Croc

I think it is great to see a small manufacturer doing well in a difficult economic climate and still having the guts to get out there and improve his product with IRS, widebody, paddle shift, different styling options, etc. This can only help make the product better and more successful. :cooldude: However, I will not be impressed with anyone who orders the automatic option! Colin Chapman would be doing 12000rpm in his grave with the concept of an automatic 'seven' replica or otherwise. :svengo:(although being a business person I know it expands the population of potential customers since most new drivers have no idea what to do with their stick shift ).

I thought the sound from the unpowered mic was ok but that I could get better. I back to back tested the Olympus and the AT powered one with two cameras on a track session and flipped back and forth listing to work out which one was better. The powered mic won - it was appreciably better (to my ears) and at $19.95 was not too expensive. I have experimented with a more expensive AT899 mono lapalier mic proving you get what you pay for as it produced some very good results - louder, less distortion. Next step is to try out a digital audio recorder to see if that makes any difference. The following video (watch in HD) has some a variety of sound samples you may be interested in: start to 1.35 - AT-899 lapalier mic mounted next to where the heater box is on a Caterham. Volume is (not surprisingly) notably louder in raw audio state from this location with whatever mic you use - I did not alter it in post production as I could not work out how to! I did duplicate the mono single track into a second 'stereo' track in post production. If I did not then you would only hear audio from the right speaker. at 2.05 to 3.15 - Kitcat is using the ATR3350 mounted in the boot box of the Birkin under the rear tonneau. The Birkin has a plastic boot box and so resonates differently to the Caterham boot area example listed further below. Another example of Kitcat with this mic in same position is at 8.25 to 9.20. at 8.57 - Steve in the green and ali crossflow is using my camera with just the inbuilt mic as I did not have a spare external mic for him - my fault. This will show others just how bad it is - you already know!. 10.00 to 11.19 - ATR 899 mounted in my Caterham boot under the rear tonneau. To compare the ATR3350 in a Caterham boot box under the rear tonneau you can look at: My older video with the Olympus mic on a GoPro was taken offline (as it was such a bad editing job!) so I cannot compare that. However, I have a Vio POV camera using the Olympus ME-15 example mounted in the Caterham boot under the rear tonneau at: It produces more static/clipping and distortion as if it cannot handle the audio range. The louder volume comes solely from the Vio POV cam as it processes audio better than a GoPro. Using the ME-15 on a GoPro I find it has lower volume than the Vio POV. So to sum up - for spirited blats on roads I think the Olympus mic works perfectly well if you shield it from wind as you prove in your nicely "arty" example. If you want to use it on track then it I think it fails in the far more demanding audio environment. This is where a powered mic in a GoPro has the advantages. Even then with powered mics - you get what you pay for. For $20 I think the ATR-3350 offers a pretty good balance.

Hi Martin - The Drivers Club does not allow passing in the corners like that. I think the driver was having brain fade at that moment, amply illustrated by the rapid rotation 1 second later. It is important to remember that just because a car in front points you by, does not mean you have to take it as Tom wisely showed. Next time you are over here maybe the 'Sarah Palin Fan Club' :jester: and I can get you out to the track for a day?

That is heavier than I expected. Must be the full cage - probably 100lbs in its own right? Aero does make progress slower going once you get over 100mph.

Conclusions after much trial and error, experimentation and consultation: - best sound comes from a digital audio recorder sync'ed to the video in afterwards editing. At least thats what Gopro have partly admitted to in some of their promotional videos. However this is a complication you will not want so.... - Since that is a lot of faffing then for the external mic you want a powered mic. - put a piece of electrical tape over the internal mic hole or silicone it to stop wind noise. I was a believer in this even before MoPho independently reached the same conclusion from his experimentations. For a cheap powered mic buy an Audio Technica ATR 3350. It is a lapalier type so you can run it around the car looking for the best position. It is the one I was using on your car in June. If the cord is not long enough then you can buy 3.5mm extension leads to get the mic forward and under the bonnet. If you want to run it under the dash then you will need a dead cat wind cover for the mic since I find you still get wind noise there.

Oh come on Mike...you have two sevens and an upmarket Porsche SUV thingy...you can afford to buy a nice new HD Hero 2 with the external mic port! :seeya: Being serious...just a little bit....I think your built in mic in your current Gopro is broken. You can send it back to Gopro for repairs as an alternative. Tom was using his Drift HD camera.

