rcollum

We have now held this event, each Spring and Fall, for 6 straight years. Turnout to these events has ranged from 27 Lotus cars to as many as 36. We'd like to break 40 Lotus cars this year. We have had three Sevens in attendance two different times, but I think we can do way better! Help us realize that record! It's a great time, seeing beautiful cars and talking to interesting people. Mark Franke makes sure it's a worthwhile event. It's a good start or end to a spirited drive. If you like, join us afterwards for a drive to the Bull Run Winery, about a 30-minute drive away. You can bring your lunch, or buy it there. Get Your Lotus Out: It's an event, and a request, and we welcome all Sevens. Drive you car - that's what you bought it for, right? Share your enthusiasm with other Lotus fans. --Bob Collum

More from today. Please remember: Get Your Lotus Out (GYLO), our 12th semi-annual gathering of Lotus cars & people, will be held on the lower parking lot of Katie's, on Sunday, 09/18/16, from 9:00AM - 11:00AM. We will drive to Bull Run Winery afterwards, for lunch. Do not miss this! http://www.usa7s.net/vb/showthread.php?11108-Gylo-11-05-01-16 --Bob Collum

Well, Michael D's clutch is working, and he got here EARLY this morning! It's good to have two Sevens up front at Katie's! See what other interesting vehicles were there this morning... --Bob Collum

Labor Day weekend at Katie's. Interesting cars? You bet! --Bob Collum

Yes, they looked amazingly sticky! I'm OK for now... I have 13" wheels, and had some problems choosing a tire to replace the originals, which had turned to stone. I never found a source for Avons, which (it seems) everybody in the UK uses. I ended up with Dunlop Direzza II Star Specs, which seem fine for street use. Thanks, Bob Collum

By the way, Jim - what tires are you running? --Bob Collum

Jim...sorry... Earlier that day, I had met Dave (XFlow7) at Cars & Coffee in Great Falls. With one new Seven friend, my 'buffer' was full. It was great having four 7's at the party. I hope we can do that well at our Get Your Lotus Out event on Sunday, Sept. 18th. (We have managed to have three at a time at these events, but never had more.) http://www.usa7s.net/vb/showthread.php?11290-Get-Your-Lotus-Out-GYLO-12-09-18-16-9AM-11AM-Great-Falls-VA --Bob Collum

Lots of cars, and a great variety! When's the last time you saw BOTH versions of Ferrari SuperAmerica in one place, plus an F40? A Model T? A racing Esprit X180R that was featured at Goodwood? Two different Lotus 4-seaters - Excel and Eclat? (Let's not forget the current Evora.) Finally, Scott Lentz' 914. --Bob Collum

We always have a good time at the parties thrown this time of year by Kevin and Denise McGovern. Obviously, a lot of other people have the same experience, and people (and interesting cars) came out in large numbers. Included in this were 4 Sevens: Kevin's Prisoner Caterham, Norm Beaver's autocross beast, my Caterham, and the red one, owned by a gentleman I just met from Maryland (but I can't remember his name...Grrrr...) Michael D, Scott Lentz, and Kevin (LotusMan1951) were also there, but in 'alternate' vehicles. Can anyone help with that owner's name? --Bob Collum

A great morning at Katie's. I met Dave (XFlow7) this morning, with his Caterham. Scott L was there today, but did not have his Seven. --Bob Collum

The weather forecast looks great - clear, with a high of 90. This is always a great party! NoVA Lotus will do a group drive up to the McGovern party on August 27th, leaving from the Blue Iguana parking lot (12727 Shoppes Ln, Fairfax, VA) at 1:15PM. The McGoverns are at - 11356 Homewood Rd. Ellicott City, Md. Below are pictures from prior years, 2005 thru 2009. See you there! --Bob Collum

Our Fall 2016 Get Your Lotus Out event, our 12th-ever, will be held Sunday, Sept. 18th, 2016, from 9:00AM - 11:00AM at the lower parking lot at Katie's in Great Falls, VA. It's important to note that all types of Se7ens are welcome to this event. We would like to make this a record-breaking event. Previously, our record for cars in attendance was 36. We now have many more people registered on the website and on email. This is a great event to meet other Lotus enthusiasts and share ideas. We will have door prizes for winners of our popular-choice 'favorite Lotus' ballot. NoVA Lotus club shirts that have been pre-ordered will be available. We hope to have our Lotus club caps available as well. If you have a business that you would like to promote and donate a door prize, we would welcome that as well. Following the event we will have a social gathering at the Bull Run Winery. This is about a 30 minute drive from Katie's coffee shop. Bull Run Winery is located right off of 66 and 29. The setting is very picturesque with the tasting room overlooking the winery and vineyard. We have a reservation for tastings. The cost is $18 per person, and that includes 8 different samples of wine, plus a souvenir glass. They also have wine available by glass or bottle, but you certainly do not have to buy wine. There is typical winery food available in the tasting room. Anyone can bring your own picnic lunch, but must eat outside in the picnic area that overlooks the Vineyard. There is plenty of parking. It's a great setting for the gathering after GYLO. If you cannot make the early-morning car gathering you can meet us at the winery. We all hope to see you there. As always, details on our website: http://novalotusclub.freeforums.net/thread/116/gylo-sept-18th-2016-11am

The original weather forecast for today was rain, but it did hold off until about 9:45AM. Naturally, attendance at the C & C was light. I made a quick stop at the grocery store, and got caught in a pretty good shower on the way home. Luckily, I had the tonneau over the passenger side. I followed a Saab up the main road towards our house, with my tiny windshield wipers going at 'ludicrous' speed. I was lucky to get home without incident, and no real soaking of the cloth seats! The white Buick looks really good; it was a shock when the owner popped the hood, to show us the Corvette LS3 engine! --Bob Collum

Which car?

