If you have enjoyed the web pages here in SimpleSevens over the last few years, you may realize that someone has been doing a bit of work to build, maintain and add to it. What you may not realise is that the entire site is the product of one lone person, working in his rare spare time, essentially creating it as a labor of love. The following list acknowledges recent support from visitors who value what they find here on SimpleSevens. Please click HERE to read the full explanation.

March 18, 2004

As usual gentlemen, thanks again for your donations. They've put me back in the 'black' as far as hardware expenditures go :-) As I type this, the 20 gig LaCie Pocket Drive is connected through the Belkin USB adapter card (my Powerbook is just old enough to not have the USB standard ports).

When I had received $150 in donations, I put that and 'my own' money into the drive and card. After receiving additional donations, I was confident enough to buy a Canon Scanner so I could handle scanning requirements at home rather than off hours at my office. I have a very close family and
they are very happy that I am now basically set up to run the whole SimpleSevens thing from home rather than by extra hours at the office, though I'm still depending on my company Powerbook.

A quick snapshot of the SimpleSevens 'financial status' follows:

20 gig LaCie Drive: $189
Belkin Adapter Card: $49
Canon Scanner: $149

Hardware expenditures: $387 (plus 6% Michigan Sales Tax = $410)
Various mailing, photocopying, etc. ytd: approx $50
Total Expendidtures: $460

Total donations received (December 2003 through March 18, 2004): $520

Current Balance: $60

So for the moment, I'm in the black, and considering my next move.

My company has purchased a refurbished 1 year old G4 Powerbook, which at this point, I believe I will able able to use comfortably outside of office hours. I am pondering whether I should make a move to buy this old G3 Powerbook I'm working on at the moment. They go on ebay for between $200 and $300, so I think I could make the short stretch and take this one over for SimpleSevens. That would carry me a while but it cannot run the current OS, so I'd be out of it again before long.

Gentlemen whose support I appreciate very much, and their comments:

David Brady
I only joined the lotus list a few days ago and I have already benefitted enormously from your simplesevens web site. I learned volumes perusing it. I'm not a Seven owner yet, but hope to be soon!

Steve Stitle <Seven64sls@aol.com>
I enjoy visiting the site and hope you obtain adequate funding to keep it running.

Bob Vogel
Keep up the good work. The least I can do. I look forward to perusing the DSK info. <bobv@nantucket.net>

William Gearing <Wgearing@aol.com>
Many thanks for giving us the SimpleSevens web site. Still hte best Lotus Seven web site out there and long may it remain so.

Barry Mills <Mills689@aol.com>
Here's a donation for the SimpleSevens Website, to be used as you see fit. Thanks for all you do.

George Ramey
Please use this to help cover expenses you are incurring on your web site... keep up the good work as it helps keep the marque alive.

Ross Robbins <ross@hearthstone-homes.com>
Again, kudos to you for all your work with Simple Sevens and for entertaining us. I wanted you to know I meant to support this from the beginning... I enjoy your work and insight and want the site to continue.

Scott Nettleship <scottn@stny.rr.com>
John, Given everything you do in documenting the hobby we all care about, this is the least I can
do. Thanks.

Additional comments received through the years...

December 2003

Doug Sallen" <doug_sallen@msn.com>
Hello John, I've been a visitor to the site for a couple of years and its great. Thanks.

Bill Fayers <three7@telus.net>
Have just been cruising your web site and enjoyed it immensely. The information provided is very useful, going from the insight provided by the original people who helped design the car, to the current owners and former owners who detailed their experiences with the 7.

"Buszard, John" <jbuszard@NRCan.gc.ca>
Thanks again for operating the web site which has to be the most interesting Seven site there is (at least to a Seven owner!)

David Hiatt <dhiatt@eoni.com>
Thanks again for this great site and your exceptional service to the Lotus community.

"Phil Roettjer" <proettjer@charter.net>
BTW, your web site is absolutely first class. Thanks for tending to it.

Nov, 2003
"Andre Samson" <ags58@earthlink.net>
You have provided an enthusiasts dream, a place to get info about object we are truly
inspired by. Building a fraternity or fellowship if you will. You are the keeper of the flame. -- Andre

"Harald Freise" <hfreise@igs.net>
I very much appreciate your site. It is a great read. Thanks for all the effort that you put into it.

May 2003

Yes! John does an excellent job of his website which contains lots of useful seven info and he is adding to it quite frequently. So all you seven people out there, get those pictures and articles to him as soon as possible so everyone benefits. - Jack Tripp

April 2003-

Great reading as usual. Cheers, Mike Gee

Love your site! I just stumbled upon your site and I've spent the past half hour happily digesting the rest of your efforts. I'll be spending a bit more time there yet! ...and I'll look forward to delving deeper into your site when I have a little free time in front of my PC
Philip Adamson, Auckland, NZ

March 2003-

John Viviani <geeno@supersevens.com>
PS John D love your site, I wish I could find the time to do the Seven research you have done.

Februrary 2003-

I enjoy reading your commentary but think at times you tend to be a bit one-sided on the originality issue... I enjoy reading your site - keep up the good work.
Steve Stitle.

I have just stumbled across your simple seven site, and I must say its by far the best lotus seven site I have come across. Well Done!!!!! William Gearing, Norfolk, England

January 2003-

Winn Seipp
I really like your website. It's interesting, informative and helpful - thank you.

December 2002-

The most interesting and normally most correct car web site around. I enjoyed all the latest updates. Keep up the good work! John Buszard.

