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looks like a fantastic trip! and good job going out and braving the wet! I know how much of a handful it is to run a raceprepped Seven in full on monsoon conditions (sucks! lol) but really shows that you've got some balls croc! that last circuit looked like it was technical and would be amazing in a Seven!

it was definitely run like an old fashioned event, that's for certain. at the driver's meeting they stressed over and over not to overdrive or take chances (I tried to follow that directive). there were also many priceless cars attending/racing. my favs were the 1969 Daytona factory racecar that was 5th at LeMans. it was beautiful and original. there was an all original non restored Porsche 904 with the cammer motor. and a restored 906. on top of that, there was a whole class of early open wheel Indy cars (Millers, Offys, etc) plus some very old racers (a 1911 Mercer that was all orig including the paint!). here's a few pics:

thanks Yeti! the City of Coatesville ran the event. they had two guys who spearheaded it; Dick Miles and John Lawless. both car guys/gearheads with experience in vintage cars and motorcycles. when I heard about the event about 3 months ago, my first thought was 'that sounds AWESOME but there is NO WAY this is ever going to actually happen!'. if you check their facebook page for the Coatesville Vintage Grand Prix, it is blowing up with literally hundreds (or more) of comments. 99% seem very positive with the most common being 'please please please do this again next year and make it even bigger!' they basically had downtown Coatesville closed down for all day on Saturday; I was wondering if the locals would complain about that, but they seemed to have so much fun watching the racing and wandering the pits and talking to us that it wasn't much of a problem. the organizers tried to at least open the crosswalks once every half hour for 5 mins so that people could cross the track. there were hundreds of police at every location around the track to ensure that pedestrians couldn't cross otherwise

that's awesome news! go Lotus!!!

ya we got 2 recon laps behind the pacecar in the morning. i'd say the speed was very very low though; maybe a max of 25-30 mph. during each heat, we got 3 laps at speed plus a cooldown lap. my last lap in the third and final heat was the fastest (I was still figuring things out and refining my lines and approaches to the corners. some of the corners were very bumpy and a non conventional line was better in some of them). I was getting pretty close near the end; I think if there had been one more heat, I could have dropped maybe 3 more secs from my time. but it would have been tough.

Hey Daniel! reason it's welded is that it was cheap hahaha! cost me $135 to have it welded up about 20 yrs ago vs. $2000 for the AP lsd. Once you get used to the welded diff on track, I think it's pretty good (in the dry at least. in the wet its a HANDFUL). I've never raced it on a track with turns as tight as those; they were all 2nd gear 90 deg turns, and I never encounter them on a typical racetrack. once I figured it out though, well, I think it got around pretty well! Mike -- these guys were really easy going -- I am POSITIVE that they'd accept pretty much anything that looked/resembled a cool vintage car. it was all about having fun, and more importantly being safe and giving the spectators something to look at and enjoy, etc. I'd say that 90% of the Coatesvillians had never in their life been to a car race of any kind in person, and certainly had not been able to wander around and ask questions and watch from close up. I put quite a few little kids in the seat for pictures in the pits!!! I agree that if there had been more promotion (maybe some radio ads or something like that in the Wilmington DE and Exton PA and Philly areas) that attendance would have really been big. I'm really hoping that it becomes a yearly event and that it gets bigger and better each year! the guys involved did a really great job managing the mayhem, especially given the time and resources that they had. Bill -- sorry there weren't any Cobras in attendence, unless it was out at the car show section which was about 4 blocks from where I spent most of my time. there definitely was an original AC Ace that competed though! thanks guys -- I'm glad you liked the vid! I've got two more but in both I get caught up in traffic early in the laps and it's not as exciting (there was passing only on the uphill 8th Ave straightaway and I didn't want to be a bad boy and break any rules !!!)

