pi7ot

I use the Nology, actually a rebadged OMEX sequential. I put it in a little hobby case on the scuttle.

m

Btw, I'm looking for a sequential shift light that will work off one cylinder of a COP set up. (the Omex/nology does not

Nice pix, all.

KiwiBirkin, How did you get the Birkin over the Kerb without tearing a hole in the sump?

Mine's too low, even to try it crosswise.

m

A 3.2l six out of a '99 M3 weighs 336lb.

A 2.3l four out of a 91 M3 weighs 240Lb.

A sub litre bike engine/ gearbox would weigh much less.

m

Trailer it to Maxton N Carolina (ECTA sanctioned event) and do the standing mile. Old WW2 glider training base.

If it gets above a certain speed they'll want a cage and other safety gear on it. But by then you know what it'll do.

m

Drool

m

This makes me think of getting one a realistic looking decal of a grab handle and sticking it on the dash.

A noob to sevens won't notice that it is fake...Until the first time they reach for it.

The downside might be the condition of the passenger seat squab;)

A few years back, I was invited to instruct at a Porsche Club event at a good sized Kart track.

First , I rode with the Student in his four wheel drive megabuck 99something Porker.

He accelerated down the straight to the first left hander saying" this car's pretty quick isn't it?" I go "Yeah. brake here turn in here look for the apex" etc. After a few laps, and me thinking that the car was utter shite, I say "let's switch cars so I can show you the line you want to take."

Strapped the poor guy in the Birkin and off we went. He didn't say a word during the trip and didn't get sick.

After some laps we go in and I get out of the car explaining technique to him as I walk away from the car. Then I sensed nobody with me so I turn back to the car and he's just sitting there staring blankly. I stiffled a laugh and went back to ask him if he was OK. He did not answer but then responded by attempting to exit the 7. His hands were shaking as he tried and failed twice to egress, falling back into the seat as his legs, to my eye, did not seem to be obeying instructions.

Then I thought "hmmn, The seat".

I quit instructing.

m

I have an Ultrashield 14" race shell in the Birkin.

Push starting it is um, a display of balletic athleticism .

m

My Zetec ZX1...5w30. Anything heavier and the lifters pump up and go nuts.

m

Here are the Front damper dimensions for a 2001 Birkin front.

Full extension...32.9cm between eye centers.

Full compression with 26mm thick bumpstop..26cm.

Body length...18.4 cm

Body diameter...43.5mm

Spring free length is 8"

rate is 300 Lb/in

inner diameter is 49mm

Outer diameter is 68mm

I have seen the Koni 2812 mentioned as a suitable replacement.

I have used Carrera 6244/874L as replacements whilst retaining the stock springs. These are only height adjustable unfortunately...Too soft for track use, imo.

m

Do you have a vent hose/catch can combo coming off the valve cover(s)?

m

Call the DOT in your area and see if you can schedule an appointment. Find out if it is necessary as the car has previously been titled/registered. That is if the registration procedure is similar to Iowa.

It may not be necessary as the car is a preowned specimen.

m

In Iowa, a DOT inspector comes and visits your new arrival.

The chassis receipt and engine receipt are necessary. Then he checks for roadworthiness .

He then assigns an Iowa DOT specific VIN for the car plus you get a couple of stickers. One has the DOT VIN and the other says that The car has an Iowa DOT VIN. He also assigns value for taxation purposes.

m

Congrats , Hank.

m

12v measured at the battery is marginal. A freshly charged battery should be showing a minimum of 12.7 volts.

A second observation i would make is that your battery may be showing 12v but it has actually failed(broken plate), or too discharged to recover. The 12v it shows is merely a surface charge. When a load is placed on the battery and you measure the voltage, it will drop below 10v if it has failed.

load test the battery first.

if the battery is in tip top shape ,yet there's nary a click or glow in the cluster, then Gert's observation is spot on.

On Birkins there is a 30A fuse in the main power supply and it is located in the engine bay. Not sure where it is on Cats, but will be of similar amperage.

m

I'd think that just about any se7en you look at will have been tailored to fit the current owners needs. You'll have varying amounts of fitting to make a preowned car suit you.

