slomove

AFAIK this was the lower ball joint that was "value-engineered" sometimes 2000/2001 and Duane may actually still have the stronger joints on his '99 model. But he was anyway looking for the upper tie-rods. I had posted some numbers on the Birkinowners forum.

That thing looks awfully small. The heat transfer surfaces are probably not sufficient. I installed an actual Laminova exchanger some 8 years ago and that works pretty good. I don't go the the track lately but when I did it kept the temperatures reasonable. For a high power Duratec you may even go one size bigger (i.e. longer) and the radiator must be up to the additional heat load. I still have the remote filter but moved it under the intake for less messy changes. The ugly blue hoses are the push-on Aeroquip ones. Super-easy to install and works very well but the color.....

If you do the plumbing already, why not remote mount the oil filter. Not really more work, you get the filter out of the tight spot and can mount it where you can change without much mess. Something like that. Just need to route through the cooler.

Well, excuse me but I did not claim it is a nice car or even a great price. I ran across that post on the CCC site and posted a link here to say it is "interesting" with the disclaimer that I do not know the car or the owner. Hey, and my handle here is Slomove ! :cheers:

Apparently the car is sold.

I don't know the car or the owner but it looks interesting

I agree with Skip on the panel across the roll bar. I tried that, too without much if any difference. It is actually pretty easy to see with a few threads of wool on a stick what is happening in various places. Mostly it is the accelerated air stream up and over the windshield that creates a slight vacuum in the cockpit area. With the open "doors" of the Seven, the air rushes into this vacuum from the sides, and since the side and top edge of the windscreen are a bit abrupt, the whole area is full of vortices and swirls. As we all know such swirls can occasionally grab some exhaust from the rear and get back into the cockpit. When a passenger with long hair rides along, I can see the hair flowing forward sometimes. The proven methods are AFAIK - side screens (does not allow air to rush in from the side but is too claustrophobic for me) - Brooklands or aeroscreens (avoid or minimize the vacuum bubble and keep the air stream laminar but lacks some rock protection) - large wind deflectors or half doors (will not completely eliminate the buffeting but move the turbulence backward behind the face) - hood or Bimini top (I noticed some improvement when used by itself but better with half doors) I don't think it has much to do with the rear fenders. However, I did not try to drive without them. The 4" hole may help but I can not imagine it to solve the problem. After all I am quite happy with my slanted half doors.

Yes you do. This was my quicky solution when the trailer was broken (actually being upgraded to an enclosed trailer). 2 wall shelf brackets, hose clamps, rubber hoses, 2 threaded rods and a few straps. There are more professional tire carriers for Sevens around. Absolutely possible and not too bad for 100-150 miles but I admit, I prefer the trailer

I have not used it yet but was planning to when I replace the windshield after the next big trip. The current glass is maybe 5 years old and pitted like the moon. I was looking at this material. One roll should be enough for several windshields. However, although the flat glass of a Seven should simplify the process, the installation instructions look like a difficult job to get it on without trapping dust or air.

Thanks guys, I will check the wheel bearings. Has been a long time and probably a good idea, anyway. If that does not make a difference then try other pads. If that still does not help probably keep ignoring it.

It is something my car does for a while but maybe more often lately. This is a '98 Birkin with wide-track front upgrade, the older single pot Golf GTI calipers and Hawk brake pads (HP Plus if I remember correctly). Obviously I am not slamming the brakes in tight curves but braking moderately hard when the wheels are turned in (like going down a curvy canyon road at a brisk pace) makes the brakes squeal (or wail?) at a low pitch. Mostly in right turns, that is. They never squeal when braking straight line. What can that be? The car does not feel any different.

Totally agree. But you know you can hire a pro to do that?

I have a Birkin but principally the same problem. I get it to work reasonably well with the nozzle pistol grip turned upward. Depending on the pump I have to reduce flow, that is not to push the lever fully. Mostly I get a small sip spilling out when the nozzle shuts off.