I got invited last minute to this event; it's approximately a 2 mile loop run straight through the City of Coatesville, PA. there were 4 groups; I ran in Group 2 (the 'fast' group). they split our Group into 2 heats. each heat got 3 separate sessions to attempt the course. the start was 'Isle of Man' style separated by 10 second intervals. below is my in car GoPro footage of the last session; I was fortunate to start first in line, and was just catching lapped traffic on my last hot lap. https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmUHWCpbUJmApjga0hOZtGvi1hRw course was pretty tight and zero run off room; some sections very bumpy and some fairly smooth. my last lap was my fastest of the day, and ended up being the fastest of the entire event! there was a wicked fast hill climb special Sunbeam Tiger which was a tube frame affair with mega hp and full slicks and he and I were close up til my last session. Go Lotus!!! enjoy! PS with my welded rear end, the only way through those 90 degree turns was to toss and drift it. otherwise it would plow like a mule team. PPS there were some incredibly rare cars there. there was an original Porsche 904 and a 906. and my fav by far was a Ferrari Daytona N.A.R.T. factory racecar that placed 5th at the 1969 LeMans. it was beautiful and sounded orgasmic winding out!

Hey Mike! ya one thing I learned from racing so much, is that flexibility is key; gotta be able to drive all lines/any line during a race. debris on track, oil dropped on line, cars side by side, having to drive a defensive line to hold them off; all of those things make is so much different (and fun and exciting) than DE. with my car, and it's springs and shocks and setup, that seems to be the best / fastest line into it for me. and yes I most DEFINITELY recommend experimentation - I always consider myself learning and improving (and hopefully never stagnating!).

ok fellas - I've tried uploading this to OneDrive instead of Vimeo. hopefully it allows you guys to view it OK! this is friday's race; since the Ginetta G4 had broken in the first practice session in Group 1, that left me with the nearest car about 3+ seconds off my pace. I asked to be moved up to Group 3 Big Bore, and was OK'd for that. when I got to the grid, they said that my qualifying time in Group 1 didn't count, so I started in the back (which was cool with me!!). the wicked Z-28 hadn't gotten a lap in either in qualifying, so he is starting just in front of me. we pretty much slice n dice our way through all the other cars, and just about three laps from the end, there is a black flag all, and we have to come in (that is around the 13 min mark on the video; I edited out us sitting in the pits). they send us out again for a furious sprint to the end, and I *almost* hold on for 2nd place (Z-28 comes from behind and literally nips me at the line!!!!). enjoy! https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmUHWCpbUJmApjScK5q-DsqMp8SU

thanks guys! ya I was really impressed with the way he handled that McKee (I was told he was 78!!!). that car looks to be more than a handful lol! I'd kill to do a session in it and see what it could really do around there (I'd think sub 1:10s easy). I've got some really neato footage from Friday's race too. since I'd moved myself from Group 2 to Group 3, I had no qualifying time in Group 3 so I had to start from the very back. lots and LOTS of passing and eventually finished third! my Vimeo is only the free account so I have to wait til Sunday til I can load another 500 meg file oh and just wait til next year!!!

Hi fellas! I just got back from three perfect days at NJMP Lightning (same track that we have the Sevens get-together at) -- had a fantastic time racing! I'm normally slotted into Group 2 (which is mid bore; 1.6 liter to 2.5 liter cars) in my crossflow powered Series III, but when the Ginetta G4 broke in the first practice heat on Friday, that left me more than 3 secs faster than the nearest car (another crossflow powered Seven and a Triumph GT6), so I asked to be moved to Group 3 (big bore cars. CanAm, TransAm (V8 Mustangs and Camaros) and Porsches and BMWs). I've got lots of cool incar video from the entire weekend, but here's Sunday's. first clip is the Big Bore grid; I was third on grid, just behind a gorgeous McKee CanAm car and a wicked 1970-1/2 Z28. when they said 'start your engines' I had to watch my tach to see if mine had caught, as the noise was unbelievable to my right and left!!! and here is the in car race footage: my crossflow was singing!!!! the Seven gave me everything it could, and I stole their lunch money in T2 through T5, and crushed them in the brake zones in T1 and T7, and I owned the Lightbulb turn, but those guys were handling exceptionally well in the straightaways lol. enjoy!

