southwind25

Oh sorry...The talon is a 1994..i have Owned it for 3 years..sorry my bad.. it's 3 years old to me. yeah sadly.. i have a budget. the engine needs to come out of the se7en this winter, (discussion for another day) The sailboat needs attention as well and some new rigging and the house needs a new roof the next few months. I dont want to spend allot of money on a work car..we are talking ohio winters and salt, shopping cart dings, and sitting out in the hail. Ohio is unkind to everyday work cars. and anything over 5k will eat into my se7en budget!

And so my gearhead friends..i am in a quandary: My 3 year old work car (Mitsubishi talon) has alzheimers and cancer. It’s nearing it’s end of life..soon. But now,,,what to buy to replace it? I need another daily driver-work winter car. I am looking for a Lotus Elise station wagon that gets 30 mpg and cost about 5k. Any suggestions? I don’t want something that looks like a soccer mom car…no 4wd, no turbo it has to get good gas milage (I drive nearly 40 miles a day). It has to haul 4-5- bags of mulch every spring. I have to be able to throw sail bags in the back. I want a manual tranny. No hearse, no minivan, no suv or crossover. I have the lotus 7 and ginetta for fun cars, but I cant drive a dog every day either. Volvo wagon looks like a Sherman tank… the audi wagon is awesome..but gets 3 gallons per mile or something.. VW passat looks great, but I hear maintenace costs are terrible. I don’t travel logging trails so I don’t need a subby outback. Mercede’s wagons (see audi gas milage). My mom even thinks the ford wagons are ugly (though i could use the engine someday).. Saab wagon looks like a shoe on wheels. …. Help me? Mazda 6 would fit the bill…I heard rumors that one might exist in the Utah somewhere. For 15k.. they seem unobtainable/expensive. Suggestions? Thanks mike...but the vinyl wood siding isnt my style..

Well, we burned out our chainsaw cutting up the downed trees here...from Ike..in OHIO! we had to cut our neighbors mini van out from under a big sugar maple tree.... and many homes still have no power..in North Canton ohio, from the winds.

And our life together today.... consisted of taking a chinese visitor to our coperate headquarters out for a drive to and from lunch. life is good..se7en has made it better!

Thank you Mike and jen for the wonderful, if not wet wine tour. The roads were EXCELLENT! and as well, those that showed up had a wonderful time. sadly,,the weather radar was dark red over our house and we elected to heed the warnings of the guy loading pairs of animals into his boat in our backyard. We humbly took Mary's Subaru WRX.. :7rain:

On a smaller scale.. back when we had the vintage sprite we autocrossed it often, and once i had taken a lady friend of ours out for a end of the day fun run on the course. she didnt say a word...until the car stopped. She literally (unbuckled) jumped out of the car...about 3 ft away she abandoned all bodily functions.. OPPS....

Oh my yes,,,big list..huge... hey is there an icon for empty wallet?

Ahhh, a nice crisp ride this morning...leaves should be turning colors soon. Whcih gets me to thinking, after over 5k miles and 5k smiles of our fist summer of se&en ownership.. How the HECK are we going to be able to deal with NOT driving it for a few months?? :cry: Does anyone make a huge car treadmill with big 360 surroundscreens that perhaps shows films of awesome roads while you "drive":7drive:

I think lightening the car, is porportional to lightening the wallet..:ack: :ack: would love to put some pretty carbon fiber bits on, and all those aluminum thingies.. we are heavy and poor...but always fun!

double drats.... it might not be the starter after all...((though i REALLY appreciate the info so far). i might have a couple teeth missing on the flywheel ring gear. the car started fine, after i pushed it a couple feet up a hill in case it didnt. this is going to be a very busy winter!

nope,,thats not it..it's kinda short with what looks like a solenoid on top..

Bugger.. So here i am at work, after a wonderful morning drive..and i go to take the car out at lunch..and drats...something happened to the starter.. it's making a sound i have never quiet heard before..sorta a grumbling gurgling sound...battery is ok...it's charged..it just really strange. anyways...what starter might this be? yes ford i know...but to fit the crossflow and the 5 speed t9? birkin owners?

after trying various methods...but being too cheap to be able to buy the proper buffing machinery.. Mothers aluminum and mag polish...for the final shine. using a foam applicator, using water with the polish..spraying off with water,,,and wiping off with my magic terry towel....mike rohaley is the polish king around these parts though.

I guess we have Slovack luck... yes it's true we whine about our nasties as well...but.. it's more fun to drive the se7en with a slipping clutch full of oil..than my work car. our car was full of past owner faults...i only hope we are much better at it.

Craig Chima said he might try and make it with his vauxhal caterham..! stopped by and saw his stable...wow. what lamp did he rub?

damn...someone got a deal..mine cost much more for 1/2 as nice drivetrain.:banghead:

So i am thinking of installing a light weight carbon fiber paddle shifter..http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/396037874_paddlewarranty.gif

Hey saw the article about the one lap car, in a kit car magazine this past week..((was at a grocery store waiting for my poison ivy prescription)) Very cool, nice article and great photos...kudo's!:thumbs:

Yes Virginia..there IS lift problems with the clamshells.. best example is a local freind/racer craig chima look up pictures of craig chima's F production lotus 7 racecar..he had to run the clamshells to be legal with the car..but has them riding ON the tire., and has them angled to spill out all the air he possibly could. yeah on a normal height above the tire they catch a whole bunch of air.. i like my cycle fenders. though they are not the anti lift ones..and it seems as if it's easier to work on the car, since you dont have to lean over them.

nice crisp fall ride in this morning.. damn it was cold... had to wear an insulated jacket.. :cry: HEy Hold up!!! it's still August!! whats up with this?...global warming? isnt august supposed to be hot and muggy in ohio? yeah..and VERY dry...our lawn is brown...but it's goin to frost soon if it keeps this up! :ack: we would hate to have our first season in our se7en a short one.. but the miles are adding up :hurray:

I wear the black Pumas...very comfy and they seem to work great. if your really shy, just color in the little white tiger with a black sharpie.. I have 2 pairs as well..a pair if i know i'm gonna be walking (found used at goodwill) and a nicer pair, for those dress up dates...in the lotus. or..just throw the street shoes in the back? New price was pretty good. yeah actually..mary has driven hers in heels....(which hey..what happened to that high heel driving gal that signed up here a few months back??)

ouch.... wonder what happened....we have a x-flow (for now)

yes...Mary lets me drive the car,...when she's not... oh wait.. have let 2 others drive it otherwise.. i let my son drive it...down the driveway, with me in it. it's not that i dont trust others as much...as i dont know if they can compensate for all the little details that make the car what it is. it's not like driving a honda civic... and i dont want someone to stuff it into a mailbox because they cant feel the diffrence between the pedals.. but i love watching mary drive it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lotus-Birkin-Super-7-2002-Lotus-Super-7-by-Birkin-Z-Tec-Clean-and-Sorted-7_W0QQitemZ200248519757QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item200248519757&_trkparms=39%3A1%7C65%3A1%7C240%3A1308&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245 now this is just unfair...

here here bruce...yeah...my lights are non traditional...but..these are just wrong.