Not correct....the ZX1 had a metal cam cover (well, mine has). I think there is the VCT solenoid sticking out in the picture which would give it away as a ZX2. But since i don't have one I may be wrong. For what it is worth, the ZX2 was used on the Contour from March 1998 to the end of the Contour series. Another indicator: The ZX1 had the water pump pulley dead centered on the block. On the ZX3/SVT it is offset and I believe also on the ZX2.

Duplicate post.....

Maybe I am ignorant....I got my gearbox (with semi-close gears, built by Quantum) supposedly filled with Redline oil from MSI in 2005. Worked fine, smooth shifting, no problems. Few years later, maybe 2008, I refilled it with Mobil 75W-90 gear oil that I had on hand and used it since. I did not notice any difference whatsoever, even when shifting at high revs. Still smooth, no resistance. Anyway, not arguing, just wanted to contribute another data point.

Hello Duane, I know it is quite common to install a temperature sensor in the air intake. However, I finally moved mine to another place in the outside air stream because there was serious heat soak when the engine was turned off for short time to the point the engine barely ran until the sensor cooled down again. Nothing serious but keep it in mind if the car won't run well after a short stop.

I have about 2.5" clearance and "normal" bumpy roads are not a real problem, but speed bumps are if not recognized and taken very slowly or driven around. For me it is mostly the risk of road debris that makes the guard worthwhile. In the local mountains here rocks fall on the road all the time, some smaller some bigger. And once a while you encounter car parts or stuff fallen off trucks that are larger than 2-3 inches.

My sump guard does get used. Therefore I added some teeth to help with larger rocks. Admittedly, the presence of a solid sump guard may lead to increased recklessness. I don't stop much for a little bump.

Sold!

Corona, CA is their West Coast warehouse. They supply the aluminum sheets with protective plastic cover films to reduce the scratching. Shipping by truck is quite expensive but if you don't live close by what can you do?

I had the rear end repaired a few years ago with 32 mil 3003 alloy and was not happy with the result, it came out not even but kind of a wavy surface. Then I had another rear ender last year and repaired this myself with 40 mil 5052H32 alloy. This looks so much nicer (see below). The 5052 should be a bit more resilient to future damage, because it is 1/4 hard but it was still quite easy to work with. With a pneumatic nibbler, riveter and various rubber and wood mallets it took only a weekend to replace the skin. I bought the aluminum from Aircraft Spruce and used half of a "half sheet" for approx. $50. They sell it cheaper and in much better condition than e.g. McMaster Carr. But I could pick it up locally.

Come on guys, sometimes I wonder if you really like your cars :willy_nilly: I know a guy who used to own a Birkin in the area to commute 140 miles per day from Pasadena to Oxnard and back through LA Traffic. I guess after 3 or 4 years he has had it and sold the car. But I hope he enjoyed it during the time. My suggestion would be to buy one of the pretty good used Seven deals to be had right now (maybe not the most expensive and crazy one) and try it out (assuming the insurance thing can be sorted out). As mentioned before, once used they don't lose much value and if it turns out not to be a good idea just sell it on. You may or may not make a buck on the sale. Martin K. has a very nice and well built Locost for sale with CA title for a very reasonable price.

Hard to say from the pic. Rust is kind of normal but there should not be oil. Assuming the engine can run, you should flush it with a coolant system cleaner like Bar's Leak according to instructions and then refill with fresh coolant. If the gunk comes back after short time then you do have a problem. When I took the radiator out for the widetrack installation, I flushed with a garden hose. It took a very long time until clear water came out. Over time there is a lot of brownish rusty deposit building up.

To my knowledge, the federal influence on education is anyway pretty insignificant, except some test standards and guidelines that nobody follows. Otherwise the states and local school boards do make all the critical decisions about education like funding, curriculum, hiring practices and so on. And, looking at the results, they mostly do a pretty shitty job. If some entity happens to do a better job that does not mean others will emulate that because the decisions are mostly political and to benefit certain interests (e.g. teachers' job security or conservative education agendas) and not focused on education results for the benefit of the kids. I would venture a guess countries like Finland are successful because they just have a well functioning system that is centrally enforced. I also read that the school system may sometimes get involved in a way that would not be acceptable in the US like telling you that your kid is way too fat and that you should do something about it.