.....

That's Norm Beaver's car. He has different nose and wing treatments, depending on whether he's autocrossing or doing a track day. --Bob Collum

Direction to the McGovern’s: 11356 Homewood Rd. Ellicott City, Md. Take Route 95 to either Route 100 or Route 32 From Rt. 100 : Follow 100 west to 29 south to 108 west. Stay on 108 west. At 4th traffic light ( Homewood Rd) turn right *Stay on Homewood Rd for 7/10th of a mile then turn right into our driveway. It is a large opening with stone pillars and a gate. If you go over a bridge you have gone too far. Follow the driveway back and go through a set of white brick pillars. Continue until you get to the house From Rt. 32 : Follow Rt 32 west to Cedar Lane/ Sanner Rd exit. ( the first exit after Rt 29) Make a right at the end of the exit. Take Cedar Lane to the end. Make a left onto Harpers Farm Rd. At the third light Harpers Farm Rd becomes Homewood Rd. stay straight. Follow the direction from * For those using Google Directions: If you are instructed to turn on Castlebridge Rd do not turn. Instead go to the next right turn which is my driveway and turn into driveway and follow it to the house at the end of the drive.

Here is the invitation to the 20th (!) annual summer party, put on by local Lotusphiles, Kevin & Denise McGovern. This started out, 20 years ago, as a get-together for the local DC Lotus Club. It has morphed into a beautiful gathering of interesting vehicles of all types. We've been going for more than 16 years, and it's a great setting, and a terrific party. Remember to RSVP to the McGoverns, and plan to go - NoVA Lotus will put together a group drive from the Fair Oaks area, and we will post details on our website - McGovern 'Lotus Party', | NoVA Lotus Club 20th Annual Lotus Summer Party Place: Kevin and Denise McGovern’s Date: Saturday, Aug 27 Rain date: Sunday, Aug 28 Time: 2:00pm- 7:00pm R.S.V.P.: 410- 964- 1459 or 410 370 7255 (cell) kevinmcgov@aol.com Come and enjoy a swimming pool, tennis court, and friends. There will be plenty to eat and drink. Bring your family and a Seven (or other interesting vehicle) if possible. There will be plenty of room to park on the lawn. Please call if you have any questions. Directions in the next thread entry. (Google directions are inaccurate)

Yes, I do - here they are! This is a recent kitcar copy, of course. --Bob Collum

Still, there was a lot to see there today... The last two pictures are of a newer kit, based on the Cheetah. A front-mid-engined, Chevy V8 powered car, with gullwing doors. Look carefully, and you will see that the windshield wipers are mounted on the leading edge of the roof, sweeping down to the windshield. This car makes a Seven look comfortable and easy-to-enter and exit! --Bob Collum

I missed last week at Katie's, but I have a signed excuse from Dr. Franke - I was at LOG in Princeton. Everybody knows about the Mercedes that backed into the Ferrari, but fewer know that a 28-year old man, Henry Sterne, had a fatal accident on the way to Katie's last Saturday. He was on Walker Road, near Colvin Run, and went off the road, flipping his Honda S2000 multiple times. No one really knows what happened, but it's a fact that the roads around here are full of deer. Let's be careful out there, people! Henry was a fairly regular visitor to Katie's, and had a lot of friends. Here are a few pictures of the memorial they had for him at Katie's today. --Bob Collum

My wife and I take turns doing the track drives at LOG. Like you, I drove around Indy at LOG, and was VERY disappointed. The next year, my wife got to do Talladega. We were in the slow group, and topped out at 95mph. We had a friend behind us in a rental Camry - he dipped below 55, and could not stay up on the banking. Another friend did nearly 130mph with the faster group. Serious fun, but seeing the first banked turn loom up was kind of scary! (I have dibs on driving Talladega next year, but will have to think about how I'd get the Seven down there.) The first picture is with me driving our Elise at Indy; the second is my wife driving the Elise, more than 50mph faster, at Talladega. --Bob Collum

Taber: I was quite surprised when I first heard someone say that they thought Sevens were less than welcome at LOGs. I have only owned my Caterham for about a year, but I have been attending LOGs since 1993, and I chaired the one in the Poconos in 1995. The only thing I have EVER heard was that we needed to be sure that there was a separate class for Caterhams (and, in recent years, for 'other' Sevens), because it's certainly not fair to award a casual concours prize to a brand-new Caterham (or Westfield, or Brunton, or whatever) over an all-original, early-1960's-model Lotus Seven. By the way, below is the logo for LOG 37. I've heard there is going to be a special Sevens event as part of this, but we will have to wait for details. In short, I have found the Lotus crowd to be generally accepting of most of what we are currently calling 'tributes'. I have seen the crowds form at a Lotus event, talking enthusiastically with a guy who put a Mazda rotary in a Europa. Try something like that at a Porsche event! --Bob Collum

Some more pictures from Princeton... Stuff you don't see every day - the S4 Seven. That Gulf-liveried Europa was driven from San Diego to Princeton! Lotus gravity racers brought by the Barber Museum (where we will be for LOG 37 in May!) A Lotus Omega - the fastest 4-door in the world, for many years after its production, 1990-92. The last shot - my wife, Debbie, with Elisa Artioli (the Elise was named for her - her grandfather ran Bugatti), and Vickie Flier. --Bob Collum

There were a good number of Sevens at LOG's concours today - Tony Vaccaro and I had the only Caterhams, but there were several Lotus Sevens, and even at least one Westfield Seven, as well as a really nice Westfield 11. That's Bill and Cheryl Baldwin, in the 5th picture. They have driven their Lotus Seven to nearly every one of the 22 LOGs I have been to. --Bob Collum