slomove

I used to have this grille (I can email a .pdf with the graphics): http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/track_2.jpg[/img] but found after a while it looked too much like the Superman logo. Later I found that Carlos Fenny from the Birkinowners list had designed a nicer grille and had it made by a friend with a CNC machine from 1/8" aluminum like like this (same as Stan's grille): http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/glendoraridge1sm.jpg Gert

Below is the summary...Daily tour maps can be found > here Total mileage about 3200 miles, cost estimate $1600 for hotels, plus $600 for typical fuel, support vehicle share, ferries etc. (food extra) Date Starts Ends 8/17/2007 Friday Vacaville, CA 8/18/2007 Saturday Vacaville, CA Weaverville, CA 8/19/2007 Sunday Weaverville, CA Crater Lake, OR 8/20/2007 Monday Crater Lake, OR Portland, OR 8/21/2007 Tuesday stay 1 more day 8/22/2007 Wednesday Portland, OR Packwood, WA 8/23/2007 Thursday Packwood, WA Leavenworth, WA 8/24/2007 Friday Leavenworth, WA Kelowna, BC 8/25/2007 Saturday Kelowna, BC Whistler, BC 8/26/2007 Sunday Whistler, BC Victoria, BC 8/27/2007 Monday stay 1 more day 8/28/2007 Tuesday Victoria, BC Fork, WA 8/29/2007 Wednesday Fork, WA Aberdeen, WA 8/30/2007 Thursday Aberdeen, WA Florence, OR 8/31/2007 Friday Florence, OR Eureka, CA 9/1/2007 Saturday Eureka, CA Ft.Bragg, CA 9/2/2007 Sunday Ft. Bragg, CA Vacaville, CA 9/3/2007 Monday Vacaville, CA If you are interested please send me a Private Message. Regards, Gert slomove2007-01-07 12:15:46

Looks really good and I am not sure if the missing DOT approval could cause problems unless you have to go to a state inspection (I don't). I would be surprised if many of the lamps from the various imported Se7en kits have such approval. Gert

Yes, I got big bells and you should really see my whistle http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif Let's see what I got for touring..... Comfy Cobra seats, roll-up soft top (sunroof), removable luggage rack, in-dash radar detector, lexan half-doors, air scoop for footwell, 12V outlet in dash for portable GPS, bullet cam on roll bar or windscreen, armored sump guard, camelback drinking water supply, beach towel (folded as armrest on the brake lever, as picnic blanket and for swimming), generous tool and spare collection. I did remove the heater/fan as well as the windshield washer. Useless junk, this is California, after all!! Gertslomove2007-01-06 20:27:01

Is there a legal requirement for the reverse light? My reverse light switch broke long time ago and I never bothered to fix it because I don't drive backwards at night that often.

A cup full of latte in a holder won't do much for a full day's drive. For very long trips I have a 3 liter insulated Camelback pouch dangling between the seat backs from the roll bar. Filled with ice cubes and water a day drive through the desert is no big deal. The only annoying thing is the first sip of hot water from the sucking tube before the cool stuff comes from the pouch. Gert slomove2007-01-01 20:48:45

Well, I am right in the golden middle at 52. Have the car for 4 years (but wanted one 30 years ago) I bought my Birkin from a retiree in Florida who gave up already at age 73 to drive his Boxter only. But he made only 600 mainly autocross miles in 4 years with this Seven. Anyway, age is perception. Gert

There seem to be people who fall in love with the car and hang in and others who try it out, find it not to their expectation and sell off after a few months. Sometimes they buy a Lotus Elise instead and are happy. The first group likes the second group because of a supply of price-reduced cars in good condition http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/yesnod.gif You got to face it...it is a toy. Depending on your taste you can use it for: - weekend and occasional evening outbursts of senseless driving (also called "blats") - serious racing - less serious trackday events - an autocrossing tool - touring (keeping in mind the limitations of space and weather protection) - satisfying your auto mechanical desires - meeting and communicating with other people having similarly strange taste (all of them very nice btw.) - attracting attention of kids (but not so much chicks) all over the place Gertslomove2006-12-30 02:13:09

Maybe I posted a link already but if you take it serious this is the NASA racing-approved "low front hoop" cage: http://www.teambirkinsport.com/.a1bvms/20040229TH/P0000568.sized.jpg more pics >here

Thank you for the wishes! Unfortunately, due to my lawyer's vacation I am unable to accept the wishes. Actually I think I need to reject the wishes because I find no clause concening compensation or anything saying that the wishes are for free. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gifhttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif Anyway, Happy Christmas! Gert