I was disappointed, F355's do not make the same impressive dust clouds than F458's do! :jester:

I'll say it can go quickly wrong - I am still on September 2! How did you get to September 27 so quickly? :willy_nilly: Mr Ferrari should know better than to wave at his 'adoring fans' (aka waving you past) while cresting that turn and getting back on the power! Good to see you got the sound to work well - just need to find a less windy spot now. I would also recommend dialing back to 720 60fps and checking your camera mount is fixed down tightly - the rolling shutter/waviness was making me ill.

Thank you Skip! That was a great way to wake up with the morning brew and just admire the cars. I need to get there one year....

BEC need their weight to put the whole thing in context. How heavy is your Westfield?

I can assure you Tom's mirrors work very well. He always manages to get out of my way when I come up to lap him again and again and.... Here is a better photo: http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/CSR/NJMP%2006252012/DSC00443.jpg oh wait....maybe not :rofl: Lets try this one... http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a354/mjohnson555/seats/CSR/NJMP%2006252012/20120625_SCDA_NJM_IN1_1957.jpg

Bruce - please list me as a tentative. I am going to need a bit of luck to join in.

Looks gorgeous. Given my knowledge of the seller I suspect it will have gone up in price from the 2011 sale price! Tom Shaughnessy has an awesome reputation as a restorer of some magnificent Ferrari's.

Hi Bruce - You can buy all your bits from Caterham. Its only SV chassis that need the extra work to make them fit. The mounting bracket http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=2791 The screens themselves that mount to the brakcet http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=297 And an essential is the retaining channels/captive nuts. Very easy to install - Wil DG has seen these before on my car. http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=302 http://www.caterhamparts.co.uk/product.php?id_product=303 If you do not want a shiny version, the manufacturer in the UK sell it in powder coated black - I will have to dig around and find their name if you want it. Yellowss fitted one of these last year to an S3 chassis (you may remember you meeting him on one of our runs). He is in Philly if you wanted to see one in person and try it out. From my personal perspective you definitely need goggles or good wrap around biker sunglasses that seal on the sides.

It helps living in the worst state in the union to register a seven. I would almost move to CA given how easy they have it. I said almost.....

Thinking through this last night, I think you need to divorce the EPA requirements from the inspection requirements. While MA has signed up for the EPA requirements (from 1974....unless you count the 1987 "clarifying" memo!) my question is whether the MA DMV actually inspects for this stuff thereby enforcing the EPA rule literally or partially? No state tha i am aware of is enforcing the EPA rules stringently - even NJ which is a bureaucrat's heaven. For example, does MA put it on a dyno to confirm diff ratios and gearing ratios are original? I suspect not. They can test for emissions stuff through tail pipe sensor and OBDII so that is still a significant challenge. Before I went through the NJ specialty car inspection process I had to get a copy of their inspection regs/checklist to find out exactly what they do check for. It was supposedly confidential in NJ but I had attorney bust that little stupidity open with an FOI submission. Do you have this document for MA? Going through the SEMA documentation http://www.bipac.net/semaga/TagTitleToolbox_MA.pdf I note that there is no tailpipe inspection requirement for pre-1996 OBDII cars. So that opens up possibilities for an 16 year or older car as the new rules say replicas are tested on the model year of the engine installed. A crossflow should work then as that was used in the late 1960s in Lotus sevens. You say you have a 1998 Caterham so I assume this has the standard 1700cc crossflow/kent engine? Caterham USA was installing crossflows up to 1999 model year as the first zetec was in late 1999 with MichaelD's. So now that I am up to speed with your issue, I come back to your original question: What year Lotus Seven does my 1998 Caterham Sprint "replicate" most? - any year I pick? I think yes within reason. It has to withstand some scrutiny. Looking at Wikipedia to refresh my memory, it states that the kent engine was installed in “last production Lotus Sevens.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Kent_engine Based on this, given the looks and mechanical similarity I would be arguing with the DMV that it replicates a 1969 Lotus Seven – being a 3rd generation with a kent/crossflow which was used in the period. If I had my Dennis Ortenburger (Lotus Sevens & the Independents) history book with me I may be able to refine this better but this is the best I can do right now.

