slomove

. The stock Birkin rack has a similar issue but somebody had sets of shorter steering arms machined and I bought one. Main purpose was the vastly quicker steering but it also reduced the turning radius a lot. Maybe you can find a machine shop to do that for you. Technically the steering effort should be proportionally higher but I never really noticed.

Well, I am a total consumer here....the drive electronics and the software came with the machine. Not much of a project except bolting the gantry to the table. But I did build a mobile stand with noise/dust enclosure and integrated cyclonic extractor to keep the shop clean and the neighbors goodwill intact. The bundled CAM software is the Vectric Vcarve Pro for 2-D applications and Vectric Cut3D for full 3D capability. Actually pretty nice and it can do 4-sided models. If you buy it separately it is only 300 bucks but you would have to write your own G-Code postprocessor for your specific homebuilt machine. I do my 3D designs in IronCad.

Ha, great minds think alike ;-) I got my new CNC last week. But I went the easy way and just bought one (The CNC Shark Pro Plus from Nextwave Automation). A bit smaller at 25x25x5" operating space and also mainly for wood and plastic. Well, maybe an aluminum dashboard may be possible. Just noticed you can spend a fortune on carbide endmills, ball noses and carving bits. http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/39500-01-500.jpg

Can't go this year, I have a business trip that week.

S3 size (in a Birkin though) is obviously a glove fit for me but that is the way I like it. Prevents me from putting on more weight anyway (190 pounds and 5'10" right now). I use the Cobra Roadster7 seats which are even tighter than some racing seats. My shoes are 10 1/2 and normally I drive with Puma Speedcats but occasionally I just use sneakers or normal office shoes for short drives. It requires some practice for the timing of clutch and brake but no big deal.

Yes, I was a member for a while. Good site with lot of detail info but I did not renew the last few years. But then, I believe I could start a similar site for Se7en tours in California

That is the road we did with a group of Se7ens in 2007. I believe I posted the video back then. Here it is again but I noticed Youtube stripped the audio because I used some background music and they recognized it as copyrighted:rolleyes: Anyway, nice road but lots of sandy curves back then. The wipeout in the video did not cause any damage but if the sand would have been on a cliff side right hand turn, well it is pretty steep there.

No Problem. You can retrofit a sports car sound generator that plays rev dependent engine noise through the radio: http://www.amazon.com/SoundRacer-SRV8-Realistic-SuperCar-Effects/dp/B0037CIIGQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300924115&sr=8-1 You can have it as V8, V10 or Ferrari V12 but unfortunately not as Zetec or Duratec :smilielol5:

Irmscher used to build their own Seven clone with Opel/Vauxhall engine for a long time and I suppose this is based on that model (http://www.irmscher.de/presse/AMS_7SELECTRA_07-11.pdf) With 2000 pounds a bit heavy but at $130,000 definitely not cheap.

When I rebuilt the tranny tunnel on my Birkin I left the (relatively big) stock brake lever on top of the tunnel. Then I made a kind of a "hollow sausage" cushion that slips over and beyond the entire length of the lever, so that only the very front of the grip and the release button stick out. Otherwise you just see a round vinyl covered cushion between the seats. Now I have a right side armrest on the same level as the door cutout that serves as the left armrest. Allows me to drive really relaxed all day. In fact, more relaxed than in the tin-top.

Good start but I think even better ROI comes from less beer and burgers. Save weight *AND* cash :hurray: But somehow I am just not motivated for that upgrade.

3.6 pounds for 789 bucks. (vs. 16 pounds for an Odyssey PC680) Not exactly cheap but probably more pounds for the buck than some token carbon fiber.

Did they eliminate the ARB?

Got myself a new video camera (VHoldR Contour) that is self contained and can do HD. Since the built in microphone is useless with the wind noise I dug into the device, removed the mic and extended the mic leads as well as the controls. Now I am looking for a good mic position out of the wind to get meaningful sound. I tried it on top of the tunnel and got a lot of gearbox whining. Tried it next to the intake and got some nice slurping but the rest of the engine sounds like somebody is scraping a chain link fence with a screwdriver. Tried it behind the driver seat which is quite good but it picks up a lot of suspension clatter (I have ball joint radius arms). So, I guess I will keep experimenting and, it is always a good excuse for another test drive Nice 75 degrees and I got nothing else to do....