hi again. have you drained the oil out and looked at it in the pan in the sunlight? look for 'pixie dust' little tiny gold specs in the oil (bearing materials). you can also get a tool which will cut the oil filter apart and you can examine that for metal debris too. if you don't see anything horrifying you can always throw on a fresh filter and put in fresh oil (of the proper viscosity) and start her up and listen?

hi there. i have a basic question too (similiar to Maurice1) -- how is it running? by that, I mean does it start immediately? idle properly? and most importantly, is it pulling strongly and smoothly? in a manner like you'd expect a race tuned Duratec? what's the oil pressure look like when it's warmed up? is the needle steady at idle or fluctuating? what reading does it give at hot idle and hot 5k rpm?

hi - I'm looking for that exact same tach too. if anyone has one (or the deal above falls through) please PM me and I'll take it! thanks! Todd

hi guys. mine is a xflow powered Seven with a 'hot' street motor in it (11.5:1 compression, fast road cams, ported head, steel valvetrain, dual DCOE 40s around 160 hp or so). I run the 100LL in it for fuel, and use Valvoline VR-1 non-synth race oil 20w-50. my old school engine likes this oil (plenty of zinc and protects the valvetrain). it would not be suitable for a car driven in cold weather, or one with cat converters. I don't think it has much in the way of a detergent package either, because its a race oil; but I tend to change it every 2-3 race weekends (6 hrs of run time) so that isn't much of a worry for me. I also work with a BMW E30 race team that does mostly endurance races (18 hr races split into two 9 hr races per weekend mostly) and they use exclusively Rotella T 15w-40 diesel oil in all 4 of their cars. this oil is low cost, high zinc alternative to Amsoil, Redline, Brad Penn, Joe Gibbs etc race oils. they have extremely good luck with the Rotella T stuff -- typically running 300-400+ hrs before requiring rebuild (and the bearings and cams etc still look good).

hi! you are in for such a treat! there is nothing like a well set up Seven for putting a stupid grin on your face (and keeping it there! haha). if the comp ratio really is 13:1, then you will def need minimum 100 octane (or higher maybe esp if you are pushing it hard). I run 100 LL always in my Super Seven (xflow motor with 11.5:1 comp). its a race car so it only gets run hard; if I was street driving it I think I could get away with 93 octane (but i wouldn't run it hard; I think it would ping a little bit on that when under high load, and I would never hear it over the straight pipe).

hey guys! it was GREAT meeting everyone! I'm bummed that I'm currently typing this on a sunday morning and knowing that all the rest of my Sevens buddies are circulating around at NJMP (alas I was only able to schedule free one day off on Sat). we had an absolutely perfect day at the track -- a little warm but not too hot. sunny and dry and track was very fast! oh and it was very kind to say that I was fastest -- but i was def NOT fastest by the end of the day -- Seb was KILLING it by the end (he was down into the low 1:13s by the end of the day; that's 2 secs faster than I've ever gone in my car!) - he definitely learns quickly and has picked up on some of my speed secrets! that last session I was trying HARD to keep with him (I was driving full race pace when not in traffic, which, by the way, was VERY friendly and courteous to Seb and myself -- they were signaling and letting us by everywhere!) and he just gradually pulled away -- bye bye Seb!!! it was so neat to be on a track populated exclusively by other Sevens -- I've never been on track even at a large vintage race with more than about three or four (the Jefferson 500 vintage races). 20+ was a TREAT!!!!!!! (can't wait to see that pic of us all lined up on the front straight btw!!!). although there were a few maintenance issues (not too bad, considering really!) most everyone seemed to be smiles most all of the day. my little crossflow powered unit ran like a top; all I did was add gas and go! didn't even burn any oil all day long or require anything really. they are such good cars was just a wonderful day and I'm so glad to have participated, and wanted to thank Tom and Croc and Seb and just everyone else; can't wait to do it again soon!!!! Todd ReidSpeed PS if anyone would care to go to the track and do some private coaching -- I'm your man! very few of us pro coaches have experience in a Seven, and it's certainly a different kind of animal, compared to a 911 or Z06 or M3 etc etc. (a better more fun often faster animal!!!). I am frequently (3-4 times a month) at various local tracks: NJMP, Summit Point, Watkins Glen, VIR, Limerock, Pocono.

