British Speed

Missed this one while attending Pebble Beach...How sad...

Sweet Adrenaline — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:26:09 GMT

I doubt this would be considered a track car:shrug:, but it is British and stunning...The Morgan Eva GT 4...

"...Morgan are planning a new car � the Morgan Eva GT - which will be a limited run, 4seat coupe which will be previewed at Pebble Beach in August before production begins in 2012.

The Morgan Eva GT is planned to have a bonded aluminium chassis to give rigidity but also to save weight and use superformed aluminium to create the flowing lines of the bodywork. Power will come from a BMW 3 litre straight six mono twin turbo with direct petrol injection and 306bhp which will be good enough for a 4.5 seconds 0-60mph and 40mpg.

Morgan is aiming to bring a new car to the market every two years thanks to its size, flexibility and expertise, and the Eva GT is the first of these. Others planned include electric cars and weekend track event cars.

Proposed spec for the Morgan Eva GT is:

�BMW 3 litre straight six mono twin turbo with direct petrol injection 306bhp and 400nm torque
�Euro 5 and 6 compliant at 200 gms Co2/km, US FMVSS, CARB and EPA approved.
�40 mpg / 7.06 litres/100kms
�6 speed sport automatic or 6 speed manual gearbox.
�Rear wheel drive with fully independent intelligent suspension
�Aluminium body panels with a laminated internal safety structure.
�Predicted weight of 2755 lbs/1250 kg
�Predicted 0-60 mph 4.5 seconds/ 0-100km/h 4.5 seconds
�Predicted top speed 170mph / 273 km/h
Richard Hammond will be pleased." (carsuk.net)

And from gtspirit.com..."The guys over at MotorAuthority have revealed a gallery with live shots of the 2012 Morgan Eva GT. Parked on the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours� concept-car lawn, they spotted the car in front of their lens.

The Eva GT will carry four passengers. The twin-turbo 3.0 liter in-line six produces 306hp and 295lb-ft of torque. Morgan estimates a 0-100km/h (62mph) time of less than 4.5 seconds, and a top speed of 175mph..."

And here are some of their pix...

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Ariel Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Atom 500 V8

Sweet Adrenaline — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:09:49 GMT

"Ten years of Ariel Atom was celebrated by introducing the brand new Ariel Atom 500 V8The lightweight, high-performance sports car has seen three iterations over the years. The new 500 version and an upcoming bike are new members to the family.

The celebrations included the construction of the new Atom in record time. Four Ariel employees started with a bare chassis at 10:15 AM and by 3:30 PM, they had a fully built Atom 500 V8, complete with fluids and an alignment. Quite impressive!

Initial reports stated that the Atom 500 would feature a 2.4 liter supercharged V8, but instead they have fitted a naturally aspirated 3.0 liter engine.

We can hardly imagine what sheer speed this car would produce. Just as a reminder, the current Atom does sub-three-second 0-60 times and will hit 100 miles per hour in less than seven seconds." (quoted from an article on www.gtspirit.com)

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2-11 crash at the Nurburgring

Randy Chase — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:57:27 GMT

http://www.gtspirit.com/2010/09/08/v...n-nurburgring/

eek

Ferrari Enzo vs McLaren F1

Sweet Adrenaline — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:40:13 GMT

Car Porn and omg!!!! it left me wanting more... Especially love the McLaren in car video...I will take the McLaren F1 over the Ferrari Enzo everytime and even twice on Sunday...what an amazingly raw and sexy car!!! :clap:

How to (and how -not- to) replace an intake camshaft. An overview.

luxige — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:45:35 GMT

This will not be a detailed how-to, but rather an overview describing the major steps and the scope of the job. Doing this job definitely requires having a manual on hand, so a step-by-step would be redundant. Also, because of the close working quarters, I could not get many pics of the process.

I'll start by describing where I went wrong. :o
- My biggest error was failing to research and plan ahead; I just sort of jumped in and started taking stuff apart. This required me to stop and run to the hardware and auto parts stores a few times.
- I had read on a Celica forum that the intake camshaft can be removed from the timing control hub/sprocket without taking off the timing chain and chain cover (but no instructions were given). That would make the whole job much smaller and easier, so I hoped to figure out how to do it that way, but again did not research further.
- Eventually I realized the timing chain cover has to come off anyway to get the rocker arms out. (EDIT: T.J. notes that there is a clever way to get the job done without taking the cover off. See posts 8 and 11. Big shortcut, but be advised you will be departing significantly from the manual, so make sure you understand it.) This requires several other steps be done first, and those steps require still more steps, and so on. Because I had not figured any of this out in advance, I ended up facing an endless series of roadblocks. I should have stopped and regathered my forces, but instead I stubbornly plowed on. I spent a great deal of the time running back to my computer to search around in the 2zz manual, which is poorly organized and very badly illustrated. Then off to the parts store again...
- I did not keep fasteners and parts organized very well, so I made more work for myself down the road.