That is a very old kind of sports in some European countries; in Germany it started over a 100 years ago. It is a bit exotic and mostly for teens and not extremely popular. Crashes do happen all the time, but I am not aware of frequent serious injuries. Maybe these folks train for that. You will find men just as well and I suppose they do need some jewel protection:willy_nilly: Anyway, google "cheerleading accidents" and you will find people doing a lot of risky and stupid stuff.

Yes indeed, no night stop changes. I tweaked these 3 day-trips but at the end, we may anyway end up changing our mind as we go Since we return to the hotel we can cut short or extend as we like. Wed, 7/13/2011Custer, SD - Custer, SD 149 miles, Hill City loop, 1880 Steam Train Thu, 7/14/2011 Custer, SD - Custer, SD 120 miles Southern Black Hills, Wind Cave N.P. [/url]Sat, 7/16/2011 Custer, SD - Custer, SD 198 miles Mt. Rushmore, Norbeck Scenic Drive

And now back to the topic :hurray: To learn more about the area I got this book: http://www.sturgismuseum.com/cart/images/Black%20HIlls%20Motorcycle%20Rides.jpg It looks like the earlier picked tours were already pretty good but I did some more fine tuning. If we do all that there is little paved road in the Blacks Hills left uncovered.... Tour Start Sat, 7/9/2011 Jackson, WY Ranch Inn 45 E. Pearl, Jackson, WY 83001 800-348-5599 $105.00 Sun, 7/10/2011 Jackson, WY - Thermopolis, SD 247 miles Grand Teton, Shoshone Res., Wind River Canyon Roundtop Mountain Motel 412 N. 6th St. Thermopolis, WY 82443 1-800-584-9126 $79.00 Mon, 7/11/2011 Thermopolis, SD - Newcastle, WY 269 miles Southern Bighorn Mountains, Thunder Basin Grassland Pines Motel 248 East Wentworth, Newcastle, Wyoming 1-800-946-4334 $78 Tue,7/12/2011 Newcastle, WY - Custer, SD 50 miles Jewel Cave Nat. Monument, Crazy Horse Monument Rocket Motel 211 Mt. Rushmore Road, Custer, SD 605- 673-4401 $79.00 Wed, 7/13/2011Custer, SD - Custer, SD 149 miles, Hill City loop, 1880 Steam Train Rocket Motel $79.00 Thu, 7/14/2011 Custer, SD - Custer, SD 120 miles Southern Black Hills, Wind Cave N.P. Rocket Motel $79.00 Fri, 7/15/2011 Custer, SD no driving Laundry, car care, town visit Rocket Motel $79.00 Sat, 7/16/2011 Custer, SD - Custer, SD 198 miles Mt. Rushmore, Norbeck Scenic Drive Rocket Motel $79.00 Sun, 7/17/2011 Custer, SD - Deadwood, SD 266 miles Badlands National Park Cedar Wood Inn 103 Charles Street, Deadwood, SD 57732 800-841-0127 $120.00 Mon, 7/18/2011 Deadwood, SD - Hulett, WY 146 miles Sturgis, Spearfish Canyon, Sundance, Devil's Tower N.M. Best Western Devils Tower Inn 229 Highway 24, Hulett, Wyoming 82720 307-467-5747 $104.39 Tue, 7/19/2011 Hulett, WY - Dayton, WY 280 miles, Little Bighorn Battlefield Nat. Memorial Elk View Inn, 27 miles west of Dayton, WY on Hwy14, 307-461-4168, $69 Wed, 7/20/2011 Dayton, WY - RedLodge, MT 212 miles Northern Bighorn Mtns, Chief Joseph Hwy., Beartooth down Yodeler Motel 601 S Broadway, Red Lodge, MT 59068 866-446-1435 $125.00 Thu, 7/21/2011 RedLodge, MT - Jackson, WY 225 miles Beartooth up, Yellowstone, Teton N.P. Ranch Inn 45 E. Pearl, Jackson, WY 83001 800-348-5599 $105.00 Tour End Tourers: Gert B. SoCal, Birkin (hotels reserved) Dion D. SoCal, Locost (hotels reserved) Randall Z. SoCal, Birkin (hotels reserved) Bill G. NorCal, Stalker (hotels reserved) Skip C. / Tom M. Colorado, sharing a Caterham and a truck (hotels reserved, Newcastle-Red Lodge) Lancylad Alberta, Westfield (hotels reserved, Black Hills only) Bob S. Colorado, Caterham (hotels reserved, Black Hills only) Tom C. Colorado, Birkin (hotels reserved, Black Hills only) Derek W. Colorado, Lotus (hotels reserved, Black Hills only) Stewart G. Alberta, Stalker (hotels reserved, Black Hills only) Chuck Sp. Michigan, Ultralite (was pretty sure, but maybe Seven-less) Loren Edwards, Ultralite (highly likely, Black Hills only) Herb Utah, Birkin (highly likely, part only) Lee Utah, Birkin (highly likely, part only) Dick B. Texas, Birkin (possible) Al N. New Jersey, Lotus (will Bessie be ready?)

