The Other Cars of USA7s Members (Non-Se7ens only)

[Croc]

5 hours ago, wdb said:

Here's my 'daily' as it were, a 2013 E350 4Matic kombi. 

 

I had one of these for a while as the "company" car in the UK but in the sedan form.  I liked it.  Did not wow me in any massive way but over time you really got to appreciate the unassuming competence in the way it went about things.  I prefer the wagon look over the sedan too.  Its hard to make a wagon look stylish but Merc managed to with this.  

[slowdude]

5 hours ago, wdb said:

Wow, this is some heady company. I'll start by saying that nothing I have ever owned comes anywhere close to most of this collection.

 

Here's my 'daily' as it were, a 2013 E350 4Matic kombi. (There is another fleet member that probably sees more miles.) I picked it up in June 2020, in the throes of the pandemic. It replaced a GS350 Lexus. I was toting my nonagenarian mother and dad around (at least I was until COVID locked them down), mom was using a walker, and dad was getting close. The Lexus' trunk just wouldn't do anymore. I wanted a wagon for ease of ingress/egress for those two 90-somethings, and heaving up into SUVs wasn't my idea of how to do that. Plus it had to be roomy and safe and whatnot. Plus to be honest I've always liked longroofs.

 

The irony of the story is that I never used the car to haul my mother and dad anywhere. Dad passed in October of 2020. All things considered he did pretty well to get that far, what with all the stents in his chest and surviving cancer and the byzantine cocktail of meds he took. Mom went the following year; they had been married for 71 years, so I was not surprised that she did not relish life without her man. 

 

Back to the car. It's a CarMax find, had 37K miles on it when I picked it up. Came off lease from the first owner. Lived on Long Island and appears to have been used as a kid hauler. It has evidence of less than tidy parking maneuvers on every corner, which is perhaps why MB didn't turn into a CPO. Or maybe it was because it was replaced with a Tesla Model X and they just put everything on the auction block? Not sure. MB Tex interior which I specifically wanted, after all it is a station wagon first and foremost. "AMG" styling package, which is a bit humorous but I do think it is a smart looking unit.

 

It's also a stupidly useful piece of kit; rear facing third row seating, combination car cover / cargo space divider, and all sorts of clever useful little thingies wherever one looks. I am constantly amazed by just how much it will swallow, and how large. It's no sports car but it is competent, quite comfortable, more than fast enough, and will return 30+ MPG on the highway without even trying. Combined with the 22 gallon fuel capacity that makes for quite a long time between fillups. I toy with the idea of parting with it and getting something smaller and more fun, but then I get in and turn on the massage function (did I mention that it has a 'dynamic' driver's seat?) and I think, nah, I'll keep it a while longer.

 

 

Sorry to hear about your loss. Covid seemed to really accelerate for a lot of people, the difficult issues we do not want to face, but know we will have to.

 

I hope your sweet wagon gives you some fond memories of the brief time you were taking your parents around with it. Wagons are awesome. I had the chance to get a diesel manual 3series wagon for a company car years ago and still kick myself for not being able to get it. Long roofs are indeed awesome. Throw a hitch onto it for a lightweight trailer and you're golden.

[Bruce K]

10 hours ago, Croc said:

 

 

@Bruce K I am glad you said track events as I would thought you might have needed it for your OnlyFans site (I am kidding...)

 

Everyone usually goes GoPro as it is a safe option.  It is good resolution.  But battery life is problematic - it always seems to drain quicker than GoPro advertise.  Then they require you to use proprietary add ons for external mic cable or casings and it gets awfully expensive quickly.  Not a fan of the software as they seem to think you should be able to upload a 4gb track session video to a phone for editing.  

 

A number of guys on USA7s have mentioned the Yi camera as good but half the price.  I have not tested it personally but have heard a number of good reports.

 

My preferred go to action camera is sadly no longer sold.  Garmin VIRB 30.  Easy touch screen to control.  Came with all the cases and mounts.  Software for processing was brilliantly easy to add track data overlays onto it.   External mic had a clunky multi-cable adapter which required some dexterity with 3M painters tape to get everything solid.  The results were excellent.  Mine is about to go into the bottom drawer as I broke the last case mount that will take an external mic.  