Here's what I'd do differently:
- Plan ahead and get some advice.
- If I had known how far into the engine I'd be, I'd have prepared to do some other work:
---- Crankshaft oil seal (might as well renew it)
---- Circuitworx oil pump gears
---- Upgraded engine mounts
- I did the job on my driveway with the car on stands and the clam on. I had to stop a couple times and button up due to the threat of rain. Then the job stopped for a day of non-stop rain. I should have gotten some lighting into my tiny garage.
- Access in the clam is very restricted, especially where the most demanding work is done. It's not just physical access to the fasteners and room for tools, but visibility is limited. I did a lot of the work via a small hand mirror. If I had to do it again, I'd definitely pull the clam. Even if I didn't save enough time to break even, it would be worth it for the hassle factor.
- A lift sure would have been handy!

Here's what you will need:
- a lift or jack and jackstands
- a small board or plywood scrap to go between your jack and oil pan, to distribute the pressure on the pan. Notch it if you have a Fumoto drain valve.
- buckets to drain coolant into
- 2 gallons of pre-mixed coolant. If you are going to flush out the system with water, you'll need a jug of full strength coolant too.
- (2 x) 9mm nuts (for removing a stud)
- timing chain cover gaskets, set of 2
- crankshaft front oil seal
- water pump o-ring
- no. 1 vent pipe gasket
- manifold gasket(s) if you're taking off exhaust or intake manifolds (I didn't)
- FIPG
- a range of torque wrenches, with capacity from a few in-lbs to 87 ft-lbs.
- serpentine belt tool (can borrow from many auto parts stores)
- gear puller (may not be needed, good to have handy) (can borrow from many auto parts stores)
- crankshaft pulley tool (can borrow from many auto parts stores). It's best to have the kind with two adjustable studs that fit into holes in the pulley, so you can also use the tool on the water pump pulley.
- new camshaft and rocker arms :)
- 2zz manual (print out a picture of the serpentine belt diagram, it will come in handy while you are rolling around under the car)
- Lotus repair manual for coolant replacement procedure

Donto P1 - Argentinian competitor for KTM X-BOW

Sweet Adrenaline — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:36:06 GMT

While searching the web last week for new and unique sports cars, I actully missed this one...My bf actually showed it to me, and I became quite intrigued...

"...Donto Motor Company has announced the debut of the P1 - a sports car that will take on models like the KTM X-BOW and the Ariel Atom.

The P1 is a lightweight two-seater with a removable roof that will not only be race-ready, but will also be able to cruise out on the street. Made to be imported to Europe, the P1 weighs less than 700 kilos and was built using a split body with a floating exosjeleton like an invertebrae, according to Donto designer Lucas L�pez. The P1 will utilize an engine borrowed from a German model such as the Volkswagen sourced 1.8T that produces 180 HP.

The chassis for the P1 was designed by renowned chassis builder, Hector "Tito" Perez, and is already approved by the FIA. Perez has about 400 vehicles under his belt spanning from Formula Renault, road rally cars, and touring cars.

Donto P1 will be priced at around $55,000 and will be built in limited numbers. The P1�s main target will be Europe, but Donto wants to make it available in all markets." (from article on Topspeed.com)

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SCCA Solo Nationals

Randy Chase — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:24:17 GMT

Lincoln Nebraska Tue/Wed and then Thu/Fri

Best combined times from two days. Real time results at http://sololive.scca.com/

D Modified Drivers: 13 Trophies: 4
T 1 197 Jeff Cashmore 2002 Sprinto 7 YC-3 Ylw Goodyear 55.708 54.742 55.078 54.742 [97] New Berlin,WI Del Long Milwaukee

T 2 98 Peter Raymond 1963 Lotus Seven Ylw M&H 64.473(1) 61.215(3) 55.422 55.422 Erie,CO Performance Machine Continenta (0.680)

