Silber

Update on this issue. Some digging around in the engine bay revealed that the car does have a MAP sensor, which answers the question of speed density vs. alpha-n. I found a tuner who was willing to work with the FAST ECU (which is apparently quite unpopular) who discovered that the ignition timing was pretty good, but the fuel mapping needed to be bumped up across the board; the engine was running lean. The result of the tune was a safe 176 whp/144 torque, and a engine that feels much happier. Next steps are to order a cable from FAST to do my own data logging, replace or upgrade the old, inaccurate wideband O2 sensor connected to a dashboard AFR gauge, and take the car back up the canyon to see if the ECU can handle the big elevation changes.

MV8, thanks for the reply. For the short term I am going to see if I can find a tuner who can re-work the tune for my elevation, and hopefully provide some altitude compensation, even with the alpha-n type mapping. Long term I may start down the rabbit hole of learning how to do my own tuning, incorporate a system like you described to take actual MAP readings and tune it via speed density, or sell the ITB setup and acquire an intake manifold, sacrificing a little hp and the "cool factor" of the ITBs for better driveability. Hopefully I haven't caused too much damage driving it around...

Hey everyone, seeking some help diagnosing an issue. I went to meet up with fellow forum members @kayentaskierand @rider for a drive on some great mountain roads, however I didn't make it to the meet-up location due to the car losing all driveability as I drove up a canyon, gaining over 3000 ft in elevation (~8000 total) from where I live and drive the car around. The engine would basically bog/hesitate even to the point of stalling with almost any throttle input, but would start and idle fine. After realizing I wasn't going to join the drive, I nursed the car back out of the canyon, and the engine ran better and better with lower elevation, to the point that it ran normally by the time I got home. Any suggestions as to what I can do to overcome this apparent elevation-related issue? Here are the specs on the car: 2009 Birkin w/ 2.0L Duratec AT Power ITB's Crower Stage 2 cams FAST XFI 2.0 engine management I have been watching @KnifeySpoony's thread about hesitation with his 420R, as I did notice slight hesitation sometimes at low RPMs/part throttle in first gear on my first few drives after I bought it, which the previous owner never reported having. I'm able to mostly negate it just with driving style, but my gut feeling with that was also elevation, as I'm at ~4800 ft whereas the previous owner was at ~1900 ft. Also worth noting I had this car out at auto-x a couple of weeks ago (elevation ~4300 ft), and other than my first easy launch on my very first run, I had no bogging/hesitation issues at all and the car ran like a top. Thank you for your consideration. Gregory

Finger's crossed you get it resolved by the 12th. Luckily I was able to register my 7 as a '64 Assembled Vehicle. No emissions required, just a lengthy visit to the DMV with a VIN inspection out in the parking lot.

Works for me; looking forward to it. Jim graciously met with me last year at the same spot to give me my first in-person experience with a 7.

@Frankie As Jim @kayentaskier mentioned, I bought a Birkin a little over a month ago. I'm just a little north of you in Bountiful, and I would not be opposed to meeting up with our 7's. Congratulations on your purchase. Cheers, Gregory

Thanks for the reply! I'll send you a message. I'm definitely interested in seeing the car.

I guess I should introduce myself. I am a long-time Seven fan, and have had one on my list of "Dream Cars" ever since I was a kid. It's always kind of awkward when someone asks me "What's your favorite/dream car?" and I always have to reply by asking them if they've even heard of a Seven, and then try to explain what it is after that... I have been an avid autocrosser for many years, having a '96 Miata that progressively turned more and more into a racecar. In the end I had a car that was still registered and insured for street use (barely) that weighed about 1950 lbs but only had the stock 108 whp. That car was a riot and so much fun to drive, but I was always yearning for a better power-to-weight ratio, and had plans to supercharge the car, but sadly it was wrecked and parted out. Since then I tried to cure the driving itch with a supercharged BRZ, but that never fully did it for me. So, after a lot of pondering, spreadsheets, google searches, and introspection, I decided recently that a Seven is likely the car I need to have. I say likely because I have never driven one or even ridden in one, so there is still a miniscule chance I may not like how they drive, but regardless, my journey has started to try an obtain a dream car! Regarding my new-found journey, if anyone in the greater Salt Lake City or surrounding areas has a Seven and would be willing to entertain a fanboy to come look at it, please reach out to me. And if anyone at all has any suggestions on resources and must-do's regarding buying, owning, or racing Sevens, I would be happy to hear any input. Thanks for reading! -Gregory

Hey Rick, I have a few questions that I hope you could answer for me as I am new to Sevens and Birkins in particular. 1) Was the engine new when dealer built? Or is it a used engine out of a donor car? 2) What kind of engine management does it have to control fuel and ignition? 3) Do you know what differential and/or final drive is in the car? 4) How is it titled? And is the title clean? 5) Is the 203 hp mentioned crank- or wheel-horsepower? Was it verified on a dyno? 6) If I were to make a trip down to Las Vegas in the near future, would you be open to show me the car? (You can respond to this one in a private message if you'd prefer) 7) Did you participate in any auto-x or track events with this car? 8) Where was the car located with the previous owner? 9) Do you know who built the car? Thank you in advance. I only recently started lurking here as I have begun my search for a Seven, and yours is the first that I've seen that is relatively local to me (greater Salt Lake City area). Cheers! -Gregory