 

The go to I have been falling back to is DJI Osmo Action Camera.  Mine has been recently superseded by the latest model but it looks the same.  High quality video.  Its simple.  Easy to use.  Good battery life.  Editing software is useless.  Its Chinese software so my antivirus triggered when I tried to install it so that got discarded.  If you use it with the Cynova 3.5mm mic adapter then you can have a power cable and the external mic running simultaneously.  Example footage at 3 different settings in the following link (March 6, 2020 post 49 of that thread)

 

 

Since the DJI software is security fraught and a PITA to use, I use RaceRender to edit.  That is a faff which is where the Garmin was a winner since the software made the experience work.  

 

There are new cameras out there - InstaOne which looks interesting but I have not tested it.  I think the latest can take an external mic which is essential for our open cars.

 

If external microphone then the Audio-Technica Pro 24 CM microphone with some type of "dead cat" cover (furry windscreen protector).  I have two of these for over 5 years and they just work.  New battery each weekend.  Hook it up. Tape it down or mount it firmly.  I have them hanging off the back of a Caterham, under a dash, in an engine bay, etc. 

 

For mount look at a manfrotto super clamp and get a mini ball head to mount to that.   They are expensive and they are heavy but they work without fail and quality products.  

 

 

 

Tremendous advice - like a professional how-to column on creating track videos.  I've printed it up - much appreciated.

[Bruce K]

7 hours ago, wdb said:

Wow, this is some heady company. I'll start by saying that nothing I have ever owned comes anywhere close to most of this collection.

 

Here's my 'daily' as it were, a 2013 E350 4Matic kombi. (There is another fleet member that probably sees more miles.) I picked it up in June 2020, in the throes of the pandemic. It replaced a GS350 Lexus. I was toting my nonagenarian mother and dad around (at least I was until COVID locked them down), mom was using a walker, and dad was getting close. The Lexus' trunk just wouldn't do anymore. I wanted a wagon for ease of ingress/egress for those two 90-somethings, and heaving up into SUVs wasn't my idea of how to do that. Plus it had to be roomy and safe and whatnot. Plus to be honest I've always liked longroofs.

 

The irony of the story is that I never used the car to haul my mother and dad anywhere. Dad passed in October of 2020. All things considered he did pretty well to get that far, what with all the stents in his chest and surviving cancer and the byzantine cocktail of meds he took. Mom went the following year; they had been married for 71 years, so I was not surprised that she did not relish life without her man. 

 

Back to the car. It's a CarMax find, had 37K miles on it when I picked it up. Came off lease from the first owner. Lived on Long Island and appears to have been used as a kid hauler. It has evidence of less than tidy parking maneuvers on every corner, which is perhaps why MB didn't turn into a CPO. Or maybe it was because it was replaced with a Tesla Model X and they just put everything on the auction block? Not sure. MB Tex interior which I specifically wanted, after all it is a station wagon first and foremost. "AMG" styling package, which is a bit humorous but I do think it is a smart looking unit.

 

It's also a stupidly useful piece of kit; rear facing third row seating, combination car cover / cargo space divider, and all sorts of clever useful little thingies wherever one looks. I am constantly amazed by just how much it will swallow, and how large. It's no sports car but it is competent, quite comfortable, more than fast enough, and will return 30+ MPG on the highway without even trying. Combined with the 22 gallon fuel capacity that makes for quite a long time between fillups. I toy with the idea of parting with it and getting something smaller and more fun, but then I get in and turn on the massage function (did I mention that it has a 'dynamic' driver's seat?) and I think, nah, I'll keep it a while longer.

 

 

That was a very nice post - heartwarming as well as interesting from car angles.  Your parents must have lived long and fruitful lives if they were married for 71 years!  Relationships like that are a blessing on society, meaning the rest of us, as well as a great blessing on the participants. 