I must say that it is very nicely laid out. I can tell you that you have the ultimate Seven site on the web. Please keep up the good work, it's a good thing. Mike Carpenter.

"Mark J. Osterbauer" <mosterbauer@juno.com>
Thank you for the kind note and invitation to your excellent site. I've been a frequent visitor. John, thanks for all of your efforts in putting your site together and organizing the e-mail list. Prior to becoming an owner, it's been both interesting and enjoyable to learn about these cars and their owners.

November 2002-

Thank you for a very good page, regards
Nils Totland, Norway

Really enjoy your site and the info on it. I'm just beginning the hunt for a seven and find your site most helpful. thanks. Neil d'Autremont neil.dautremont@roche.com

October 2002-

Thanks for you help in listing my car, and thanks for your help for the Lotus community. Best Regards, Paul Whittle

Wow, Go John. I definitely like the idea of including the vintage pictures of any Lotus. The inclusion of the vintage pixs just sets the website apart even more each time as the site to visit and enjoy. I hope that you always find the time to tweak the site as it only seems to get better and better!
Mike Carpenter

Congratulations on a beautiful redesign of the site. I wandered through the various sections and finally got to the miscellaneous ramblings in the commentary section. I would happily pay a subscription fee or make a donation to the site as I have for several other sites including rmvr.com the home of our vintage race club, and lotuselannet. Thanks for all the work and the special place for seven owners that you have created.
Ross Robbins

Having spent a considerable amount of time surfing the web for 7 related material, simplesevens is well on its way to becoming the best site available. Erich Reichenbach

Great job on the page redesign. It's now a very useful resource. Jeremy Fergusson

About SimpleSevens . . . Most excellent job! The website keeps getting better and better, I must admit. It was great before but the new version seems to have better organization. I guess sooner or later you would have to do what you've done in order to cope with the size that SimpleSevens has become. I bet someday you figure out a way to get some kick-back for your time invested. It would be great if you did. You have done a really good job with the website. I spend a lot of time myself looking at the Sevens
and reading the descriptions and stories. I have to admit that I like the older "period" photos that you have been digging up. Mike Carpenter

Hi John, I know this must be a labor (or labour) of love for you. Man what a cool site. I've been following these cars for about 10 years and this is the most info I've ever found in one place.
Thanks, Louis Olds

What a great job you have done. Really like it. Listing the cars in "numerical" order is great. Elmon SB 1208

June 2002

jamesbond@telinco.co.uk
Awesome piece of work - the fog clears...
Mike Causer

super7@webtv.net
A big thank you to John Donohoe and jww. Lotus owners are very lucky to have them do what they do. John Waltermire, SB2116

What a fascinating story and what proof of the value of the List and its members, especially you and John Watson in this case. Very neat ending which may satisfy neither or both owners. I hope it is the latter! Ross Robbins

John, Always pleased to see the work you're doing with researching Sevens. Very few people have the time to do this kind of work. Cheers, Mike Gee

FANTASTIC STORY & RESEARCH!
Well done John D. and John W. This should be of interest to people far beyond the Lotus 7 list. You should consider submitting the story and pics to a publication like Classic & Sports Car. Jeremy Fergusson

borrani@att.net
Excellent reading!!!
Steve Schaeffer

Great story! And even better detective work. I'm glad the story had a happy ending for both owners. Paul Kort

<eskoa@net1plus.com>
John, very good detective work, handled professionally, good job!
Esko Ala-Nisula

James Small <jimsmall@tiac.net>
John: Outstanding work. As mentioned earlier, your discussion shows the value of the lotus list ... people who can be trusted. My sincere kudos to you, jww and any others who maintain impartial information. With best regards, Jim Small

original...

Fantastic Site!
What I love about the web is when people publish something really worthwhile. If I found this as a book I'd have bought it. Thank you !! David Laver London England

John, you have created a truly wonderful informative and entertaining site! It is great to see information like this getting published on the Web. Well done! By the way - in October 1957 Sy won his class (F Sports) in the President's Cup race at VIR - he was one of seven finishers in the race but I don't know where he placed overall yet.
best regards,
Nick England

Thanks again for all you do. It is wonderful to have new stuff to go see at Simple Sevens.
Ross Robbins

Your web site is great and is obviously well received. It has grown considerably even in the short period of time that I have reviewed the site. Thanks again. Erich Reichenbach

Kbux@aol.com
John, Wanted to let you know that you've got a great website! I have recently acquired SB2303. You are spot on about the date...Keep up the good work with the site. Cheers. Rob

dhiatt@eoni.com
Dear John:
Thanks for everything you do for the Seven community; the simpleseven site is the best on the net.
Best regards, David Hiatt

John,
I have just visited your "simple sevens" site again. Now that Caterham's have established such a strong following it is nice to see LOTUS Sevens appreciated in their own right. I have owned my Lotus Seven since 1972 and had another prior to that, when I restored this car I tried to keep as many original parts as possible, I was asked why I did not change the chassis for a new one form Arch and the questioner could not understand when I replied that the chassis could have been welded by Chapman himself.. Very unlikely I know, but the point is a Lotus was built by Lotus a Caterham may be a better more modern car but the Lotus connection is missing. People, even the Seven Club, lump us all together and we as Lotus owners benefit from that, 15 years ago it was extremely difficult to find spares for Sevens now S2 parts are available again. However we must keep the Lotus connection alive and your site is ideal. Maybe one day it will list every Lotus Seven.
Thanks Rae Dobbins