the corner- the 7, on the other hand has enough power and so little weight, that if I plant it while I'm sill turning, I tend to go for a ride - or have the opposite effect at least - I over-steer the corner and finish in the middle or even on the inside of the corner. :nonod: I've got some nice adjustable coilovers, and uber stiff springs. The tires are 185/55-14 Yokohama advan's nearing the end of their life. So, not great rubber, but not exactly a Walmart special touring tire either. It's toed out about a 1/4" up front. I haven't checked the alignment in a while - I did notice that my training arm fasteners tend to lose torque and when they're loose the rear end tends to shift around a little causing some odd handling. I'm hoping a little blue loctite will nip that in the bud. I think the break bias may be a little much on the rear end too. Or maybe I just need to break, then turn. Break first, turn second. Break first...... :banghead: Point is, I haven't been behind the wheel of 7's enough to know how much of the 'squirlyness' needs to be adjusted with a wrench or screw driver and how much needs to be a driving style adjustment. I'm sure there is some of both that needs to take place, probably more of the ladder than the former. I will have some 'gently' used Hoosier A03's 225/45-15's on the car for the track day, possibly not for the first run session as relative to a more street friendly tire the Hoosier tends to stick stick stick - no more STICK - with relatively little warning, when compared to a street tire that make a little more racket before it totally gives up. I've got the skinny riders-only Kirkey installed now. Putting up pics in just a few - had a good cruise around the islands this afternoon!

I feel sure you wouldn't get car snobbed! - Coastal Empire Region PCA events are pretty easy going - actually there's as many or more non Porsche's at the DE's as Porsches ranging from aesthetically challenged 'track bitch' door bangers to pristine supercars and team sponsored race cars there for the track time. Everyone plays nice, in my experience.

I would like to take my 7 to the local Porsche club's 'Darkside' DE this November. http://www.cerpca.com/DERegistration.html I have been to several of CERPCA's DE's and they're all a blast - good food, mostly unpretensous folks. I'm a 'spousal' member of the local club... my wife drives her '79 911 at these things and we both have a great time. I'm used to showing up in a WRX (which actually hangs with the late model Porsche's pretty good - even does a little passing!) Issue is: My 7 has a choice of 2 seats. One is a homemade thing constructed of 2X4's, foam, and black vinyl, and with no headrest whatsoever. The other is an aluminum Kirkey seat, that if you bend it a little can hold up to about a 30" waist. I'm a 'blue group' track driver - and in a new car on a track surface I've only been on once is probably not the best way to go solo- even if George did give me the OK. Here's the deal, I'll cough up the $100 for a "qualified" instructor if they'll ride along with me and help adjust the nut behind the wheel - perhaps help with other adjustments to the 7 as well. (It's hard for me to gauge if the 7 is handling properly or not, because it is so much lighter, faster, and consequenially "squirellier" than anything I've ever owned!). Instructors get free solo track time! Bring your own car, a rental, or you can borrow mine if you promise not to break it.

To quote Nicholas Cage: "Perhaps, Mmmm. But, you know, this is the one. Yes, yes yes... I saw three of these parked outside the local Starbucks this morning, which tells me only one thing. There's too many self-Indulgent wieners in this city with too much bloody money! Now, if I was driving a 1967 275 GTB four-cam... "

Hey - there's a few more Georga 7's than I realized - be sure and lemmie know if y'all want to come down to Tybee for a weekend - or a track day at Roebling or something - I'd be all for hanging out with your guys - :cheers: (even if my 7 is considerably less shiney!) I have no top or trailer, so my range is a bit limited (though I did drive the 7 home from Port Charlotte, FL) - but if y'all decide to do a cruise or something this direction be sure and let me know! My better half is working on putting together another TSD rally for the local Porsche club. I think it would be a lot of fun to crash their party with a handful of 7's. Whattayall think? Prolly late fall - like around thanksgiving time.

Just an FYI - I paid $9500 for my street legal Locost - built in '03 4k miles since build with a a 20V JDM Toyota Silvertop and a lot of nice racing parts. Not exactly concourse material, but a great looker, and I think I got a steal on it. If you're patient, there are a few bargains on GRMS, eBay, etc... particularly if you're happy with a homebuilt Locost. Oh yeah - I ought to mention that to the forum - I've FINALLY got a plate and a GA title - the 7 is finally LEGIT!

My lovely better half will prolly be putting together another TSD rally for the Coastal Empire Porsche club this Fall in the Savannah/Hilton Head area. It would be cool if a few 7's crashed the party... There has been a lot of positive talk about doing joint outings with other car clubs among the Porsche people (Of which from the looks of it I will be married into the local club board now). I'll prolly be driving my 7 as the 'zero' car for a TSD rally. No final date for when, yet - and it might not actually happen until late fall / winter... Thanksgivingish time frame but it never gets all that cold down here, right?

take a look at eBay item 320154086459 Think that'll work on a 'by the book' Rick Champion Locost body with some snaps added to the bodywork? I'm was hoping to find something to put on the car when I get caught in an unexpected drizzle... Any thoughts? Any better source / better idea?

There are a few 20-somethings in mix (me).... well at least for a few more months ;-)