jimrankin

...that the only thing faster than cubic inches is cubic dollars. While these are fantastic parts and really great if you need them for your existing projects they sure do make an all aluminum chevy V8 look like a deal. LOL. On the other hand, I sure do love iconic motors and it is great that someone is making the parts to keep the older designs repair/restorable. I can replace the motor in my Jag with an LS and more than double the horsepower for less than half the cost of rebuilding the DOC Hemi straight six, but I just ain't gonna go that way. It may be slow, but it's sweet. LOL.

When they talk about "The Greatest Generation" they realy are not kidding. Not just them, but the generation of parents who raised them through the great depression and watched them, without complaining, go off to WW2 and die defending a country that they truely loved. Just about all of them are gone now, or soon to pass and we are going to be a lot worse off for it. I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with my grandfather who I, as a child and young man, couldn't conceive of how he had gotten so smart when he never finished high school. I missed a lot of "growing up" time with my father who was a "Navy Lifer" who quit college just as WW2 began, served in the submarine service throughout the war (While on the Cavala they alone sunk one of the large Japanese carriers that had attacked Pearl Harbor) and went on to hold every pay grade from E1 to E9, W1 to W4 and O1 through O4. Surprisingly for that time and that occupation he was a feminist (he ran the ship, mom ran everything else, even when he had shore duty) and supported free thinking in us kids even when it didn't go along with his own. He didn't sing along when I'd blast Bob Dylans "Masters of War" on his stereo but he didn't make me take it or anything else off. Between he and my mom they raised three kids who all were productive, sucessful and raised our own kids to be the same. I lost my dad three years ago and my mom a year later but they are both still with me every day because every thing I do is somewhere deep down based on what I learned from them.

Forgot to mention that I have been a registered Libertarian for 30+ years and vote for the best man/woman running for office, not for a party line or sound bite.

I'm just about all of the things Rikker said, BUT, I still burn one now and then, think a woman is the only person who has a right to tell her what to do with her body, think welfare is needed but as a safety net but not a hammock, prefer Obama over any of the Bushes, don't think anyone needs an assault rifle with a a couple of thousand rounds of ammo but is more than welcome to keep a revolver, shotgun or HUNTING rifle, doesn't want the government in my bedroom (or any room in my house) but realize that this country won't run without one so I pay my fair share of taxes with a smile, albeit with a slightly pained one. I joined the Marines and spent 25 months in Viet Nam and got out after my enlistment as a decorated E5 Sargent who then became part of the peace movement (just like Bush going into Iraq, one you can't win). I've been sucessful in business (owned and ran a Union shop) and most everything else I've tried (well, except racing). So, not every specialty car owner exactly fits "the typical" profile he is painting. In point of that fact, both RNR and Josh from this site were at my home yesterday with our 7's and neither one of them fits it at all. LOL.

I didn't know we worked for the same company Mondo. Was your office in the basement also?

ok, that went so here goes. You will need two (2) of the "J" shaped pieces on the second page of the scan. I use bolts with springs and washers to tension the plate in place (see photo)but just using a couple of direct bolts or two springs pulling from the back would work as well and easier. I use a very hard 1/4" thick rubber pad from aft of the jack cut out to the back of the plates flat bottom to spread impact load to the pan around as much as possible. Line the inside of the "J" with some thinner rubber so it won't rattle. It's a skid plate, not an armor plate so around 10-12 Ga. stainless steel is about as heavy as you want to go. Pop rivet the 18" bar to the back of the skid plate. You will need to drill the "J"s to match the holes in the bar/plate once you have them in place over the frame rails. This allows the plate to slide/flex when hit hard so it won't shear off the mounting bolts or rivets. Thats it.

Josh, couldn't load the scans in privare message so here goes;

Hi RNR, Next time you drive down park out at the curb, just in case you blow up. LOL. I have an absorbed glass mat battery designed for use in a jet ski that cranks the 2.2L Honda just fine and is now several years (4-5) old. mounts down under the exhaust header and in the "splash zone" if driving in the wet and is hard to get to so zero maintenance and completely sealed makes for worry free use.

