mikes

Danny, It was a nice view from the top of the hill wasn't it - you should have had a look sooner Mike

Obviously depends on the exhaust. I had a 1700xf with rear exit exhaust and was frequently well, well over 95 dB. Now have a 4:1, side exit much quieter Techcraft, and was still recorded as 95 or 98dB at the Longcross sprint. Mind you they were doing the noise test near a bloody great brick wall! So, although my xf is not exactly standard any longer, I doubt many will be less than 95dB. If you are near a trackday where they definitely test eg Goodwood, you could always pop along and ask them to check it for you. Mike

Yes, count me in - I need to replace the other wing to match the new black one. Come to think of it I might stop at the beginning of the snake and try and find the remains of my old one! Mike

If you are thinking about option 3 I have a complete rear exit exhaust system sitting in the garage. It is the standard (for the time) 4:2:1manifold and I never had any problems with gaskets. I changed to a 4:1 because of other engine upgrades earlier this year. I was thinking about trying to flog the complete old exhaust sometime (if I ever got round to it) but I see from the pic yours is a side exit. Still, if this is a possibility and your only option drop me an email. Mike

I think it is absolutely essential that Paul should go into Class 3 *smile* Mark - Oh well, at least I will have someone to fix my car for me so I can get through scrutineering! If it is as much fun as it was last year it will be great! Yup, see you at Longcross. MiKe

I have what is probably a similar performance engine, same cam, but when the engine was rebuilt it included polished, balanced, tuftrided crank competition bearings etc, and forged pistons. Anyway, the power drops off after something like 6200 rpm (haven't go the latest rolling road results with me at the moment) so there is no real advantage going much over that. I think the rev limiter is set to 7200 and the shift light to 6500. With the extra weight of the cast pistons thundering up and down I would err on the lower side - unless you want an excuse to rebuild it again next year!! Mike

What I want to know is what is that young whippersnapper Mark Durrant doing back in Class 2? Life is difficult enough as it is - he is supposed to be in class 3 *mad* Mike

Graham, Just checked last year's and it was a L - can you make mine that again? Guy, Glad to see you will be back with us this year even though it is bad news for my position! Are you doing most of them? Mike

Graham, One medium tee shirt please. Better make it a sort of off white/grey colour as it is for the Saga Sevens - it will match the long johns that I have had on all winter then 😬 😬 Mike

Blimey Mark, does that mean you are going for the Tyrrell look with a 6 wheeler? Not sure that is in the rules either Hope you get the engine sorted out soon - will we get a peek at the Llandow trackday? If so I will make sure I have the right glasses with me so I can at least see a fuzzy outline of it Mike

Ahhh...so that is what they are - I just thought that he had an accident with some yellow stickers. Are you sure they are legal? Bet they make a modified 1.8 go faster than it should in class 2. Bloody young upstart 😬 😬 😬 taking advantage of old men like that!

Ken, Well, you have now!! Amazing - I have heard people say you don't look a day over 49 1/2 😬 Welcome to the club, which is exclusive because there is only life membership!! I'll get you Durant - you have no idea how easy it is to direct the contents of the bag into a fuel tank with nobody seeing - just have to make sure I have the glasses on so I can tell the right 7!! Mike

About time we got some official recognition Not sure I particularly want it to be quite in those tones though - about "even the elderly can have a go - they will be useless of course..." Graham - we shall have to have words about serious discrimination!! I am not at all sure that grumpy old men should let young upstarts join such an exclusive club anyway - what the hell are we going to do when we are all grumpy old men!! Oops - come to think of it, most of the people I know are already there 😬 😬 See you all at Longcross if not before. Mike

Andy, I wondered what had happened to you! I think you really ought to take more interest in how your car works - then you might not frighten yourself and the big trees just off the tarmac so often 😬 😬 Don't worry though - I will look after all the mechanical bits of your car - honest 😬 I assume cash will help the relevant negatives get lost??? Not fair to make fun of the elderly! Mike

Definitely have a go. I started a couple of years ago with my first one being MIRA. My 7 was a road car used for some track days. As Richard says, it is the driver not the car that makes the difference - although that doesn't explain why he insisted on changing so many bits on his car during last year to make it go faster *wink* I am not sure it makes all that much difference which event you go to as a first one - it is a totally different experience to a track day and I think the format with 2 practice 'laps' and then the 2 timed ones (that count) means that unless you are the sort that goes flat out on the first lap of a track you have never driven before, you should be OK. We have all seen them though! Before any of the wiseguys mention my few excursions on the practice laps at Lydden last year - I would like to point out that I had been there the previous year so knew exactly where to go off - several times 😬 😬 I am sure you will find it a really enjoyable day. Mike

