slomove

Maybe I should qualify my judgment of the suede wheel now. Since I posted that I finally bothered to brush up and roughen the 5-year old (and much used) steering wheel with a brass wire brush. In the first place it now does not look that ratty anymore (almost like new) and also the grip has much improved. I guess the sweat and dust just smear up and clog the suede surface after a while and it needs that regular brush-up. Gert

The picture of the folded bonnet is my own artwork and free to use by everybody in the world for whatever legal purpose but I understand it may be of limited interest for the calendar....... I did check with Mitch Leben who took the Monument Valley picture and he wrote me that he would be absolutely O.K. using it for the calendar if selected (he would even buy one). However, if you should choose it I can mail you a higher resolution jpg file. Gert

Well, in defense of MoPho (who is a professional photographer) he just stated an opinion if you want to publish pictures in a calendar made by some other professional outfit that USA7s might run afoul the law. He did not talk anything about his own business so why attack him for good advice? I don't mind him posting his professional web site URL. Has some very nice pics in it and I doubt that he is doing that here on USA7s to gain business (tights farts that we are....). Gert

Congratulations! That makes 2 in the area this year. Gert P.S.: I am still working on the President's Day trip idea.....

Gert Burkhardt Pasadena, CA (3300 miles round trip :jester: but towing ) Birkin S3 2

How many degrees below zero?

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/417989070_MitchMonumentPic.jpg Well, I like that better: Monument Valley on the USA2005 Tour (my car but photo by Mitch Leben)

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1656562525_BonnetCrunch.jpg Bonnet after artful shaping by 3 trucks on the freeway......

I have a flat bottom SPA Alpha with 270mm diameter. Cost about $110, e.g. from Merlin. I bought it in black suede and probably I am going to swap it for a regular leather one soon. The suede works well with racing gloves but on the road I drive often with bare hands. The suede is very slick with bare hands and requires a real hard grip. It also leaves a black residue on the hands after driving for a few hours. Gert

Just noticed the other day after a drive with minor fuel smell that the hose connected to the fuel rail exit was dripping (hose clamp got somehow loose). Was only very little but the vicinity to the alternator brought back to my mind that this could as well have ended up in a disaster. IIRC one of the members of this club (or the Birkin mailing list?) lost his Birkin that way. I do have a fire extinguisher on board but that is just one of those wimpy 2.5 pound sticks and I have my doubts it can cope with a spraying fuel hose (the 5-pound models are too long to fit across in front of the passenger seat). The other question that crossed my mind is how to get the bonnet off when it is already burning. Anyway, looking around for alternatives I saw the stubby SPA wet chemical suppression systems, e.g. here. http://www.hrpworld.com/client_images/ecommerce/client_39/products/3528_hdr_2_l.jpg I could fit for sure the 2.25 liter system under the passenger's knees, maybe even a bigger one. With FIA homologation I suppose they are technically O.K. and a bit less expensive than Halon systems. Anybody has experience with that? Or other recommendation? Thanks, Gert

I don't think this is a good idea. Imagine the trucker hauls the trailer away without noticing. Gert

Naah, that is O.K. Love to talk about the car Yes I am very happy with the Raceco muffler. Well made and re-packable, should pretty much hold up forever and really light (keep in mind however, that for a can of that size the dense glass packing itself already contributes some weight). The interesting design feature is a super-fine mesh (maybe 10mil) titanium wire cloth wrapped around the perforated center tube that minimized glass packing blowout. I can also commend the superior customer service. When I repacked the first time I found the center tube damaged. I complained and got a free replacement tube within a week (mind, from the UK). I think the can is about as quiet as it gets with an open tube muffler and has a rather pleasant tone. Nevertheless at any speed higher than city streets ear plugs are required. The inlet is indeed offset to the side and no funky pipe bends are required. I made however a mistake and ordered a 2 1/4" inlet (I should have measured the collector tube and not just guessed). As a result I had to fabricate a special pipe joint neck-down. If I had ordered a 2 1/2" inlet it would have slipped over the cut-off collector tube right away. That is about what I would change. Otherwise I would do it again if I can not find something comparable cheaper. The price is kind of absurd but you get what you pay for. Gert