It's a bitch getting old in the only country in the world that still uses "feet and inches" and fahrenhite as measurments. Every time I see a MM or celcius measurment I have to think "WTF" is/was the USA thinking. Thank god for online conversion tables but we should just set a date, break hard and change to the metric system. At least we drive on the proper side of the road, could just imagine the bloodshed if we had to change that!! Think of the advantages when we get it done and the jobs it would create doing it. Slap the parents silly if they start confusing the little childred with the "kings foot" crap. LOL.

I don't have a top for my Ultralite but have been considering something in the way of a windshield and half top to extend the drive time in hot weather (sun protection mainly after burning my nose since a cap with brim just blows off, even with headband ear protection, due to the buffeting) and a bit more protection if I get caught in a shower. Having owned three MGA's and driven them as daily drivers in New England, Virginia and the mid west I can attest that even those ill fitting tops and side curtains and nearly non-existant heater and defroster far outclass the protection, or lack of, in my S2K. Been caught in spring showers 100 miles from home twice and the only way to keep going is to scrunch down till your eyes are at dash legel and rest your chin on the steering wheel so the water (most of it anyway) off the aeroscreen goes over your head. The small drain holes in the floor just barely keep up with the water coming in. As far as 7's go, and what most of us expect from them the Ultralight is right up there with the best. But for a daily driver in other than great conditions I don't think it's the best choice. One of the "English" 7's where bad weather is more the norm and the cars are designed with heat/defrost/rain protection/wipers may be a better choice. Having lived where salt on the highway is a regular occurance and seeing what it can do to any area where it gets trapped I would not think that any 7 would have much llfe expectancy without continual trips to your local car wash for an extended washing of all of the areas where the frame and skin and the metal on metal suspension are going to get soaked while driving. I would never advise anyone against buying a 7 of any type, the ultimate fun driving car, but I also think it isn't the best choice from a daily driver car standpoint unless you live in one of the areas with mostly great weather. I live in the SF Bay area and we have just gone through several days of rain and wind that would have kept anyone with a 7, even the brave younger drivers, off the road.

All cars registered under SB100 ar considered to be "Model Year 0000" no matter what you put down. I know it doesn't make sense that they will put in whatever year you tell them on the pink slip but it is still "0000" in the DMV data base for SB100. As for what you have to meet for equipment it is based on 1960 year vehicle standards. If it had to be on and work in 1960 to meet fed and state standards you have to have it. Lucky for us there were no bumper standards yet, hate to have to meet that one. There is also a California standard for cars under certain weight limits, which I beleive is still 1500 lbs, that allow us even more wiggle room on fenders and such. Don't know the DMV code for that one but it's what lets the street rods that meet the limit go fenderless and also concerns the windshield, or lack of, criteria. The DMV has a pretty good web site once you get used to how to get around in it. All of the state codes are there and in some cases it links them as to the area of your search.

Took a look at the seals, could install as an add while replacing the bolts. Are they flexible enough to take the changes in angle when the suspension moves without binding or opening up to allow dirt/moiusture in? Since you have that much milage on them they must work pretty well. I can not find measurable wear in the heim joints themselves when I take them off the car, still super tight, but I can get slight movement on the threaded bolts in the heim joint center sleeve. Mondo, I've been using a dry silicone lube called "SailCoat" left over from my sailing days that helps with "squeeks" but not with rattles, will give your product a try.

Thanks for all the input, I'll check out the links and everyones post as to what they did/learned. Going to be a busy winter but want to fit in the work on the 7 along with multiple other projects. The car has been very reliable, great fun/thrills on road and track but even after three years of use I still can't get the clatter at low speeds from bothering me!! I recently took a gear head neighbor for a ride and his comment was "HOLY S--T that was incredible but I was afraid that with all those rattles before we got to the highway that it was falling apart, I kind of expected to see the rear wheels pass us when you power shifted up the on ramp". LOL.