I know people who run a Seven as company car...After all you need to entertain customers once a while http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/wink5.gif

Some car info..... - Birkin S3, built in 1998 - purchased in 2003 with 600 miles on the clock - 2.0 Zetec ZX1, originally on 45 DCOE carbs, now Jenvey TB - Emerald ECU and KentCam FZ2002, head ported and shaved to 10.6:1 - semi-close T9 box and Quaiffe LSD, Laminova heat exchanger - completely rewired, new dash, Cobra seats and many other useless fun upgrades - Power, well, don´t know....maybe 150-160 at the wheels according to similar engines (never measured mine). Doing 0-60 about 4.6 seconds it is ample fast for the road. I think I need to hone my skills on the track for a few more years until I can make good use of more power, i.e. not just pulling away on the straight. http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/glendoraridge1sm.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/michael_slomove.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/lasaac9_04allsevens.jpg (in there, somewhere....) http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/nofilter.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/mirrorscreenlr.jpg more pics >hereslomove2006-12-23 14:15:56

There are a bunch of Se7eners in SoCal (including myself in Pasadena with a Birkin) but just so in San Diego. Post on www.californiacaterhamclub.com (it is marque-inclusive, not just Caterham) and you will get lots of opportunity to sit and drive in various Se7ens (mostly Caterham, Birkin and Locost, probably no local S2k or Stalker). Gertslomove2006-12-21 02:19:59

Sure, good idea. Would this be just a regular discussion forum section with pics or a gallery type thing? Some ideas that come to mind....might be good to limit the number of pics to let's say 30 or 50 per car to motivate people only post the real interesting ones. Another idea (not sure if good)...make sub-sections by car type? And mayby have another one for group pics? Gert

Oh man....Michael, I thought you had taken your car back to Canada. What a shame. But I agree, a good opportunity for somebody with a taste for the real thing. Not like us day laborers who can only afford a Zetec http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif Gert

The 10x1.5 helicoils I used have an outer diameter of 12.25 mm. I guess that should work. A machined adapter may not be feasible because there is no wall left with 12mm outer and 10mm inner thread. I guess the easiest solution would be either - to re-tap your threads with the helicoil tap and just live with the cross-threaded result (probably still ample strong) - to ream out the knob thread to 1/2" and insert the helicoil with epoxy glue using the insertion tool or a 10mm bolt (wrapped with teflon tape for removal). - combination of both above, i.e. re-tap and seat the helicoil with epoxy. That is what I did for above mentioned wood shift knobs. Gert

Hmm, not sure if I understand...you are looking for helicoils that can be used on a 10x1.5 shift lever? I have some left over from a project where I made some turned wood knobs for myself and some other fellows. But they were not difficult to find, I believe even at PepBoys autostore. If that is all you need and can not find it locally I can mail you a few. Would to have to lend you the tap and inserting tool, too. Let me know! Gert http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/woodshiftknob.jpg

Nice.... sometimes it comes really handy understanding German http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif

If properly designed a Lexan disc as a center may well work......until the brakes get hot http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/eek6.gif

Blatter: No way officer, we understand, that might be an "Exhibition of Speed" misdemeanor ( California Vehicle Code§ 23109) and we would never even think of doing that on public roads... http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/blush5.gif ..Well, yes my foot slipped a little from the clutch leading to temporary unintentional loss of rear wheel traction. But what does that have to do with it? slomove2006-11-27 20:44:26

Scary.....but what a great track. Except the concrete walls, of course.

I got to tell you guys....it is a tough life here in SoCal. I was concerned the starter battery was getting low and so I was forced to take the Seven out to the mountains for a 3 hour battery re-charge. 85 degrees and sunny, I almost broke a sweat. Can't wait for the cold winter days when it is in the 60s or so..... http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gifhttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gifhttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif Gert

Al, I sold a tank for the same reason. I poured out all fuel and just let it sit with filler neck open in my driveway in the sun (maybe not so easy at this time of the year) for a week or two. After that it barely smelled like fuel and I shipped it no problem. Gert

Thanks, that would be nice. I was thinking of 3 buttons next to the camcorder remote control for forward/side/rear view. Maybe with automatic turning rear when the camconder is turned off. Well, I am getting fancy here.... I think the impression from your Dragon video also comes from the limited view out of the tintop and the dense trees wiping by. Out in the open from a Seven this is much less pronounced. Gertslomove2006-11-11 10:36:21

Oh, forgot....the actual video quality as recorded with the DV camcorder is much better than the web video. That is already compressed for much lower bit rate. Gertslomove2006-11-11 10:26:07