On the fence again...

Keep the 400 and get a Super Seven - I have a 1982 Caterham 7 back in the UK - it is fantastic fun and cheap to run. I used mine as an everyday car for several years and found it to be quite practical if you don't mind putting shopping bags in the passenger footwell or getting wet (I drilled holes in the floor to let the water out!). The Seven is the best anti-depressant available.

Here's my favorite photo of my Seven.

Aidan
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How cool is that?

Looks like a blast.

 

Aaron, came you go back in time about a month, and recap for us EVERYTHING you did AND UNDID to get to where you are today? I'm really confused over the going from overly rich with smoke and raw gas out the exhaust, to running fine after putting gas in the car, to running lean (the clean plugs issue), to what I think you indicated is a back to running rich but without the smoke???

 

+1

Come on my friend, don't give up. We know you're frustrated.
Surely we can fix this thing.

 

I've always had an eye for those Beck 550 Spyders, can't see paying that much for a fiberglass bug kit-car (ok, so its not really a bug kit car, but still......) , but you can make those things look nice and power to weight ratio is nuts!!! 150 HP souped up engines (or more?) and the thing weights 1300 lbs.

They have all sorts of options and aftermarket pieces so that you can get the things so close to "Lil'Bastard" as possible (James Deans car).

Money-to-burn=Beck spyder for me, otherwise, I'd never buy one.

PS There have been 2 that have gone up for sale here in Denver in the past 2-3 months, but I don't see them on the streets.

James in Denver

 

with sooo many options, you sound just a little like our esteemed (steamed) pres. b. is evans aut out of ?, they are not far 100 miles (columbus) and just finished one of my 400's.

 

Dude, your killing me.

You have it backwards.

The cylinder by cylinder firing order for a 400i is 1-7-5-11-3-9-6-12-2-8-4-10.

Due to the ping-pong operation of the distributor, the wires are fit to the cap in this order: 1-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9. (clockwise from 1)

If you reverse the wires it will screwup the left bank but the right bank will be fine.

 

Aaron, I'm not posative, but pretty sure.....
If you really did jump time (which I don't believe you did) unless you jumped bigtime it would run. Crappy, but it would fire on the left.

We know you're tired of doing this but PLEASE just humor me...... One more time please go check your plug wires on the left side. You've got good spark but no ignition, something is wrong there.

 

By the way, if you are considering a lotus 7 derivative, have you considered an Ariel Atom, I believe they are now being made in the US as well as England.

Regards,

Art S.

 

I am glad to read that other 365/400/412 lovers also get a kick out of smaller, adrenalin rushes. My son told me that before I replaced my 10 rear old TRX tires on my 400, I should have given him the car to burn the rubber to the cord. Well that is not why I bought a 400. It is a GT car in all the best meaning of that term.

For my adrenalin rush my '69 Elan +2 with a 190 HP Cosworth BDR does just fine! My first race car was a full-race Lotus Super 7 that I ran SCCA Nationals and this +2 is a lot faster, but not as quick. In between my Europa TC was a great handling car but not enough power for a real rush.

Good to hear others have similar cars.
Ken

 

Aaron
When you had the cap off, did you notice if the center button moved freely?
Sometimes as they age, the center button on the Marelli caps will walk up a bit and stick. This will make for a really weak spark and if one bank is mixed rich you'll get wet plugs. At that point your best option is to remove them and heat them gently with a torch to burn off the gas that is soaked into the insulator.

 

Oh, and replace the cap.

 

Don't joke, I've actually thought about heading your way.

 

Wow, I was going to suggest that I shoot over there for an afternoon to give you a hand.

 

Also, the first time I adjusted my CO it was at around 15%. WAY, WAY, WAY too high. Between that and my bad cap, it fouled the left bank. It would burp, spit, miss, and piss out of the left pipes. After I changed the cap, it still ran poorly. I had to remove and cook the left plugs to clean off the gas and black soot. My injectors we a little gummy which didn't help.

Now, it runs strong.

When running, during accelerating, did it have a low American muscle car kind of sound or was it more of a higher tone airplane/Ferrari sound?

When I first started, mine was a low muscle car sound that was loud in the exhaust. Now it has a more musical sort of sound and much higher and slightly quieter exhaust note.

 

I'm located (read trapped) in New Jersey. Around 10 hours by car, two by air.

 

Its the easiest airport from where I'm located.

Do you use the 400 daily?

 

Dallas to Houston adds a bit more.
Just about the same distance as Cinci to Chicago.

Texas; a big place