Saw a post somewhere on this forum a couple of years back about replacing the standard "all thread" heim joint bolts on a WCM S2K with shoulder bolts to try to reduce the noise created by the loose fit around the threads. I'm not sure just what section it was posted in so figured I'd see if someone remembers just where/when before I tax my already limited vision with reading them all. My steel on steel heim joints seem to be very tight and don't seem to be the issue so thought I'd try the replacement bolts first. Thanks for any help. JR

Should have read "the CAR is" instead of "the CAT is", being this is all on an Ultralight instead of one of those "imports". LOL

I,ve done a lot of track days and more burn outs than I care to admit since I installed this and it's holding up fine. Could have made it out of aluminum and would still survive. Even with the large tires I run the cat is just too light to put really serious torque loads on the brace. I also reinforced the front mount and replaced the two rear bolts with a couple of harder than stock units RNR gave me.

Made this with (1) 2" X 2" X 4 1/2" section of 1/4" steel "L" angle, about 30" of 1" X 1" X 3/16 wall square tube, less than a foot of 1/2" ID steel tube, two heim jounts and nuts and bolts as shown. I can't seem to find the fabrication photos but it was quick and easy. The 1/2" ID tube was for the spacers joining the upper and lower frame mounts into compression to share the load. Foto from the top is to show that it's pretty much out of the way of anything else you ned to do suspension-wise. I'll try to dig up the actual plan/fab I made for it and the photos but it's pretty straight forward. OK, just found some more photos so will attach a few.

You really do need to see at least one S2K before you purchase a 7. You may or may not find something else you like as much or better but it's really worth finding that out before you put out your cash. Really like my S2K but 7's in general are really about which one hits home for you. Birkin, Stalker and Cat etc. owners probably all like their own the best. Going to be at least one S2K (and maybe more) at Thunder Hill on 10-23 and usually other 7 types being it's a Golden Gate Lotus Club track day. Unless you live out where you have access to unpopulated back roads like Mondo has you won't really know what a 7 is really all about unless your on a track.

...your arm Mondo!!!! LOL. I may be having a senior moment here but since Jesus was born of "man" (Mary) aren't we a bit off on the time line with him holding a dinosaur?

"Figures don't lie, but liars can figure.." seems to be the "reality" behind most of what we are given as "facts", especially on the internet (or politics). A non-political example of this (just to keep away from pot stirring) is a recent add for 5 Hour Energy. They make it look like 73% of doctors recommend their drink but the actual verbage has to be examined to find real truth. No doctor is really going to advise you to use this product but they were not asked that question. What the doctors answered was "for a patient who was going to use an energy drink they would advise using a low sugar product. And that was only 73% and did not name their product specifically, the rest probably said it was a stupid waste of $3 and you really don't want to take any of them. The whole truth doesn't work well in advertising and lets face it, political campaining is pretty much just advertising your "product". Until you look behind the sound bite and find the real truth, something most of us do not have the means or time to do, your pretty much running blind.

So you can come up to ThunderHill and play!!!!! HOD has "Derrick's Day" on 9-7 where you can do your regular track time in your car and then get full track session rides in some really fantastic race cars with a donation to their Cancer research charity. Check out the Hooked on Driving site for the details and get the link for some of the full race Ferraris and Porsches etc. that are going to be there. I've ridden in a couple of these cars and even though our cars are fun there is something about having a "few hundred more" horsepower that will get you excited. LOL.

