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

[mrmustang]

2 hours ago, Bruce K said:

A terrific shot of a terrific garage and car collection!  Three cars deep - I did not deduce that from your initial information.  And 100% convertibles, which is ideal for your South Carolina weather and truer to our transportation roots (find me a coupe among all the Arabians, Mongolians, Quarter horses and so on that men have ridden for nearly 5,500 years!).  I can't think of a single constituent of your stable that I would not want to own.  I am currently garage-limited to three fun cars, and because of time and other factors, that may be the extent of my collection. 

 

My wife is amenable to moving down to the Carolinas if and when we sell our business, as she has a brother that has retired there.  We may become relative neighbors in a year or three.  I would love to see your garage in person.  Any problems with your area, such as violent storms, earthquakes, forest fires, unruly animals, poisonous snakes or spiders?  Michigan is a surprisingly risk-averse state - basically, none or very little of the above.  We have the rare Massasauga rattler, and northern black widow and brown recluse spiders, but all three are more common to wooded areas.  We experience nearly none of the rest of the list.

 

And my Lola replica is STILL being restored!  Close, but absolutely no cigar.  It now looks like a January finish date and early spring delivery.  I have never purchased restoration services before, so my surprise at the delays is a consequence of my inexperience - I now understand two years to be an interval more ordinary than unusual.  The car is in final assembly.  All the subassemblies have been checked or rebuilt, all the panels painted (Stellantis Hydro Blue Pearl Metallic) and so on.  Should look very much like the included photos of A J Foyt's T70.

 

Take care, and have fun driving during our winter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

No real earthquakes close by, usually hear about 1.5-1.7 60=150 miles north of here, no wildfires in our area either, again 50 miles or more north of here. Most major storms skip over us as they hit the mountains west of here which usually turns them elsewhere. The outlier of course was Hurricane Helene, a 500 year storm for this area, did cause a lot of downed trees and subsequent damage, but no landslides or major flooding, again that was an hour north of us in the Ashville and surrounding areas there. ....Snake wise, Copperheads are known(anywhere in the eastern US), Black Widow spiders (anywhere in the eastern US), Brown Recluse (again, anywhere in the eastern US)....Wild Turkeys (7 in the yard this AM), Deer, the occasional red tail fox, small rodents like Racoon, possum, squirrels, abound. Then again so do barn owls and hawks. Thankfully no gators, rattle snakes, or lions, tigers, and only one juvenile male bear that came through the neighborhood and wiped out all the bird feeders before moving on to the next, and the next, and the next (you get the idea)...Stayed here for two whole days, then never to be seen again.  Weather wise, it can get cold, usually overnight, down to the 20-30's for a few weeks a year, usually followed by daytime temps in the 50's, this really is a 3 season area, if it snows overnight (once or twice a year) it is gone by lunch time the  next day. Great infrastructure already in place, so no surprises with new schools and such doubling or tripling your taxes a few years down the road.

 

If you are really interested in an area, my advice is to make certain it checks off your families wants and needs, for us, it did, knocked Charlotte, NC from the #1 spot. Delta hub just 15 miles up the road, minor league sports teams, major concert venue, 1 hour to the mountains, 3.5 hours to the ocean, 2 hours to Charlotte, 2.5 hours to Atlanta. Several road race tracks in a 2-3 hour radius.......Did I mention low taxes.

 

Car wise, yeah, I have a thing for convertibles, typically two are in the smaller converted car port and our two daily drivers are closest to the doors, but the smaller garage is being used for construction materials until the middle of next month.

 

Questions, let me know

 

Bill S.

[pethier]

On 11/24/2024 at 5:07 PM, inchoate said:

I've been through a couple of 987s and they're really great cars but by wife refers to them as "fat cats that are good mousers" and I can't really argue with that. 

I have a 987.2 Cayman.  Love it as a 3-season car.  I'm going to put it to bed for the winter in about 10 minutes. I could drive it through the winter, but why?  My F-150 4x4 will be fine as a winter vehicle.

