slomove

Don't get me started on this....well, I think you just did Having lived myself in Germany, Switzerland and now for a long time in the US I am still wondering which of these countries has the bigger mess, more corruption, greed and self-serving parties in the health system. Well, thinking about it more I am sure the US beats them all. Germany has a mixed semi-public/private insurance system but at least mandates any employed worker to be insured. If you are one of the poor souls who is a self-employed minimum wage slave you are still screwed but there are somewhat affordable insurance options. The whole system is of course very inefficient, bureaucratic and a burden for the economy. However, the quality of care ranges from decent to top notch. Here in the US I am lucky to have an employer with excellent benefits. My own contribution is similar or lower than in Germany but only because the company pays most of the cost (will probably change in the future). However, this "health system" is defying any logic, efficiency, expediency and compassion. That is not just capitalism (I could live with that) but a pathetic combination of collusion, nepotism and a spine-less political class unwilling to fix the issues. The quality of care is accordingly excellent (for the Haves) to minimal (for the Have-Nots). Well, that won't be an issue for the US. The folks who can't afford insurance now surely can not go abroad for treatment (well maybe except the Mexicans) I did not live in a country with a pure public health system. Not sure if I would want to but I have a real hard time to believe it can be any worse than here (for the average person) As for the stimulus package I agree with Mazda. It is just like Methadone for the Heroine addict. Spend more on credit and sell out the country's assets to China and the Middle East. Maybe we will have American (and European) day laborers standing at the Home depot in Shanghai sometimes. Worried, Gert

After I got my car I have been driving in the rain occasionally (Southern California Winter) with the regular hood and side-screens and found it noisy, damp and claustrophobic with horrible visibility. I sold the canvas pieces and have been driving for the last 4 years with a half hood and large wind deflectors/half doors (for some reason I do not have a picture to show both at the same time). Good for the sun but funny enough I noticed in spite of the wide side openings I do not get wet even in the heaviest rain. Well, maybe the exposed elbows catch some drops....but nothing a simple windbreaker can't handle. Now driving in the rain is still noisy and damp but pretty much in the open and in a way great fun. Sorry, not available for sale anywhere. :nonod: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/872320665_HalfHood.jpg http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1994507135_HalfDoors.jpg

Well, maybe....but I bet few teens would take a Camry to the airstrip. No real point with such an "un-cool" car. I think it is the combination of the lure of trying out a high powered car, bragging to the peers and teenage immortality assumption. But while not on an airstrip, similar accidents happen all the time on regular roads with teens crammed in the before mentioned grocery-getter and the driver trying to show off, especially if a few drinks are involved.

I think 1:35 or so is a very respectable time, especially with a 160hp ride. Some of the better drivers I know did around 1:32 in a NASA Enduro but with maybe 200+ HP. As for the 110 mph on the very long straight in Willow Springs....it does not sound right and your GPS datalog may be in error. My only comparison is a GPS log that I took at the Cal Speedway with my (un-dynoed) approx. 180 hp Birkin. The top speed was there 129 mph (@6100 rpm in fifth) at the end of the NASCAR oval portion. And that even with the air brake (windshield) in place. Gert

Difficult to say.....buying such an expensive toy is not fully a rational decision. Even after doing a lot of research and looking at other Sevens I bought the one I have now on the spot when I saw it. Even drove 80 miles to the next Washington Mutual bank and back (3000 miles from home) to pick up a cashiers check and seal the deal. Anyway (and assuming to be in full control of my "must-have urge" ) if I was still a Sevens-Noob I would again buy a used Seven, Birkin or otherwise in good nick and upgrade as required. Preferably and also assuming I have the money I would like to find one that has the goodies already that I had to put in myself at substantial cost like EFI, close ratio, tuned engine, LSD etc. Besides less potential trouble with registration this will give immediate driving satisfaction. Did I mention that I am an impatient person? However, since I do not consider myself a full noob anymore I would probably buy a well developed kit and build my dream Seven (once again assuming to have the required dough). I would like another Birkin, especially the elusive IRS model but new rollers are exceedingly rare. As for the other kits........that would require just another round of fun research. Fortunately that does not have to worry me. I still love the car that I have Gert

BTT No more votes? kind of disappointing :nonod:

This is a must-have....shaves at least 0.0023 sec off your 0-60 time http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/woodshiftknob.jpg

Licencse plate, tank filler cap, side mirror, no box on the passenger seat, some red thing in the spare wheel hub, drove it inside, oxidation of the bare ali is setting in :willy: O.K. can I win something? Gert

To be more precise.......I am mainly talking about track driving. Installing an engine lengthwise that was designed to be installed crosswise in the car will make the PCV outlet to be wetted with oil occasionally at high revs and lateral acceleration (especially without windage tray). I suppose the blowby pressure then just pushes some oil out. No big deal with a catch can. But the experts who put my car together decided to run the PCV outlet into the air filter without a catch can which was quite messy on the track.

