maurice1

Hi Anyone fitted the Caterham type nose winglets to a Birkin. I know how to attach but just wish to see where people have positioned theirs. Photos would be great. http://www.aerodynamix.co.uk/carbon-canard-winglets.html Thankyou Maurice

Hi All Seriously thinking about changing my BGH T9 Ford gearbox currently fitted to my Birkin to a N7 Miata 5 speed gearbox. The gearboxes are fitted to the NC 2006 MX5 (Miata) and is the 5 speed N7 model. They bolt straight up to the Duratec I have fitted in my Birkin. I am currently running a Mazda Flywheel, Pressure Plate, Clutch and starter motor with the T9. I am running a concentric slave cylinder on my T9, does anyone know of a concentric slave cylinder for the Mazda gearbox. Does anyone have Dimensions of the Mazda 5 speed gearbox. I know it will be tight and that the Mazda bellhousing will have to be cut to remove part of the bell and then have plates welded into cutouts. These gearboxes are available in Australia (where I am ) imported in half cuts etc from Japan. Cheers Maurice

Steve's Sublime run 24/11/13 - Page 2 - NSW - OzClubbies Hi All If you scroll down to post 32 in the above link you will catch some nice shots of a few clubmans on one of the great driving road in Australia. Part of the Great Ocean Road in the state of Victoria. If the location looks familiar yes it also features in a famous Shell commercial. http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDoQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcFlaNJALet4&ei=np9pU6abJ4zUkgXf44HgDQ&usg=AFQjCNHd2OzgnczVBFtr3kqLlMJa2anjpg&bvm=bv.66111022,d.dGI This video needs to be listened to really loud Cheers Maurice

Hi Bill Have you thought about giving Dick Brink a call at Texas Motorworks, since you have a Birkin it has got to be a good starting point. Now if you were living here in Australia we have a great auto electrician who does all the harnesses for the Zetecs, Duratecs, 4AGs etc using all the original harnesses, ECU etc just shortened to fit the Birkin chassis. Cheers

Does anyone know what the Lower ball joint out of the S3 Birkin widetrack is originally from/out of? Cheers

Glad everyone is still walking. The F150 must have look bloody huge as it rolled over in front of the Stalkers occupants. I reckon with a bit of a Polish the Stalker will be right to go. Cheers Maurice

Three videos from the Nationals trackday held on the Tuesday. Cheers Maurice

More photos of the trackday with this link http://fifotos.zenfolio.com/p485634205 Maurice

Hi All Yes it was a great event, I was one of seven committee members for the event. This was the 5th Nationals held and the first in Queensland. The previous 4 have been held down south around Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. They are held every 2 years and the next will be in 2015 in the Melbourne ( State of Victoria ) area. So if you are thinking about a holiday in Australia in 2015 then October or November maybe a good time to be here. The furthest 7 traveled 3100 miles to get to the event, 1700 miles by train as freight and then 1400 miles by road. Mike the weather was perfect, low 80s. Kiwibirkin couldn't make the event as his parents were over from New Zealand visiting. A very poor excuse!!!!!. To get to the show and shine venue we did a parade/convoy through the local business district which looked fantastic with 80 7s in a row. Cheers Maurice

http://photobucket.com/ User name qcn2013 Password qcn2013 Link has some photos of the show and shine and video of some track time. Video is on the bottom of the 3rd page. Use the user name and password to view. The event was a great 3 and 1/2 days with fantastic weather, cars, drives and too much food, wine and beer drunk. Cheers Maurice

My windscreen guy used a very thin sharp chisel and just gave it one hit and off it came. I was amazed as you could nearly swing off the mirror without it coming off. I haven't tried this trick but if all else fails!!!!! Cheers Maurice

Not sure if anyone is traveling over here in a couple of weeks but if you are near Caloundra on the Sunshine coast is where our Clubman (7s) Nationals is being held between the 14 and 17th of October. I am not a big poster on USA7s but I like reading about what you guys get up to. I will try to post pictures of what we get up to. We have a trackday organised, plus mystery drives, partners tour, show and shine and social dinners etc. Currently have 80 cars registered and over 130 people attending so if anyone is over this way there are worse places to visit. Cheers Maurice

Hi Daniel Yes 2nd gear is around 1.7/1.75 Cheers Maurice

Hi Daniel I have had a BGH 5 speed T9 Ford gearbox in my Birkin for the past 15000 miles. I have the 2.0 litre Duratec fitted and am running a 4.1 ratio diff. The BGH kit fitted is the clubman spec which has a taller first approx 2.6 instead of the standard 3.0+ first gear ratio. I have had no problems with the gearbox. Even with the taller first gear fitted i only use first when doing a hill start. I have friends who are running the same gearkit with a 3.9 diff ratio and it works ok. I find if I want to do a fast takeoff from lights etc that 2nd gear works very well with the 4.1 diff, no revs drop off and no gear change between 1st and 2nd to slow you down. I know when my friend with the 3.9 diff did this on a 2nd gear high rev take off he stripped one of his pinion gears in the diff!!! My engine is standard ford spec so only about 160hp and reaches the redline in 5th about 115mph quiet easily. If you start going into taller diffs you may start loosing some of your acceleration and thats one of the great abilities of a 7. A taller diff may give you a higher top speed but 7s are aerodynamic bricks and need a lot of power to keep punching to a high top speed. Choice is yours. Cheers

