Anaximander Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 I can't stand the suspense! Kitcat, get your butt over to that Birkin in Cincy and let us and Cueball1 know what you find. It is like an Easter egg hunt on a grand scale. BTW, Cueball1 gets first dibs on the car. He has been patiently waiting for a good se7en and we all as fellow forum members need to give him this shot if he decides to take it. Please don't bid against our fellow enthusiast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 55 minutes ago, Anaximander said: I can't stand the suspense! Kitcat, get your butt over to that Birkin in Cincy... I think someone should consider switching to decaf 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted August 11, 2023 Author Share Posted August 11, 2023 53 minutes ago, JohnCh said: I think someone should consider switching to decaf @Anaximander just needs his daily dose of crazy people to work with. Kitcat will be perfect. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 (edited) Anaximander seems perfectly normal to me:). I did look at the car today and it’s the real deal. Some highlights. It was commissioned and first owned by George Hilliard(sp?). George was probably on this Forum at one point. I know he participated in the 2005 Southwest Sevens event. But not necessarily in this car. Anyhow, his name is familiar to me. This Birkin seems to have been touched by the various speed gods. Built by Eddie Archer, motor by FocusPower in NC, maintained by Pauls’ Automtive in Cincy. For those not familiar with Pauls, they entered and won the Grassroots Motorsport Ultimate Track car challenge a few years ago, beating out, among others, a NASCAR team. According to this Birkin’s owner, they rebuilt the engine and did all the maintenance work on the car. In my opinion, that means it was done to the highest standards. The car looks new, thanks to the repaint job. There are a few chips and the rear wings are chipped up, but not nearly as bad as 99% of most Sevens The motor pulled strong and there are no oil/coolant leaks. The owner has a lift so I was able to inspect the underside which was clean and dry. All wiring, hoses and tubing was neat and tidy and squared away. Nicer than any se7en I’ve owned. One of the most impressive moments on my ride (passenger only) was when we went over a series of big bumps and road irregularities and the car was nearly squeak/rattle free. It made big power above 4500RPMs. Sort of night and day difference with lower rpm’s. The rear suspension looks like the preferred version discussed above. I will post a picture later and people can determine for themselves. Issues: the car has a custom built interior which is truly lovely and remarkably comfortable, but it seems to leave the driver and passenger sitting way high, and 3-5”above the rollover bar. A proper race seat would likely fix that? Or it may need a taller rollbar? It doesn’t have a weather package. The passenger seat belt didn’t retract. No idea about the driver’s. Tires have lots of rubber but not sure about age. They are 225 in back and 195 front, on 15” wheels. Summary: A like new, but older Birkin with an impressive refurbishment and strong engine. Is it worth $24K? I have no clue. Though if I were in the market I wouldn’t hesitate to pay that. If it were a Caterham it would probably be a $35K car. It goes on Cars and Bids Monday, unless someone buys it in the meantime. So we should know it’s value soon:)! Edited August 11, 2023 by Kitcat 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Some photos from today. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vovchandr Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 On 8/7/2023 at 8:05 PM, Cueball1 said: Can't get rid of quite window Don't forget the discontinued headlight covers =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1Steve Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Nice Investigation here Mike( KitCat). If the asking price is 24 thousand dollars, I think this a great deal for a new owner. Buy it now, drive it for a year and sell it for more than you have in it if your tired of Seven ownership.. It’s the next owners move.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cueball1 Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 (edited) Interesting that you sit so high in it. The seat backs and headrests look typical. Seat cushion raised somehow? Are the seats on sliders or fixed? Asking top dollar yet lacking weather gear and with the seats and/or roll bar issue it seems it needs some money spent on it. Previous owner was on this forum. He attended several of the track get togethers. Here's a pic from a get together in Daytona. Edited August 11, 2023 by Cueball1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vovchandr Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 1 minute ago, S1Steve said: Nice Investigation here Mike( KitCat). If the asking price is 24 thousand dollars, I think this a great deal for a new owner. Buy it now, drive it for a year and sell it for more than you have in it if your tired of Seven ownership.. It’s the next owners move.. Yeah that's about the lowest going rate I would expect for it especially as time goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 I didn’t check for sliders. I only noticed it at the end, so didn’t explore. The seller said he had a long torso,so? He was 6’ approximately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Here are some seat photos. The top one is of the prior owner and pre-refurbishment. The bottom one is the custom interior which I was told cost many thousands of $. I suspect that the existing seats were refurbished. As BudL has noted, stock seats back then were torture chambers and were immediately replaced by CF Caterham seats when I owned my Birkin. That gave me a lot more room and dropped me to the floor. It shows what the owners interest was. I would have spent the $ on track prep and fees. But his approach was totally legit. He says he has put under 1,000 miles on it and that it has a total mileage of around 8K. He never exceeded 3,500 rpm’s on our test drive. That was his driving style. So it has been gently used under his ownership. At my request he took it to 6K revs, tho redline is 7K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted August 11, 2023 Author Share Posted August 11, 2023 5 hours ago, Kitcat said: It was commissioned and first owned by George Hilliard(sp?). George was probably on this Forum at one point. I know he participated in the 2005 Southwest Sevens event. But not necessarily in this car. Anyhow, his name is familiar to me. @Kitcat Mike - you and I met George at the USA7s event at NJMP in 2017. I spent a good amount of time chatting with George about this Birkin. Tom Carlin invited him to join us and knew George and his car well. I never associated this car for sale as his. George knew how to maintain the car in good condition and had developed it well. George is the guy in the purple shirt behind Tom's orange SV Caterham. Mike - in case you have forgotten, you are second from right. If George was ever on USA7s, I never knew his ID. However, Tom Carlin of Birkin America knew him well and would probably still have his contact email, assuming he is still with us, as he must be late 70s now? