KiwiBirkin

Hi guys thanks for the concern it's a great feeling to know others around the world care. As you may know we were hit by a another major EQ today it was less at 6.3 but this time it was more violent and has caused more distruction with Christchurch city center really hit bad with many buildings down and big loss of life. We are fine the house is ok but we are really freaking out with the after shocks

Mike that's looking fantastic....drool

Great pics of the snow hope everyone is safe and warm.

Have to agree great road, great car but crap driver who spends far too much time over the other side of the road on a lot of blind corners when he doesn't need to as he has a car that will take all those corners easy on the right side of the road. But thanks for sharing Twobone

The hat was on and off a lot as it got quite windy as the run progressed and ad we came around into some of the bays it was hitting us side on and was about too lose it a few times. Added a link to Google maps with the route driven on it.

It shouldnt be as I have watched it after it uploaded and it ran fine for me, try going to the youtube site to watch it and see if it does it.

Hi guys though I would share some video footage I took of NZ Christchurch lotus7.co.nz forum members out and about the Christchurch Port Hills on a regular monthly blat. Its 20min of video from the 1 hour blat taken from the top of Evans pass to Gebbies Pass in 720p HD shot on my GoPro HD, the roads are pretty rough in place as they have moved a lot since our 7.1 earth quake back in September and the 4000+ aftershocks so it will seem a little bumpy in places. We are traveling around the bays road that goes around Lyttelton Harbour here in NZ. Google Maps link to the route taken http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Sumner+Rd&daddr=Gebbies+Pass+Rd&geocode=FcbNZv0dfPBLCg%3BFcLYZP0dpJpJCg&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=13&sll=-43.725212,172.605686&sspn=0.086837,0.154324&ie=UTF8&ll=-43.697914,172.697353&spn=0.086877,0.154324&z=13 If you click on the video it will take you too youtube where you can watch it in 720p. I didn't add any music just the engine noise.

I carry a small tool kit that fits in a man's toiletry bag along with some duct tape and cable ties, also one can of fix a flat. I also carry my half doors as they roll up tight and my Birkin hood hoops and first aid kit, I also carry my hood in a roll up bag on top of the boots tonue cover. The rest of the boot space which is still quite a lot gets used for beach bag and other stuff for the days outings.

Croc covered it all really and made some good points the only thing I will add is I prefer the side exit exhaust on my car as it had a rear exit when we got it and we had a lot of exhaust fumes in the cockpit when just running around town with all the stop starts

I would suggest a Birkin S3 with full weather gear and set up with a modern Duratec or Zetec engine on a seirra 5 speed box. This configuration will give you a really modern seven that is great for all day driving and great around town too and has really great looks. My wife and I have just clocked past 30000km in ours in 2 years and we use it for everything.

Agreed they will have to drag me out of mine as its morphed around me

Hi Steve you are welcome to pull any pictures of my car from my Photobucket account there are plenty there of my car before and after its refurbishment, also i dont mind if the number plate shows as the car is in NZ http://s660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/ Cheers Stephen

As others have said a Seven based car is great for touring in as you get to see a lot of your surroundings and are quite engaged with them, its no harder to set up for touring than a bike so if you all ready have that mindset you will manage it very easily.

No Croc you didnt miss anything but since the paint job I have covered about 15000km and by the time it gets too winter the car will have another 10000km's on it and those KMs will have taken there toll on the paint job as we get a lot of stones on our NZ roads because they use chip seal and not tarmac as a road surface. It will be redone in the same colours though.

Croc tick it all you know you want too Winters a long time off for me but already planning some jobs on my Birkin 1: Rear disk brakes conversion for the live axel. 2: Get the inside side panels re upholstered and the dash too. 3: New rear guards and repaint 4: Skid plate

The 2 S4 are Steel Bro sevens built under licence and both are running 1600 Lotus twin cam engines. The Black Seven with the orange nose stripe is my mates car how many pics do you want . The Yellow one with the large vents is a Westfield I have a few more pics I will dig up.