T 3 199 Mark Huffman 1965 Lotus Elan Ylw Hoosier 68.362(5) 57.046 55.867 55.867 [99] Litchfield Park,AZ Arizona Re (0.445)

T 4 125 David Hedderick 2001 Birkin CS3 Slv Hoosier 59.880(1) DNF 57.417 57.417 [25] Pearland,TX Trufflewerks.com / Thank Houston Re (1.550)

5 75 Jeffrey Ellerby 1994 Westfield SE-RX7 R Hoosier 59.151 58.235 59.913(1) 58.235 Marion,IA Sprinto/Performance Conc Iowa Regio (0.818)

6 139 Alan Rae 1991 Caterham Super 7 G Hoosier 62.571 61.556 60.557 60.557 [39] Calgary,AB My Pension Plan Northwest (2.322)

7 96 Charles Spera 2006 Ultralite XR7 Blu Hoosier DNF 61.400 60.692 60.692 Northville,MI Barbies Salon de Beaute Detroit Re (0.135)

8 87 Craig Straub 1962 Lotus/Caterham Sup Hoosier 60.888 63.394(1) 61.990 60.888 Smithton,IL Craigs Photography Southern I (0.196)

9 99 Steve Eymann 1965 Lotus Elan Ylw Hoosier 65.530(4) DNF 62.638(3) 62.638 [199] Phoenix,AZ Huffman Racing Arizona Re (1.750)

10 77 Stephen Brinkerhoff 2002 Locost Pur Hoosier 73.968(1) 83.064 62.693 62.693 Plainfield,IN Levair performance & res Indianapol (0.055)

11 97 Delmar Long 2002 Sprinto 7 YC-3 Ylw Goodyear 64.222 62.768 63.322(1) 62.768 [197] Cedar Rapids,IA SPRINTO/ Goodyear Iowa Regio (0.075)

12 39 Ron Babb 1991 Caterham Super 7 S Hoosier 66.113 DNF 62.923 62.923 [139] Renton,WA Northwest (0.155)

13 25 Gary Abrahamzon 2001 Birkin CS3 Slv Hoosier 66.200 64.723 64.035 64.035 [125] Houston,TX Hyperfuels Houston Re (1.112)

D Modified Ladies Drivers: 3 Trophies:

1 T 1 97 Denise Cashmore 2002 Sprinto YC-3 Ylw Goodyear 60.941 59.481 57.108 57.108 New Berlin,WI Del Long Milwaukee

2 99 Daisy Huffman 1965 Lotus Elan Ylw Hoosier 67.980 67.285 65.997 65.997 Litchfield Park,AZ Arizona Re (8.889)

3 87 Susan Anderson 1962 Lotus/Caterham Sup Hoosier 72.705 73.269 72.348 72.348 Florissant,MO Craigs Photography Southern I (6.351)

Basic step-by-step checking camshaft wear.

luxige — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:39:37 GMT

Getting a good look at the camshafts simply involves removing the valve cover, which is a pretty basic process. I got a lot of pics while mine was off, so I thought I'd run through the steps.

1. The only special prep is to get some FIPG (formed-in-place-gasket, or gasket making sealant). And you will need a good torque wrench for applying 7 ft-lbs. You don't need to jack up the car or take off the undertray. But do be careful not to drop any of the several bolts you'll be removing or they will end up sitting on the undertray and you'll have to fish them out with a tape measure, yardstick or whatnot.

2. Remove the injector and ignition coil covers. Get some actual stainless fasteners to replace the rusty OEM ones. (M6 x 16, hex socket heads look good, IMO).

3. Remove the 4 bolts that secure the coilpacks. (10mm hex head). Attachment 14864

4. Here is a shot of a coil pack coming out. You must firmly press the tab on the wiring connector to release it. Don't pull on the wires, only the connector body. Attachment 14865

5. Remove the PCV hoses and tuck them out of the way behind the coolant reservoir. Attachment 14867

6. Remove the short bolt and washer holding this fuel line bracket. (10mm hex head). Attachment 14866

7. Arrange a clean spot to place the valve cover. You will remove 9 valve cover bolts. Here are 2 at the left end. Note that the one next to the oil cap also holds a coilpack harness bracket. Remember that for reassembly.
Attachment 14868

There is 1 bolt at the other end, 3 along the back edge, and 3 along the front edge. The manual says to remove them in a specific order, but the illustration does not show the order. You can use a typical bolt pattern; here is what I used:

--1----8----3
5--------------6
7---------------
--2----9----4

The bolts should be loosened a little at a time in several passes. It's a bit tedious.

