Evan

Congratulations, very nice.

Legitimate concern on the possibility of leaks but I dont think 30k should be an issue. You definitely have the right idea on using syn on a turbo motor If you choose to keep using dino stuff with your turbo engine, make sure that you are patient with your cool down procedures. I would PM oilteq (Blaine) since he might work for a lubrication company and seems to know a lot about the subject.

Blaine, thanks for the input on wire wheel and the Birkin. It's comforting to know that there is support when things go wrong BTW, A friend of mine told me there's a Caterham R400 here in FL and I think it was the car advertised at Caterham USA and this time the dealer is asking $60,000+ I'll be going to So. Florida tomorrow (Tuesday) and there's time, might have to check out the R400.

These are the low life's that everybody wishes were fed to the lions at birth. I am sure that he wont last too long inside once the inmates get wind of what he did.

Mondo, Thanks for your input. The S2K's must be a hoot to drive and I believe that it will definitely give anyone the Seven experience. I have been admiring Chad's car and have been telling myself that it is how I would want to build mine if I ever got a S2K even before I finally came out of lurking. They have the pedigree of power and reliability that anyone can ask for with the Honda motor without the headaches but I just lean towards the look of the old Sevens. Please dont tell Chad about me since he might lower his price more and I just might take the bait

It means......before puberty. The styling of the car seems like it has not reached maturation. The styling seems to remind me of some girls in early high school; they are pretty and smart but too skinny, lanky, and somewhat clumsy but deep inside, you knew they were going to be waaaaaaaaay hot as time went on and you were going to regret not giving them a shot The S4 reminds me of that, at least in pictures so I'd like to see it. The Birkin did seem expensive but might be worth exploring.

Thanks for the responses. Croc, do you ever sleep? Just gotta find the right car at the right price for an old guy who still likes to drive like a little kid on the track. I corresponded with Dick via email a few times but my schedule is pretty tight at the moment but I'll try to visit his shop before buying. There is also a car in San Diego that's advertised here and I like it a lot but is very intimidating mechanically for someone like me who hasn't touched a carburetor in about 30years much less 2 of them; if only it had a duratec or ztec The ULTRA 7 on the For Sale section seems like an awesome car built in a diligent manner but appears to be a lot bulkier than a Seven; any thoughts? I am in northern FL right now and will be going down to Miami-Ft. Lauderdale this coming Tuesday after fishing this weekend and I see that there is a Birkin and a S4 Seven at Wirewheel in Vero Beach. The S4 styling seems kinda pre-pubescent but have never seen one in person so I'd like to check it out. Has anybody had any experiences in dealing with wire wheel classic sportscars?

Thanks for everybodys input. Your experience is invaluable to me. I have no knowledge on the Birkin marque other than it being one of the many Seven clone manufacturers. The perspective of an extremely happy customer gives me the confidence to consider it especially knowing that you seem to like the same things I plan to do with the car. Dave, do you have a dedion, IRS or solid axle rear end? Are these choices even available for the Birkin?

:):)

This is soooo dumb, it's fun I couldn't do it the first few times but was able to pull it off, if I looked at my right foot; then proceeded to waste more time and practice so I now have a smart right foot but my d..k went limp

Croc, I understand what you mean. SF would insure a Lotus but not a Caterham in MN even with my agent lobbying for about a week. There also might be a regional policy by the insurance companies so it could vary from one region to another.

Thanks for the replies. I'm sorry for not being clear on my insurance inquiries. I did not want coverage for timed or racing events since that would be incredibly expensive; besides, we never really want anybody to know what we really do with our cars The kind of insurance I am looking for is an agreed value policy but without the restriction of being unable to drive it regularly (daily driver) and as little mileage restriction as possible.

Drew, That's great to hear. There are 2 guys who run with Minnesota Autosports Club and Corvettes of Minnesota but they have an older Birkin and Caterham. Do you ever run with the guys with SCCA or MAC?

Thanks for the responses. Everybody, Does your company allow you to drive your car as a regular/everyday car? I'd love to drive this cars on an everyday basis to learn more about it which is the reason for the insurance questions. One of my cars has an Agreed value insurance with a 2500 mile cap annually but with a restriction not to be used as a regular car (American Collectors Insurance). I have owned it since new and is being restored so it's not a problem. Thanks for the heads-up on Carlisle. I have seen Sevens since the late 70's and have had awesome rides in them; thus my interest. My ambivalence is about the ownership experience since I'm not quite sure if the car or I would live up to expectations I have places in MN & FL but all the vehicles are currently registered in MN; should be back in MN by the 17th of May.

Thanks for the response. Guy's, Who insures your cars and what restrictions are put on them? My desire to go Lotus or Caterham may be un/misinformed; but the reasons are easy registration on the old Lotus Sevens, parts availability/interchangeability (with Caterham), resale, & insurability (questionable on caterham). If I was sure that I'd love this type of car then I'd probably lean towards the S2K engined clones and put up with the aggravating registration/title process I think all the Seven's are either DM or EM depending on engine size and if they are NA or not so I plan on running DM on a regional level since I dont have the skill, budget nor the patience to constantly tune

Hello Everybody, I am new in the forum and need some advice on whether to get either a Lotus Seven or Caterham for AutoX & Track days but also be street legal (no registration headaches and yes, I will drive the darn thing on the street) and insurable (tell me which company you use [my insurance company wont insure a Caterham]). FWIW, I have been doing motorsports for 20+ years but I'm a total newbie on what to look for on Seven's and it's clones. These cars have always been extremely interesting to me and I think the time is right to get one before I get too old Thanks in advance for all the input.