It might upset animal rights activists. Hank could just as well have walked to work for a few weeks.

Very cool. But I would not know where to park such a monster here in Pasadena. But if somebody knows where to find a DKW Munga, let me know. Drove it in the army (Germany) long time ago and would love to have one. Solid 50 hp 3-cyl 2-stroke engine

Set the torque wrench to the setting to be calibrated and clamp the square in a vise so that the handle is horizontal. Then take an 8' piece of 2x2 lumber, mark about 1/3 and strap the longer side to the wrench handle (duct tape or cable ties) with the mark above the square. Then balance the short side with some weight so that the lumber and handle don't give you a bias. Now you fill a bucket or jug with water to give e.g. 5 or 10 pounds (kitchen scale, not bathroom scale) and slide the bucket handle inward from the end of the long side of the lumber stick until it just stops clicking when lowering. The weight times the distance from the mark is the actual torque. For higher torque you may need a 2x4. It is a bit crude and may take 20 minutes for 4 or 5 different settings but it is pretty precise and, as I mentioned I am cheap. Another method that should work but I have not tried: - affix the lumber stick as mentioned above but don't balance - set a good bathroom scale under the end of the stick. - step on the scale and lift the stick as to relieve the weight from the wrench - read the scale and don't mention the reading to your wife - now push the stick down until it just barely clicks - read the scale again - multiply the weight difference with the distance of your hand from the wrench square (may need a rope or ring to get a precise contact point)

I am cheap and use a clicky one from Harborfreight. I calibrate it once per year with a piece of lumber and a milk jug and it usually comes in at 4-5% over the setting. Not too bad for 25 bucks.

Hope I am not stealing John's thunder but here a few pics I took in 2008 before he did the artwork changes:

If you have not seen this at CCC... Looks like a neat event and would be nice to have more Sevens.

I believe so CUSTER, SOUTH DAKOTA (392087) Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary Period of Record : 6/22/1911 to 9/30/2010 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual Average Max. Temperature (F) 35.6 38.1 43.2 52.3 62.0 71.7 80.1 79.1 70.0 58.5 44.4 37.3 56.0 Average Min. Temperature (F) 9.6 12.3 17.7 26.9 36.2 44.7 50.9 48.8 39.5 29.2 19.1 11.8 28.9 Average Total Precipitation (in.) 0.38 0.51 0.95 1.98 3.21 3.18 2.82 2.33 1.36 1.12 0.52 0.40 18.77 Average Total SnowFall (in.) 5.7 6.7 11.2 9.1 1.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.6 2.7 5.1 5.8 48.4

Jeez, he is back...