Your priority is to find a car that is structurally and mechanically sound.

Making the car fit you is secondary but will eventually happen in a gradual fashion.

I have owned mine since fall of 2000 and a lowered floor is on my to do list.

m

I have a Zetec Birkin. I run a square wheel tyre set up with a 175ish driver.

I don't notice the effects of the fuel load, but when I have a passenger on the track, I have to add 1- 2psi to the rear tyres. The car has demon understeer with a passenger, as the added rearward bias adds Uber rear grip which heats up the rears faster than the fronts.

The understeer scares me so much that I'll add 1psi even on the street with a passenger.

I've never felt so imPOtent as when the car caught me by surprise and speared off the track. The passenger was impressed:rolleyes:.

m

A spacer could be added either where the wheel mounting hub attaches to the splines or could be added between the steering wheel and the hub it bolts to. A longer shaft could be used to replace the standard one.

m

Some say...The wipers are stolen Austin mini items,.. and that the ones on my Birkin are a single sawn off wiper from a BMW..... All I know is, They are needed on the inside of the screen as well..

m

I don't know what my favourite driving position would be in the Birkin. I need a lowered floor first. I'm not entirely comfortable due to the buffeting. I also have the seat tilted back about 35 degrees in order to keep my Noggin below the optional taller roll bar. The angle of the seating position has compromised the effort and effective pressure on the brake pedal.

m

I was out Se7ening today also. Drove about 100 miles.

I just about broke down and cried after I had parked it, got in the E36M3 and felt all that lard and lethargy.

m

Just 10 for me. Do radar detectors work on their speed cameras?

The Valentine 1 for the euro market works.

Instead of radar detectors, the market in the UK is for GPS based speed camera detectors which are used in conjunction with a subscription to a database of speed cameras. Updates are included, but vary in accuracy depending on the price of the unit .

m

Live axle rear too!

m

I bought a SPA SPD111 from Pegasus Auto Racing supplies about Nine years ago for the same reason. I stuck the magnets to the RF wheel rim and the sensor to the rear leading cycle wing spar.

I also Bought the Omex sequential shift lights to compensate as a Tach. My second speedo backup is a Garmin Fortex 201 that I attach to the steering wheel with Scotch Double Lock Velcro. This device has a Large Speedometer Page although it is slow to refresh when you nail the throttle.

I deleted the crap VDO oil pressure gauge and put a SPA dual digital oil pressure/oil temp in the spot between the original tach and speedo.

Extra weight on the Birkin, but useful.

m

That is probably a good number for many tire types but I did have a problem with my old Bridgestone S03 that 18 psi was insufficient to hold the beads on the rim when driving hard. I lost several times pressure on the track before I understood what was happening. At 21 psi it was O.K. On the other hand, my AVON ACB10 are happy with 16 psi.

 

 

Suppose that means 17mm? At 17 degrees the rake would be quite impressive ;-)

 

Gert

I was close:p.

I have 12-15 in my notes.

To dial out understeer when your tyre set up is square.

It's in mm too. Sorry.

The Avo dampers are clockwise to stiffen. Spax probably the same.

The difference is when you have to soften the dampers. US made are counter clockwise to soften, but UK dampers are anti-clockwise to soften

m

I would drop the tyre pressures to 17-18Psi for starters. I don't know wheat road tyres you use, but most likely they were designed for vehicles twice the weight of the Birkin.

Regarding the dampers, Birkin pilots in the USA have decided to run the front suspension with the front shockers set at 294mm between the eyes. We had a rash of bent lower control arms when the cars were set up lower to the ground.This problem had the positive benefits of reinforced arms being designed and made available.

Then the rear was set so that there was a 17 degree rake. which is what the UK Westies use.

One caution regarding the front suspension is the front lower ball joints. If you have the items that look like regular car ball joints as opposed to a rose joint. The non rose joint items like to snap just below the Nut in the spindle carrier.

m