 

Your home looks great, with three big garage doors.  If you like our cars, go get a lift or two and buy another one or two more sportscars.  I included a photo which shows bits of two lifts in my garage.  The one on the left is a Triumph, which is a basic 4-poster.  4-posters are open underneath, and thus are useful for working on the bottomside of cars.  The one on the right is a platform lift called Autostacker.  Platform scissor lifts like the Autostacker are much more expensive - more than double the price of a decent 4-post - but are better with space utilization than 4-posters - they will fit into spaces the 4 post cannot, which is why my second lift is an Autostacker.

 

I also favor wagons.  I was the oldest of 8 children, and my Dad would squeeze the entire family plus one or two large dogs into those Ford Country Squires every summer for vacation.  Four kids in the middle bench - belts be damned - and dogs spread everywhere including in your lap and around your head!  I think a Country Squire was parked outside the writer's office when he invented the phrase "land yacht".  We loved 'em, and they were classy with that vinyl woody look.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Bruce K

[Bruce K]

I forgot to mention - with hoists, you need 10.5 or more feet to the ceiling.  Sometimes a center area can be cut from the joints, and more space created with artful carpentry, but that adds cost.  At 41 inches in height, your Cat could fit on a hoist with a 10 foot ceiling, but that leaves the lift deck at about 6 feet - workable, but head-knocking low.  I was fortunate that my home builder provided 11 foot ceilings in the design - leaves more room for storage up the walls, too.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Bruce K

[MV8]

Wagons make sense. I remember riding in the backwards facing seat that folded into a truck bed and the power tailgate window. So heavy though.

 

As I recall, gov regs back then drove us into the suvs since trucks had lower safety and emission requirements plus the incentives for businesses to buy trucks even if they didn't need one. 

[wdb]

Thanks for all the comments, and for noting the connection to mom and dad. The kombi sports PA license plate "L8R G8R", which dad got in 1985 for his then-new Mustang GT and transferred to every subsequent vehicle. I wrangled with the commonwealth to have it transferred into my care after dad passed.

 

Speaking of garages, I do in fact have a 4-place garage within the 3 bays. The leftmost bay has a vaulted ceiling and and a lift. I also have the good fortune of being able to rent space from my neighbor -- although my wife might argue that it is indeed good fortune! Even so I'm essentially out of space at the moment.

 

The lift is a Challenger 9K lb. 4-post unit. I added two trolley jacks to give it more utility. I thought long and hard about a 2-post but it is primarily for storage and only secondarily a service lift, so I decided to live with the service side compromises. My only real complaint is some space limitations when working in wheel well vicinity, and I've been able to find ways around that thus far. 

 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by wdb

[BirkinBernie]

Here is our '86 MR2.  My wife and I bought this car new in May of '86.  The arrival of offspring a couple years later, and some other circumstances caused me to sell it to my best buddy.  He had it for about two years, and decided to trade it in.  Instead, I bought it back from him and it has been here ever since.  It was my daily driver, and it has been enjoying retirement for quite a few years.  It is still driven regularly along with my other cars.  In the late 1990's I installed TRD springs, suspension bushings and bars, Tokico adjustable shocks and 15x7 wheels now shod with Dunlop Direzza Z3's.  The rest of the car is bone stock.

 

The first summer we owned it, we went on a two week road trip from Fairfax, VA to Tampa.  After a week with family in Tampa, we headed north and just explored.  One day, I took a random right turn in the mountains of North Carolina.  And there was a sign - "11 miles 318 turns"!  We had never heard of the Tail of the Dragon - and we turned onto it completely at random.  Wow!  I was having a ball - an autocrosser on the road of his dreams!  After a short while, my wife (also an avid autocrosser at the time) said "you need to slow down, I'm getting car sick!".  Now, I've seen this girl thrashing a VW Rabbit around corners on three wheels with no issue.  We looked at each other with the same thought.  That night a visit to the drug store confirmed it - she was pregnant!  So, we found out we were going to be parents in Mister Two on the Tail of the Dragon! 

 

I rebuilt the AC about a year ago.  I would jump in it tomorrow and take it anywhere.  I could never sell it though - it would be like selling the faithful family dog.