 

The Cayman has the 2.9 with the reputation for reliability.  I purposely got one with the PDK because I figured it was about time I tried a dual-clutch.  I like it a lot.  I swapped out the steering wheel for the Sport wheel with proper paddles.  The shifts are lightning-fast and solid when in the Sport Plus mode.  So unlike conventional automatics.  It's a great cruiser and fun at autocrosses when the weather is not Seven-friendly.

 

Edited November 27 by pethier

[Bruce K]

15 minutes ago, mrmustang said:

No real earthquakes close by, usually hear about 1.5-1.7 60=150 miles north of here, no wildfires in our area either, again 50 miles or more north of here. Most major storms skip over us as they hit the mountains west of here which usually turns them elsewhere. The outlier of course was Hurricane Helene, a 500 year storm for this area, did cause a lot of downed trees and subsequent damage, but no landslides or major flooding, again that was an hour north of us in the Ashville and surrounding areas there. ....Snake wise, Copperheads are known(anywhere in the eastern US), Black Widow spiders (anywhere in the eastern US), Brown Recluse (again, anywhere in the eastern US)....Wild Turkeys (7 in the yard this AM), Deer, the occasional red tail fox, small rodents like Racoon, possum, squirrels, abound. Then again so do barn owls and hawks. Thankfully no gators, rattle snakes, or lions, tigers, and only one juvenile male bear that came through the neighborhood and wiped out all the bird feeders before moving on to the next, and the next, and the next (you get the idea)...Stayed here for two whole days, then never to be seen again.  Weather wise, it can get cold, usually overnight, down to the 20-30's for a few weeks a year, usually followed by daytime temps in the 50's, this really is a 3 season area, if it snows overnight (once or twice a year) it is gone by lunch time the  next day. Great infrastructure already in place, so no surprises with new schools and such doubling or tripling your taxes a few years down the road.

 

If you are really interested in an area, my advice is to make certain it checks off your families wants and needs, for us, it did, knocked Charlotte, NC from the #1 spot. Delta hub just 15 miles up the road, minor league sports teams, major concert venue, 1 hour to the mountains, 3.5 hours to the ocean, 2 hours to Charlotte, 2.5 hours to Atlanta. Several road race tracks in a 2-3 hour radius.......Did I mention low taxes.

 

Car wise, yeah, I have a thing for convertibles, typically two are in the smaller converted car port and our two daily drivers are closest to the doors, but the smaller garage is being used for construction materials until the middle of next month.

 

Questions, let me know

 

Bill S.

I am passing this info to my wife momentarily.  Thanks and take care, Bill!

[demoray]

My daily is an MX5.   

 

I was all set to buy one before finding out that my spouse was pregnant.  20+ years later and no more car seats, I can have a 2 seater daily driver.

[demoray]

My spouse's daily is an RX8.  When we need to pick up more than a few cases of soda, we take this toy.

 

When we were dating,  my spouse fell in love with the one I owned at the time.   It's the only car they were disappointed when I got rid of it.

 

While are not a petrol-head, but they love the handling and high revs.  "If you ever find one in good condition, I would love having another one."

 

Well, when I found a garage-kept Arizona snowbird's car with 24k miles, I jumped on it.

 

 

[demoray]

When the startup I helped build went public, I added a Triumph Daytona 674 to my stable.   Though, I need to give it some love, as it's been since the pandemic that I've ridden it.

 

 

[pethier]

On 11/26/2024 at 6:06 PM, pethier said:

I have a 987.2 Cayman.  Love it as a 3-season car.  I'm going to put it to bed for the winter in about 10 minutes. I could drive it through the winter, but why?  My F-150 4x4 will be fine as a winter vehicle.

 

The Cayman has the 2.9 with the reputation for reliability.  I purposely got one with the PDK because I figured it was about time I tried a dual-clutch.  I like it a lot.  I swapped out the steering wheel for the Sport wheel with proper paddles.  The shifts are lightning-fast and solid when in the Sport Plus mode.  So unlike conventional automatics.  It's a great cruiser and fun at autocrosses when the weather is not Seven-friendly.

 

This photo was shot at Road America.  I drove it there from the Twin Cities and it shows the dead bugs to prove it. 

 

It actually has the Bridgestone autocross tires on it here. Since then I have picked up a set of twist wheels for a set of "Porsche approved" Michelin all-weather tires.

