Kitcat Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 The no-reserve BAT Westfield, above, has 3 hours to go and is now at $9K. Weird. And a steal at the current price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cueball1 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 BAT fixed the auction. Now it shows 7 days. Was a glitch apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee break Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 BaT must have seen the error in their ways, the Westy auction now ends in 7 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panamericano Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 I tried to look at early this morning and the link kept going back to the featured cars page. Could not get to the Westy at all. Maybe BAT is overloading it's self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted March 26, 2022 Author Share Posted March 26, 2022 Week Beginning March 27, 2022 NEW Westfield No Reserve: 2016 Westfield SpeedSport 1800 for sale on BaT Auctions - ending March 29 (Lot #69,188) | Bring a Trailer DSK Lotus 7 Lotus Super Seven by DSK - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle... (craigslist.org) REPEATS Elfin 7 2018 Lotus Seven Replica for Sale in PALMETTO, FL | RacingJunk and here 2018 Lotus #2566420 | Hemmings Lotus 7 S2 1962 Lotus #2534446 | Hemmings and here 1962 Lotus Super 7 | eBay Caterham 2006 Caterham Super 7 Caterham Super Sprint 1700 #2526905 | Hemmings Lotus 7 S2 1962 Lotus Super 7 for Sale in CHATSWORTH, CA | RacingJunk Lotus 7 S4 71 Lotus Series 7 for Sale in LAKE LEELANAU, | RacingJunk and here (6) Marketplace - 1971 Lotus Series 7 | Facebook Replica project LocostUSA.com • View topic - FS: Bike Engine Book Chassis For Sale RM 8 (6) Marketplace - 2000 Lotus Seven | Facebook Caterham (6) Marketplace - 2008 Lotus Caterham R400 Superlight | Facebook Replica (6) Marketplace - 1974 Lotus - Chevy 7 | Facebook Mitsuoka Zero 1 (6) Marketplace - 1994 Lotus mitsuoka zero1 | Facebook Caterham INVENTORY (rockymountaincaterham.com) Caterham Caterham Inventory — Beachman Racing Caterham 2011 Caterham Super 7 - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle... (craigslist.org) CANADA MCC 7 LocostUSA.com • View topic - MCC 7 for sale Replica Project Locost super7 | Cars & Trucks | Calgary | Kijiji Deman SR7 Turbo 2013 Caterham Super 7 Open roadster - Edmonton (autotrader.ca) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregM Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 What are your thoughts about that DSK selling for $18k? Worth it? never heard of DSK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cueball1 Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 GregM, i was wondering the exact same thing. Very little info on them via Google. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregM Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 (edited) 34 minutes ago, Cueball1 said: GregM, i was wondering the exact same thing. Very little info on them via Google. I spoke with the seller and he sounds like a DSK is something exceptional but I just don’t know anything about it. I did read online about the guy who build these cars (David Kaplan) but does it justify a value similar to a much more know Seven, say Westfield? Edited March 27, 2022 by GregM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cueball1 Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 For myself there are some things I don't love in the pics. The roll bar seems crazy high, the rear bumper and then the rear exhaust sticking at least a foot past the rear of the car. If I were closer I would certainly want to see how it looks and drives though. Could be a good buy with the way prices have trended up lately. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce K Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 (edited) One of the owners may have been unusually tall. If you notice, the bar was built with robust adjustable hinges for the rear supports, so shortening the bar should not be a huge job. The exhaust terminus is nearly even with the back of the spare tire rack, and most of its final length appears to be a silencer, perhaps a SuperTrapp, which should be easy to remove for a shorter overall dimension. The appearance of the car is tasty, but it's what's under the crust that counts. The rotary motor would be hoot - I had one in a last gen RX-7. and what a screamer! But how dialed in is this suspension? Did DSK support a program of racing or time trials? That would be the way to finesse a theoretical suspension, just like Caterham, Westfield, Brunton, WCM and more. If suspension development is up to the purchaser, that is a big task and my advice is caveat emptor. If not, the owner seems flexible at $18K, and it might be a good deal. Edited March 28, 2022 by Bruce K 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 10 hours ago, GregM said: I spoke with the seller and he sounds like a DSK is something exceptional but I just don’t know anything about it. I did read online about the guy who build these cars (David Kaplan) but does it justify a value similar to a much more know Seven, say Westfield? Think of a DSK as an upgraded Lotus 7 S3. While it followed the original chassis plans, because it was brazed together out of thicker chassis tubes and additional cross bracing, it was much stiffer than the original S3 and was so was very desirable for historic racing. A lot of people thought they were made better than the original Arch chassis. It had some various other enhancements that made it better for racing - suspension and brakes. The SimpleSevens website had a write up on it but its been down for a long time. Hard to know where values should be as there has only been one other I saw in the last 10 years and it was asking $28K. It was pristine and with its period correct drivetrain could have been converted to historic racing instantly. Given the chassis reputation a DSK should be worth considerably more than the average home built Locost. Westfields are averaging more these days than the DSK is asking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1Steve Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 (edited) Single page write up from Dennis Ortenburger’s excellent book… Edited March 28, 2022 by JohnCh Images rotated as per FAQ Help Guide. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce K Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 Nice research, Croc and S1Steve! Sounds like the required suspension work was completed, and the body panels are easy-to-replace standard Caterham - that DSK at $18K or less could be a great buy! I believe Caterham's Arch chassis were much improved in later years - stronger, stiffer - does anyone know when those improvements were implemented? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 25 minutes ago, Bruce K said: I believe Caterham's Arch chassis were much improved in later years - stronger, stiffer - does anyone know when those improvements were implemented? I think you are mixing things up. Arch Motors is a separate company to Caterham. Lotus outsourced the manufacture of the Lotus 7 chassis to Arch Motors. Arch continued in that role for Caterham until 2007 when chassis production was shifted to a new supplier called Caged, who produced the metric chassis that was welded instead of the former brazing. Caterham subsequently purchased Caged and brought the chassis manufacture in-house. The only exception to this is the CSR chassis which is still produced by Arch for Caterham as it has substantial differences to accommodate inboard front suspension and IRS plus a LOT of extra stiffness from added triangulation. The standard Caterham chassis has undergone progressive changes over the years. 1974 (or 1975?) - The S3 chassis was upgraded for additional triangulation in sides and engine bay 1981 - Long cockpit version 1985 - deDion chassis option introduced. Live axle continued 1992 - something else changed here but for the life of me I cannot remember! 1996 - deDion version of the chassis added transmission tunnel triangulation for additional stiffness. There were also suspension pick up point changes at this time -both front and rear. Live axle still available. 2007 - Metric chassis production by Caged. Replaced the Imperial chassis produced by Arch Motors. I have read somewhere that if you compare today's Caterham deDion chassis with a Lotus 7 S3 chassis, it has double the torsional stiffness. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce K Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 When I said "Caterham's Arch chassis", I was referring to chassis purchased by Cat from the subcontractor Arch. Other than that, your response was very illuminating. I did not know about the switch to the Caged vendor. The history of improvements is a valuable addition to this discussion. And I was happy to learn that I have the penultimate Caged chassis in my 2010 S3 (kit was purchased in 2010 and assembled in 2011 by the NY state Cat dealer)! I, too, have read or heard that today's Cat chassis is 100% stiffer than original Lotus S3. Having owned two earlier, 20th century versions of Cats, I can testify that my current car has a tauter feel. The boulevard ride is still surprisingly accommodating, but my current car does not flex in corners or through potholes like the older models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cueball1 Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 Communicated with the owner of the DSK. I can't get to AZ to see the car but thought I'd pass on a couple more details about the car. Rear end is solid axle rx7 gen 2. Not known if diff is lsd but guessing it most likely is. Disc brakes in rear. Car has a set of front and rear sway bars the original owner never installed that will come with it in addition to the original nose cone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w650gb500 Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 The Gen1 RX-7 had a “live axle” with solid disc brakes and 4x110mm bolt pattern in the GSL model or vented discs and 4x4.5” bolt pattern on the GSL-SE model. The Gen2 RX-7 had an independent rear end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce K Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 Cueball1 - perhaps you should not give up on that DSK. I have purchased a few sports cars without actually laying eyes on them or driving them. In every significant city, there are appraisers that can be trusted to review cars, and provide expert opinions. This is especially true of major marques like Porsche and Mercedes, but with a little creativity, folks with dependable judgement can be found for Lotus, Triumph, Healey, Caterham and more. In some cases, I obtained my reviewer from repair shops with 5-Star reputations and experience in the marque I was shopping. It's not like the old days, when 15 Polaroids required a big envelope. Now, you can recieve 100 images in a single email, and cost-free communication is instantaneous. In each case, the cost of the appraiser was significantly less than the cost of two-way travel and the incumbent lodging, and this calculation does not include the irreplaceable saved time. A side effect of all this Caterham discussion is a visceral upwelling of lust for the open road behind the Momo of my little blue demon. Anyone else feeling it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce K Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 1 hour ago, w650gb500 said: The Gen1 RX-7 had a “live axle” with solid disc brakes and 4x110mm bolt pattern in the GSL model or vented discs and 4x4.5” bolt pattern on the GSL-SE model. The Gen2 RX-7 had an independent rear end. W650GB500 - I visited your website, which reads that you have a racing Ferrari 288 GTO for sale. Is that true? If so, that is a big WOW. There were only 5 "Evoluzione" track versions produced, with only 3 of those still in existence. If authentic, that car should be worth millions. I looked for a photo on your site, but could not find one - perhaps you could post some here. I own an authentically-constructed Porsche 935 Tribute, with Stage 3 front and Stage 1 rear clips, and thus am sympathetic to the allure of old-school race cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastg Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 Dan is correct, the 1st Gen RX7 used a live rear axle, the GSL-SE had disk brakes and a LSD. They are light, the right width, have a good ratio and are cheap to buy. I have one in the back of my Locost. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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