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Small world:)! Yes, I do recognize myself in the photo(or at least the Rhinegeist t shirt…). And when you say late 70’s, smile! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anaximander Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 Sir Spinsalot, Thanks for not thinking of my excitement about this very comprehensive assessment as over the top. Job well done! It's folks like you that make this forum one of the best and the knowledge base about these cars is superb! This looks like a very nice car for the money. If I didn't have a Stalker AXR that I built for autox, I would be all over this if Cueball1 isn't interested. It is not often that someone can get such a great "look-see" from an experienced seven owner/builder. The lack of side curtains and top is not in the least a show stopper for me. These cars were meant to be out in the elements and to have your hair (I don't have much left personally) in the wind for fun blats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11Budlite Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 18 hours ago, Kitcat said: The rear suspension looks like the preferred version discussed above. I will post a picture later and people can determine for themselves. The rear suspension on this car has the stock trailing arms. I'm sure on track the stock setup worked fine, but the upgraded heim-joint setup definitely made a difference on the bumpy New England roads I drove. One other thing I noticed from the photos Kitcat posted, is the aftermarket oil pan. It looks like the ARE version for the Zetec motor. The car also has the Birkin sump guard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11Budlite Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 I never met George Hilliard personally, but he was a very active, enthusiastic, and well-regarded member of the Birkin community. Like Croc, I don't remember George being on USA7's, but he was probably active on the old Birkinowners Yahoo group. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cueball1 Posted August 12, 2023 Share Posted August 12, 2023 Negotiating on the car. 🤞🤞🤞 Really interested in that rear end mod! Will likely be in the market for seats and/or fia type roll bar when this hopefully ends up in my garage. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted August 13, 2023 Author Share Posted August 13, 2023 Week Beginning August 13, 2023 USA7s CARS FOR SALE Cars For Sale - USA7s NEW Rotus 7 No Reserve: 1993 Rotus 7 Project for sale on BaT Auctions - ending August 15 (Lot #116,961) | Bring a Trailer Superformance S1 1969 Superformance S1 Roadster | Hemmings.com Stalker 1959 Replica/Kit Makes | eBay Caterham (1) Marketplace - 2002 Caterham SuperlightR | Facebook MEV Exobusa (1) Marketplace - 2016 Mev ExoBusa · None | Facebook DF Goblin (1) Marketplace - 2021 Chevrolet Cobalt · Cobalt /Goblin | Facebook Blakely Bantam (1) Marketplace - 1984 Lotus Super 7 Replica / Blakely Bantam Kit Car | Facebook REPEATS Locost (1) Marketplace - 2020 Lotus Lotus 7 | Facebook Locost (1) Marketplace - 2024 Lotus 7 | Facebook Caterham (1) Marketplace - 1995 Lotus Caterham 7 Super sport | Facebook Caterham (1) Marketplace - 1988 Lotus Lotus seven caterham | Facebook Caterham (1) Marketplace - 1985 Caterham Super Seven | Facebook Westfield (1) Marketplace - 2009 Lotus 7 | Facebook Westfield 1991 Westfield Se Jacksonville, Florida | Hemmings and here 1991 LOTUS Super Seven TRIBUTE ROADSTER - (COLLECTOR SERIES) | eBay Lotus 7 S1 1959 Lotus 7 Series 1 Stratford, Connecticut | Hemmings Locost Project (1) Marketplace - Locost 7 Project | Facebook Locost Project (1) Marketplace - Lotus 7 Locost Haynes Roadster | Facebook Replica (1) Marketplace - 2015 Lotus Replica super 7 · Forged aluminum | Facebook Lotus 7 S4 (1) Marketplace - 1971 Lotus Super 7 S4 | Facebook Birkin https://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/d/cincinnati-birkin-caterham-lotus/7648998174.html Replica https://portland.craigslist.org/yam/cto/d/newberg-1957-lotus-replica-caterham/7651163929.html CANADA Beva 7 Eva beva Lotus super 7 | Voitures d'époque | Granby | Kijiji and here 1987 Lotus Other/Unspecified - Roxton Pond (autotrader.ca) Caterham Caterham (Lotus) Super 7 Hayabusa SV | Cars & Trucks | Markham / York Region | Kijiji Dutton 7 1976 Dutton (lotus 7) | Cars & Trucks | Kawartha Lakes | Kijiji and here (1) Marketplace - 1976 Lotus dutton | Facebook Locost lotus seven 1967 | Classic Cars | Laval / North Shore | Kijiji Locost Project Lotus Super Seven Replica | Classic Cars | City of Toronto | Kijiji and here 1970 Lotus Seven - Campbellford (autotrader.ca) Lotus 7 S3 1969 LOTUS SEVEN SERIES 3 FOR SALE | Classic Cars | Ottawa | Kijiji and here 1969 Lotus Seven Series 3 - Embrun (autotrader.ca) Caterham 1997 Caterham Super 7 - Ancaster (autotrader.ca) @Kitcat Your trusty old crossflow lives! Diva 7 2003 Lotus Esprit Speedster Hotrod - Carleton Place (autotrader.ca) Caterham Caterham Canada - Caterham S3 360S (7cars.ca) RM 8 Project (1) Marketplace - 1970 Lotus 7 | Facebook Locost (1) Marketplace - 2006 Lotus Locost Super 7 | Facebook Locost (1) Marketplace - 1967 Lotus Super 7 | Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Attention lurkers: the above ‘02 Superlight Caterham just listed for $25K in Massachusetts seems seriously undervalued? Definitely worth looking into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theDreamer Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 The ad says "calls only" but I can't figure out how to find a phone number. I sent a reply through the ad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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