Croc

Have you seen the website for this place? So many tasty cars there. Oh I need to win powerball.... http://www.digitmotorsport.com/index.php

Ford Anglia - with the funny reverse slanted rear window? http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/ford_anglia_1966.jpg Sounds like this Seven had an interesting "birth"..... Mike

Dan, I am away from home (and the car) right now but from reading the assembly manual (which is with me for light reading LOL) and working from memory I believe the tank vents to a some type of carbon filter which then vents into the inlet manifold to be burned. I know when I was working through the OBD readouts with the service manual prior to the inspection that there was an ECU command to dump the vapor into the manifold at some trigger point. I also remember from the inspection that my fuel tank cap was pressure tested that it was sealing and not venting - and I passed that. Not sure what engine you are running - s2000? I guess the fittings are still there to vent via piping direct to the manifold (assuming this is still stock). The piece I think would be the most difficult (since I am clueless with electrics) is reconnecting it to the ECU with some controlled release valve. Is your ECU stock? I will check my car on Sat when I am back home and see if I can let you know anymore. Cheers mike

Thanks Mazda - I figured it was "one of those things" on the conversion. No need to worry since I had the post and the attachments on the pc so no loss. Thanks for your efforts! Cheers mike

I like the new look but I have one question - A very long post of mine with 2 doc attachments on registering Sevens in NJ looks to have been truncated on conversion and dropped the nj regs file. I got an email from a user asking about it. Does the new bulletin board limit length and attachments now? I have the post in a word doc anyway so no harm....

While I dont have a referral in NJ or PA, ,a buddy of mine with an s2000 that has been tweaked a little (ok well maybe a lot!) uses these guys: http://rpmnyc.com/newsite/index2.htm I know them as primarily engine builders but their website claims to assist with a lot of servcies. They may be able to help you sort the EEC problem - worth a try if you do not find something closer (which I am sure there is). mike

Hi Kyle I am happy to have you check out my newly registered one. I am in downtown Jersey City on the Hudson/Liberty Harbor. Send me a PM on how to get in touch with you. Cheers mike

While I was aware of this company I was not aware of its reputation until pointed out here - a quick google revealed a litany of customer satisfaction issues. http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/new-england-classic-car-co-c142328.html A second closer look at the sale pics on this car now makes me wonder about its condition...

Congratulations to the new owner. He is registered on this site but I will let him introduce himself when he is ready. We chatted by phone this week on getting yellow Sevens through NJ registration and the fun we can have blatting when the weather improves. Here is to winter ending soon!

How many of us here looked hot in the 1970s like the S4? Its a matter of perspective - who has the memories (or pictures ) of themselves with sideburns, wide collars, flares, or heaven forbid the safari suit. Hey it seemed like a good idea at the time! Its sorta the same for the S4. Also it does not look that bad when you are inside it driving it and having fun! Mike

Yes it is possible to get collect calls on a cell phone. I once had someone call me via 1 800 COLLECT. It was not cheap and I would not recommend it. Mike

You are exactly right - 8 mins is the dividing line which is why I want to try for it. That said I need to rent a much better car than before (porsche?) and need to take out about 40 seconds a lap. Most of my problem is I cannot remember the whole track because of its length - just some stretches imprint in the mind - so I drive defensively in some places. That is the difference between Sabine and regular mortals - after doing thousands and thousands of laps around the Ring she has memorized the track and can drive very hard everywhere plus she is an amazingly talented driver - one of the top 3 I have had the privilege to ride with and observe. I believe the M3 has now actually gone under 8 mins at the Ring - at least thats what I heard when I was there last year. The really good cars are now starting to get close to knocking on the 7 minute door. mike

Expensive is defined as "nosebleed" :ack: The track is like $40-50 per lap (depending on exchange rate). The cars vary - I used RSR last year for an Alfa 75 V6 with slicks. The all inclusive package with unlimited laps is the best price option although I find all day is too much unless you have a buddy present to share the fun (and price!). They also have (had?) Caterhams but I cannot see them on the website (link below): http://rsrnurburg.com/index.php The prices speak for themselves. It is not a cheap exercise. I rationalize the price as being cheap compared to racing my own car (Holden Commodore Group A vintage touring sedan), especially that day when I blew up the getrag gearbox causing a $5000 replacement (ouch!). However, I promised myself I would try to break 8 minutes this year when I go back....it remains to be seen if I can afford to.

