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Brad has this very good introduction:
If you are considering a buying a 7esque car the posts in this area are intended to help you make the best decision possible, whether or not you join us. A 7 definitely ain't for everyone; but, those of us that have them would not be satisfied with much else!!
Around five years ago a guy (whom I subsequently met) made a really good buy on a Lotus 7. One knowledgeable enthusiast remarked that the guy had bought an engine with a car attached, when he heard the price, and that the car had an original Lotus 1500cc motor. Not long after buying the car and showing it to us at an autocross he had some mechanical difficulties. He found a local mechanic who greatly overcharged him, some thought. While driving the car home it caught fire. A new wiring harness was procured (from the UK) and installed at considerable additional cost. As a guess he probably spent as much as the car originally cost getting it back in running order; and maybe more. Solution: Post the problem on this website and ask for help! What would have happened? Between the local 7 racer that owns a car exactly like his, and the rest of us, he would have been directed to an individual experienced with the unique problems such a car can present. To this day I believe that a single post here would have saved the gent as much as $10,000, and quite possibly the fire. And 7 owners are happy to help. We want to help each other. Since there is no dealer in SoCal that I am aware of, we are the default dealer network for each other, which is a lot more fun!
Another gent bought a car a while back without expressing interest on this site. I knew some about the car that he bought, prior to his purchase, because a former 7 owner from the UK had looked it over passed on buying it; and then explained to me why he passed on the car (some of us had been helping the UK gent to find the car he eventually did buy). The reasons for passing were several, related to condition, rust and evidently a low quality of care on what was originally a superlight R. The new owner discovered that the motor was also near death, shortly after buying it. Some large checks should turn this 7 into a good car again. Solution: Tell us in a post that you are looking for/at a 7 and see what comes back. In this instance one phone conversation would have tipped the new owner off to some of the issues and possibly enabled him to negotiate a better price; or pursue a different car. He will end up with a good car, at a higher price than he might have paid. It might been a $10,000 saving post on this site. So, give us a chance to possibly help you in the quest for a 7. It's free!
Most of us are not trying to sell you our cars, though parts frequently change hands among us! We do want more 7 owners to join the fun with us. Letting us know of your interest will likely turn up some cars for sale that we know about, and can save you money and headaches in the process. I'm looking forward to meeting two gents at a San Diego Autocross this weekend to show them my 7 (DEFINITELY NOT 4 SALE!!). Both are considering taking the ultimate automotive lunatic fringe step.
Buying a 7 is absolutely one of the very best things I have done in my brief adult life. The people I have met are a terrific gang from SD clear across the country and more from the UK. And all the fun times from buying the car, to improving the car and then driving the car on blats, in autocrosses and around various racetracks has added a passion and quality to my life that I did not know was lacking; until I discovered it in this little car that looks like a toy and is an absolute giant killer against almost all other performance cars.
A 7 will change your life in ways that you are unlikely to anticipate. New friends. How you spend your spare time. Vacations. Autocrosses. Weekends at race tracks. How you spend $$$. Where you surf the net. Your opinion of many previously admired performance cars. And if you really love your 7, the dreaded upgradeitis. This insidious malady affects many of us and causes endless lust to constantly find ways to improve your car. A neverending passion...
There are many versions of a 7 available at many different price/performance points. ALL have something to offer and are worth knowing about. Each of us has opinions about the merits of various cars/engines and you are likely to gain from hearing these thoughts, which certainly will not always agree. Those that buy a 7, any version in my view, are hearing the same music that we have become addicted to. Driving is the passion! Or, is it working on the 7?
Good luck in reaching a decision on a 7! Be sure to ask every question that you can think of on this site and the usa7s.com site. Plus any other 7 sites which I have inadvertently omitted or you may stumble across. This will enable you to make a better decision on a 7 and you just might even go faster (than us).
If you are considering a buying a 7esque car the posts in this area are intended to help you make the best decision possible, whether or not you join us. A 7 definitely ain't for everyone; but, those of us that have them would not be satisfied with much else!!
Around five years ago a guy (whom I subsequently met) made a really good buy on a Lotus 7. One knowledgeable enthusiast remarked that the guy had bought an engine with a car attached, when he heard the price, and that the car had an original Lotus 1500cc motor. Not long after buying the car and showing it to us at an autocross he had some mechanical difficulties. He found a local mechanic who greatly overcharged him, some thought. While driving the car home it caught fire. A new wiring harness was procured (from the UK) and installed at considerable additional cost. As a guess he probably spent as much as the car originally cost getting it back in running order; and maybe more. Solution: Post the problem on this website and ask for help! What would have happened? Between the local 7 racer that owns a car exactly like his, and the rest of us, he would have been directed to an individual experienced with the unique problems such a car can present. To this day I believe that a single post here would have saved the gent as much as $10,000, and quite possibly the fire. And 7 owners are happy to help. We want to help each other. Since there is no dealer in SoCal that I am aware of, we are the default dealer network for each other, which is a lot more fun!
Another gent bought a car a while back without expressing interest on this site. I knew some about the car that he bought, prior to his purchase, because a former 7 owner from the UK had looked it over passed on buying it; and then explained to me why he passed on the car (some of us had been helping the UK gent to find the car he eventually did buy). The reasons for passing were several, related to condition, rust and evidently a low quality of care on what was originally a superlight R. The new owner discovered that the motor was also near death, shortly after buying it. Some large checks should turn this 7 into a good car again. Solution: Tell us in a post that you are looking for/at a 7 and see what comes back. In this instance one phone conversation would have tipped the new owner off to some of the issues and possibly enabled him to negotiate a better price; or pursue a different car. He will end up with a good car, at a higher price than he might have paid. It might been a $10,000 saving post on this site. So, give us a chance to possibly help you in the quest for a 7. It's free!
Most of us are not trying to sell you our cars, though parts frequently change hands among us! We do want more 7 owners to join the fun with us. Letting us know of your interest will likely turn up some cars for sale that we know about, and can save you money and headaches in the process. I'm looking forward to meeting two gents at a San Diego Autocross this weekend to show them my 7 (DEFINITELY NOT 4 SALE!!). Both are considering taking the ultimate automotive lunatic fringe step.
Buying a 7 is absolutely one of the very best things I have done in my brief adult life. The people I have met are a terrific gang from SD clear across the country and more from the UK. And all the fun times from buying the car, to improving the car and then driving the car on blats, in autocrosses and around various racetracks has added a passion and quality to my life that I did not know was lacking; until I discovered it in this little car that looks like a toy and is an absolute giant killer against almost all other performance cars.
A 7 will change your life in ways that you are unlikely to anticipate. New friends. How you spend your spare time. Vacations. Autocrosses. Weekends at race tracks. How you spend $$$. Where you surf the net. Your opinion of many previously admired performance cars. And if you really love your 7, the dreaded upgradeitis. This insidious malady affects many of us and causes endless lust to constantly find ways to improve your car. A neverending passion...
There are many versions of a 7 available at many different price/performance points. ALL have something to offer and are worth knowing about. Each of us has opinions about the merits of various cars/engines and you are likely to gain from hearing these thoughts, which certainly will not always agree. Those that buy a 7, any version in my view, are hearing the same music that we have become addicted to. Driving is the passion! Or, is it working on the 7?
Good luck in reaching a decision on a 7! Be sure to ask every question that you can think of on this site and the usa7s.com site. Plus any other 7 sites which I have inadvertently omitted or you may stumble across. This will enable you to make a better decision on a 7 and you just might even go faster (than us).
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