 

 

[Bruce K]

4 hours ago, wdb said:

Thanks for all the comments, and for noting the connection to mom and dad. The kombi sports PA license plate "L8R G8R", which dad got in 1985 for his then-new Mustang GT and transferred to every subsequent vehicle. I wrangled with the commonwealth to have it transferred into my care after dad passed.

 

Speaking of garages, I do in fact have a 4-place garage within the 3 bays. The leftmost bay has a vaulted ceiling and and a lift. I also have the good fortune of being able to rent space from my neighbor -- although my wife might argue that it is indeed good fortune! Even so I'm essentially out of space at the moment.

 

The lift is a Challenger 9K lb. 4-post unit. I added two trolley jacks to give it more utility. I thought long and hard about a 2-post but it is primarily for storage and only secondarily a service lift, so I decided to live with the service side compromises. My only real complaint is some space limitations when working in wheel well vicinity, and I've been able to find ways around that thus far. 

 

 

 

@WDB - you are a humble man.  You left us with the impression that you owned the Mercedes shooting brake, and after that the other cars were transportation specials.  Instead, your other cars include a very nice silver Porsche Targa and an M series BMW - very sporting hardware!  Have you altered either or both?  And if you are renting a bay, to you own another sporter you are too ashamed of to mention??? 

 

My garage is like yours - 3 bays and 4 spaces.  I am always thankful for that extra floor space, for unloading shipments, rolling around on my mechanic's stools, treating and painting parts and more wall space for storage.  Your Champion lift is very much like my Trojan - so close, one may have been manufactured by the other and simply relabeled.  

[Bruce K]

54 minutes ago, BirkinBernie said:

Here is our '86 MR2.  My wife and I bought this car new in May of '86.  The arrival of offspring a couple years later, and some other circumstances caused me to sell it to my best buddy.  He had it for about two years, and decided to trade it in.  Instead, I bought it back from him and it has been here ever since.  It was my daily driver, and it has been enjoying retirement for quite a few years.  It is still driven regularly along with my other cars.  In the late 1990's I installed TRD springs, suspension bushings and bars, Tokico adjustable shocks and 15x7 wheels now shod with Dunlop Direzza Z3's.  The rest of the car is bone stock.

 

The first summer we owned it, we went on a two week road trip from Fairfax, VA to Tampa.  After a week with family in Tampa, we headed north and just explored.  One day, I took a random right turn in the mountains of North Carolina.  And there was a sign - "11 miles 318 turns"!  We had never heard of the Tail of the Dragon - and we turned onto it completely at random.  Wow!  I was having a ball - an autocrosser on the road of his dreams!  After a short while, my wife (also an avid autocrosser at the time) said "you need to slow down, I'm getting car sick!".  Now, I've seen this girl thrashing a VW Rabbit around corners on three wheels with no issue.  We looked at each other with the same thought.  That night a visit to the drug store confirmed it - she was pregnant!  So, we found out we were going to be parents in Mister Two on the Tail of the Dragon! 

 

I rebuilt the AC about a year ago.  I would jump in it tomorrow and take it anywhere.  I could never sell it though - it would be like selling the faithful family dog.

 

 

Another nice post.  I feel the same way about my Porsche 935 and Alfa 4C - my kids will may sell them, but not me.  Big question for you, if you care to share - did your wife get pregnant IN the mister twister?  Is so, I want you to reference the chapter in the Kama Sutra that explains how!

[BirkinBernie]

39 minutes ago, Bruce K said:

Another nice post.  I feel the same way about my Porsche 935 and Alfa 4C - my kids will may sell them, but not me.  Big question for you, if you care to share - did your wife get pregnant IN the mister twister?  Is so, I want you to reference the chapter in the Kama Sutra that explains how!

Thanks for the kind words! 

 

I don't think even the authors of the Kama Sutra could work out a way for what you suggest to take place!

