Got our "new" '62 Seven 1500 home today

[escondidoron]

This seemed like the best location for this post as our car is new to our family and I'm pretty new to the group.

Its been a very long day. Just got home at 2115. Left the house at 0430 to beat the traffic in Los Angeles (had to pass thru there to get to where the car has lived it's entire life). Spent all day digging the cars out of the sellers' garage (the Lotus went into the garage about 1975 and has sat there on it's trailer ever since), getting paper work taken care of at AAA (waaaaaay better than the DMV ), finding and then going across town to America's Tire and getting tires on the trailer's wheels (the kid at Discount, er, America's had never seen a 7.75 x 15 nylon cord tire before!), cleaning the garage, moving the other car back into the garage, driving back home to unload the car and then dumping all of the trash that I cleaned out of the seller's garage.

While I'm exhausted, I'm also pretty euphoric. We got the car out into the daylight and back to San Diego County successfully in one day.

The sellers are in their 80's and had good documentation on the car that includes their racing history. They were an absolute joy to spend time with. Once they got rolling, they never ran out of stories about the people that they have met and the adventures that they have had with their cars in SoCal sports car racing circles during the 50's, 60's 70's. Basically, for me, today was like spending the best day ever with my grandparents and then having it be Christmas and your birthday too, All rolled into one.

On the other hand, today was also sort of like being in the movie, "Back To The Future". You know, I thought it was sort of like I was talking to my wife and myself about 30 years into the future. I'm just hoping that my wife and I are as energetic and full of life as our new car's P.O.s when we are in our mid 80's!

Here's what the scene looked like today just before we rolled the Lotus out into the daylight:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2424/4018774230_b8f3a2c635_o.jpg

Maybe sometime in the coming months I will be able to get it running and then actually drive it.

Will post some more pics in the coming days.

[soareyes]

Congratulations Ron, glad you finally got your car! Nice story too.

Is he selling the Mustang?

Stan

[escondidoron]

no, they're not selling the Shelby.

The cars were his and hers. She decided to sell. He's not ready to. We've been asked to come back and get it running though.

[moosetestbestanden]

One back from Cal-ogenic stasis then! You should be more than euphoric.

Fucking awesome. Congratulations!:D

Edit: once you get it going we'll see you at the track, yes?

[Sean]

Cool. Great story, and congratulations!

[sevenhead]

Fantastic! Can't wait to hear more about it! After you have rested up and taken stock, don't hesitate to let me know if you need any bits. I also have a copy of my Lotus Seven Owners Manual that I can share with you.

Lee

[escondidoron]

moosetestbestanden asked:

once you get it going we'll see you at the track, yes?


Without a doubt you'll see us at the track. The immediate plan is to do a sympathetic restoration. I.e. repair the mechanical deficiencies and return the car to it's previous specification. Since the car was always a track car for the previous owner that's what its gonna be for us.

What are the rules / requirements regarding the car for most track days? Currently my head is taller than the roll bar.

What about seat belts? What is required, 4-point or 5.

I plan to run some kind of performance street tire on 13" rims. Any limitations on tires?

And install a fire extinguisher. Anything else that I will need to have in the way of safety equipment?

sevenhead wrote:

Can't wait to hear more about it! After you have rested up and taken stock, don't hesitate to let me know if you need any bits. I also have a copy of my Lotus Seven Owners Manual that I can share with you.


Thanks for the offer. I'm gonna need a few parts. I'm looking to find some tail lights (currently has none) and a couple of original gauges. I also would like to know what was the source of the original Lotus under dash emergency brake handle. I need one. Also would like to have a windshield, a horn, turn signals and a wiper motor. Not in a big hurry for that though. But I think that they will be necessary to get it registered if I want to put license plates on it.

Any recommendations on shocks? I'm thinking of getting some Spax adjustables, but I don't really know yet.

Right now the car is gonna have to sit idle for a couple of months. I'm not in a big hurry. I've got to slim down and purge the fleet a little bit before I start on it (the Seven makes 10 cars at the moment, and the 4th Lotus). I've got an Esprit engine in the garage in pieces and we're just starting a kitchen remodel. I promised my wife I'd get her project finished before starting another of mine. And then this car came along.........

[slomove]

moosetestbestanden asked:


What are the rules / requirements regarding the car for most track days? Currently my head is taller than the roll bar.

Obviously not good for your head's sake and may raise questions at the track. But I have yet to see at NASA that they do a thorough height check.