Al, I know what you mean about the inspection experience depends on the inspector. Just from my personal observation yesterday I saw that the personality and outlook of the inspector makes a huge difference. I suspect at your inspection you got "the other guy" that I observed yesterday. One amusing story from the inspection when they tried to enter the vehicle weight the computer would not take any weight below 2100lbs and came back with an error message "data entry error - vehicle out of acceptable range." My Seven must now be officially the world's heaviest at 2100lbs! :lol: cheers mike

Sabine was my instructor when I first drove at the Ring a couple of years ago. She is even more awesome to watch driving in person - she is not just a pretty face. That first lap out with her with me as the passenger I ended up being sick because the track is like a rollercoaster with huge elevation changes and the compressions on some of those turns is brutal. Because of this and the bumpiness of the track you need a softer suspension set up than you would expect for a racetrack. There are shops at the Ring where you can rent cars, including Caterhams, to take out on the Ring after some instruction. Expensive but really really good fun. cheers mike

Hi Kiwi - Being located in Christchurch you have some of most magnificent roads and scenery to enjoy with this car. I had a blast touring around when I lived in NZ many years ago. My favorite road has to be the one from Te Anau to Milford Sound. Also you can stop quickly to avoid the sheep on the road

I passed NJ inspection yesterday - I am now road legal :hurray: More importantly I had the chance to spend time with the inspector hitting him with questions on how the registration process works in NJ for Sevens. I have reworked my earlier post to show the process from start to finish in case there are other NJers like me out there. I have talked with 2 other guys by phone from this site who are working through the NJ process and there may be others out there. I figure there is some benefit to someone out there from writing this down for posterity. Sorry in advance this post is so long. The process I am following right now works on the assumption you have a titled car in another state and you have bought it out of state and then re-title it in New Jersey. This also assumes it is assembled, registered and inspected in that state before bringing it to NJ: Title Gather together the following documents: (a) Form SS-7 "Application for Certificate of Ownership" (b) pencil trace of the VIN © picture of the vehicle (d) picture of the VIN plate (e) out of state title documents that have been signed over by the seller to you (the buyer) (f) bill of sale - what was bought, price paid, the seller (name & address), odometer reading, sign ed by the seller Once you have all this together you can send it to the address on the SS-7 (and wait several weeks) or turn up at the office in Trenton - no appointment needed. I went in since my VIN plate was not the same as the original title (number transposed). Office address is 225 East State Street, Trention NJ, hours M-F 8.30 to 3.30. Once there I had a discussion with the guys whether it was a classic vehicle or under the "special vehicles" category (reconstructed vehicles, dune buggies, kit cars, etc). I was not eligible for the classic designation because my car was less than 25 years old and it had been titled as a 2004 Caterham in the previous state. If the car has been titled as a 1968 Lotus Seven Replica in the previous state then NJ would have given it classic status on the title. The lesson here is check the title from an out of state car before you buy it. They also have a collector vehicle status which came in Sept 1, 2007. This allows vehicles less than 25 years to get a sort of classic designation and bypass the biannual inspection requirement. Like the classic designation you are limited to 3000miles per year. However, the law says that the vehicle cannot be a kit or a replica or be identified as a reconstructed vehicle which was a problem for me. I attached the MVC fact sheet for this category. It may be worth exploring for someone - I confirmed yesterday that some Cobra replicas are using this category. The third category Sevens fall under is Reconstructed vehicles and kit cars. This is where I ended up because thats how the previous title was interpreted by NJ NVC. Biannual inspections and no mileage limit are the features of this category. Once MVC have worked out your title category then they do paperwork, you pay 8% sales tax and get your title and move on. Registration With the title you head off to another window and complete form BA-49 New Jersey Registration Application. Get the check book out since there is a another fee here ($20 from memory). You show your new title, NJ license, proof of ID/residency, proof of NJ insurance and they register your car and give you plates and a pink temporary inspection sticker. With this you are on the road. Again this is a quick process. Inspection This is the "fun" bit. Within 2 weeks of getting the registration you need to get an inspection done. Because a Seven is not a normal car you have to go through one of 3 speciality inspection sites. They are by appointment only. This inspection is not the type of safety inspection that newly built Sevens without a previous state title have to go through but it was still pretty rigorous (and frustrating). For clarity - a newly built Seven being titled for the first time is required to go through the rigorous safety inspection b

This was one of the cars I checked out in person late last year when I was travelling around the US (FL, TX and IL) looking at cars. I thought it was a very clean car in nice condition. As an added bonus I found the owner a really nice guy to chat with. Echoing the comments above, at the new lower price I think this is great value - even better than when I looked at it. Only reason I did not end up buying it was I had 2 other cars to choose from with similar prices and competitive specs. It took quite a few beers to chew it over with my buddies to choose which one. It is a great time to be out there shopping for a car - some very nice ones to choose from.

