Cali to Wisconsin or BUST!

[Kitcat]

Will you be running snow tires:)?

[lancylad]

Hey V ROBB, know just how you feel about cruisin in the 7, the wife and I have just got home after a 3000 km trip. Pack light and travel hard. We had a blast and cant wait for the next trip. We had a good combination of highway and a lot of Mountain twisty bits, ya baby...cant think of a better way to cruise thru the mountains. Travelled from Nanton Alberta,canada. To vancouver Island, around the island somewhat and them back to Alberta again, with a few detours of course. The only repairs needed were a new battery and a bit of tweeks to the tuning to account for changes in alltitude. Still got to edit the pics, will post some as soon as I can.

[pureadrenalin]

Will you be running snow tires:)?

Performance all seasons. The highway departments do take good care of the major roads, so, besides being bloody cold for 50% of the trip, I think it would go smoothly.

 

Then again, blizzards in Wisconsin can happen at any time..

[V-Robb]

Sorry for the delay in getting an update posted, but 'Net access at the lake less than reliable..

 

lancylad, that's the spirit! It was hearing other people's epic runs in their Se7ens that led me to do it too.

 

The last few days have been spent visiting relatives and friends, giving them rides, and letting a select few (including Ross and Matt) give it a whirl in the driver's seat. I believe I've made a few converts, let's see what happens!

 

While in Milwaukee I had a young couple come up to me and ask about the car. I gave them the whole spiel about Collin Chapman's "Workingman's Supercar" design and how good it really is. She then turns to him and says, "You know, maybe we should get something like this instead of that Dune Buggy we want..." I just nodded in agreement with a big smile on my face!

 

Below are a few shots: Se7en and silos, Joe and Karen (friends at the lake) coming back from a run, and our stop at one of only two MaidRite sandwich shops we pass when on I80 through Iowa. Note the big smile on Joe's face. I think he liked it.

 

Looks like it's going to be clear through Colorado come Thursday when we will be in Cheyenne and head to Utah. Hoping to hit up CaterhamUSA and see all that, maybe Skip will be available for at least a hello and hearty handshake!

 

Robert

Edited August 25, 2010 by V-Robb
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[slomove]

.......the wife and I have just got home after a 3000 km trip. Pack light and travel hard. We had a blast and cant wait for the next trip.........

 

Hijack: keep our planned trip in mind through Yellowstone / Bighorn Mts. / Black Hills / Badlands NP next July (I had posted the idea a while back and also traveling with my wife). Right now the planned start is Jackson, WY and that is much closer from your place than from mine (Los Angeles)

[scannon]

Looks like it's going to be clear through Colorado come Thursday when we will be in Cheyenne and head to Utah. Hoping to hit up CaterhamUSA and see all that, maybe Skip will be available for at least a hello and hearty handshake!

 

Robert

Roughly what time of the day will you be getting here? I'm guessing it will be early to mid morning. I'm free all day but have tickets to a live blues show in the evening.

 

I'll PM you some simple directions to my house.

[V-Robb]

Skip,

Your are correct, sir! We try to leave by 0800, and any earlier if possible. My GPS claims it will take us about an hour and 20 minutes to get to your place, so some time between 0930 and 1000 I'd guess.

 

Got your number, I'll get you mine in case there are any changes. I might stop briefly in Longmont if an old colleague of mine is available, but that is unknown and might not happen, I'll know more tonight when I get into Cheyenne.

 

pics: the rain that rolled in about half an hour after getting back from a trip to town in the Se7en, the two trees that fell across the driveway later that night, and a JP Cycles stop yesterday.

 

This is fun!

 

Robert

[V-Robb]

Made good time across Nebraska today into Cheyenne. After doing this run 4 times now I find a lot of the landscape familiar and recognize where I am and/or have been before. Am REALLY looking forward to running through the mountains of Colorado on I70 all the way to Utah. That's some great driving with fantastic scenery.

 

Will be meeting up with Skip at his place tomorrow morning. Looking forward to that too, and then the run with Skip (I am assuming) to CaterhamUSA. The weather should be much more accomodating this time relative to last week Monday.

 

Pic: Se7en and Sod House

[V-Robb]

Met up with Skip this morning and got to see his turbo-miata powered SV. That thing is FAST - he took me for a run along his "private" drag strip... Impressive indeed!

We then went to CaterhamUSA to have a look-see. Frankly I'm glad Skip led the way since I would have thought my GPS was on the fritz if I arrived there on my own. Once inside, however, many neat things to look at and talk about.

Got to meet Ben there, too. I had spoken with him before so it was nice to put a face with the voice. We talked about the builds going on in the shop, engines, and the new type of exhaust coming from Caterham.

But we were on a schedule since today is a long one (578mi) and so we were back on the road after not too long. Got some swag while there, of course.

The run along I70 through the western half of Colorado and the mountain portions of Utah is fantastic as far as Interstates go. Got lots of (hopefully) good video footage of various parts of the road. We'll see once I get back.

Finally rolled in to Richfield at 9. A bit later than normal, but considering the lollygagging done at Skip's and CaterhamUS that's not too bad.

Should only be 105 when passing through Las Vegas tomorrow. Was 110 when heading east on the start of the trip so it'll be a cakewalk, right?

Pics: My and Skip's SVs parked in front of CaterhamUS, a current build there showing the new style exhaust, the Seven in western Colorado, the Seven in eastern Utah.

Edited August 27, 2010 by V-Robb
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[jlumba81]

Can you share any details about that new caterham exhaust?

[lancylad]

hey V Robb, love your running accounts of your travels, along with the pics. Still trying to get our pics organized. We got home and now life is getting in the way...good on yer mate, look foward to the next post.. Steve

[scannon]

jlumba81:

 

It's the one on the orange car above. It is a straight thru glass pack with a built in heat shield. The end caps are rounded to comply with European safety standards. Caterham USA had that one polished for the new owner, they come in unpolished stainless steel. Header was polished as well.

 

The system is designed to sit quite a bit higher than previous ones, the bottom of the muffler is flush with the plane of the floor pan (non-lowered floor). It looked like it would be quite difficult for the passenger to get over when entering and exiting the car. It looked to be 7 - 8" in diameter.

 

The engine in that car is a 2.0 Duratec with cams and roller throttle bodies. Ben said it was making 220 HP. It is being built for a magazine article for a European magazine (the author of the article is here in the US) and has already been sold to be delivered after the test. It started out as a 170 HP engine but the purchaser sprung for the HP upgrade and a few other upgrades.

[V-Robb]

Finally made it back home a bit after 5. Too bad it's all over, I could have kept on going (for a little more anyway!). Seems a little surreal, in that you're just going for a drive. In the car, driving, and then I'm at my dad's place. Just down the street a way. A few towns over. Not like getting on a plane where you don't really see anything in flight and once you land you're someplace else. This is all one long drive, so it's all connected together visually and obviously via the roads. GPS total plus extra not counted gives just under 5000 miles on this trip. I think that's a good enough shake-down for the car, eh?

I'll compare and contrast this run with the ones done on the Harley tomorrow. Right now it's time for bed. My own bed!

But would I do this again in the Se7en? Hell yeah!

Robert

pic: Se7en in front of the same abandoned building in Baker CA we've parked next to for shade since our first cross-country run in 2003 on the Harleys. Needed that shade today; we both were suffering from the heat!

Edited August 28, 2010 by V-Robb
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[lancylad]

I know exactly what you mean, I could have carried on as well. There is no other experience like driving one of these cars a long distance. My wife (linda) actually prefers the ride in the 7 to the SUV. As you rightly say, the connection with the place s and the roads travelled mean so much more once you have travelled them in a 7. Cant wait for our next adventure.. Maybe down to meet some of you guys?

[wemtd]

I'm glad to hear you're enthusiasm for a repeat trip in the se7en. I've been daydreaming of a fall tour of new england in my 7...

 

I'm in the shakedown stage for my recently finished Birkin but am glad to hear highway driving isn't that bad. Afterall, a few years ago i solo drove coast to coast in 2.5 days which was enough to put me off long distance drives for a while!

 

cheers

paul

[V-Robb]

Had a couple days to decompress and get myself ready for work tomorrow. The run is still buzzing in my head, and am already thinking about the next one!

It is certainly easier in the Se7en than on the Harley, but both Daryll and I have V-Rods and that isn't the most plush touring model they have. So that's all relative. Also, I've already done this run three times on the bike so I'm way outside the norm as it is. So when I give my two thumbs up for long-distance runs in the Se7en that needs to be kept in mind.

How's this for gutting in out: As reported, on the first day out in Mesquite NV Daryll had dropped his bike at a gas stop in some oil. What he didn't tell me until later was that the bike dropped right on his left big toe re-breaking it. Very painful to keep going, but he did. He tells me he was almost going to head back home but decided to keep going and eventually it did get better.

Last pics: As any motorcyclist can tell you, you can tell a good ride by the bugs in your teeth; Se7en and barn; Daryll's broken toe on day two.

[slomove]

Glad you enjoyed it. So maybe you and Jeannie come along next July to Wyoming/South Dakota?

 

The bugs are much bigger there:

 

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_242PlvPtVpE/SmuLDPUq9qI/AAAAAAAAAfo/_ARCLghCYNA/s1152/P1010492.JPG

[KiwiBirkin]

Slomove we would get the BBQ out for a catch like that

[Croc]

The engine in that car is a 2.0 Duratec with cams and roller throttle bodies. Ben said it was making 220 HP. It is being built for a magazine article for a European magazine (the author of the article is here in the US) and has already been sold to be delivered after the test. It started out as a 170 HP engine but the purchaser sprung for the HP upgrade and a few other upgrades.

 

 

Hi Skip - As a small hijack to this post, the purchaser of the orange car from Caterham USA is on USA7s (Blubarisax) and it will be coming to NJ. Needless to say he is pretty excited!

[scannon]

Hi Skip - As a small hijack to this post, the purchaser of the orange car from Caterham USA is on USA7s (Blubarisax) and it will be coming to NJ. Needless to say he is pretty excited!

 

Blubarisax, sorry if I stole your thunder by revealing details on your car. Also, I thought the car was headed to California when the magazine writer was finished with it.