What about seat belts? What is required, 4-point or 5. 5-point, with lap and shoulder belts 3" wide


I plan to run some kind of performance street tire on 13" rims. Any limitations on tires? probably for historic races but not for the usual track days.


And install a fire extinguisher. Anything else that I will need to have in the way of safety equipment? Fire Extinguisher is not strictly needed except for Alfa Club events but anyway a good idea. I would consider a fire system for such a nice oldie, especially with the possibility of carbs drooling on electrical stuff.

Otherwise helmet with eye pretection, gloves, closed leather shoes and non-synthetic clothes, maybe arm restraints. They will check that the car is not falling apart, i.e. steering and wheel wiggle, brake light function, open battery terminals and the like.

[Roll a 7]

The seller has a mighty interestin' garage.

Subject to your rims being wide enough I recommend the Kumho V710s. Good for track, autocross and can be used on the street. Probably good for 1-2000 miles.

Adjustable shocks are on the "must have" list. Twisting them little knobs is a much better way to fine tune handling than changing sets of springs. Freestyle Motorsports in the UK is worth a contact on the subject of 7 handling.

[magnusfeuer]

I can second the upgrade posts given by Slomove and Roll a 7. A beefier roll bar and some side impact protection may be prudent as well.

If you are feeling fancy you may want to consider a fuel cell to avoid being drenched and barbecued by your own gasoline when you are rear ended.

I (or rather Doug L) has a set of scales if you want to weigh the car. With these scales we can also help you set up your adjustable ride height shocks for an optimum weight distribution. We also have a dyno shop we've used earlier, although I don't have any experience with adjusting carbs (only ECU based injection systems).


/Magnus F.

[escondidoron]

Thanks for the suggestions on set up. I am putting together a plan / task list to get organized before I start working on it. I did go out today and put some Kroil in the cylinders. I also put a wrench on the crankshaft and found that the engine turns over. It was free with no binding or other apparent issues. That is good news!

I also took a few pictures.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2644/4028852160_299e379b7e.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3505/4041851040_f55ef311f8.jpg


This is what the front end looked like back in late '61 with the nosecone removed:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2450/4041744880_1f4f9444b3.jpg

Here's a shot showing the relationship of the shifter to the dash panel (I.e. it's not under the panel, so it's pretty easy to shift):. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4041791570_f85e09b7d3.jpg

The engine bay is a mess:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2495/4041663094_0a783612c7.jpg

Right now the main thing that I'm working on is to see if I can track down the car's history. I've got the last 3 owners (the couple I bought it from, their P.O. and myself). Thanks to John Watson at the Lotus Seven Register I have also learned the name of the original owner. Now to connect the dots.......

[moosetestbestanden]

Say, is that a Cortina, the one w/ the red nose in one of those pics?

[escondidoron]

is that a Cortina

Yeah. Its a '65 GT. Pretty straight and sound original California car. By Cortina standards, its rust free.

[moosetestbestanden]

Yeah. Its a '65 GT. Pretty straight and sound original California car. By Cortina standards, its rust free.

My first Lotus was a Lotus Cortina Mk I. Salvaged it from a junkyard in Albuquerque N.M. Junkyard dog said an Air Force guy brought it in w/ a cracked head. It turned out the crack was in an intake runner and a little bit of heliarc welding put that right. Interior was rough but it ran like a raped ape. I got T-boned by a woman running a stop sign in a blinding thunderstorm, unibody fatally bent. Bleah.

Gawd I loved that car.

All apologies for the drift.

[escondidoron]

I had a '69 Mk II GT (1600 X-flow, cam, ported head) completely stripped out with a full cage. It was a decent autoX car. A little quicker than an Alfa GTV for autoX. I loved it too. But it's original home was somewhere in the northern midwest, Wisconsin or Minnesota, and the tin worms from its early winter history finally ate it up. But it was great fun while it lasted.

[sevenhead]

Great to see more pictures. Looks as tho the car was set up for slalom (autocross) with those honking wide wheels. The tires look like period Firestones. That fan blade looks like it came from a house fan. That is what is so interesting about Lotus Sevens - there are no two alike!

If you don't have it you must obtain a copy of Tony Weale's book on the Lotus Seven. I learn something new every time I pick it up and I have had it for 12 years!

