JB455

Welcome, Perry- The car you're describing made me immediately think of the Factory Five hot rod kit. Have you heard of them? Factory Five got started building Cobra replicas, but they have expanded in several different cars and styles. Here is a link to their '33 Hot Rod galleries- lots of pictures of completed cars, the chassis and different rear suspension options. The frame is not completely unlike a Seven frame, though the car is bigger and taller. https://www.factoryfive.com/galleries/33-hot-rod/

So, it turns out I was NOT out of gas, so now it's time for a new fuel pump!

So my Birkin died on the road last week after driving about 40 miles. It was acting like it ran out of fuel, even though the gauge was reading half full. I figured either it was the fuel pump or the gauge was on the fritz. The pump was still making noise, but seemed quieter. A friend got there with a couple of gallons of fuel about 20 minutes later. I put the gas in and turned the key- pump was back to full buzz- car fired right up and drove the 6 miles straight home. At this point I still was not sure if it was the pump or just out of gas. Today I drove it to the gas station to see how much fuel it would take- if it were out of gas and I put in a couple of gallons it should have taken 7-8 gallons. Well, I couldn't even get 2 gallons in it... so gauge was correct. So now I have no faith in the fuel pump that's in it, so I'm going to replace it rather than get stranded next time it decides to stop working again. I've put about 1300 miles on since I got it last fall and have done many drives over 100 miles and this the first time it's given me issue. The question is what pump? Anyone know what pump to use? Zetec with stock intake and fuel injection. I climbed underneath to take a look, but I couldn't see any part numbers on the existing pump. I did some looking around and it looks like I need 60 psi and 33 gph. I found this one on Summit Racing that looks pretty much exactly like the existing and has the right pressure and flow. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-251051 Any other options that I should be looking at? Here's a pic of what's in there now.

It got bid to $12k and $13.5k on both auctions on BAT. Bullet paid $16k at Mecum, plus fees and transport, and thought they were gonna make money. The only thing they did to it was shine the paint.

Where my car coasted to a stop after dying on the road this afternoon. Apparently, my previously functional fuel gauge is not to be trusted anymore- it still showed half a tank! Luckily a friend was close by brought me enough gas to get me home.

Most of my towing experience is with full size trucks, but I never used weight distribution bars on any of my open trailers, even when the weight exceeded the weight of the truck. I did use them on my enclosed due to the weight and length- 28' plus V-nose, made a huge difference on that. I wouldn't think you'd need them pulling something a light as a Seven. You could spend a small fortune buying a car trailer, but you don't need to go crazy if you're not using it a lot. A basic double axle open car trailer will weigh around 1500-2000lbs and should be able to carry nearly any car. If you get something specialized to only fit a Seven it'll bring the weight down around a 1000 lbs. Either way, I'd recommend staying with a double axle, just for the safety factor if you have a wheel/tire issue on the road. What kind of milage are you getting out of your Frontier? I put some miles on my son's '23 and got what I thought was decent for the way I was driving- 85-90 between CT and Pittsburgh and got 22 MPG. My F-250 gets less than half that, but I do have a contractor rack on it, which takes the aerodynamics from horrible to absolute trash.

I know that this happens. I know people that have done this on BAT. This was my first thought when I saw it back so soon, but... Current dealer is 6 1/2 hours south of the dealer from the previous listing. So, maybe legit sale? Maybe the new buyer got it home and didn't like something about it? Maybe driveline vibrations from the funny angles on the drive shaft? Maybe didn't like the high strung Hayabusa engine? I guess we'll never know. Seven ownership only appeals to a very small percentage of the population. Bike engined Sevens appeal to a very small percentage of Seven owners.

This is the same Hayabusa powered Birkin that sold last month on BAT. Almost no miles since last time. Buyer must’ve decided to sell as soon as they got it to get the listing up already.

I would imagine that it is likely a state assigned VIN.... so it could be anywhere! Usually on the firewall/pedal box area, but I've seen them tucked up on a frame tube under the dash....

The SV is, by any other standard, a tiny car. That is, until you park it next to a standard sized Seven. It's really kind of surprising how noticeable the size difference is.

I'm 6'1" and 240+ pounds (formerly athletic build 😅), with a size 11 shoe. I fit just fine, but it's snug... which is a good thing. Legroom is not an issue- I have my pedals set to the middle position. I can wear "regular" shoes, but wear driving shoes most of the time. Your size 13s are going to dictate driving shoes all the time. I would consider a quick release steering wheel to be mandatory. I can get in and out with it in place, but it is so much easier with it removed. Good that someone mentioned shoulder strength. When I started driving my Birkin a lot, my old rotator cuff injury started acting up from pushing myself up out of the driver seat. My son is pushing 6'6" and 300 lbs... and there is no way he'll fit behind the wheel. He tried to get in the passenger seat when he was home in the fall. He kinda fit, but his entire head was higher than the top of the windshield! This very well may have been the two biggest guys ever squeezed into a standard sized Seven! 😜

I'd be more concerned with those driveline angles than the exhaust noise. I'm no expert, but that 30 degree bend in the driveshaft seems like it could cause some issues. Seller admits it makes some noise, but it gets drowned out by normal Seven noises as speed increase. Only 654 miles since the Hayabusa engine was installed.... in 2008. I'm sure that quick change rear was installed to try to match gearing with the high RPM engine. Just installing that rear end was a major task!- They had to alter the frame and fuel tank, in addition to mounting all of the suspension brackets onto it.

