21 Days in a Lotus 7 - Kit Car Road Trip

DAY 17 - LAS VEGAS TO TEHACHAPI
A number of cars went to a raceway and took part in a few parade laps during the racing. There were a few casualties, with one of the Westfields damaging its sump in an off-course moment and a Colorado-registered Lotus 7 doing some terminal engine damage. On the way to Tehachapi, one of the U.K. Lotus Sevens developed a severe propshaft vibration, which if left can result in the sudden appearance of said spinning item in the cockpit.

A failed propshaft universal joint was diagnosed, but in the spirit of camaraderie that pervaded the whole tour, the Colorado Lotus owner kindly donated his propshaft. The owners were positively excited at the prospect of getting their hands dirty (they were disappointed not to have the opportunity to dig themselves out of snowdrifts in the Rockies) and got up at 5 a.m. the next morning, swapped the propshaft over, and were off on their way again.

DAY 18 - TEHACHAPI to CAMBRIA
We got a late start today due to the previous evening's ill-advised mixture of Coors, margaritas, and red wine. Leaving Tehachapi, we saw the famous railway loop where the trains are so long and the track so winding that the same train can be seen entering different tunnels at the same time-weird. Somewhere on our journey today we were sat next to a pickup truck at a traffic light and the driver called across, "Hey, what you guys doin'?" We explained and he looked down at the car again and in a "I think you're slightly nuts" manner said, "I love you Brits . . . you and me we're brothers, man,"-priceless.

At only 210 miles, this was the shortest day of the tour, but it still featured one of the very best roads. We hit High-way 58 and immediately saw a sign stating there was no gas for the next 82 miles, which made us think, with only three gallons left. Even in semi-economy mode, the switchbacks and some more of the aforementioned banked curves that naturally throw you through a right-left sequence made this a great drive. Cambria was a very pleasant place with a slight hippie feel to it, and again, it is a shame we didn't make more time to explore.

DAY 19 - CAMBRIA TO SAN FRANCISCO
Despite good reports we decided to skip Hearst Castle and instead have a day of photo opportunities along the magnificent Highway 1. Not only is this a great road, but it was amazingly free of traffic, considering how close it is to L.A. and San Francisco. True, the few vehicles that were on it would have been dizzy from the multi-coloured Seven hoards overtaking and re-overtaking them. We got into some great convoys along here, and I'm quite sure the locals must have wondered what was going on.

Somewhere on the outskirts of San Francisco, we had our one and only encounter with a patrol car. Unfortunately, it fell somewhere short of a high-speed chase, a shoot-out, or being spread-eagled across the hood. We were, in fact, crawling along a small urban street at 20 mph looking for a lost colleague when the blue and red flashing lights came on behind. He pulled alongside, wound down the window and said, "Hey fella, over here we have a rule that you have to stop at the lines; don't roll over the lines, OK?" Well, probably not the kind of misdemeanour that's going to get me on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

DAY 20-21 - SAN FRANCISCO
We liked San Francisco and kicked the next day off with a trip to Infineon Raceway via the Golden Gate bridge. Crossing the Golden Gate was an iconic experience, and it was difficult to believe that here we were 6,000 miles from home in our completely alien little car dwarfed by everything else on the road.

Infineon is the home of the U.S. branch of the Jim Russell Racing School. Helmets were not required, therefore this was not intended to be free-for-all, but a pace car-escorted, follow-my-leader session. Having said that, the Mustang pace cars driven by the instructors (we were split into three groups) were conducted at a goodly pace, with everyone getting a chance at the front of the line.

As we crossed the Bay Bridge to Oakland and the docks that would be our cars' embarkation point, I reflected on 4,070 mostly fantastic miles. If I could surgically remove the least enjoyable miles, it would probably include a good chunk of West Texas and most of Nevada. The highlights would definitely include White Sands and Sandia Peak in New Mexico, all of Colorado, most of Utah, and California.

We wondered about the Americans' love affair with Harleys and pickup trucks and wondered what would happen if gas prices ever get to European levels. Finally, a word for the car. Designed in 1957, sold in kit form as a tax dodge, and never intended to cross continents, it proved to be a great companion. If you leave aside the lack of luggage space and the noisy cruising, we never once wanted for performance and never suffered from backache. KC