BCBirk

If you're looking for turn-key and have the $$$ available, there's the option to go new... http://super7cars.com/ . They occationally have used 7's available as well. If you're interested in building it; new Caterham and Birkin kits can be legally imported into Canada but the RIV process is a PITA.

Not for the 7 purist...

Bumpers? That must be a mistake. My 04' Birkin was originally registered in AB and it's never had bumpers... I know that in BC, the Birkin and Caterham kits have validation from the Registrar of Imported Vehicles and don't require any significant mods to the standard kit. The inspection and registration sheet had many N/A's in several categories. Could it be that the garage or AT has mis-classified your build?

I had the same issue, and unfortunately my 'farmer weld' only lasted a few days --the metal is very thin and weak. A fairly simple solution is to drill and bend a piece if aluminum flat bar. If you didn't lose the threaded insert, you can shorten some bolts and attache to the wing stay from both sides --gives a nice solid fit. If you've lost the insert, you'll need to drill-out the outside end of the stay. If you're running 205's, you'll need to grind down the inside bolt to get adequate clearance.

I modified a simple plastic container with an aluminum duct to draw air from in front of the rad --standard K&N cone inside. It significantly reduced intake temps in heavy traffic but I don't think it has any notable performance gains at speed.

RE: Thermostat bypass This Westy site has a good tutorial on the zetec cooling system. I plumbed my heater exit to the water pump and it helped stabilized the temp + reduce warm up time. I'd recommend a 180F T-stat if you're planning on tracking it. -P

The car is a Suzuki SX-4 "Special"

You should be fine with just a ring split washer on the bolt. I don't remember the torque spec though.

Featuring a few SouthWest 7's having a whole lotta fun http://www.texasmotorworks7.com/Content/Assets/clients/cc86cc6d-3474-467a-be39-09e8592de7f5/kcb.pdf

Good advise, thanks! We've got 5 days so 7 lakes drive/bear mountain is now on the list. The "summer" in Vancouver has been a washout this year --just landed and I'm loving the heat out here!

Hi guys, I'll be dropping into your neck of the woods next week for a ride between Montreal and Harrisburg PA. I'd love to bring the Birkin out there but my buddy's Buell XB9 or VFR will have to do. Any suggestions for nice stretches of twisty backroads through NY and PA? Cheers, -Paul

The 3 wheeler is the new T-Rex "motorcycle". They're built just outside of Montreal and they are scary fast. I had a brief ride in one a few years ago and it makes my Birkin feel down righ proky... http://www.campagnamotors.com/V13R/210.html

Located in Victoria BC Canada No affiliation... http://victoria.en.craigslist.ca/cto/2181366001.html

I believe Folis used the Chasecam system, but I don't have any specific details.

I've used 3M di-noc faux carbon fiber on my rear wings and found it to be relatively easy to apply provided that you have a heat gun and loads of patience. After being peppered with rocks and crud for a few thousand miles, it remains intact. I'm currently in the process of slowly stripping her down for a spray of satin 'hotrod black' polyurethane on the main body. This will be my 1st attempt using a cheapo electric HVLP gun --we'll see how that goes... I thought about trying a carbon fiber wrap on the main body, but there are a few potential issues. - It's premanant, or at best, pure hell to remove. - It would fade after a few years - It could turn-out looking 'ricey'...

This STI powered Kiwi 7 was featured on Discovery Channell last night. http://bxv.co.nz/

ITB's louder than exhaust? Now I'm really interested!

I think I'd be happy (for now) with 174 wheel HP. I've not had mine on a dyno, but a g-tech unit estimated 156 HP, for what it's worth. A bigger TB would be an easy upgrade, and the only reason I havn't gone that route yet was a test (below) I came across on the SDS site. " Rev the engine out at full throttle and note the MAP. If the TB is too small, you will see the vacuum start to increase at higher rpm. Ideally, you should not see any higher vacuum at high rpm as what the MAP sensor reads with the engine not running. If you see -2 inches with the engine stopped and -4 inches at full throttle and 5000+ rpm, the throttle body is restricting airflow and hp."

I'm starting to plan a few winter projects and was hoping to get some of your valued input to justify (or not) an upgrade to ITB's. My ZX-3 zetec is managed by an SDS ECU and has a few mods including: - stage II cams + gears - mild porting - mild shave (don't know amount nor compression ratio) After spending way too much time tweeking FI maps, the powerband is now very smooth and tractable on the street and pulls well to about 6800 rpm on the track. I can't, however, quite keep up with the 'big boys' on the relatively short back straights of my local track --my ultimate goal... Any ideas as to how much additional power a set of Jenvy's or AT Power ITB's would produce on the zetec? I'm currently using manifold pressure as my tuning base which has been effective and I'm assuming that I'd need to change over to throttle position tuning. Any comments on drivablility using TP sensing? Cheers, -Paul

I don't appear to have permission to post under 'cars 4 sale'... This Stalker came up on Vancouver Craigslist the other day. I have no affiliation, etc. http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/cto/1911800102.html

Name: Paul Local: Maple Ridge, BC Car: 04' Birkin The car arrived last summer, and I've finally squished all of the bugs that came along with it. The 1st track day, last month, was a total blast -more fun and intense than anything I've owned including a Ruff'd 964. I just need to squeez a bit more juice out of the zetec to keep those pesky 997S's from catching up on the long straights... Future projects: - More head work + ITB's - Rims + tires - Paint Good to see there's a healthy dose of canuks on the list!

SDS offers a reliable system at a budget price with good tech support (from my experience), however there are a few drawbacks: - MAF, temp and crank position sensors on the zetec will need to be replaced. This is not a very big expense, however the crank sensor requires precise modification of the pully that can be costly. - There is no software available in order to interface with a laptop, however the programming module is fairly intuitive. Overall, I'd say it has good value.

Richard Wyly, down in Canmore AB, is the Canadian Birkin rep. He's associated with Dick Brink in Texas. http://www.texasmotorworks7.com/Canada.aspx I believe he recently imported a few Duratech based IRC 7's. These would likely be more affordable that the Caterhams in Red Deer or Vancouver Island... Cheers, -Paul

That's very helpful, thanks! -P