[Bruce K]

@BirkinBernie - I like your signature photo.  My 2nd Super Seven (out of 4 over 40 years) appears to have borne the same livery scheme - raw aluminum with red nose and fenders.  What is your motor?  Mine was a Cosworth BDR.  The Cosworth motor was incredible during its prime, with 250 hp, 9,000 useful RPM and a sound any Hell's Angel would envy.  However, I sold the car because I did not want the hassle and liability of rebuilding that Cosworth - too much money and too many delays.  Plus, any internal warranty work would mean pulling, crating and shipping the motor - twice!  A real risk, as that happened to the car's prior owner.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Bruce K

[BirkinBernie]

44 minutes ago, Bruce K said:

@BirkinBernie - I like your signature photo.  My 2nd Super Seven (out of 4 over 40 years) appears to have borne the same livery scheme - raw aluminum with red nose and fenders.  What is your motor - mine was a Cosworth BDR.  The Cosworth motor was incredible during its prime, with 250 hp, 9,000 useful RPM and a sound any Hell's Angel would envy.  However, I sold the car because I did not want the hassle and liability of rebuilding that Cosworth - too much money and too many delays.  Plus, any internal warranty work would mean pulling, crating and shipping the motor - twice!  A real risk, as that happened to the car's prior owner.

Hi Bruce!  Thanks!  That picture was taken during the USA 2005 tour, but I don't remember who took it.  The mud on the rear fender makes me think it was taken outside of Moab, UT where I got caught in the rain.

 

My Birkin, which I built in 2001, has a stock Zetec and a Miata gearbox.  I didn't figure paint would make it go any faster, so left it bare aluminum.  It has been amazingly reliable and fun for many years.  It even has the factory fuel injection.  The low end torque makes for a very flexible street car, and with slicks it is a very entertaining track day car.  I cannot imagine how much trouble I would get into with 250hp.....  :-)

 

Happy Motoring!

[BirkinBernie]

Well, off in another direction.  When I was a kid, my dad owned a Cadillac when he could afford it, and a Chevy when he couldn't.  His 1968 Fleetwood, which he let me use to tow my autocross cars, hooked me on the big land yachts.  Before I retired and built my shop, I had nowhere to put one.  Now I have two!  Here is my '65 Coupe DeVille, purchased in 2019.  It came to me with a solid, straight body.  But it had lots of needs starting with brake work and a full front suspension rebuild.  I've fixed lots of small things, from the electric windows and seat to the gas gauge.  It has been great fun.  The old girl is a really pleasant car to drive.  It rides very smooth, yet handles very well considering it weighs about 5000 lbs.  The biggest thing yet to fix is the air conditioning.  1965 was the second year Cadillac offered full climate control, and the system needs some work.  It is a fascinating mechanism with lots of vacuum gizmos and no computers. 

 

I gave some thought to re-starting my autocross career in the Huge Stock class, but decided against it..... 

 

 

[Bruce K]

@BirkinBernieYou would adjust, just from the front of the pack.  As the BDR motor wore down, though, I noticed Cats with tuned Duratechs were keeping up with me at Waterford, my favorite local track in Clarkston MI.  They never passed me, but I couldn't shake them.  And theirs were factory motors, with inexpensive parts and universal service.  I vowed, at that point, to make my make my next Cat an example with aluminum-block Duratech.  I broke that vow, but on a great Seven - a WCM S2K Ultralite with Honda S2000 motor/trans and Subaru independent rear.  It also had a great boulevard ride, and terrific track talent, but I still believed the right Cat would be a superior ride, and just a little prettier, to boot.  That's when I bought the Superlight R400 / 500 with all the mods.  I wish I could have kept that car - a perfect Caterham, for me.  But with the Lola coming soon, I don't have room for two bonkers topless flyweight Tyrannosaurus-voiced English roadsters!.  And I can't say for sure ,because I lack experience with the Lola, but it has all the hallmarks of a Kopitz Keeper - a car the steering wheel of which will require detachment from my stiff cold fingers before possibility of sale.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Bruce K

[NSXguy]

I’d considered owning a seven for 10yrs but always passed up on opportunities in the past until this lil xflow cat was offered. So far, It has been a great experience and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sorting it out and learning about a new platform. 