Wanting to buy a set/pr of Birkin doors if any one is interested in selling a set. Or better still the full wet weather kit, roof, doors etc. Thanks Maurice

Hi Stephen For minute there I thought you may have upgraded your garage at home!!! Car is looking very nice. Cheers Maurice

Hi all My Birkin is running the standard throttlebody and inlet manifold and ECU. Has anyone got pictures of airboxes using this setup. I have a fair idea what I am going to make, a completely sealed from the engine bay airbox with a K & N cone filter and a Revotec inlet duct on the side of my bonnet flowing into the airbox. I love the look of the Birkin bonnet with all the rows of louvers so I do not want a scoop/duct on top. There is no room with all the louvers anyway. As my car is painted a Mazda colour Black cheery you will hardly even notice the duct on the side of the bonnet. It is also in a reasonably good pressure area as well. It is always good to see what other people have done. The Inlet duct I am going to use is the GT Air intake in black see link. [url=http://www.revotec.com/acatalog/Air_Intake_Scoops.html][/url]http://www.revotec.com/acatalog/Air_Intake_Scoops.html I have also read that your intake manifold/plenum should be twice the volume of your engine, eg. 2.0 litre duratec x 2 is 4 litres and the airbox should be twice this size, eg. 4 x 2 is 8 litres. Anyone else have ideas, thoughts? Cheers Maurice

Hi All I have used Eurospeed for numerous bits on my Duratec powered Birkin. Geoff (owner) of Eurospeed makes some beautiful parts for the Duratec 2.0 and 2.3 litre engines. My T9 BGH gearbox is from Eurospeed, I am lucky I only live 20 minutes drive away from from his factory here in Brisbane. Cheers Maurice

Hi Robert I do not have one with a 7 laser cut in it but you should be able to get a heat shield from any good truck spare parts/exhaust supplier. I am in Australia and thats where mine for my Birkin came from. The shield was made in the USA so they have got to be around. cheers Maurice

Hi Carl I have wind deflectors on my Birkin and with the Bimi/Birkini roof the buffeting is reduced, still get an flow of air coming in from the rear but this is not too bad. It beats getting cooked by the sun or saturated by the rain as this roof is all I have. I don't have the Birkin roof/doors set. I don't use it on normal driving usually only when it rains as the Birkin is my daily driver. Cheers Maurice

Hi Stephen, A couple of suggestions, you can get a combination male/female press clip that would replace your boot cover clips where the Bimi straps attach, this would look neater and remove the need to unclip your boot cover to attach the Bimi straps. Have you thought about using two straps each side with a tensioner buckle, each side can come down to the same clip on the body. Good price and mine came in very handy yesterday on the way home from work. Nice video you posted on ozclubbies, I bet the coffee was not as good as you would have got from me!!! Cheers Maurice

http://www.bghgeartech.co.uk Hi Jimmy Have a look at the above company for gearsets for your T9 gearbox. I have one in my Birkin that is running a Duratec here in Brisbane. There are alot of guys here in Australia who have Birkins running BGH gearboxes. Cheers Maurice

http://www.ozclubbies.com.au/index.php?/topic/2145-clubbies-are-tough/ Hi Wayne, Link above shows damage to my Birkin I am in Brisbane, Australia and my Birkin had a meeting with a tyre wall last year at something like 90mph, I was doing 120+ when I realized things were not looking good. Birkins are very tough and as the advice has said, take the side panel off to see what damaged lies beneath. Remember it is only steel and Aluminium. I am very fortunate that I know an old panelbeater(not sure what you call them in USA) who has an English wheel and repaired my bonnet with using any filler. You never know what skills people have until you ask, you may be very surprised if you asked around where you live. Cheers from a very sunny and warm Brisbane. (just about to get into the pool) Maurice

The Birkin bonnet latches are manufactured by Dzus, and the description is an Under Center Draw Latch, stainless steel with a Secondary Catch. I had a devil of a time trying to locate them here in Australia but eventually located a supplier not far from me. If I brought them from our Australian Birkin agent they were just stupidly expensive . Just find a Dzus supplier and you will be able to source them. Cheers Maurice

Beautiful pictures Stephen, very familiar after living through a few winters in Blenheim and driving across to the West coast. "Steaks" I am afraid Australia beats New Zealand in the steak department. Cheers Maurice