The container was empty in the pic, my mate Clive who was driving the car used the petrol on the way up to Nelson as he left late for the run and knew the petrol station at Murchison (rural town 330km from our start) would be closed and he wouldn't be able to get petrol so carried it with him. I should explain that Nelson is the sunshine capital of the New Zealand south island and the route we took is on all the major tourist drives but in the 450kms to get to Nelson through the inland rote there are still only 2 petrol stations and both closed before 9pm

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine2010110.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine2010131.jpg We then departed Havlock and drove the Queen Charlote Drive to Picton in a convoy of 30 cars http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine2010137.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine2010133.jpg It was a great trip the weather stayed fine but it was cold the roads up Nelson way are in great condition with lovely seal (compared to Canterbury roads) in all we did about 1500kms and had great company i'm really looking forward to next year.

And Marg as a Legal Seretary http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201074.jpg The next day was the planned drive home via Picton for lunch and then down the east coast with a stop at Kiakoura for afternoon tea, we all stopped at Havlock for a group photos but as we were not able to get any elevation to take pics they didnt turn out as well as expected. http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine2010112.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine2010113.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine2010108.jpg

Lunch stop http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201037.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201038.jpg That evening the organising group had a night planned with a fancy dress beginning in L and a evening meal this was all at the hotel so we didnt have to drive anywhere, everyone on the trip gets involved in these evenings and there were some great outfits in L that people had dreamed up along with about 10 Leprechauns. I went as a Lab Tech http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201075.jpg

Back on the road after coffee hope you know the way Bruce http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201025.jpg Argg lights http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201027.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201028.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201030.jpg

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201019.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201018.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201022.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201021.jpg

Continued We set off to Nelson with a planned route through the Lewis Pass then onto Springs Junction and then on up to Murchison for lunch and then on the Nelson, by the time we had got to Kaiapoi it was drizzling rather heavy so we stopped to put the hood on which then remained on until Spring Junction where it had stopped raining and was a lot warmer we had a great run through the Lewis pass with most cars in convoy of at least 3 or more, by the time we had hit Murchison for lunch it was quite warm but looked like NW showers up the valley towards Nelson. The run to Nelson was great up over the saddle and through Clarke Valley which is very twisty and then on to Nelson with just the odd shower hitting us every now and then. The next day we meet up with 3 members from Nelson and a couple of friends who have Frasers to head off on organised rally around Nelson which and onto Kaiteriteri for lunch we had a planned stop for lunch the rally was well organised and gave us a great tour route around the back blocks of Nelson with the high-lite of the day driving down the great Motuaka vally Hwy rd (really twisty but fast) following 3 sevens with another 4 behind me. Lining up for the rally start http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201013.jpg Behind us http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201014.jpg The organisers 209 Elisie http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201016.jpg Coffee break at the Secret Cafe on the Motuaka Valley Hwy http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201017.jpg

I couldnt see a section under the Events area for other members in other countries so I have posted this here its in a lot of posts because of the limit to 4 pics per post Two weeks ago Marg & I went on our 2nd annual SLR Tranz Alpine club run this is the main event of the year for the SLR club and is always 3 days away on a well run tour of the South Island of NZ this year we went to Nelson. The day started off meeting at the new The Press building on Johns Rd there 25 cars gathered on a light southerly morning (means rain and wind for us NZ'ers) at 9am there were 2 other members from my Clubmans forum on the run Zak7 and Clives7 both of which this was their first time on a Tranz Alpine run with the club. It was great to see the all the cars gathered at the start and meet some old faces from a year ago when we went on the last one. The weather was overcast with a forecast of rain and it was quite cold too but no rain in sight. Marg and our mascot ready to go http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine201012.jpg Original S2 Lotus 7 http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine20109.jpg Couple of S4 cars http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine20101.jpg http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/Hotdognz/SLR%202010%20Tranz%20Alpine/SLRTranzAlpine20104.jpg

With names like that your right you just have to pull their leg a bit just make sure you buy um a beer next time you see them in your local bar and keep um sweet on your Seven.