Hello From Montana - LotusTalk

Davemk1 · 10-09-2009, 10:38 AM

Hello all,

My name is Dave and I live in Bozeman MT. I currently drive a Birkin S3 Seven (for sale in classifieds) and it's my second Lotus of sorts. Before the Birkin I drove a 1966 Lotus Cortina and it was a wonderful car. I sold it to fund the purchase of a quicker car and shopped for an Elise at that time but I was not in the position to afford one at that time. I ended up with the Birkin and it's been a huge amount of fun. But alas I feel I need something more practical and I've always lusted after an Elise so I'm back in the market. I hope that by spring I'll be in one.

I became hooked on Lotus cars when I was very young as my father was a race mechanic who worked the big races at Watkins Glen. He loved the philosophy of the Lotus and passed that to me. He died when I was still young but I'll never forget the sight of the Lotus' flying down the straights and not having to slow in the corners the way the other cars needed to. I can see it like it was yesterday. So now I drive on the street and autocross some in the Birkin and like to think my father would approve.

I'm a custom bicycle framebuilder and run my own one man business. I build custom road, cross and track frames, made to measure, for folks all over the world. If any of you are cyclist you might have fun looking at my work. My site is Kirk Frameworks Custom Bicycles .

Anyway - I've taken enough of your time. Thanks for reading and for providing such a cool forum.

Dave Kirk
Bozeman MT

shay2nak · 10-09-2009, 11:50 AM

cool, welcome to the forum, Dave!

Hope you get that Elise.

Ara

kwancho · 10-09-2009, 11:58 AM

I TiG'd my own road bike in the spring with the bike-frame building class at Stanford, and so I have a full appreciation of how hard they are to make. Your bikes look fantastic! 157 is stunning.

Attached are pictures of my first attempt (turns out huge, super thin, crazy-shaped down tubes don't straighten very well) and my final product.

slaughtr · 10-09-2009, 12:12 PM

Welcome from Idaho!

Davemk1 · 10-09-2009, 12:30 PM

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Yo kwancho - cold setting an aero downtube is a bitch eh? I wish I could say that's never happened to me. Round tubes are so much more forgiving.

Here's a frame I finished up yesterday. It's headed for the paint shop today and then off to Washington DC to it's new home. I've attached a few rough shop photos of the unpainted frame.

Now for me to find that Elise..................

Dave

delise · 10-09-2009, 12:54 PM

Welcome Dave - hell if I had your expertise and abilities I would just build my own custom Atom type vehicle from scratch !

kwancho · 10-09-2009, 12:56 PM

That bottom bracket is absolutely money.

All the little things I brazed onto the frame ended up being much more difficult than I thought they would be. Major

10-09-2009, 10:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
Davemk1 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bozeman, MT Posts: 46	Hello From Montana Hello all, My name is Dave and I live in Bozeman MT. I currently drive a Birkin S3 Seven (for sale in classifieds) and it's my second Lotus of sorts. Before the Birkin I drove a 1966 Lotus Cortina and it was a wonderful car. I sold it to fund the purchase of a quicker car and shopped for an Elise at that time but I was not in the position to afford one at that time. I ended up with the Birkin and it's been a huge amount of fun. But alas I feel I need something more practical and I've always lusted after an Elise so I'm back in the market. I hope that by spring I'll be in one. I became hooked on Lotus cars when I was very young as my father was a race mechanic who worked the big races at Watkins Glen. He loved the philosophy of the Lotus and passed that to me. He died when I was still young but I'll never forget the sight of the Lotus' flying down the straights and not having to slow in the corners the way the other cars needed to. I can see it like it was yesterday. So now I drive on the street and autocross some in the Birkin and like to think my father would approve. I'm a custom bicycle framebuilder and run my own one man business. I build custom road, cross and track frames, made to measure, for folks all over the world. If any of you are cyclist you might have fun looking at my work. My site is Kirk Frameworks Custom Bicycles . Anyway - I've taken enough of your time. Thanks for reading and for providing such a cool forum. Dave Kirk Bozeman MT

10-09-2009, 11:50 AM	#2 (permalink)
shay2nak I <3 chicken, I <3 liver Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Land of da 1000 Oaks, CA Posts: 15,059	cool, welcome to the forum, Dave! Hope you get that Elise. Ara __________________ save ~10 lbs gain 1 hp EQ: Y=(190X) / (1984-X) where Y is (HP) and X is (lbs) '07 EXIGE S * MY CAR ** VIDEOS! '08 ACURA TSX 6-speed http://www.makeNYNYagain.com

10-09-2009, 11:58 AM	#3 (permalink)
kwancho Stormtrooper Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Los Altos Hills, CA Posts: 95	I TiG'd my own road bike in the spring with the bike-frame building class at Stanford, and so I have a full appreciation of how hard they are to make. Your bikes look fantastic! 157 is stunning. Attached are pictures of my first attempt (turns out huge, super thin, crazy-shaped down tubes don't straighten very well) and my final product. Attached Images __________________ 2007 Aspen White Exige S Track, Touring, LSD Golden Gate Lotus Club #979 Larini SC Sport, R888, black badges, red folding tow hook

10-09-2009, 12:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
slaughtr Big head man Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 5,953 Images: 3	Welcome from Idaho! __________________ My car both sucks and blows. Now with added all natural smoky goodness!

10-09-2009, 12:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
Davemk1 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bozeman, MT Posts: 46	Thanks for the warm welcome. Yo kwancho - cold setting an aero downtube is a bitch eh? I wish I could say that's never happened to me. Round tubes are so much more forgiving. Here's a frame I finished up yesterday. It's headed for the paint shop today and then off to Washington DC to it's new home. I've attached a few rough shop photos of the unpainted frame. Now for me to find that Elise.................. Dave Attached Images

10-09-2009, 12:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
delise 2005 Ardent Red, Touring Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Beverly Hills Posts: 2,534	Welcome Dave - hell if I had your expertise and abilities I would just build my own custom Atom type vehicle from scratch ! __________________ "You can run over an insect and know just from the messages coming through the wheel how many legs it had. Was it a beetle? Was it a spider? Hang on......... spider." Jeremy Clarkson - Top Gear

10-09-2009, 12:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
kwancho Stormtrooper Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Los Altos Hills, CA Posts: 95	That bottom bracket is absolutely money. All the little things I brazed onto the frame ended up being much more difficult than I thought they would be. Major __________________ 2007 Aspen White Exige S Track, Touring, LSD Golden Gate Lotus Club #979 Larini SC Sport, R888, black badges, red folding tow hook

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