No_6

Yikes... thanks for the response. Bolt pattern I knew at one time. It is one of the odd ones, 4.75 or 4.25 something like that. As far as the rear end... I know it uses TR7 axle bushings and the differential is the Morris/Italia. That is pretty much all I know. I'll have to call the shop where the car is currently languishing for more details.

I broke the differential (broke several teeth of the pinon gear, which in turn took several teeth off the ring gear) on my '96 Classic on 7/4 and have been surprised at how difficult it is to get parts for the thing. So I was wondering if anyone knew of a relatively inexpensive replacement option for the whole axle where parts wouldn't have to come from England and would be more plentiful. By inexpensive, I mean around ~$1500 for the whole assembly, and something that could be bolted up with a minimum of fabrication. Same bolt pattern/wheel offset would also be nice so I wouldn't have different wheels on the back. Also, something a little stronger would be great. BTW, have a 'wanted' post for a differential as well--if anyone has one or can point me in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated! --Terry

Hi All, I am looking for a complete differential for my 96 Classic if anyone has one they are willing to part with, any ratio. I managed to break mine on 7/4. I have parts coming for a rebuild, but I am really wanting to find a replacement I can just bolt on. Looking to pay ~$400.

Well, turns out it may not be the transmission I broke. Could be the axle, I'll be finding out within a week. Thanks for the recommendations! I may do some other work as long as they are in there.

Hi All, Managed to break my gearbox this weekend and could use some recommendations on a new one. I live in an apartment, so I can't do the work myself either. I was thinking that in the long run, it would be cheaper to pay a mechanic to do a clean swap. I'd pay more for a complete transmission, but less in shop time and I would have some spare parts. Unfortunately, I don't know where to look for a good gearbox, and I don't have a mechanic up here in Seattle. Recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Merry Christmas, Y'all.

If it were smaller, it wouldn't be anywhere close to competitive to the bikes it is racing against... 600cc I4s. As it is, their best finish (when they've managed to finish at all) is 8th... Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the motor breaks. A LOT. At the Daytona 200 this year, all 4 of their bikes broke and DNF. I wouldn't go so far as to say the motor is overpowering. It's just an all or nothing motor. There are plenty of bikes out there with way more horsepower/torque but are much, much easier to manage. That Harley would be left for dead by any I4 750 or 1000, or the liquid-cooled 999 V2.

Good answers, thanks. The Ducati has just as much torque as the Harley motor, it's just spread out a little more. According to the article, the Buell has no power curve. You're getting nearly 100% of the power from the second you crack the throttle. The reviewer said that the back tire would spin up no matter how little throttle you gave it. To me, that sounds like a bike that would be nearly impossible to ride anywhere but the racetrack, and even then it sounds, frankly, deadly--and I don't mean that in the tough-guy competitive sense, but in the hair-trigger, send your rider off the bike in a high-side sense. I definitely appreciate good torque... no matter what kind of vehicle I am in or on, but it has to be usable.

In last month's Motorcyclist, they review the new $30,000 Buell racebike. It has a 1.4l Harley Pushrod 45 degree twin putting out about 150HP (crank) and 100 ft/lbs of torque. By comparison, the $17,000 Ducati 999R turns out 150HP and 98 ft/lbs of torque and is a 0.998 l, 90 degree V-twin. Of course the Duc revs 3,000 RPMs higher, and you hit the meat of the torque about 1,200 rpms later than the Buell; but still, same HP/torque with 40% less displacement. What's up with that? Is 45 degrees a less efficent V angle than 90? Does the pushrod design create greater inefficiency? Is it the fact that the Buell is air-cooled? Inquiring minds must know.

Jay Ivey built your engine, right? I would chat with him about the spec and see if he thinks you should be having the drivability issues. It could simply be that a tune up is required (timing can change, carbs can go out of synch, and previous owners can touch things they shouldn't http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/wink5.gif ) or you are running the wrong heat range plugs. All easy things to fix and worth exploring before you think about... turning down the power. Edited to add: If you want to bring the car to Sammamish, I am happy to give you a hand. -John Thanks John, I might take you up on that. I have spoken to Jay, and he built the engine more than 2 years ago, so he doesn't remember the car.

Where did you order that LED strip from? I've been wanting to get one of those.