I actually changed to Pilots on Caterham's advice at one time, but now have the Bridgestones - all 14". Although the Michelins were an improvement on the originals (what were they like I hear you say 😳) I found them to be completely non-progressive - one second you are fine and then 'snap' you are going backwards! Admittedly that was mostly on track and happened a lot under braking and may have more to do with my inability to read and control the car than anything else . But, the Bridgestones are much better, and the 021Rs much better still. Knowing what I know now, I would change them. Mike

Just a quick word on whether all the expensive mods make such a huge difference. The mods are fun to plan and carry out, but lets not get too carried away. If I remember correctly (and it is subject to irrational and unaccountable selectivity as a Saga Sevener 😬) Andy Nichol did very well (beat me anyway) in Class 2 last year in, what he said (!!) was a bog standard 1.8 K. Obviously he was very lucky...... I think many of us (in 2 and 3) have also been pretty humiliated by the times put up in Class 1 on a number of sprints. Inevitably we all add bits to our sprint cars as we would if they were just road cars - it is just that we can tell ourselves there is so much more point to the expense! I vote that somebody checks Andy's engine before the start of this years sprints Mike

Whilst you children are all squabbling amongst yourselves - I think I will just keep using the old xflow *wink* Not that I have got any choice, anyway!! Can't get the bits anymore (well, not entirely true!!) so although I would like it to be standard - I just can't help it can I? 😬 Anyway, as said before whatever is agreed has to be easily policed - scrutineering is bad enough and without my mechanic Mark D in class 2 this year I might be bu**ered if I have to change anything myself. Definitely restrict Ks to 140bhp as a maximum - that's what I say *wink* Mike

Graham - nobody else has bothered to congratulate you on finalising the calendar for 2005 - so can I have a couple of extra points for 2005 as I am the first? 😬 😬 😬 As I am hardly touching the 7 over the winter ( might not be quite true)and I will have to compete with all these blokes spending a fortune on upgrades I deserve a head start - to say nothing of the age handicap!! And before you start going on about Saga Sevens at least I haven't go the weight handicap as well 😬 😬. Anyway, thanks to all my fellow competitors for making 2004 loads of fun and happy Christmas to the lot of you. Mike

Thanks for organising this Geoff - it is a really good fun track which requires all the things it should, commitment, skill, speed, concentration - if only I had some of them at the same time!! Roger's comments at the beginning were a little worrying, but so very helpful as you knew immediately what he meant about being careful with the exit from Gerrards 😳. The highlight for me was beating Mark D to the chequered flag on one of the sessions (he was on ACB 10s after all) - even if it was to stop him lapping me! I would be very happy to go back again and the food there is most definitely the best I have come across - probably the most important aspect Mike

1989 xflow 1700 with rear exit. I also use it with screen/side screens and occasionally without, and with aero. Have never been aware of exhaust fumes in any of these configurations (no complaints from passengers either), even when the engine was in serious need of a rebuild - I think the people in the car behind were often aware of it though!! I am going to replace it in the next few months to get better breathing - so if you want to by a used Caterham system....... I will be sorry to lose it - not many of us left. Last track day I did I was told that I got a brilliant flame out of it on overrun - I can believe it from the lovely pops and bangs. Still at the moment a slight edge in performance is priority. Mike

Graham, Fantastic organisation (creep, creep..) but I have a couple of requests: 1. It so happens that the Longcross date (fantastic - somewhere within a couple of hours of home )is one that falls on the same day that takes me even further into the SAGA Sevens (ie my birthday) so I want you to instruct all the other people in my class (whatever that is!!) to let me win 😬 2. On checking the dates it looks like LeMans 2005 is over the w/e18th/19th June. If I am right, can you please try and make MIRA the 25th June? Mind you, as I always seem to have done badly there it really doesn't matter if I do it or not. See you at BH on Sat I hope. Mike

Graham, Yes, well done again for organising a great year and making it fun. Congratulations to all the class winners - it has been a very competitive year. It is nice to be thought of as a well organised lot - although the behaviour of some of the younger members leaves a bit to be desired - especially not showing as much respect as they should for their elders - you know who you are!! 😬 😬 Mike

Richard, Thanks for the kind thoughts - I will certainly be trying to make sure Andy scores as few points as possible *smile* And, it is about time somebody took that young whipersnaper Durrant down a peg or two - now where did I leave my comfy slippers...... The SS (that's Saga Sevens)

I also have one - used for road and sprints etc and although it has taken a while to get used to it compared to an 'open' diff, as Kipper says it certainly seems to do the job. I don't get any additional noise from mine though - so Stephen, I think you had better pull out of the remaining sprints of the season just in case!!! 😬 See you at the Marshall Sprint I expect. Mike