pethier

I'm an autocross instructor. When I got the 1979 1600 I took it to an autocross with the Dunlops. I grabbed my buddy Dave out of the instructor pool to give me some serious instruction. Fat chance. He laughed hysterically throughout the run and thanked me for the entertainment. It was LOT of fun, but the clock was not impressed.

That tire on the green Caterham wheel is a Dunlop. They were hard as rocks. I bought 7 x 15 Panasport wheels for autocross. The Panasports didn't make it to the present owner of the car.

I'm with you there. Back when I had my Europa, I tacked together an exhaust system, then unbolted it and brought it to a shop. The owner there would have one of his guys weld small jobs for me if I would bring pop for his crew. I actually gave away my welder to a great guy in my autocross club.

BTW, my 1979 Caterham did not have a mounting bracket. The spare tire simply sat on the tire-rack/number-plate-holder and a loose strap was passed around the car tubing, through a slot in the car body, through the wheel, over the tire, and joined its other end with a buckle.

I have had good luck with several UK suppliers shipping with FedEx to the FedEx office near me in Minnesota. As Ed points out, I have not had to pay the Value Added Tax that UK companies show in their catalogs.

Yeah. I have made that mistake before. I forgot to make them "public".

Mine is on a 1991 1700 Super Sprint with 6.5 x 15 Prisoner wheels. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier/54547173692/in/album-72177720326434104/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier/54547173687/in/album-72177720326434104/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier/54548050756/in/album-72177720326434104/

I think you are on to something. If you see the photo album, you will see that the measurements are virtually-identical. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier/albums/72177720326311251/ Here is the album for the original Birkin tank: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier/albums/72177720326317327/

This Fuel Safe brand fuel cell was used in a Birkin car. One thing I know for sure is that it will NOT fit in a Caterham with de Dion rear suspension. I suspect that this is not a custom-made cell. Fuel Safe does list both a 5-gallon and a 7-gallon tank for Lotus 7 cars. I theorize that companies selling live-axle Seven clones used the same sort of tank as the factory Lotus tank. I feel there is a strong possibility that this cell will fit in Lotus and Caterham live-axle Sevens, and maybe other Seven clones. There is what looks like a factory sticker on the cell, but all printing has faded from it. Fuel Safe does not show any photographs of the actual tanks for Lotus 7 cars. This fuel cell comes with what purports to be unused foam blocks to replace the used blocks now in-place. I also have what I believe to be the original Birkin tank. I'm not ready to offer that one yet. From the Fuel Safe website: ========= Fuel Safe®'s Lotus Super 7 racing fuel cell delivers optimal safety and fuel performance in two sizes: 5 and 7 gallons. Both sizes of racing fuel cells are built to fit within the location of the factory installed fuel tank. The Lotus Super 7 racing fuel cells from Fuel Safe® are made of the highest grade materials available designed to win races. Each Lotus racing fuel cell includes: TIG welded aluminum container Safety baffling foam Factory 4x6 fill plate Part No. Capacity Information SA113 7 gallons Lotus Pro Cell® Fuel Bladder in an aluminum container SA113B 5 gallons Lotus Pro Cell® Fuel Bladder in an aluminum container Pro Cell® Lotus Super 7 Complete Fuel Cell 7 Gallon, SA113 Sale price $2,871.00 Pro Cell® Lotus Super 7 Complete Fuel Cell 5 Gallon, SA113B Sale price $2,825.00 Current Lead Time: 8+ Weeks ========= My Flickr album has several photos of the fuel cell and measurements. https://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier/albums/72177720326311251/

I'd like the tail lamps, please.

I am keeping mine. I can shoot photos and take measurements if you want someone local to fab you one.

I am an autocrosser, and I have to have a car engine. Don't think the Polaris engine will squeak by. I am installing a Zetec in my Caterham because I had an opportunity to get one that had already been in a Birkin. It has the fuel injection from a Suzuki Hayabusa on adaptors to a manifold previously used for Weber 40DCOE carbs.

As I recall, a 1400cc automobile engine with a supercharger would be legal for DM. What are Jeremy and Jeff using for an engine? IMHO, this discussion could be moved to https://usa7s.net/ips/forum/11-autocrossing/

IRS sounds limiting, but I like the de Dion in my car. I like that the Chapman-designed location system gives a low roll center. I am just now undertaking the change to a Zetec with Suzuki Hayabusa Keihin/Denso injection controlled by Megasquirt.

It would be great to find a "bubba ring" of car freaks that have a big shop and buy in. I know there was one of these insouth Minneapolis. Don't know if it is still going. I would have joined them, but was lucky enough to have my own space. The advantage of the "bubba ring" shop is that you can work on each others' projects be they circle-track, drag, autocross, road-racing, all mixed together.

I put a Quaiffe torque-sensing dif and 411/1 gears in the Ford live axle in my 1979 Caterham. Worked very well. I think my current 1991 Caterham 1700 Super Sprint de Dion has a Sierra diff which I believe came in the kit from Caterham with the plate-style LSD. I t seems to work fine on the road and in autocross.

As Is, it is not drivable yet. But your suggesstion echos Brian's. in fact, when we get it drivable, we will drive it around Isanti without the front fenders, nose or bonnet.

The donor car was apparently a Ford Contour.

I have been wrong. It's actually Suzuki Hayabusa Keihin/Denso injection.

I don't know where the heck I heard Mikuni, but I did. Turns out, it was billed as the hardware off a Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle when Steve bought it. So it's Keihin/Denso. Well, this is not the shock that some folks get when they get their DNA results, but it does surprise me.

"keihin and gm spec parts for the msq" Showing my ignorance here. "gm" is General Motors or something or something else? I have no idea what "keihin" might be. Tuesday I need to dive in on the system that I own and do not understand.

I don't have any of the documentation here and can't see it until Tuesday. All I really know right now is that this is supposed to be a Mikuni* injection system meant for a motorcycle and this system has been run by Megasquirt. The whole system, engine and FI, was being run successfully in a Birkin car. One of the reasons I'm talking about his now is packaging. The tech wants to lose the backing plate and airbox/filter. Individual filters seem to be better for the setup in the Caterham. I need for find out more about what is available. I'm not a big fan of oiling filters, although I admit that I had them on the 40 DCOE feeding my Lotus 65 Europa (pushrod Renault). If there are socks for velocity stacks that do not require oil, I'm interested. I think I hear you saying that if the temperature sensor was protected somewhere in the vicinity of ITBs that it ight work. May be a little bracket inside the filter housing for one of the four throttle bodies. * Actually Suzuki Hayabusa Keihin/Denso injection.

IMG_8041 Suzuki Hayabusa Keihin/Denso injection. What does the white sensor measure? My guess is that it is air pressure. Maybe temperature? I would like to go to individual air filters for each intake horn. If that sensor is critical to the operation of the fuel injection by measuring pressure INSIDE THE AIRBOX, that could present a problem.

The clamp is designed to slip.

Whatever you do, made sure that the steering column will telescope if you get in a collision.