Croc

Interesting - curious to see it is supercharged. Was this standard from the factory or a later owner addition? I assume he has it sorted and it is reliable? mike

The yellow clams is the one that was on the for sale pages of this site from FL. While I had looked at it last year and passed on it, Jack ended buying it recently when the owner decided to negotiate price. So the side picture Bruce put up is the same car. My car has the cycle wings and green nose Cheers mike

Nice dent - it was lucky no major harm was done. Jack (jlbtrans1) and myself also got out this weekend for a blat. Jack just got his car through registration this week so was keen to hit the road. We just went touring around the backroads of north west NJ and over the border into NY ending up at Warwick for lunch. Jack's daughter came along for the ride and loved it! Naturally the cars got a lot of attention helped by Jack deciding to park outside the main street Girl Guide Cookie stand! Just doing our bit for the community! As we parted I, Jack's daughter was eyeing her chances to get behind the wheel and drive the Seven herself - what spirit!

Interesting idea but would a Subie engine fit? I always assummed it was too wide for the chassis?

You could also try Dick Brink at Birkin America for what he calls his "Birkini" top.

I am not sure if it is an option but my OBD plug was accidentally "lost" by me behind the dash to prevent that type of scenario. That fled the MVC to running their checks manually e.g. emissions tailpipe sensor, tank cap sealing, etc. As chance would have it, before I lost the plug I did run the checks myself to see what was missing. I never did sort out every error code which was why I went for the plan B option. Mike

Just so I understand, what if you temporarily swapped the fuel tank cap for a non-venting one and installed a one way valve to prevent the vacuum? I guess your inspection test that identified this was the cap pressure test for venting... Are there alternative venting options other than the cap?

And dont forget the beer is cold and tasty in NZ!!!! As an aside I had my car out for a drive this afternoon and less than a block out from home a guy in a really beat up Suzuki Swift pulls up at the red light and yells across "Nice Lotus Seven". Turns out it was Bruce from Dunedin NZ visiting NYC while driving across the USA. What a small world! mike

Dan From tracking the fuel system around the car today I can confirm I still have the fuel tank venting into the manifold. i have a metal canister (carbon filter?) mounted in the engine bay and it links to valving which goes into the manifold - so this is the purge valve you describe. Whats your plan of attack from here? Can you restore the original plumbing without much hassle? mike

Hi Kiwi, This brings back great memories of my time in NZ. The scenery has not changed in 15 years. Your post made me dig out a photo of me next to my rental car (Holden Commodore) on what looks to be a very similar vantage point overlooking Christchurch and the ocean to where you have photographed your Birkin. Slightly different angle but same elevation and outlook. I don't recall the road name but I do recall it was deserted, winding and narrow with stunning views. I spent 6 weeks that trip roaming the south island exploring places and tramping at every opportunity and could have done another 6 weeks. Much nicer down there than the north island - probably because of the smaller population. Are the Keas still the lovable little pests I remember? The little devils took out my windscreen wipers that trip. Cheers mike

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