slomove

I have a Birkin and I am very happy with it. I know a lot of Zetec Caterhams in the area and sure would be very happy with them, either. However, I did not buy a crossflow engine just for reasons of maintenance and upgradability but that is a matter of personal taste. Crossflows are 2 generations back and maybe very original but not necessarily easy to maintain. Zetecs are only one generation back. Given similar junk inside the car the weight is practically the same (I weighed 3 Caterhams and my Birkin in my driveway). When I bought my car 4 years ago for the budget I could buy a run-down Caterham with a worn-out crossflow or my car with 600 miles on the clock and a more powerful Zetec. That was a no-brainer for me. The point of retaining value may actually be more related to the current market situation (interest in sevens, people running out of money or losing jobs) than the brand. I have seen people losing tons of money on very nice Caterhams especially when upgraded beyond factory specs. Both brands have pros and cons that have been discussed in the past. Birkin stock seats are pretty bad and replaced with aftermarket seats often. The front suspension, brakes and pedal/master cyl. assembly are aguably better in a Birkin. The life axle gives a good ride when set up properly with springs and shocks. I never could find a discernable difference to a DeDion (but that is another 10 pages worth of discussion). Workmanship is IMO just as good. Classic Caterham chassis are bronze welded while Birkins are TIG welded but as long as it holds together I don't care. I have not heard of either chassis to fail at the welds. At the end you should not rush your decision and discount cars from far away (I had to transport my car from FL to CA). A Seven purchase is a highly personalized decision and if you did not see and test drive several cars you may end up with a compromised buy. Well, to be honest even the compromise may be great..... Gert pics of my car here: >http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove whoa....I should mention that since I bought it I probably put another $15k into the car in upgrades that I would never get back if I should sell. Fortunately I am not planning to sell anytime soon...... slomove2006-08-29 21:49:57

A cylinder leakage tester is a small investment (provided you have a compressor), I just picked up one from Harborfreight Tools for $34. That should give you some better idea what is going on. Your compression numbers sound a little on the low side for a 13:1 engine but I don't know anything about Crossflows. My 10.6:1 Zetec usually does 240-250 psi. Was the engine warmed up? Gert

The HKT is a little larger than an S3, has a 180 or 245hp VAG Turbo, IRS, Porsche brakes, some leather and carbon goodies. Being hand-built in Germany I suppose the price is at Caterham CSR level or beyond. But really don't know. Irmscher has similar specs with a newer Opel turbo engine (210 hp or 240hp). Not sure if this engine is related to the old Vauxhaull lumps. Price is about Euro 50k ($60k+) with the 210hp engine. BTW Irmscher is a pretty big company (far bigger than Caterham) specialized on Opel (European GM/Vauxhall) tuning and accessories. The Seven is probably just a hobby for them. Gert

Another one from Germany....>http://www.hkt-7.de/index.htm ....with Audi Turbo engine. I mean, after all still traditional, but well built and not that cheap. I believe one Irmscher is actually here in the US. Gert slomove2006-08-24 20:15:13

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Well, I just signed up here and, since I happen to be the organizer of this absolutely amazing, fantastic and to be memorable 2 week long Sevens tour I am wondering if some information on this site might be advised. Right now all info is here: >http://www.californiacaterhamclub.com/chat/forumdisplay.php?f=13 and I suppose most everybody knows about it. I understand that this is just too far for most of the East Coast folks but actually, I have some already signed up. Anyway, in the meantime if somebody needs more info you can send me a PM. I will give an update on the current status of the event soon. Gert

Some info on my home-made radius arms with heim-joints >http://home.earthlink.net/~slomove/id3.html