 

 

Edited December 12 by pethier

[Reiver]

Daily is a '23 Stingray...traded in a Porsche Cayman on it and am very pleased with the change...wanted to buy US for a change but never considered this until they went mid engine.

[TobyinNJ]

2018 SS 1LE for track

2021 Audi SQ5 for daily

[Bruce K]

On 12/18/2022 at 12:43 AM, Bruce K said:

Great topic, Croc - everyone's OTHER cars!  In my case, remaining cars, because I was required to sell my gorgeous Caterham.  This happened because the wife capped me at three sports cars for the time being, and I never want that to happen again, because, believe me, getting capped hurts!

 

For all with any interest, my Caterham is now SOLD.  After a brief bidding war, the Cat went to an enthusiastic young man from NC for $53,500.  Because the new-to-my-garage third car is receiving updates and repairs in Atlanta GA, I agreed to deliver the Caterham on my way to pick up the Lola.

 

For me, the Lola is automotive sex, like it was in our twenties - still mysterious, incredibly exciting, just a skosh naughty, and all wrapped in a lithe and lissome body.  When I first laid eyes on the ad for the car, I was instantly transported to Watkins Glen, the Back Straight, yards from the rail, eardrums thwacked by dopplering straightpipes.  A Can-Am car with 383 mouse built to bursting by Hypercision!  Genuine AP racing brakes and Fuel-Safe cell.  An ex-works fiberglass body of Renaissance perfection laid over an aluminum and steel monocoque.  HSR and SVRA logbooks.  A flyweight English roadster for the ages - or in my case, the aged.

 

My Lola is a hybrid replica – a mixture of old and new - re-engineered via CAD / CAM for dual purpose street and track.  The exterior proportions are precise – the car wears factory panels from Huntingdon.  Track and wheelbase also match.  Original AP racing brakes drop anchor, and the underlying structure is familiar aluminum monocoque.  But the monocoque in my Lola is mated to a steel ladder frame, for improved resistance to harsh public roads.  For the same reason, the a-arms, uprights, hubs and spindles are C4 Corvette (fragile spindles nearly killed John Surtees while campaigning his famous red Lola at Mosport in 1965).  Additionally, the car is LHD, with a wider cockpit favoring passengers girthier than Wicket the Ewok or Tattoo from Fantasy Island.  But the list of street creds was incomplete.  Designer John Gyann of Can-Am Creations intended to produce a series of cars.  However, a recession intervened, and he produced just two in 2003, neither of them fully outfitted for street.  Turn signals, high beams, horns and much more were missing.   All are now supplied.  The car has a Georgia title, and will be plated in Michigan for road use.  Because of the HSR and SVRA logbooks, I may be able to fulfill a bucket-list dream of obtaining a racing license and competing in vintage events.

 

 

My purchase also included an expert inspection, and thus an opportunity to meet Jason Plante, proprietor of Balanced Performance Motors in Cumming GA.  I grew enamored of Jason and his second-generation knowledge of race and street performance.  His acumen, references and communication skills were superior, and so were his Georgia labor rates compared to high-cost Michigan.  Jason won the bid for a long list of upgrades and repairs.  He soon retrieved the car from Atlanta Motorsports Park, long my Lola’s home.  Thus were completed the first steps on my journey of a thousand miles.

 

At Jason’s enclave, Lola body panels flew up against the walls.  Her naked frame exposed vulnerability and lack of mass, not unlike  a boudoir experience.  Also exposed were the reasons for The Attack of the Killer Cockpit Fumes:  Blowback leaks from manifold couplings.  That, plus resonators that would no longer pass decibel muster at track, let alone the boulevard, meant a complete restoration of the exhaust system including new ceramic coating.  The grungy wheels required refinishing, with black and clear coat to match my car’s intended livery:  Lola T70 # 83 piloted by the immortal A. J. Foyt.  The carbon fiber spoiler on my car was replaced with raw aluminum to match # 83.  All the original rubber-cored lines wrapped with stainless weave were rotted or bulging - these were replaced with Teflon-cored varieties including new -AN fittings.  Every variety of fluid, and every hose, belt and tire, plus boxes of hardware were renewed.  Dual Hella air horns with steering wheel button were fitted.  New headlights with high intensity LED bulbs, integral turn signals and a convincing tri-bar look were installed.  The AP brakes went back to their factory for refurbishment, and ditto the QA-1 shocks.  A 14 gallon cell was fabricated by Fuel Safe. The 500 pound spring rate per corner was deemed essential for track days, and was not reduced – from other track cars converted to boulevardiering, I'd learned that a secondary thick memory foam pad under the seat cover substantially tames a track-capable ride.  A full tuneup and corner-weighted four-wheel alignment were the raisins in the spotted dick.

