Morls

Ooh.. trials cubs are very cute, but... Through this very thread I found the very classic racing bit I've been after for a while, (a Seeley chassis for an old suzuki 500 engine that I'm building and going to race this year ), and so I can't really afford or fit any more cute old things in the garage. Shame ☹️ I hope you got Sammy Miller's autograph Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Hi Tim, I'll call tomorrow. Cheers Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

It came from Canvey Island, about Autun 2000 I think, and the owner had bought it from.... UK Sports cars Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Damn you Chris! For not selling these bits at this price 3 years ago when I was buying stuff for Mavis. Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Congratulations When? Where? and Woohoo And when and where are we boozing to celebrate? Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

It's dark and windy by the seaside ☹️ Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Joseph, It's a four speed. Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Hi Joseph, It's an Ital axle. ANP, I've got your mail, the frame sounds very interesting Elie, I felt the same, so stuck the 'Blade engine into the other one 😬 And Peter... HELLO Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

I need to sell my 'A reg' Caterham 'Silver Jubilee' Long-cockpit live axle 1700 supersprint ☹️ It's Silver With Grey leather seats, Grey Tonneau, Grey Hood, Grey spare wheel cover, nickle plated wishbones and roll bar and a machine turned alloy dash, all of which was the original spec in 1982 (the Silver Jubilee of Lotus 7 Production). It's currently covered in about 6" of dust at the back of the garage, having not been used for the last year since I've had my 'new' (actually old) one on the road. I've gots tons of pictures of it, which probably make it look far shinier than it is, but it's a very genuine and special thing, and one of only 8 made (and no. 7 of these). The spec is: Caterham/Lotus 1700SuperSprint Silver Jubilee (to celebrate 25 years of the Lotus 7 in 1982) most of the 'Caterham and Lotus' books feature at least one of the 8 made. It's 'A' reg (A500DPH) and I have all the MOT's for the last 15 years or so, and a magazine article on the actual car from 5 years ago (just before I bought it.) The engine was rebuilt, to the Caterham 'Supersprint 135 bhp' spec by Arrow Racing on 2/08/93 when the car had done 32927 (from the MOT cert from 22/06/93). The build sheet lists the works under headings which show that the crank and rods are balanced, the flywheel lightened and balanced, the clutch a B&B HD type, duplex cam drive, 1.550" and 1.340" valves with duplex springs, 10.5:1 CR, Kent 244 290' cam @ 103' and on 40DCOEs and a dry sump. Given the head work (big valves) I would definately imagine the seats fitted to be hardened (i.e suitable for unleaded). The mileage now is 50687, so it's done under 18k since the motor was built. There's also the post build, post run-in dyno printouts, showing a real 121bhp @ 6122rpm and 114lb/ft @ 4394rpm on 21/08-03. I've loads of photos if it's of any interest to anyone here. I've got too many motorbikes and no money, so It's going to the first £6500 offer (poss px for cheap classic racing motorbikes / bits tho). Cheers Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

A stranger in a strange land 😬 Which reminds me.... I think next year will see an Iron Maiden revival, preferably in the bluegrass stylee that worked so well for AC/DC Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

😬 I'm finding 'New Fatherhood' very agreeable and Emily the minibeast is wrapped up and snoring in the cup of my arm as I type, very cute indeed Her 'bouncer', pram and car seat have little 4-point harnesses, so once she's spent a few hours sat in front of a fan blowing air out of the fridge she should be ready for a go in the Se7en Anyhoo... must go 'cos Morls will be back soon and I'm supposed to be rapping presents. Urgh Yeah, yeah dat chocolate assortment is a ho! etc. 😬 Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Draclia lived near me! Except it was over 100 years ago, and I used to live in Birmingham, and he wasn't real Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

HELLO! 😬 Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Hiya Chaps I'll bet Ian Gray tried to fit his Locoblade centre bearing mount into the Caterham tunnel, then found the same as me.... It don't fit On Mavis I ended up with the 'Ears' of the bearing going up-n-down rather than left-n-right (as in most applications) which means a more fiddley mount is needed, just because the tunnel is so narrow. I then spent hours grazing my knuckles trying to get a spanner into this wee space..... But I've now got a 20mm dia hole in the tunnel side, under my left knee, to stick a socket through to tighten it 😬 And...We're welcoming a GSXR1000 engine to North Yorks next week, just as soon as Cooose's Striker loses it's crossflow Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Engines that big shouldn't be allowed in a se7en! 919cc should be anough for anyone 😬 Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

I've no experiance of FI, but certainly on Carb'd stuff, a leak in the exhaust header, at the head or silencer junction, can cause this, as can a leak on the intake side between carb and head. Typical causes I've seen in the past are perished intake rubbers (on bikes only 5 years old, so not just on Classics), poorly refitted intake rubbers, loose exhaust bolts onto head, slack springs at junction on header pipe and rusty pin-holes. The intake faults can sometimes be spotted by spraying easi-start or wd40 around the manifold and listening for a rise in revs, while a carbon deposit near the leak often gives away something on the exhaust. What Ducati is it anyway 🤔 Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

To answer the original question, the 'gearbox' mount used in the Caterham Fireblades is suitable for either a mech reverse (as per the Caterblades), no reverse but a transit bearing (as in my sweet Mavis) or an electric option (from ring-gear on output shaft or IRS diff flange). As Moom said, a telescopic rear section to a split prop means the prop can be 'shortened' to retro-fit a ringgear. To facilitate this, if I (or some series regs) require a reverse in future, I've added in the wiring to the dash and a switch (5 mins work and a coupla quid) and slotted the holes in the 'foot' of the centre bearing mount (5 mins`work). Life without a reverse is fine so far (and probably a giggle for anyone who'se seen the Tour 7 BitB video) and I'd deffo do the same again Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

