While I am on a roll, ;;What turned each of us on to a 7

[DB6]

Quirky cars for quirky ppl for sure, but I lived In Birmingham England till I was 30, my Dad, not a wealthy man, always loved cars and spent way too much on them, plus, everyone in the area was involved in the car indusrty, this was when we still had one in the UK. My Dad had a brand new Lotus Cortina,(this is another tale to tell one day about when he bought it home brand new without telling my Mum, more screams than the Beatles when she saw what he had paid, or rather signed up to pay monthly,lol).

Anyways, onto the 7, I was 21 and had a friend that bought the bare bones kit from Caterham and then built his car, well finally I got to drive the car and it made everything else I had driven feel like a rice pudding.I took some 30 years (Mid life crisis yells my ex) to buy one, but damn, with the rates you get on any other kind of investement why not have some fun.

 

"Grey hair blowing in the wind,lol"

[Mondo]

Had a Lotus Europa in the 80s..

I really, really, really wanted a GT40. Was going to try my hand at building it as it was the only way I could afford it. Well the price kept going up so that was out.

 

My other choice, which I couldn't afford as well, was to try and get a used Noble. Actually saw one go in the $40s a few months back.

 

I was satisfied for about 5 years with a sportbike but it's just too dangerous and my right wrist seemed to always give it full throttle... had to get off for self preserverance.

 

I'm not a big convertible fan but this car is definately the most bang for the buck and I really wanted something that handled, was quick, and different. It fits the bill quite well.

 

But if I win the lotto:leaving:

[case sensitive]

i've always wanted to own quirky cars.

 

i've always wanted to own something very light, with excellent handling. the 7 fits perfectly.

 

sadly, i'm still waiting to get mine. it's going to be a long while too.

[gjslutz]

My road map to the “7” was through way too many exotic and collector cars. It took me 30 years to finally slow down and buy a “7”. For 30+ years I purchased and resold everything with an internal combustion engine that I was interested in. It was a great and fun road trip all over North America. For me it was a great hobby that required much research, mechanical skills, and good contacts for things I couldn’t do my self. Spending the required time to purchase and then the required time to resell them, on most I didn’t loose money and had great and some great toys to play with. I also met some very interesting people from all over the world. Many are still friends and we are still in contact at times. The key for all involved was not to get greedy and almost all I came into contact represented their product and selves accurately so we all enjoyed the transaction.

 

Now that I have no hair, I’m not employed, and viewed by most of the population as old. I love the “7” and for once in my life am not looking for what to get next. It is all about what to do with, and to it next. Through it I have also met more great people.

 

[southwind25]

as well...most of the fun cars i owned in the past..were really awesome..but not quiet what i was happy with.

 

so now except for the ginetta which is the dream car we will finish someday, (and is somewhat a fully clothed "7").... i think our 7 (or another) is something that will be around for a very very long time!

[WestTexasS2K]

Performance, bang for the buck and the ability of the car to be used in alot of different areas. Icecream getter, date car, turns alot of heads, drag race, road race and auto x. All this can be done in a 7 with a good level of success without alot of time or money. It just doesnt get much better than a 7!!!!

[Winston]

"How to Build a Sports Car for 250 Pounds -- and Race It" by Ron Champion

 

+

 

Engineer

 

+

 

Young and broke-ish

 

+

 

MR2 Spyder ownership that turned me on to lightweight sports cars

 

 

Fast forward to 2008, I actually have some money to spend on such a thing (since 250 pounds is pretty much a joke), although less time and space than I had in 2002 when I bought "The Book." I bought an unfinished project and am now in the process of not finishing it myself

[slngsht]

What turned each of us on to a 7

 

I sat in one and touched the ground. enough said.

[sparecr]

Saw one, then went through years of modifing cars to get the performance I wanted, then realized what I wanted, finally I drove an Elise. 3 days later I was on a plane to go buy my car.

 

Funny I keep thinking of selling but cannot come up with anything any amount of money that will have the performance, attention grabbing (failure to offened) looks, smiles that I get with my Seven.

 

Oh yeah and I too touched the ground:7drive:

[David C]

Like many others - The Prisoner. Watching that show with an impressionable young mind just starting to get hit with waves of testosterone left a permanent impression.

Don't have one yet - have to finish parting out the Miata for the donor parts, sell one truck, sell one BMW 850, re-assemble and sell another project BMW 850 and am taking evening welding classes. Too many balls in the air.

 

ps - Raquel Welch from that era also did a number on said mind.