I finally just realized the magnitude of the issue you are grappling with. I had not realized MA has gone down the (IMHO wrong) path of NJ with its 'strict consctructionist' view of replicas. If they apply the EPA rules that way in practice then there is no way a Caterham (or Birkin or WCM or Westfield or Stalker) can be legally registered. As you note, you would have to run the same transmission, axle, diff, wheel diameter, emissions stuff, exhaust, catalytic converter, etc. As we all know, that stuff will not fit on a seven-type chassis with the possible exception of a Stalker which has more room for that stuff. I can also say getting your OBDII to work without fault codes should be interesting. I dont have a solution sadly - I have enough issues with my own state. The only real options I see is an over 25 year old car or one that is already in state and can be transferred across preserving the original title status?

The tri-headlights are the Caterham Levante type. The car was originally put together as a regular "normal looking" R400 with traditional headlights, mirrors and roll bar at Caterham USA. A photo of its original incarnation is on their website.

Found on Craigslist. Posting for the benefit of other members. I have no affiliation or connection with the seller. http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3217625320.html $25500 Just 2000 miles since 1999!

Found on Craigslist - I have no affiliation or connection with the seller - just reposting as a help to other forum members http://monterey.craigslist.org/cto/3190342940.html asking $25000

Found on Craigslist. I have no affiliation or connection with this seller. It has been up for sale sporadically in FL over the last 2-3 years. http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/ctd/3211740132.html http://www.kerugikuk.com/n2eaf97k/13rv/75/69/yi/13/2.jpg I do like how the ad says it "drives well with a manual transmission"! $49,995

Awwww.....come on Mondo.....where is your sense of humor? I love a good cat fight on a forum! :jester: Was it related to a rabidly left wing Californian political view that would really upset the mid-west 'head-in-the-sand' religiously loony right? :spam:

Dont you dare change your car Steve - it is a lovely example of a crossflow and one that was doing fine against the bigger cars. I just think you needed more time on the circuit. Thunderbolt is a difficult circuit first time around. You were fine on Lightning towards the end of the day as you got more comfortable with it. I included examples of you passing other cars so you were definitely not slow.

I have a demo model of the QStarz Lt-Q6000 that you linked to. We tested it on Tom's (Yellowss) seven at the NJMP Sevens Track Days in June. Took a few sessions to get it to work reliably. Good data but not easy to use or analyze. There is a much better alternative... I use the Racechrono Touchscreen Pro: http://mh-motorsports.com/lap_timers.shtml I can mount the GPS and separate touchscreen anywhere. It is easy to set up a brand new track for the first time and it works each time. I find I can use the touchscreen with my driving gloves on. Battery life is excellent although I do not use the LiveTimer feature which I bet uses up the batteries quicker. Easy to export to a CSV spreadsheet file and then overlay the data onto video with RaceRender. Much easier to set up and use than than the QStarz and the larger screen makes viewing data much easier. QStarz wrote the software for the Racechrono so it feels the same to use as their own LT-Q6000 unit and does pretty much the same thing. The difference is the Racechrono having a large touchscreen makes it far easier to use and analyze. The difference to the Vbox is really size. The Vbox is large and bulky. I tested one last year in the UK. It does all the same stuff as the QStarz and Racechrono. The Racehrono is two pieces - a GPS sized screen unit and a separate small GPS logger that bluetooths to the screen unit. The screen unit can be hidden discreetly anywhere leaving only the GPS logger exposed. You can see your data easily at the track on a Racechrono and do not need to plot it in a computer like the Vbox. Vbox is easier to use than the QStarz but not as easy as the Racechrono. I can email (offline) CSV export sample data files if you want to get a sense of the data being recorded by both the QStarz and the Racechrono.

Hi Steve - Jeff's (Jeffs on here I think) blue zetec was running around with Tom, Michael and myself on the Sunday when you arrived. I included some of that footage along with the Atom that I passed and the Ferarri 458 that blitzed past me on the straight (sounded good though!:bigear:). Jeff was pretty bummed he could not stay and had to go back to work on the Monday unlike us lucky ones who could goof off work I was pretty happy to find video of your Crossflow monstering a Corvette!