 

 

below are two of its mates:

 

 

 

I don’t have any crazy philosophy about cars I’ve owned. Quite simply, I’m a longtime gearhead and enjoy a good mechanical challenge… the more obscure the better!  So my latest thing is WRC cars and these two Grp A legends fit the bill. It has equally been fun tearing and rebuilding them (as I did the caterham). 
 

Recently, I got a small taste of track days so now I’m focused on preparing my Cat for as much of that as time permits this season and hoping to take the Cosworth and maybe the lancia as well. I think I’ll enjoy that quite well being able to wrench and then go racing… all fun. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by NSXguy

[BirkinBernie]

And then there is the 1970 Sedan DeVille.  I wasn't really looking for another Caddy, but the opportunity to buy this one popped up and I couldn't resist.  It was owned and rebuilt by one of the guys in the national Cadillac club recognized as an authority on 1970 Caddys.  He had the interior completely redone in leather, had any needed body work attended to, restored the engine compartment and chassis, etc.  About all I have done is get the clock and the cruise control rebuilt, and I've updated the AC with a modern compressor.  I've seriously considered putting a trailer hitch on it.  It would make a wonderful tow vehicle for the Birkin! 

[Bruce K]

1 minute ago, BirkinBernie said:

And then there is the 1970 Sedan DeVille.  I wasn't really looking for another Caddy, but the opportunity to buy this one popped up and I couldn't resist.  It was owned and rebuilt by one of the guys in the national Cadillac club recognized as an authority on 1970 Caddys.  He had the interior completely redone in leather, had any needed body work attended to, restored the engine compartment and chassis, etc.  About all I have done is get the clock and the cruise control rebuilt, and I've updated the AC with a modern compressor.  I've seriously considered putting a trailer hitch on it.  It would make a wonderful tow vehicle for the Birkin! 

Hell, @BirkinBernie - just throw it in the trunk - you'll still have room for a Ducati Monster in the back seat!

[Vovchandr]

2 hours ago, NSXguy said:

I’d considered owning a seven for 10yrs but always passed up on opportunities in the past until this lil xflow cat was offered. So far, It has been a great experience and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sorting it out and learning about a new platform. 

 

 

below are two of its mates:

 

 

 

Broke the rule of 1 car per post... but it's quite a selection

 

I have to ask, when you own such amazing characteristic cars, how do they stack up with experiences and feelings? How do they stand out from each other?

 

7 is obviously a bit visceral in attack on senses but I'm sure there is stuff that it can't hold a candle to when compared to rally bred cars

[Bruce K]

3 hours ago, NSXguy said:

I’d considered owning a seven for 10yrs but always passed up on opportunities in the past until this lil xflow cat was offered. So far, It has been a great experience and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sorting it out and learning about a new platform. 

 

 

below are two of its mates:

 

 

@NSXguy- Great images with tremendous detail and pigment.  So often, images are throwaways because they are so easy with a phone cam.  The abandoned factory background and the lighting are superb.  There is something about the juxtaposition of ruination and perfection that highlights the extremes of each.  It is rumored that Hitler had Eva Braun urinate on his face just moments before stepping out speak to massed millions - from ultimate debasement to ultimate glory - different elements, but the same effect.  The saloons are fantastic.  A 4WD Ford Escort with Cosworth motor held either the overall or the sedan record at Waterford years ago - a very going machine.  And my first Cat was a crossflow - an extremely torquey motor, a perfect match for Webers.  I was cruising a boulevard north of Detroit at that time, when a mighty V8 TVR Tuscan rolled alongside.  He demanded that we punch, so I did - and that Caterham put 3 car lengths on him!  Not to be messed with, the 1,700 CC crossflow.  The Lancia looks awesome, also.  The Cat is so completely different a driving experience than those comfy saloons - I'd be interested to hear more about the saloon performance.

 

3 hours ago, NSXguy said:

I’d considered owning a seven for 10yrs but always passed up on opportunities in the past until this lil xflow cat was offered. So far, It has been a great experience and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sorting it out and learning about a new platform. 

 

 

below are two of its mates:

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2023 by Bruce K