[Ian7]

1. tv and magazine articles create an initial interest in 70's.

 

2. see one in the flesh in England in the early 80's; "gonna have one some day..."

 

3. life gets in the way

 

4. midlife crisis in late 90's = 7

 

 

[jwduncan]

Given the performance for the $, it's hard to beat. The attraction for me is it's a exhilarating ride on the street, it's a competitive auto-x car, and it makes for a fun track day car. What more could you want? I first saw one when I was a kid and I've had it on my short list ever since. To top it off, I've ended up meeting some great people in the process.

 

[JohnK]

The driving sensation.

I still vividly remember as a 20-year-old, my very first ride in what became my 1957 MGA - I felt like I had my hands on the road the feeling of connectedness was so profound.

1964 Ducati Diana Mk III - same thing but with more control subtleties and lots more power, along with incredible agility.

My Se7en is a pursuit of the same sensations after 45 years of gaining experience and better understanding of how to get what I want, gaining some understanding of the principles that make a race car work, and skill in creating the pieces that constitute such things (from the length of my build you can tell I'm enjoying the latter part way too much).

[yellowss7]

When I started looking for a toy, I first considerd a 67 427 vette convertible, but I decided that they didn't really handle well and by today's standards were somewhat pedestrian in performance.

 

Then I started looking at Jag XKE's. Great looks, better handling, but 40+ year old English cars seemed like a bad idea, if I wanted to use it.

 

My first two cars being Triumphs, (Spitfire and TR7) I had an affinity to English cars, but wanted performance with the handling.

 

Started reading about the Lotus 7 and Like Al, I started looking for an original one. The Old and English thoughts entered again along with not substantial added after reading about the weakness of the rear mounting points.

 

That's when the idea of the Caterham took hold.

 

Old car looks and heritage, new running gear, modern electronics, suspension and tires. Add the ability to work on it as it is pretty basic and the quest was on.

 

Got a ride in one from a guy in Atlanta who was the US importer before Jon Nelson took over.

 

Then read everything for 5 years before I placed my order.

 

Eight years later, I know I made the right choice.

 

Like Jeff said, Performance for the $$'s, fun on the street, awesome in competition.

 

Still brings a smile everytime I look at it, whether I'm taking it out or just walking past it in the garage.

 

Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pi7ot]

UK.

Born/raised.

*Matchbox* by Lesney.

Yellow/orangeish Lotus super 7 1:43 scale.

Owned several. These toys made a sort of "imprint" in my Noggin..

 

USA.

Late teens on.

Early twenties...I stumbled on an SCCA autox and entered my Rabbit GTI after noticing that these people don't laugh AT others, They laugh with them.

Next event... Modded 7s showed up. 7 clone with a 2.0 Porsche 911 mill in it. A second one with a large Yamaha Mill in it. and a third with a Toyota twin cam. I drooled for 17 years. In 2001 I found a Birkin. I went and looked. Thought; " Feck it all, I'm Buying it."

 

m

[solder_guy]

The Prisoner TV show ... although I do not own the DVDs .. I do own the three CD soundtracks.

 

Rob :7drive:

[S1Steve]

Well it could be a long story , but I'll make it short. Alway had a thing for anything English, and I had a few Mg's, a Norton bike,a Mini Cooper S,TR4 and a Winkelman FF that I ran auto-X and solo1.I used to drive the FF around the streets of my house,and my Dad said, Don't they make something like your Winkelman that you can drive on the street Legally,. I said Yes , that would be a Super 7. Years latter at the 2000 F1 race at Indy, I sat in one of the first S1 , and said thats it, I must get one. Thanks Dad !!

[BobDrye]

I raced go karts from age 13 till I was 30. A 7 is just a big go kart.

 

 

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1086024008_airborn.jpg

[kitmfgr]

Bob, I love that shot on the go cart, reminds me of being a boy and building my first cart, then a 1948 Harley 125, 1950 chevy coupe, so on and so on. Always wanted something more fun, got a chance to run a Seven on the track and have been hooked ever since. Nothing has been as much fun as a Seven on or off the track. :7drive:

[bsimon]

I watched "The Prisoner" original airings when I was 10 years old. Best part of the show was the intro. Had to find out what that damn car was.

 

6 or 7 years later I got my first ride in a Seven. Sweet car too. One of only 13 Lotus SS Twincams ever made. Unfortunately, I waited until my midlife crisis era to indulge myself with a Seven. Crisis averted, What can I say...