A wiper motor 🤔 In California 🤔 Surely the weather there means you can run with just an arero screen and save more weight, or is it horrid type approval / legal stuff that means it must stay? Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Stuart Taylor built a Pheonix (Like a Striker with a body, or a Fisher Fury) with a Honda SP1 motor. Apparently it felt quicker than a 'Blade but was harder to drive, which is the opposite to how they feel in the bikes. Dan would know better than me, but I think the RGB Regs define classes based on Manufs claimed output, which may put something like an SP1 or 998 in the 'Fast' class against ZX12s, 'Birds and Busas, where they could be 30bhp down at the wheels. Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

The weight difference between my home made loom and a Caterham K series one is shocking, probably far more than that which could be gained by changing all the GRP to CF, and for about £20 worth of wire, tape and terminals from Maplin / RS. My rear lights (the Lucas type as fitted by Lotus in the 60s ) are far lighter and much prettier than the standard Caterham/Caravan things... there's progress The Honda fusebox and relay rack are matchbox sized (and of similar mass) against the Caterham things which are larger than a family sized pie Mmmmmm.... Pie Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

A 'Blade engine in my little se7en feels pretty quick, but having ridden my old R1 back-to-back with a friends 98 'Blade, The Yam made the honda feel like a 600, so if the packaging stuff could be sorted an R1 would deffo be the nicer motor. Still very happy with my 'Blade tho, especially since I got sensible (150lb) springs on the front and can go over 90mph without it bouncing off the road. If anyone does get an R1 fitted in their Badgerum, would they please do the decent thing and paint it with a Kenny Roberts 'Yellow with Black squares' paint scheme 😬 Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Those of us with proper... i.e Nature's composite.... i.e Plywood... seats don't need to worry about lighter runners, just a good pile cream 😳 Sweet Mavis (Blade in an older Live axle 7) weighs 200kg across the front and 235kg across the back, with normal 6" minilite copies and a bit (half a tank?) of juice, she has olde worlde (heavy) brooklands screens and no carbon fibre, but none of the wiper motor or wash bottle gubbins. Good Light bits: The tiny, featherweight, curved 'Blade radiator and CBR600 fan has coped fine on tour and on track. No rev-box. This and the missing flanges must help, although there's a centre bearing to add in. The ancient wooden 'Springer' steering wheel weighs less than nothing. My olde worlde sets use lightweight, thin (racing 😬 ) plywood and weigh very little. PiperX filter and baseplate (from Westfield 😳 ) flows far more and weighs a bit less than the standard Honda thing in a Caterblade. Horrid heavy Stuff: My (5) Minatour things with AO21Rs must weigh twice as much as 4 Barmby/CR500 combos, but were cheap and look more in keeping with Mavis' style. FIA Bar, weighs a staggering amount for a race-bolt-on, but for good reason I 'spose. The (ital) diff: These weigh a bloody ton, and sit at the end of the car ☹️ The braced and baffled case is surprisingly light tho. Me... I really must diet Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

Mavis has been at a silly ride height since built, with the outer ends of the wishbones 1" lower than the inner ends, causing bumpsteer and getting no weight over the front which can't help the understeer. As I didn't know the spring rate (that was reccomended and )fitted was so far out I've had the spring seats wound a long way down to try and get the wishbone angle/ride height/rake a little nearer normal. This has meant that there is a 1/2" gap between the top of the springs and the top collet over hump-back bridges, but many people have said their se7ens are the same (and a 340R Lotus too). Anyhoo... As I've found out (tonight) that I've had 300lb spring fitted, for a bloody light car (with 95kg corner weight on each front wheel) I think I've found the cause. While (as PC says) helper springs, or longer, softer springs with a little preload, will stop there being this gap, surely the 'proper' soloution is a shorter damper body. Basically, if there is a 1/2" gap above your spring on full extension, at the right ride height, then having the next length of damper down would give the same travel (OK, it would lose the 'unsprung' 1/2" on extension) without the loose collet problem. So... I've ordered softer springs, so the increased static sag (from the reduction in rate) gets the ride height/wishbone angle and rake normal. The fact that (for a given ride height) the spring seat can now be raised means the collet will always have a slight tension on it, which is good for peice of mind. We should take a lesson from race bikes, and have threaded damper length adjustment independant to the preload function of current spring seats. So sag and ride height can be adjusted without cocking each other up. Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

I *think* the (IRS) Spitfire CWP and (LA) ital CWP are interchangeable, as I have a ratio unique (as far as I know) to a GT6 in Mavis' ital axle to suit her 'Blade motor. Steve at SPC in reddich did mine, so is probably worth a call. Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here

I'm using a CBR600 pump on a fireblade motor in mavis and it seems fine. It's also simple, light, reliable and cheap. On big bike pumps in general, I've not heard of TT racers changing them on big proddy bikes, and they're often flat out for a long time, so thery may be capable of a factor of over delivery. As they're rarely damaged in crashes, I would imagine most of the breakers in MCN (on Wednesdays) would have a hi-flowing pump off any of the big 1000/1100/1200/1300 bikes for cheap money. If they were cheap enough you could try a 'time to fill a bucket' flow rate test for comparison? Mark Look it's Mavis here and Jubilee 7 here