Cruise through Richmond or East Oakland, or better yet, spend some time up at Alta Bates or another inner city hospital and see the women show up at the emergency room with a parcel of kids, one of whom has the flu but the emergency room is their "doctors office". Bill has been out of office over eleven years but there are kids spaced out over that whole time who's mother has been on welfare or some other program for that long and who is not reporting for any kind of work. I was aware of the Clinton reforms and thought it was going to do more but at least here in the SF bay area there are still "lifetime" welfare families. "Workfare" has done some good but it isn't doing much but scratching the surface of the problem. A woman who was working at one of my suppliers had graduated from Santa Clara and went into the welfare department to "help" people in need. She lasted about three years and said she had to quit because most of the people she was trying to "help" had no desire to do anything on their own to get out of the cycle and her supervisors didn't care in the least how much welfare cheating went on or who was even bothering with the supposed "checking up" on their assigned cases. Her comment was "never enough money or stamps for food but alway enough for cigarettes and a "doo". Until the child factory and "you owe me" attitude gets corrected the people who really need it are going to have to share with the ones who just want it. I'm not sure if there has been much improvement since then, hopefully so.

I'm actually a fiscally responsible liberal so I just don't quite fit anywhere. I don't want the government in my bedroom (not that it's all that interesting) or telling women what they can do with their bodies or messing with my civil liberties but I also don't want to have them throw money at pork barrel projects or to people who don't produce but could (and then cry that it's not enough). There are always going to be people who really need government help but somehow the social safety net of welfare became a hammoc for generations of mostly stupid and lazy people. OK, pot stirring time!! Since it's middle class me who paid through the nose with Ca. personal state taxes, federal personal taxes and Ca. corporate taxes on my business (highest of them all) I would like to see the following things done with where my money goes. (a)First day on welfare you get evaluated and if physically able it's five days a week of getting up and dressed and reporting for doing community services of whatever is needed, being it picking up trash at housing units, parks and roads, scrubbing off grafiti or child care for your own and other welfare role peoples kids. Working is good for you and if your not hanging out all day in a project with nothing to do then maybe some of the "drama" and drugs that seems to be such a problem wouldn't happen. (b) If your on welfare, your on Norplant or some other "can't forget to take it" type of birth control. © All of your childrens DNA is determined and if your "baby daddy" is matched he gets to contribute to the cost of raising them. (d) State and federal government agencies and their employees need to have outside oversite on staffing needs and performance, or the need for the seperate agency at all. Since most outside takeover or makeover of private companies finds that even "for profit" companies are usually failing because of poor and overstaffed management just think what they would find at many a government office. (e) If our government wants us to be the worlds police force then reinstate the lottery draft. No one exempt, no matter how rich daddy might be. Do you think that Bush II could have left a needed role in Afganistan against the taliban to take on a war in Iraq that every advisor told him was unwinable (even his dad told him not to do it) without even a whimper out of Berkeley or a chance at re-election? Amazing how little people care when it's someone else who has to do it. (BTW, USMC E5 with 25 months in country in Vietnam who came home and joined vets against the war and protested in DC after seeing that it was also an "unwinable" conflict). (f) Take a real look at healthcare cost! We are about the only "first world" country without a decent system. Obamacare is a start at last even if it takes a while to get beat into shape, if it isn't beat out of existence first. None are perfect but if you think your not paying for every non-covered worker or non-worker now then your head is in the sand. You can take a world cruise for the cost of one night in the hospital. Part of that's because your paying for those who don't. I ran a union shop and my payment for medical coverage through the Carpenters Union was about $9 an hour for every employee, not counting the workmans comp payments that covered them for on the job injury. Probably at least half of that was to pay for someone elses non-covered health care cost. I could probably run out of alphabet before I ran out of bitching so I'll just quit the stir here. I'm sure there are plenty of other opinions on where our tax money should go. LOL. Go ahead and bitch back, I'm married, I'm used to being told I have it all wrong. LOL.

If you do the Los Gatos DMV be sure to tell the person signing in everyone that you are there for the "kit car" lady because if you just go to the regular windows they will just end up having you wait for her anyway. Hopefully she never retires because she sure was a life saver for me after the San Mateo DMV had me in a never to be completed limbo.

:deadhorse:First two photos are displays of the "casual friday" attitude everyone seemed to have. Third is the "U" turn #7 corner I miss posted last set. Fourth photo is an idea of the "crowds" I had to deal with. LOL. Last one is just somewhere up by the 3-4 corner area where I was just sitting there enjoying the smell of hot rubber and race fuel.