hi alan. ya, I mix it half and half with 100LL here when I drive it on the street, and use 100% 100LL when I'm doing track days. around here it's not too bad (about $4.30 a gallon right now). but it is sorta a pain in the ass to keep 30 gallons of 100LL available in my shed

holy cow I didn't realize how much a crossflow FF engine goes for these days! 118 hp (with a 0.020 overbore) asking $7500? I am having a full race 1800 cc AX block crossflow being built now (crank being done by Arrow). what do you suppose would be a fair price to ask for my current 1700 engine? its in perfect running shape; great compression using no oil. is 11.5:1 compression with forged rods and pistons, Elgin cam, steel rocker assemblies, ported head, dual valve springs, dual DCOE 40s, baffled pan. was dyno'd at 165 flywheel hp (when broken in and tuned on the engine dyno). I have been waffling between keeping it as a spare motor and selling it; what would something like that bring?

thanks guys! sounds like radtec is the one then!

hey guys - I have a road race Super Seven with xflow power that has been running warmer during summer races. the radiator in it is an aluminum racing one, which has been in it for over 20 years. all the fins are beat up and i've epoxied a few holes from flying debris in years past and I believe that it's efficiency has been reduced to the point where it just can't cool the car during long hot races, especially if i'm drafting the bigger cars on the straights. can anyone point me to a source for a new high performance racing radiator that will direct fit my Caterham? or maybe even a shop that can re-core my existing rad? thanks! Todd

hi Tom! as of right now that weekend is open for me! is there a link where I can go to sign up?

hey guys! very interesting discussion! so many variables -- engine hp, tq, power band, transmission gearing (and number of gears), wheel diameter, weight, aero!!! mine is crossflow powered (very hot street motor; wet sump cast stock crank DCOE40s 11.5:1 compression custom cam ported head) with a stock 5 speed (wide gears) 3.9:1 rear diff running 13" wheels with 205 Toyo RRRs. when the motor was built and dyno'd and broken in (that was back in 2009 and has a ton of race miles on it now) it made 160ish hp at 7000 rpm at the flywheel. it's probably drifted down a little bit since then, just from wear and tear. I run 100LL av gas in it (cheap and leaded and good for my old motor). here's me at NJMP Lightning racing in small bore with VRG. camera is in my competitor's car (a G4 Ginetta; very fast car with a full race dry sumped crossflow 200ish hp); I'm in the red Super Seven. I go thru the light bulb in 4th and shift up to 5th half way down the straight at 6500 (I try not to go to 7k with the cast crank unless it's a 'war emergency' haha). speed in the braking zone is right at 120 mph. i've got cycle fenders and an FIA cage. my best lap time that day was 1:15.9 I've got to believe that a 2 liter 215 hp Zetec with a close ratio 6 speed would be AMAZINGGGGG! I'm considering having my engine rebuilt soon with a steel crank and dry sump and hoping to get near to that 190-200 hp level. that would give me a better shot against those Ginettas (there are two in VRG that are VERY fast; a white and a blue one. the white one is even faster but he wasn't there that weekend). enjoy the vid! I'm enjoying the discussion!

ya Summit Point is old school and is a bit bumpy and narrow in places! it's one of my fav's though. that was a Lola T70 I believe? it FLEW past me haha. and yes I'm looking forward to NJMP in the fall!!!!

woah; great job shutting down and pulling in; another few seconds and it was going to put the rod through the block, destroying the block and probably destroying the head and everything else too. definitely want to replace that rod; crank, all bearings, rings, gasket kit, etc, at minimum. might have scored the camshaft journals too if it starved for oil. complete teardown and rebuild is in order. sorry for your troubles, but glad it wasn't a total 'kablammo!'.