The process I am following right now works on the assumption you have a titled car in another state and you have bought it out of state and then re-title it in New Jersey. This also assumes it is assembled, registered and inspected in that state before bringing it to NJ: Title Gather together the following documents: (a) Form SS-7 "Application for Certificate of Ownership" (b) pencil trace of the VIN © picture of the vehicle (d) picture of the VIN plate (e) out of state title documents that have been signed over by the seller to you (the buyer) (f) bill of sale - what was bought, price paid, the seller (name & address), odometer reading, sign ed by the seller Once you have all this together you can send it to the address on the SS-7 (and wait several weeks) or turn up at the office in Trenton - no appointment needed. I went in since my VIN plate was not the same as the original title (number transposed). Office address is 225 East State Street, Trention NJ, hours M-F 8.30 to 3.30. Once there I had a discussion with the guys whether it was a classic vehicle or under the "special vehicles" category (reconstructed vehicles, dune buggies, kit cars, etc). I was not eligible for the classic designation because my car was less than 25 years old and anyway they were planning to phase out that designation in 2009. That sounds like a looming problem for some classic-titled owners because then you have to do a full inspection. It took only 15 minutes to get a nice shiny new title....oh and pay the NJ sales tax for used vehicles....$1800 later....ouch. The guys at the MVC office were petrolheads - really good to deal with. During the course of chatting they did say that a new seven without a title already from another state is not eligible for classic collector vehicle status and has to be titled as a special vehicle since it will be less than 25 years old. There are real advantages to getting collector status since it bypasses the inspection ordeal. Registration With the title you head off to another window and complete form BA-49 New Jersey Registration Application. Get the check book out since there is a another fee here ($20 from memory). You show your new title, NJ license, proof of ID/residency, proof of NJ insurance and they register your car. With this you are on the road. Again this is a quick process. Inspection This is the "fun" bit. Within 2 weeks of getting the registration you need to get an inspection done. Because a Seven is not a normal car you have to go through one of 3 (or 4?) speciality inspection sites. They are by appointment only. I am in the middle of this process and to be honest I think I would prefer a colonoscopy. This inspection is required every 2 years although the first time is obviously the worst. I was unable to get an appointment within the 2 weeks as they were busy.....car is not allowed to be driven at that 2 week point and your insurance policy is technically invalid until you get your inspection. Sigh. The inspection does an OBD test for emissions and if the car does not have the OBD hookup then they put a sensor up your tailpipe. Personally I think that would be easier since the OBD readout not surprisingly shows faults in my car (e.g. my Zetec was originally an automatic with air con so thats 2 of my readout errors there I think....). From reading the helpful past posts of Al Navarro on this site plus my own practical lessons (phone calls, reading the inspection regs, getting slapped around by the MVC, etc.) the key problem areas for Sevens in passing inspection are: - NJ does not like aeroscreens or brooklands screens - real windscreen please with the DOT logo imprinted on the glass. - high mounted brake light needed - fuel tank needs shielding - they are not a fan of bare aluminium sadly - exhaust needs heat shielding for the full length where it is outside and able to be touched by kids, dogs, etc. - a new gear knob is needed to show the gear shift pattern I had a copy of the inspection regs and found that very helpful

Hi Jen - I am currently going through the process on a 2004 Caterham bought out of state. Titling was a dream (about 15 mins) in the MVC once I had the right documents (which is key!). I got it titled as a 2004 Caterham without an issue. Registering.....well.....the inspection process is driving me slightly nuts but I can finally see a way through that. If you are interested I have the inspection regs I can get scanned and email to you. Reading them you can get an idea what is likely to cause problems on your car. Strangely I am having most hassle with insurance.... I am happy to share experiences if you want to know more. cheers mike