Just popped up on BAT- https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-lotus-super-seven-5/

Yes, that was a new "feature" that was added with corporate ownership when Hearst Communications bought them a few years back. My opinion is that it's just another money grab. In the past, the high bidder got connected with the seller and they were free to negotiate a deal... or not. I was twice the high bidder on BAT auctions that didn't meet reserve. I ended up buying one car, and one time the seller thought the car was worth more than my offer. At that time, it was simply a deal between two people and not having to pay the 5% buyers premium made the difference in making the buyer and the seller happy. Now, with their new added "feature" the buyer and seller still negotiate just the same, but the buyer still gets the "benefit" of paying BAT a 5% premium.

Just my opinions and you can do with them what you want... I would go a little bit bigger on both the tow vehicle and the trailer than what you need for the right now. If you're absolutely sure that the only thing you'll ever tow is a Seven, then that's fine. Myself, I've been through a few trailers and a whole bunch of tow vehicles. Each time increasing the capacity from the previous. I'm not saying you should have an f-250 and 10k rated trailer like me, but I'd go a little bigger than the bare minimum that you need. Especially on the tow vehicle. You want power, stability and braking so you can comfortably tow, without feeling like you're on the edge all the time. I'd recommend something like a Nissan Frontier if you want a smallish truck. It'll tow 7000 lbs for the same price as a Maverick that will only tow 4k. My son's got a '23 and they're decent little trucks. Had good power and decent road manners.... and averaged 22MPG with me driving 85+ the whole way from CT to Pittsburgh and back.

100% AI. I was looking at the trailer details when I noticed the "Caterham" lettering on the side of the car. 🤣

I don't mean "have you named your Seven?" That would be a completely different discussion.... I mean, if you're at a social function and the topic turns to cars, or if you're out driving and someone asks you at a stop.... really just anytime you say anything about your Seven to anyone who doesn't know what it is. What do you say? My own car is a Birkin S3. To anyone who is familiar with Sevens, they will know exactly what I'm saying. To anyone else, that means absolutely nothing. So I can say "well, Birkin is a small manufacturer from South Africa that made fairly accurate reproductions of a late '60s sports car made by Lotus, that you've also never seen or heard of...." Or do I say it's a kit car... which brings about visions of VW powered, swoopey fiberglass bodied, yard art to people of my age? I usually try to read my audience to determine just how much info to include... Obviously if you own a "real" Lotus Seven, your decision is easier.... though it was still technically a kit car. If you own a Caterham, it's a little bit more known, but still, most "normal" people have never heard of it. If you own a Birkin, Westfield, Superformance, Donkevoort, Fejer or something even more obscure, most car guys have never even heard the name. So what do you say when some one asks "what is that?"

Been a cold, snowy December here in CT... but Friday's rain washed most of the salt off the roads and was in the 40s today, sooooo... Stopped for a pic next to Santa's sleigh on the Rams Pasture. The ground was snow covered and kids were playing hockey on the pond up until the 55 degree rains came.

I dunno- at $6800 I think it would be cheaper (and easier!) to buy a running car. What's that car worth if it were in decent driver condition? Maybe $25k?

My daughter just came home from Pittsburgh for the first time since I've had the Birkin. With the weather being so nice out yesterday, she was dying to take it for a drive, and who am I to say no? Her daily is a MKVII GTI and she's done track days, so she's an experienced driver, but she said she felt like she was learning to drive all over again in the Birkin. We even ran by the grocery store to pick up some things for Thanksgiving- such a practical car! Edit: Not sure why the one pic wants to post upside down? My daughter didn't flip the car! 😅

While I don't really know much about Bruntons, I do know this much.... If you're new to the car, take it easy! And keep anyone who does not have good decision making skills out of the driver seat! That much power in a car that small, bad things can happen quickly. I know that teenage me would have hopped in and pushed the limits... and now at 55, I'm not sure I've gotten any smarter in that regard.

First- Are you using them for racing? Do you need an SFI rating? If not, I wouldn't bother with anything aimed at racing. I would think with an 8 1/2 shoe in an SV car you wouldn't have any issues unless wearing work boots or something similar. I wear size 11 and can wear my Puma Suedes in my Birkin without any issues. I have a pair of Puma Speedcats that wear occasionally that do provide a little bit more room for maneuvering my feet in my Birkin. I like the Speedcats as they are reasonably priced and quite comfortable.

My current truck and trailer- a little overkill for a Seven! F-250 and 20' deck, 10K pound rated trailer. I couldn't even tell it was on there. More likely to be towing on of my Pontiac muscle car to the drag strip.... or my Kioti backhoe. I used to have an enclosed for the cars, but at 28' it was longer than I needed and was tough in tight locations, so I sold it, intending to buy a 24'. Then trailer prices skyrocketed during covid... and I haven't really needed it.

An SV doesn't look big.... until it's parked right next to a standard car. 😜

Just saw this elsewhere- 10,000 rpm, 188 lbs and 325 hp! Would be a blast in a Seven! https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a69379170/borehams-new-16-valve-four-cylinder-revs-to-10000-rpm/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6914954ef446c10001cea906&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=6914953b98e4ce0001318d32&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawODWAtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFyZVo4eDBGaDVaYlplbmdtc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHr7xlDjj5hYn5KfI-s81x3o_QA-3aLcTXg5ef9DFTGjz7d0wG014ne3AiRtF_aem_r62uZIbkmMosrO0iBJVGOA