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[SA] Lotus Open House | 8.30 AM Saturday

...m... — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:12:00 GMT

Lotus Road Trip!

Join us this weekend as we kick off the season with a road trip out of San Antonio to meet Lotus owners from Austin, Dallas, and Houston, followed by a spirited drive into the Texas Hill Country.

When: 8.30 AM Saturday, September 11
9.00 AM Caravan Departs
Where: Starbucks Coffee
8250 Agora Parkway
The Forum, San Antonio

Lotus and Aston and Bentley (oh my!)

We'll enjoy an open house at Lotus of Austin from 10.30 AM until 1.00 in the afternoon, including personal introductions to the latest Lotus, Aston Martin, and Bentley models. Test drive the new Evora or 2010 Exige for yourself and understand what everyone's raving about.

RSVP by email to Bo Giolbeaux (bo@eagleeuro.com) for lunch.

Hats, shirts, and other Lotus goodies will be given away, along with a $500 Gift Certificate toward service or parts to take your car to the next level!

Like It's Meant to be Driven.

Afterward, we'll set off into the twisty Lotus roads which make central Texas such a driving treat. Hope to see you there!

Matthew Michael Agee
Executive Director
Alamo City British Car Club

In-depth analysis of the MP4-12C chassis and suspension...

Peloton25 — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:16:04 GMT

Great article by Dan Edmunds outlining all the design and technical features of the MP4-12C chassis and suspension. Most definitely worth reading - click the image below to access it.

>8^)
ER

Help? Bell & Howell 122 Projector broken

glb — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:57:07 GMT

Built around the 50s.

I have no manual.

Any help would be appreciated. Want to show old 8mm home/family films to 94 yr old mom.

Thanks.

Skip Barber HPDS September 30th at Lime Rock Park- Men Only.

Wallabyguy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:01:34 GMT

There was a second run group added to the Girlracer Event which we are being required to fill so I have 10-14 spots available for MALE drivers. There are still 4 available spots for women as well. The men and women will participate in their own, separate groups. You can now attend as a couple! Who knows, there may even be a competition at the end of the event to find out who really is better at driving........

Same chance to drive the Lotus Elise SC, Exige S240, Porsche Cayman and Carrera, BMW M3, Lexus IS-f and Mazda RX8.

Cost is $750 per person and you can sign up under the Girlracer event on the BRG webstore at:

British Racing Group/ Girlracer? HPDS at Lime Rock Park

Team Orders in F1

Lotus69F2 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:53:03 GMT

So Ferrari has escaped further punishment for their manipulation of the results of the German GP. The panel has even ordered a re-evaluation of the team order rule.

So ignoring historical president and references, and taking into account the needs of teams and the expectations of spectators please vote in the above ridiculously simplistic poll - then post your more complex thoughts on the process below.

Lotus headlight restoration Before and After pics. Service available.

SweetDaddyDelicious — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:13:26 GMT

I had a customers car here the last few days in to get a really shoddy clear bra stripped so his clam could be fixed, and then recovered with my full front coverage. While it was here we also restored his lenses. (tail lights too, I should have taken photos of them)

Anyway the clear coat problems on the Lotus lights are a well known issue and we have finally perfected the restoration process. This is not a little auto parts store kit with one rinky dink polishing pad. It's a multi step restoration using a $500 kit consisting of 8 levels of machine sanding and polishing, several cleaning and treatment products, etc. And in the end the UV coat is restored as well.

This car is an 05 with 60K miles and lives outdoors full time. (my car is the same age and same mileage but since I've had my clear bra product on the headlights since new they still look new and have never pitted, delaminated, or crazed) You can see his headlights were worse than normal and failed in a different way than they normally do with just delamination of the clear coat. Instead his was all crazed.

The before and after pictures should speak for themselves.

This service is available for $100 for the pair of lights.

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[FOR SALE] Automodello 1:43 Die Cast Models

Wallabyguy — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:00:50 GMT

British Racing Group is proud to announce a partnership with Automodello as an authorized reseller. Automodello produces some of the finest 1:43 scale die cast models available. Current, limited edition series include the Bricklin SV1, Griffith Series 200 and Fitch Phoenix. All models are beautifully detailed and are produced in their OEM colors. The entire Automodello line is now available on the BRG Webstore at www.shop.britishracinggroup.com.

The profits from all sales from now through October 31st will benefit the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program.

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