rzempel

In California the rule about earplugs is: CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE SECTION 27400 27400. A person operating a motor vehicle or bicycle may not wear a headset covering, or earplugs in, both ears. This prohibition does not apply to any of the following: (a) A person operating authorized emergency vehicles, as defined in Section 165. (b) A person engaged in the operation of either special construction equipment or equipment for use in the maintenance of any highway. © A person engaged in the operation of refuse collection equipment who is wearing a safety headset or safety earplugs. (d) A person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of earplugs or molds that are specifically designed to attenuate injurious noise levels. The plugs or molds shall be designed in a manner so as to not inhibit the wearer's ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another motor vehicle. (e) A person using a prosthetic device that aids the hard of hearing.

The (877) 747-8713 number is to the Magnuson Hotels, "The World's largest Independant Hotel Group" according to their web site. http://www.magnusonhotels.com/hotel-details.cfm?pcode=M19570 I, too, want to talk to someone at the hotel rather than a call center thousands of miles away. I've found a couple more possible phone numbers for this place--I've never seen anything like it. So far, in addition to previous numbers, I've found (307) 461-4208 and (307) 655-2511 listed for this place.

I've found another number (on a site for an adventure trail run) for the Ranchester Motel....866-366-2213. I'm going to wait until I know how Gert managed to make this reservation while both of us have failed. :-) edit-I've tried the new 866 number. It isn't the motel, either--it's "Amanda at Corporate Sedans; please leave a name and number," etc.

One more speedbump-- The phone number listed for the Ranchester Western Motel [(307) 655-4511] does not appear to be working...it immediately drops the call. A quick google appears to show me a different number [(307) 655-2212] plus a toll free number 1-866-373-2213 (that connects to satellite video service rather than a hotel). Is this the right place, or am I about to book myself into the wrong motel? http://www.walkingstar.com/portfolio/ranchester/ranchester_motel.html

Isn't it the final ratio of diff plus transmission that's important...not just the diff gearing? What's your gearbox--are its gears low enough to account for the high gearing of the diff?

Thanks, What tipped me off was that when I called the Hulett Motel number, the answering machine said they were closed for the winter...not a good sign. I couldn't get through to a couple of others--I suspect the recent storm may have knocked out their phones. Hopefully I'll be fully booked in the next couple of days.

Gert, I'm booking motels now, and have discovered a problem....on the 18th, you list the hotel as Best Western, but that phone number is actually to the "Hulett Motel." http://www.hulettmotel.com/ Which one is it?

Pictures and price, please. And, you should really start a new thread for your own car--it'll get more attention that way. Also, If you haven't already done so, put up a FS post over on the California Caterham forum. Randall

I used to do quite a bit of bike touring on my airhead BMW, but since I bought the Se7en, I've not put a leg across the saddle since. I bought the car in Chicago and quickly discovered, as I drove it home to Los Angeles, that it was the perfect touring vehicle. It offers the same open air sense of freedom and involvement with the surrounding environment as a motorcycle, yet it also offers a bit more comfort on long days plus the possibility of continuing relatively comfortably during inclement weather. I also like that my wife now sits beside me rather than behind--that makes communication far easier.

I'm planning to be there.

I have one cast aluminum Ford Racing inlet manifold for the Ford Focus with Zetec motor, plus a Ford Racing 70mm throttle body and Ford Racing spacer plate--I'm selling everything together for $600. These items came off a 2003 Ford Focus, but I expect that they fit other years of 2.0L Zetec motor. This didn't fit in my Birkin because I didn't want to take out the angled brace, but it may fit in a car with the brace removed. http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4rjfc_kbx44/TPo2FPy8bxI/AAAAAAAABUA/Yi9GzuH5QXI/s400/PICT0973.JPG

Since your title is plural "cars"...here's one of my other sunny day drivers.

Which throttle body are you using now? If you are still running that little stock throttle body, you may simply be running out of air at 6800. I changed mine from the tiny Ford one to a 65mm C-F-M unit (I have a 72mm Ford Racing TB, but it's too big to fit the stock manifold) mounted to a lightly modified Contour plastic manifold. I have 174 hp at the rear wheels, and pull hard to 8,000. I wouldn't expect to see much (if any) improvement over that with ITBs.

It looks like Quaife can start production of Birkin diffs in January. If you're even remotely thinking of this upgrade, you should contact Colin--I, personally, think this may be the last ever opportunity to buy a Quiafe for your live axle Birkin. It isn't available anywhere in the world that we could find, and Quaife require a minimum number order before they will produce it. Randall

I case anyone here isn't also on the Birkin list, Colin Barfoot is organizing a group buy for Quaife ATB differentials. So far, he has 6 paticipants but needs 10. If you've been thinking about upgrading your diff, now is the time. Please contact Colin for details. Randall

At this point, I expect to be able to go on a trip next year--either half of July works for me right now. You do know that Cody Wyoming has a big Rodeo event over July 4th every year? That could be interesting, but it'll make hotels a bit difficult.

I believe you are correct about the roll bar being optional. But, I've checked by looking at my daughters CMC-7 Miata kit sitting next to my garage--the front upper wishbones from CMC were triangular rather than curved like the ones you made. Yours look nice, the ones from CMC appear very crude in comparison.

All that engine turning makes my eyes hurt. I don't think it's a CMC-7. IIRC, the CMC kit doesn't have radiused upper front wishbones--they're welded bits of straight tube. Also, the CMC kit has diagonal rearward supports for the rollbar.

The way I heard it is that global warming is real. It's just not as strong an effect as 230 years of grumpy old white men saying, "It'll be a cold day in h*ll before a black man is President."

I was under that impression, too. IIRC, the Ford sensors have about 10 times more resistance than Bosch (3,500 Ohms versus 350).

Actually...not. That belief set me back several months, and created a great deal of frustration during my recent upgrade. It wasn't until I was ready to throw in the towel that Dave Walker, at Emerald, told me that the Ford sensors are incompatible. I switched to Bosch, and all of my earlier problems disappeared. Other than that, I like my Emerald ECU (and its capacity to self tune--not just run in closed loop like everyone else's ECU). Randall

I like the Emerald, others swear by the Pectel. The advantage to the Emerald is that it is very easy to learn the interface, the disadvantage is that it doesn't work with Ford coolant sensors--you need to replace them with Bosch units. The Pectel, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve but is designed to work with stock Ford parts.

Although the license plate is different, that looks like the car featured on "Bring a Trailer" about a year ago: http://bringatrailer.com/2008/12/27/one-off-black-plate-project-1962-volvo-special/

Here are some more 7s on Craig's List at the moment: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/1537134212.html http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1510493615.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/1543955010.html http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/1529175716.html http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/1521927100.html

On New Year's Day, during the annual "Tour de Orange" in Southern California, it was 17 to start, and got up to 23 degrees by the end of the 160 mile tour.... We are talking Celsius, right? Right?