Thanks for posting the pics. Beautiful car! So I imagine you are using the stock Suzuki 6-speed sequential tranny? BTW, if you're interested in more power, I have friends that build 'Busas. One fella has his Turboed and is getting something like 350 RWHP. Other guys with more extreme boost are getting around 500.No_62006-12-04 12:17:37

Took the little beastie out last night... and after about a month of sitting, BOY did it really need it! I start the car once a week and let it run for about 5-8 minutes, just until the water temperature starts to budge, and occassionally rev the motor to about 2500-3000 RPMs.... Well, when I finally got the car out of the garage, it was running really rough for the first couple of blocks. There was a lot of unburned fuel in the system (some harsh backfires), and it was really choking on the first hill I took it up (it actually died a couple of times trying to get it out the incline--about a 20% grade--of the garage). After the first 2-3 blocks, she ran really smooth. Now is this what I think it is, which is everything from the carbs to the exhaust loading up from the warm-ups in the garage, or do you guys think that this is a sign of something more serious? At this point, I am thinking that if I can't actually drive the car, I am not going to start it. I'll just keep the tank topped off with a bit of Stabil dropped in. BTW, the motor is tuned pretty rich... 149.5 HP from a 1.7l crossflow. As I think I've mentioned before, I can drive her in the city, but she really HATES stop and go traffic. About 10 minutes of that, and the carbs load up. Now I love the pick-up I get with this car, and the hair-trigger throttle response, but I am actually thinking it might be a good idea to de-tune the car a little to make her a little more, um, tame. Suggestions?

Hm... looks interesting. You're right, though. It doesn't look terribly different.

I was just wondering the other day what a 7 would look like with the rear wings off... has anyone seen this? a 7 modified with cycle wings on the back as well as the front?

Thanks for all the info, John! Kinda makes my head hurt... Any other good online retailers? I liked the 15" Alpha replica wheels, BTW.

Here is an interesting little factoid about the car: Originally, they were planning on using the Elan for the show, as that was the car on the Avengers and Lotus wanted to push it (actually, the Elan makes a guest-starring appearance in the episode 'The Girl Who Was Death.'). Whilst visiting the main Lotus dealership to get the car, McGoohan saw KAR120C, a S2 demo, and said, "that's the car." He liked the uniqueness. The car that is driven later is a S3 dressed to look like the original, as the S2 had been sold by then.

I suppose what I need to do is find out what bolt pattern I've got... also, what is this offset thingie? Does that matter much? One last question: what is a good width to go for? As again, the 15s are not as much for performance as they are for a comfortable ride, so I don't need anything agressive. A size that would afford a large selection of rubber would also be a plus.

c. kay-ter-'m Emphasis on the kay, dropping the ha. At least this is my understanding.

Looking to get a set of 15" wheels + tires for everyday driving, and would like something that wouldn't spoil the classic look, and not be terribly expensive. I have no idea of where to look. Also, would like a decent set of tires, middle-of-the-road compound that will provide decent grip but more importantly a quiet compliant ride. Currently, I've got the stock 13" with sticky Yoko tires. Suggestions? P.S. I'm hoping to spend around $1,500 (or less) shipped for the wheels with tires mounted. P.P.S. My reasons--I am hoping to get a tad more ground clearance for city driving, as well as a marginal improvement on gas mileage (1-3 MPG). Besides, I think the speedo was calibrated for 15" wheels (85MPH indicated is about 62MPH actual).

Those are some VERY scary pictures... and one of the reasons I don't ride my motorcycle so often anymore. Speaking of which, some of those riders had HORRIBLE body position, all crossed-up and such. Not to mention dragging a knee with a passenger on back *shudder*

Checked the fuse, and it was fine. Replaced it anyhow, but still no joy. The idiot lights work (turn indicator, high beam, etc.) and the hazzard lights switch lights when activated, but everything else is dark. Loose wire?

The Elise seems to be a very popular car here in Seattle. Didn't see much of it two years ago, but since then, there has been a boom in the road-going population. They're cropping up all over the place. On the other hand, 7's have been on the decline in Seattle. I guess there's not much point to this topic, other than to say that the Elise/Extige is the most common Lotus I have ever seen on the street. The Elan is the second most common. I see Ferraris far more often than Esprits. I never see those around any more.

It is raining here in Seattle, and will be raining for, well, ever. Oh well. Hope you guys are enjoying yourselves. It'll be a while before I'm back on the road.

Those are indeed 13s on the car, the Yokos came with it. They're very sticky when warm, though I'll probably go with a more street-oriented compound when it's time to replace. Well, I looked at some half shell helmets, and even with the side-screens offer little to no wind protection. May be nice to reduce buffeting, though. I found out a 3/4 shell will fit... but it makes a big bump in the boot cover. Oh well. On long trips I'll just wear one of my Arai cycle helmets. The foam ear plugs work fine for short blats around town. As far as the in-between stuff... we'll see.