I had that a lot when I was still running Webers. However, that was mostly related to the crankcase vent routed into the rear K&N air filter box (without catch can). With spirited driving on curvy roads and the related sloshing/churning in the crankcase the oil was just puked into the air filter and sprayed all over the passenger side. Once I installed a catch can it was much reduced and after I shut off the crankcase vent (only venting from the cam cover) that was gone. I have a Zetec but read some people with Crossflows have done the same. Anyway, I don't know your configuration but thought it might be related? Gert

IIRC it was a fuel injection hose or pressure regulator connection that let go and sprayed the engine compartment. The alternator may have ignited it. Maybe a big fat permanently installed extinguisher could have helped but I don't know.....

Must be some kind of silicone. It is easy to cut with a box cutter knife and I used Permatex Black silicone gasket maker to patch it. It sticks quite well to whatever is left of the old material.

It is all a trade-off. Move the wings forward and you will collect more larger rocks in the cockpit (except if you run side-screens). Move them backwards and you will get more smaller rocks on the windscreen/helmet. The forward position is rumored to have an aerodynamic advantage (maybe better to say less aerodynamic penalty.....). I have seen a race car with left and right wings swapped to get them really in a forward position. But that may all be superstition. You may want to put them in the most aesthetically pleasing position? Gert I got mud flaps on my cycle wings.... http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/327911656_RubberSkirts.jpg

Quite funny....opening my iTunes software today I was notified of a new software update. This update asked me to accept or decline the license agreement, see below. Fortunately I am a fluent in Klingonian so that I could accept and download my update http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1070296987_iTunesLicense.jpg

Yes, rFactor is technically pretty good and AFAIK some of the Brits are racing regularly. I installed it a few months ago but after all, I just don't get the hang of it. Maybe I am too old to really appreciate the PC games Anyway I was wondering to sell my Momo (Logitech) steering wheel and pedals. Anybody interested? I'd sell the rFactor game with it. Wait....I guess that should go to the "For Sale" section..... Gert

Sure, Ill be there. No plans for May 10th yet.

Well, that was on my mind. Track rental is very reasonable @ $2500-3000 per day. If we only get 20 people that is $150 per car. Otherwise there is probably not much interesting in the immediate vicinity of the track, maybe except the before mentioned Keystone Lake and state park. But then, the nice curvy roads area of the Cherokee Country and the adjacent Ozarks is only an hour or two east of Hallet's. I have never been to this area so am not sure if the Lake would be something interesting enough for the family to stay for a few days while the Seveneers are doing a multi-day loop but it may be worthwhile to explore. Maybe another stop day for AutoX somewhere else, very nice :yesnod: Gert

Before somewone questions my sanity....actually I brought that thing with the idea in mind we might need some solid lever to straighten or bend some chassis parts or brackets. But it came handy for the suspension adjustment, anyway. The nut looked a little ugly after the treatment, though Gert

Jeez, the aerodynamicists are getting really crazy..... http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,1067622,00.jpg

According to some route descriptions the nice part of this route proposal is indeed east of Muskogee. Tulsa and the western loop is only in there to accommodate the Hallet race track. Although, Keystone Lake and Keystone State Park (has a bunch of cabins and campsites and only a few miles from the track) might be a usable operating base. But any meeting point west of the Ozarks should make it feasible for most of the Left Coast people (...very selfish, I know). I understand that it is still too far for the Seattlites. Gert

Aha, Ozarks are pulling ahead of MT/WY....Well, I am O.K. with that. How about such a loop (click on the pic). Five driving days of ~220 miles: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/678850216_Ozark2009Loop.jpg Only 1500 miles from my home and with Hallet's track at start and finish: http://www.hallettracing.net/images/halletthomeimage.jpg Gert

The most safety critical item would be to look which version of front ball joints you got. With 1999 I believe you are safe but there was a certain time they were made with weak ball joint bolts. Can you post a close-up picture for the ball joints or measure the bolt diameter? For such questions I highly recommend the Birkinowners Yahoo group. There are many folks with detail knowledge who don't post here. Gert

I have the overflow bottle in front of the engine and I think it does not really matter where or if it is installed high or low as long as it secured well. I did replace the huge original plastic overflow tank with a quart size aluminum bottle (drinking water bottle for a bicycle) with the suction tube going through the cap to the bottom. An earlier experiment with a clear polycarbonate plastic bottle failed because the glycol attacks and cracks the polycarbonate. But it would have been nice to see the coolant level inside. Gert

No, that is normal for some older Birkins and does not defy physics. Well, admittedly in most other car installations it is the other way with a fixed cable sheath and only the core moves. But, the way you (and I) have it has the advantage that the cable can be shorter, routed closer to the scuttle, away from the hot parts and eliminating much of the clutter around the engine. Anyway, if this is done properly and the minor movement of the cable sheath is allowed it works absolutely fine and has no other disadvantage. Actually, when I changed from Webers to throttle bodies I rebuilt the linkage to keep this nice feature. Don't worry, the reinforced cable won't chafe in the hole through the pedal box. At least it did not in 4 years for my car. I did however fabricate an additional plastic guide within the pedal box but don't know if this is really necessary. Gert http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/752973558_WithFilterFront.jpg

Well that is about the accuracy you can expect from a tach. So it is a true simulation...... :lol: