Tony Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 (edited) There are so many variations on Sevens, was wondering what would be the best engine, drive train and accessories for everyday use and occasional, perhaps long distance blats. I am not planning to race or spend time at the track but would primarily use it for around town and heading to the country. Not after huge horsepower but would like an engine that could be easily upgraded. My first Seven Series 2 was barebones and easy to work on. Reliability would be high on the list. Pardon this simplistic question, but after looking at all of the different Sevens for sale, I'd really appreciate some common sense experience as to what would be a good basic, solid, reliable Seven setup. If there is already a beginning buyers thread, please let me know. What are some of the common pitfalls when buying a used car? Anything that is a must for a Seven inspection before you buy? Also, might there be a thread where members relate their favorite cruising areas and roads? I'd love to find some excellent day trips out of Central Illinois. Thanks! Edited January 8, 2011 by Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbanker Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Tony, Get ahold of Graham Early in Bloomington, IL. His we site is http://www.earleymotorsports.com A great guy and has a beautiful Leitch Se7en that he built two or three years go. Graham is very familiar with the great blatting roads in central Illinois. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breezy7 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Here is a link to a few roads in Illinois.http://www.motorcycleroads.us/regions/il_prairie.html There aren't many roads to challenge a 7 in Illinois. There have been several discussions about buying a 7, the search feature should give you plenty to read. I think the California Caterham website has information on different choices too. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiBirkin Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I would suggest a Birkin S3 with full weather gear and set up with a modern Duratec or Zetec engine on a seirra 5 speed box. This configuration will give you a really modern seven that is great for all day driving and great around town too and has really great looks. My wife and I have just clocked past 30000km in ours in 2 years and we use it for everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHKflyer52 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Tony, This would be a good car for anyone wanting a nice 7 that can be use as a street car and having fun. Here is the link: http://www.usa7s.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5952 My belief this 7 would be a good one for anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Tony Welcome! I cannot help you with Central Illinois roads but I can make some suggestions on what is a good everyday Seven. I am not going to be marque specific as this is a personal style matter you are best placed to judge. Once you have got past the big decision of marque, engine, transmission, etc, this is my personal view of what makes a good touring Seven: reliability - whether this is a crossflow or a zetec or duratec, the car needs to be well fettled so that you can guarantee it will start, drive and get you home every time. While my Zetec car is great now, I spent most of the first year sorting out quirks in the electrics and cooling system that would reduce my confidence in the car. Now I trust it to do long trips and know it will get me there and back without an issue. Expect to do this with whatever car you choose and you be entering Seven ownership with the right mindset. weather abilities - I really recommend weather gear for touring. This can be the full hood for a rain storm or a half hood/sun cover for hot summer days when you do not want to fry the top of your head. Wind buffeting also contributes to tiredness on long journeys. I use the sidescreens on my Seven for long highway interstate trips and revert back to the clear polycarb wind wings for backroads at slower speeds. A tonneau is useful for when you make the inevitable stop and want to keep little hands/bodies out of your car when you are not there. Some people have come up with ingenious solutions to this - Slomove on this site has some great design extended polycarb wind wings/screens which allow the view in but streamline the wind away. noise - a straight through exhaust sounds great initially but wears you out on a long drive even with ear plugs. Also think about the cruiseability of the drivetrain. Some Caterham owners with the 6 speed find their engine is revving too high in 6th gear on interstates whereas the 5spd box has an overdrive. driving position - The original Seven is pretty small. Driving any length of distance in it can wear you out if you are of the ...ahem...."fuller" figure and find your movement constrained. A larger cockpit in say a Stalker, Westfield, Ultralite or SV may be more relaxing. Decent seats prevent back pain and allows you to drive further more comfortably. A larger foot box allows you to slide the left foot under the clutch pedal on long runs between gear changes and allows you to shift the right foot around to keep it fresh. A well sorted cockpit with map pockets or some small item storage is very useful to hold nic-nacs like candy, sun glasses, wallet (since you may find it uncomfortable to sit on) that you can grab while on a drive. Heating. Lots of guys will say take it out to save weight. I disagree for touring - I use mine in Spring and Fall and it extends my driving season in the North East. Of course you could remove it and add the weight and additional cost by buying a heated jacket.... suspension set up. Some Sevens I have been passenger in are really tied down on their suspension - great for a track but not around town or on a long tour. My SV has relatively soft suspension (factory settings) which is great for soaking up the bumps. Kiwi's suggestions above are well recommended as he probably does more miles than all of us combined - so he knows his touring needs! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenntwincam Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) Croc, covered all important points. it took one season for us to get everything reliable for a long trip. racing style side exit exhaust is great until you do 100 miles next to a jersey barrier. weather gear & heater will make travel much nicer, also really like the heated windshield . more substantial drivers should think about the SV size cars for more comfort . consider tires with tread , it makes life easier & safer when you have to drive in rain. Edited January 9, 2011 by glenntwincam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 Well, now I know what Illinois roads to try, just need the Seven part of the equation. Found a post on the California Caterham website by Escondidoron (Thanks Breezy7) that really covered the basics of daily drivers and inspection. Frame issues still concern me, guess a lower mileage, non-track car seems like a good approach without an invasive front end inspec. One thing for sure, over the last few months there have been several really nice cars for sale at my price point and they don't last long. Really appreciate all of the insights. Now I have a lot more to go on......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slomove Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 ....... without an invasive front end inspec........ Depending on your mechanical inclination that is what you may want to do anyway. Leave the engine and tranny in but disassemble at least the suspension and plumbing, check motor mounts etc. It surely takes a few days to strip it down and put back together but it gives you an opportunity to learn the intimate details, check for rust in corners and fix all the minor and major things that come to light even in a well built car. After that you will have much more confidence to go a distance. When I rebuilt the front suspension recently I came across a few wear and tear things that should have been fixed long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiBirkin Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Croc covered it all really and made some good points the only thing I will add is I prefer the side exit exhaust on my car as it had a rear exit when we got it and we had a lot of exhaust fumes in the cockpit when just running around town with all the stop starts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotusman1951 Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 Having owned several sevens-the principal problem is having the exhaust on the same side as the driver-using an engine that has a right side exit on a LHD car IMO is the only way to go-otherwise its a compromise on exhaust headers vs, steering shaft, vs drivers footwell, vs, eardrums-its all like sitting on a painfull object-that hurts and all the insulation in the world won't stop 1200 degrees from traveling 6 inches and cook you good- Kevin Kearney 235hp Cosworth YBM/DSK Framed Lotus 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLRracer Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 The best 7 configuration to drive around in is the one you own:) Drive it hard, bust it if you can, then fix it. It breaks far away, call a buddy with a truck or AAA, but the main thing is to rock and roll a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I have a stock Caterham S3, with heater and full weather package. It seems perfect for both touring and track (I drive it to all track events). Suspension is not harsh but performs well at the track. Seats are very comfortable. As others have noted, the bane of se7en owners, especially on long trips, are heat and noise. Do a search for those items and you will find many ideas for making things better, tho there is no total solution. Mike M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimrankin Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 If your looking for low maintenance, bulletproof, economical on gas, powerful and smooth you just can't beat a WCM S2K with a Honda 2.0 / 2.2L motor and 6speed. Great on road and track with full IRS and a subaru posi rear end. Good seat and foot room, use adjustable shocks and dial in your ride comfort/sport level and it has as much "boot" as anyone (read that as next to none, LOL). Parts for most of the motor/ecu/drive train available almost anywhere you wish to roam. On the other hand, it's a bit more of a problem to fit up with a windshield, wipers and all weather gear as the hood is a one piece forward hinged unit and it doesn't lay out well for mounting side curtains etc. Since the hood is fiberglass here is a good project for someone who really wants to tour to section it and "fix" the rear section in place with a permenantly mounted windshield etc. Like I said, trade offs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mondo Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) Doubt there's many Ultralites set up like this. I do have the weather kit but haven't installed it (needs finishing/fit from upholsterer). Getting to the gas cap would be problamatic too. Actually looking at side protection rollbar and don't think both are compatable. Edited January 12, 2011 by Mondo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimrankin Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Having driven side curtained MGA's in rain, cold and snow I can tell you that the tops on those S2K's are going to leak at the top of the windshield (probably all 7's do) and the "no place to tuck it in" side curtains are going to lift and it's gonna blow in under the front edge of them. Still better than my aeroscreens but better not forget check the oil and water before you snap all of that on! LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mondo Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Probably need a windshield wiper on the inside as well... I'm really planning on a shade top like a lot of 7s have; it gets freakin hot here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimrankin Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Hi Mondo, You Socal desert drivers have it pretty bad in the summer but we Nor-cal folk get a few rays too. I got stuck in traffic behind a multi car accident out in the Valley on a 100+ degree day, sun straight up with nothing but a bandana (my baseball cap had decided earlier that day to learn to fly) to cover my bald head and would have paid any asking price for a shade top. Chrome gear shift lever got so hot you couldn't touch it and traffic was moving at 0-1mph-0-1mph-0 so had to keep shifting in and out of first. When I finally got back home to the Bay Area I looked like a boiled crab from the middle of my forehead down, clown red nose and a white skull cap. I'm still undecided about adding more side/roll protection cage but once I figure that out I think some shade and wind/rain protection might be in order. I plan on longer trips next year but have found that 300 miles is about all that is comfortable in one blat with the wind buffeting I'm getting now. Windshield, side deflectors and half doors on some of the other makes are starting to look pretty good to me now. Keep me posted on what you come up with and if it works like you hope it should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotusman1951 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Having tried wind wings, aero screens, no windshield-all painfull my best suggestion is what I call a 7/11 winscreeen-smooth. Kevin Kearney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rnr Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 it gets freakin hot here! 2 words: Cool Suit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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