Well, I don't know. Did you notice the many many rust buckets in Hawaii? The air must be saturated with salt there (not talking about humidity...). As for ideal weather, I guess California is quite acceptable. Admittedly it is raining right now and there is snow above 2000 ft. But otherwise I think it is about as good as it gets. :hurray: Gert

I'll keep the weekend open and check again for interest and weather/road conditions in January. Gert

looks like a simulation to me....

Barely recognizable at times and I don't know why there is some green visible in the middle of the clip but that looks like our "home track" Willow Springs. Does it say somewhere? Gert

Need a Winter Break? I mean a break from the boring SoCal winter? I am wondering if there is interest in a 2 or 3-day trip on the weekend of 2/14-16 in the southern Sierra. Thinking of driving to Isabella Lake/Kernville (Caliente-Bodfish Road?) to stay overnight, then up Kern River Valley, some of the nice roads west like Parker Pass Rd. or Western Divide Hwy. (I understand this is all weather/snow permitting, and assuming the roads are not closed, anybody knows?) and either drive home from there or optionally go back via the coastal mountains with another stay. All brainstorming for now but I want to see if there is some interest (Rosie and I will probably go anyway ) Just imagine....the cold air will compensate for the altitude power loss....no hot feet, either. Gert P.S.: Mondo, LOCOST 5.0: Is that feasible?

A few good moments.... - when the engine started up without hiccup after a complete rebuild (with my ambitious but questionable mechanical skills to take it apart and re-assemble) - the Spring drive through the Sierra Foothills and Sequoia NP with tall snow walls on both sides of the road, sun shining and all. Just my wife and I out in the Seven for a few days. - Some real nice roads on the NorCal 7s Labor Day trip, 106 degrees....whatever.....big fun. Gert

The problem for lap timing is that most consumer GPS including the iPhone have only a fixed 1-second GPS update rate. Since that does not give the neded (at least) 1/10 sec resolution for the lap timer I sent an email to the software developer of this Trackday application. They confirmed that they try to get the accuracy by interpolation of the reference start location relative to the next lap's GPS point before and after passing this reference location. But they were ready to admit they don't know how well this works and pointed out not to take it too serious. I mean that is fair...I should not expect the performance of a dedicated high-speed GPS race logger that would cost 500+ bucks. I have not tried the drag strip mode. Should probably work well but I suspect the horsepower calculation will be way off. I used the G-Tech device before and had to make significant allowances for rotating masses and air drag to get anything close to meaningful. Gert

No need for a stinking trailer :jester: .....(although I must admit this was an emergency solution to get to a track day when my tow car broke down) I have seen more professional solutions for this purpose. http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/1432883545_TireRack1.jpg http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/1566671557_ShishKebab.jpg http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/1604647917_TireRack2.jpg

True, but in the European Union the VAT is usually included in the listed price, except for business-to-business sales. That means if you buy something for export out of the EU you can even get the 17.5% back (or not pay in the first place).

Yes, sounds like a plan....especially after I spent the summer rebuilding the engine and constructing a new propshaft tunnel/cage. That is enough upgrades for the next 6 months and the car is just as I want to have it. A scary though just crossed my mind...I believe I am beginning to run out of meaningful upgrade ideas Gert

So, did you own the Lola?

John lives in Mariposa, CA now. I believe he traded his Birkin somewhere to a guy in the Midwest who wanted to have a more practical car. Not a shabby trade-in, though......if he succeeds it might be the only street-legal Lola (replica) of that kind. http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/458769105_P1000853.jpg http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/606570870_P1000854.jpg

I suggest the Pocket Mechanic application ($2.99) :jester: http://www.usa7s.net/ASPNETFORUM/upload/1337478352_Mechanic.jpg