So, tell us a little about yourselves

[DaveD]

Hi, my name is Dave Davies. I grew up and still live the Baltimore, MD area. I am 53 and have lusted for a 7 since I was a teenager. My Dad and Mom were very active in sports cars in the late 50’s. They started with a MGTD bought from my grandfather (after he bought a TR2) and they quickly moved to one of the first Porsche 356s to come to the east coast. My brother and I got to ride in the 356 before it was sold due to a sister coming. I got to watch lots of Gymkhana and Rally 8M movies growing up. I remember visits to Marlboro race track as a young kid. In 68 my dad and a friend built a Meyers Manx dune buggy for autox. It had a modified Porsche engine, LSD and wide race tires. I saw it take quite a few FTDs. Fast forward a few years and I started auto crossing my 72 Honda Civic. That’s about when I found out about Lotus 7s. In 79 my wife to be and I drove all night to visit the Cat dealer in Marblehead, MA. Oh the pain of not having the funds to get one. Over the years I drooled over the information book on the Caterhams (I still have it) and I watched the price of the kits go up as my income went up. OOG! I thought I would never be able to afford one. In 2003 I first saw the S1 by Superformance at the Carlisle Kit Car show. I was more interested in the S2K at the time and did not look very close at the S1. At the 2004 Kit Car show I did look at it closely and liked what I saw. In 2005 due to the price difference with a Caterham and fact that most of the building was done on the S1, I contacted the dealer in CI, only to find out they stopped producing the car AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! But wait he said I have a used one for sale. Within 24 hours of seeing the first pictures I had money down to buy it. Everyone that knew of the car says it was one of the best S1s out there (I think they only made 56 of them, mine is number 50). It has the Zetec 2.0, competition head ported and polished, rally cams, Quaife Clubman trans. I wish I had it when I was younger. It is hard to keep up with in an autox and on the track. My wife and I drove it a lot the first year, I auto crossed it probably a dozen times. In 2006 a driving instructor put it in the fence at the auto cross school at the Kit Car show. Showing me how (not) to take the chicane. Ripped the left front wheel off and the fence pole cut the nose cowl like a knife back to the radiator. It took me almost a year to get it on the road again. And I am still trying to sort out a fuel issue that showed up after the accident. I ran it at Summit Point twice in 2008. Had a blast but the fuel issue made me quit early both days. I haven’t been able to rely on it to go too far from home. In 2009 I spent my time on getting my Sport Pilot license and last year spent most free days flying or up at the airport. I recently had a member of this forum (Scott) leave his card on my S1 at a restaurant. I wish I had found this forum years ago. It would have made getting my car back together a lot easier and quicker. Of course I might never have learned to fly. But that’s OK cause I like driving my car more than flying the plane. This year I am committing myself to get back to using my S1. Thanks to this forum I think it will be the best year since I got my car. Looking forward to thinking, talking and doing 7 stuff with other LSiS owners and enthusiasts.

I took me 4 days of reading to get through this thread. Looks like a lot of like- minded people and awesome 7s out there. I am in awe at the tallant I see from the pictures.

Dave

PS. I also grew up on motorcycles. Got rid of my 90 CBR1000 2 years ago. Figured it was safer to learn how to fly an airplane.

[locost7018]

Welcome Dave. There are lots of 7's back east so hook up with them and enjoy. Russ

[slngsht]

welcome aboard Dave... most of us here lusted after these cars for years for one reason or another before finally taking the plunge.

 

Looking forward to meeting you at one of the events.

[Kitcat]

Welcome to the Forum Dave. This place is like a AA meeting, but for se7en addicts: Hello, my name is..., and I fell under the spell of the se7en in 19--. My 1st post in this section was almost identical! You definitely have se7en DNA-looks like your parents also had the car bug. I know it can skip generations since neither my parents nor 3 grown boys has any interest in cars.

 

I suspect that "Scot",who left you the info, has a orange Caterham Superlight. He was tearing up Summit Point's Shenandoah circuit at this Fall's LOG 30 gathering and is an excellent auto-X-er as well.

 

You are right, there is an amazing amt of talent and experience at this forum. I look forward to reading your posts.

 

Mike M.

[DaveD]

Thanks all. My S1 works better than any drug ever could to make me feel sooooo gooood.

 

I just uploaded pics of the car from when I first got it. I will post more as I get time. I have pics from the wreck and what it currently looks like. It could have won shows when I first got it, but I have driven the heck out of it and it shows the wear now. If I could stand taking it off the road long enough I have a lot of stuff I want to take care of on it. Like: rebuild trans, LSD, add heat/fresh air vent, finish body work from accident, make my own muffler, etc. etc.

[scannon]

Welcome aboard Dave. Your car looks great.

 

Its a shame the instructor put it into the fence. I don't suppose he covered the repairs.

 

Nothing wrong with a little patina on the car, better than having a garage queen you can't/won't drive.

[DaveD]

The guy did offer to pay for the repairs, but it was me that asked him to show me what he was trying to get me to do on the chicanes. He had driven my car once before at a school event. It was a hard lesson to learn. "These cars are too high strung for most drivers to handle unless they have had experience with something similar." This guy did not. I won't let anyone drive it now unless I have a special relationship with them (as in know where they live). It wasn't the money that hurt the most. At the time I did not know anyone else that could help and I had to scrounge up parts and fabricators on my own. The mark site for the S1s went defunct just before I bought the car and I was never able to find any other S1 owners to get help. The Superformance Dealer I got the car from wasn't any help either. He wanted me to bring to him to take care of it. 10 hours away and would have cost me more than I could afford. I was just looking for help to get some information on what or who made some of the componants on the car. Or maybe contact the factory to see if they had any parts laying around. Too bad I didn't know about this forum.