 

I'm still deciding where to have paint and livery applied - GA or MI.  White images below are the car with current livery.  Blue images are the livery I intend to apply:

 

 

Two years since my last post regarding this car, and I am still not in possession of the Lola replica.  Restorations usually take years, and this one turned out to be no different.  The bodywork and paint are completed.  The cars mechanicals are all inspected or rebuilt.  The engine block and heads were fine (only 462 miles since original build), but the four Weber two-barrels had to be rebuilt.  The brakes were factory rebuilt and powder-coated.  The wheels were all polished and powder-coated.  Wheel bearings were repacked.  The frame was resprayed and treated inside the tubes with rust preventer.  The exhaust was reconfigured, powder-coated, and will be connected to a muffler with an electric straight-thru bypass valve (I hear this is thunderous, so not sure where I can use it).  All the fluids, belts, hoses tires and lights (now LED) are new.  I am advised of an early spring delivery - here's hoping!

[pethier]

7 hours ago, Bruce K said:

The exhaust was reconfigured, powder-coated, and will be connected to a muffler with an electric straight-thru bypass valve (I hear this is thunderous, so not sure where I can use it).  

I spent the late 1960s and early 1970s as the #1 grid marshal at Donnybrooke/BIR (and sometime nobody-special grid marshal at Road America).  I was present at many CanAm races in the midst of these cars.  At Donnybrooke/BIR I was always at the front of the grid and thus got the full audio experience of every car that started the race.

 

I have absolutely no idea why I am not deaf. 

 

(The spell-checker does not recognize the spelling of Donnybrooke.  It thinks the track was named for the suburb of Dublin.  Nope.  It was named for Donny Skogmo and Brooke Kennard, two gentlemen who had died at Road America.)

[Bruce K]

Hey, great memories.  I remember, at Watkins Glen, we were able to stand up right against the infield armco near the end of the long straight - no fencing or other barriers.  The 1,000 hp Porsche 917's would rocket past so fast, we could not turn our heads quick enough to keep up.  Your car is terrific, too.  I also owned a Super Sprint with the Kent motor and dual two-throat Webers.  The throttle response in that car was amazing.  Once, a V8 TVR Tuscan came alongside on a boulevard, and wanted to race.  His exhaust rattled my rear view mirror!  The road was clear, so we both punched it.  I was amazed - my Super Sprint dusted that car by a couple lengths.  Mine was green with yellow center stripe - what about yours?

[pethier]

12 minutes ago, Bruce K said:

I was amazed - my Super Sprint dusted that car by a couple lengths.  Mine was green with yellow center stripe - what about yours?

My first Caterham was a 1979 1600 Kent with twin Dellorto carbs, yellow with green center stripe.

 

Current Caterham came to me all Ford Moonstone Blue.  I have had the nose and fenders redone in Caterham Firecracker Yellow.

 

This thread is for non-Sevens, but you can view an album of my Caterham stuff at 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pethier/albums/72177720312826035/

 

[Bruce K]

You should consider a membership, so you could display your car's image in your signature.  Sounds comely.  I looked at your album.  I have a soft spot for those old TR3's and 4's.  Were all those Caterhams yours at some point?

[pethier]

2 hours ago, Bruce K said:

You should consider a membership, so you could display your car's image in your signature.  Sounds comely.  I looked at your album.  I have a soft spot for those old TR3's and 4's.  Were all those Caterhams yours at some point?

I thought I was a member.  Must have missed the notice to renew.

 

Only the two Caterhams I described were/are mine.  I sold the yellow one to a gentleman on Cape Cod.  It now has been passed on.