[Mondo]

Welcome,

The more I see these S1s, the more I like them... especially that orange color!

[angustessa]

Hi All,

Been lurking for a little while, thought it time to say hello.

 

My name is Angus, owner of a 1995 Caterham 1.6-K-series SS Supersport - indeed, the first! (well, that is what it started as!)

 

Some may 'know' the name from Blatchat - 'Angus&Tessa' is not me and my car, but my wife and I.

 

I also have the website http://www.mycaterham.com , which as some here have observed, I have not updated for a very long time - it is 'in progress'!

 

It is just possible I might get a job in NYC, so naturally my first port of call was a Seven's site in the USA!

 

I'd love to be able to bring my car over to drive it over here [Dream: to - slowly - drift up Pikes Peak in our car!] although that seems to be a real pain to do.

 

Please forgive any 'non-7' questions I may ask - they are all with the final intention of being able to drive my car over on your soil!!

 

Oh yes - loads of videos on my Youtube site as well - search for 'caterhamnut'

 

Cheers for now,

Angus

(And thanks to 'Croc' who has already been very helpful with info!!)

[Sean]

Welcome, Angus.

[Boxologist]

A few of us in the NYC area. U really won't be using a se7en in the city. At all. i have some pics at rideheight in our past club president's then 7 (yes, say that fast) in the city.

 

U will most probably be only using in rides outside the city. a cab or hourly/daily rental like Zipcar or such.

[Croc]

Manhattan is pretty scary to drive in the Seven. Most drivers do not look when changing lanes and a Seven is below the side window height so it is invisible. The roads get better as you head out of town and it does not take long to do this.

 

However, you MUST take a Seven into Times Square and stop/slow somewhere on broadway or 7th. It stops the place dead - heads turn, women squeal, camera flashes everywhere, people want to shake your hand, etc. Its the only time I felt like a celebrity. 5th Ave is also good for a cruise on a Sunday afternoon

 

Also good are the Holland Tunnel and Lincoln Tunnel - the sound is fantastic.

 

Otherwise the best driving is west and north of the city or out on Long Island.

 

And Boxologist always provides thrilling rides to his passengers..... :ack:

[angustessa]

I can certainly appreciate the 'issues' with city driving, having walked to work for a month in November - those Taxicabs shift don't they, and as for the lane changing!!

I had thought of putting loads of long aerials all over the car, with Stars n' Stripes flags at about 5ft high , extra brake lights etc etc!!

We'll see.

I may do as someone on Blatchat suggested - use the opportunity to enjoy the different experience of American cars - or as another friend wants me to do - get a Viper and a gun

[angustessa]

(not to use at once, just to get them 'because you can' )

[Sean]

(not to use at once, just to get them 'because you can' )

 

For using them both at once, I suggest Los Angeles.

[Alaskossie]

Angus and Tessa,

 

Welcome to this North American 7s forum. Your remarkable reputation via BlatChat has preceded you -- I believe that you two have put more extended miles and kms on a Seven than virtually anyone around, including courtships, weddings, Alpine excursions, re-builds, etc., etc.

 

As you have probably seen already, you'll find that this forum is a little more broad-minded and inclusive than BlatChat, since it doesn't limit itself to the owners of Lotus and Caterham Sevens, but includes all manner of Lotus Seven Inspired roadsters, such as Rotus, Stalker, Westfield, Superformance,, Ultralite, Birkin, Locost, Donkervoort, and home-builts (have I left out any?).

 

I'm sure that is in part a function of the fact that there are fewer of us in North America who own this type of car, in any of its variants -- there is strength in numbers, if we ignore petty differences.. Also, are not the US and Canada the world's "melting pots," anyway?

 

Whatever, welcome to this forum, and if you do realize your dream of drifting lazily up Pikes Peak (been there myself, but unfortunately not in a Seven), please invite some of us along to share in the joy...

[Tony]

I've been a huge fan of the Prisoner for years. In the late 70's I had a friend in London buy a Series 2 for me and ship it to New York, sight unseen.

 

 

Picked it up, drove straight thru overnight back to Illinois. That's how the adventure began. Sold it a few years later for what now is a pittance; wish I'd kept it......

 

Last year the wife and I did our 15th Anniversary in Portmeirion Wales where the Prisoner was filmed. Awesome place, even better when a brand new Caterham pulled in. The bug bit again and I've been looking for another one for blats and everyday cruising.

 

I've been reading USA7s for months, really a great place to learn about Sevens. Seems there are so many variation; need to figure out what the best configuration is; then find one that fits my style and wallet.........

[Alaskossie]

Tony,

 

What a great profile shot of the "classic" Seven look, with clamshells arching up, and full top hunched down...!!

 

Wish you had been able to keep the car..... but hope you can find another.

[angustessa]

That exhaust must have sounded awesome

[WGHROTUS]

Just bought Rotus #57 and trying to sort out a few things. I need to rebuild the front calipers, but not sure what they came off of. I have no litarature for this car. The caliper is stamped AKEBONO 2 ATII. I think the front spindles are off a Toyota, but not sure what year or model, so if anyone can help with this, I would appreciate it.