My car is a '61 Series 2 imported as an America with RH drive and A-series engine. Chassis number is SB1220. I have Spax dampers; adjustable for ride height and firmness. There are other options but they are expensive and more suited to Caterhams. Keep in mind that the standard Series 2 had the weakest chassis of all the Sevens. I would be more concerned with the condition of the chassis.

The e-brake handle is one of the few bespoke Lotus parts so there is no connection to any other series production car. Your car would have had Wingard tail lights but those are rare. The repro Lucas 549 are similar and the indicator is Lucas 539. Windscreens, Smiths gauges, wiper motor are all available. The common items like lights are available on Ebay. Other sources are Dave Bean Eng, Redline Components (UK) and Caterham (USA and UK).

What number is cast on the cylinder block?

Here is a picture of my car with the nose cone removed, circa 2006.

Cheers

Lee

[escondidoron]

Lee asked:

What number is cast on the cylinder block?

I have confirmed, from speaking with the P.P.O., and by the block casting number, that it is not a 1500, as I had at first hoped (imagined? fantisized?). The engine is a 109E (1340cc), as can be seen in the blurry pic below:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3502/4044724295_aa07363aa9_b.jpg

I'm a little bit grateful and sad at the same time that it isn't a 105E (997cc) as that is what it left the factory with. But it does have the OEM 105E cylinder head, SU carb's and close ratio Ford 4-speed gearbox.

I think that the fan may be OEM. It looks very similar to some others that I have seen, just turned around the wrong way! The mounting brackets are definitely OEM.

I haven't decided yet if I am going to strip the aluminum and reinforce the chassis. It has made it this far and looks to be completely sound. I am going to go with Wobbly Web wheels. That is what was on it when the P.P.O. ran it.

The car is very well preserved structurally. I'm looking for the following items to get it correct; a pair of Wingard lamps, L539 indicator lamps, an emergency brake handle and a Springhall steering wheel. I also need a couple of the AC gauges and Smiths speedo and tach.

This past Friday there was an NOS pair of Wingards that closed on Ebay UK. I had been tracking them for a week. I was on line and ready to snipe with 10 seconds to go on the auction.....When my trusty Dell laptop died. I was not a happy camper to say the least. We went out yesterday and bought a new iMac (for my wife, who is an artist). As she had been looking since the middle of August this was just a coincidence. Really. Honest.

BTW, here is an interesting pic:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2547/4045377782_54c812bae0_b.jpg

I wasn't kidding when I said that this was a barn find and that it had been in the garage for ~35 years! This was the scene on initial viewing, after the beige plaid blanket had been peeled away a little bit.....There's a Seven in there somewhere.....And a very original GT350 under the big pile of boxes and golf clubs!

[sevenhead]

Keep in mind that a 109E can be a 1200. I had a 109E (my Dad had several Kent's to choose from) that I was ready to sell but thought I had better double check. Sure enough when I measured the stroke it was a 1200. The buyer didn't care as he was going to use a steel crank. Removed egg from face. If the PPO knows than so much the better.

I notice that the mechanical fan is in use too.

That garage is the way my Dad's house looked - Stanpart suspension, Jag, TC body, wire wheels, Lotus wings. His garage was 12x as bad as this garage and there were no cars in it. 45 years of British and VW car parts, engines, etc.

When I was a kid I had a bed spread the same color as the one covering your car. I think ... that was a long time ago.

Here are a couple of pictures circa 1974. My dad acquired the car at this time and than promptly converted it into ... err ...component form. When he passed away in 1992 I had to try to recover all of those components from the "inventory" described above.

You are fortunate to start with a car that is almost all there.

Cheers

Lee

[escondidoron]

Its been a long nine months but our new baby finally arrived at our home this weekend. :) When I bought the Seven last October I promised my wife that I would sell some cars and do the long planned home remodel before I would bring the "new" car home, let alone work on it. Well, the remodel is complete (as complete as any home project ever is .... after all, my definition of "home ownership" is a lifetime supply of weekend projects).

For proof, here's my bride in the new kitchen (last month when we put in the countertops). She seems to be smiling.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4582511948_2e23e9a154_b.jpg

So now on to the Seven. After purchase, I towed the car on its very own trailer to my friend Lee's house where it has sat under cover for the last 9 months. My wife was happy with this arrangement as I wasn't working on it and it wasn't at our house. But Lee's wife was growing impatient for its departure (hopefully along with several of Lee's cars as well).
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2644/4028852160_299e379b7e_b.jpg

Once it arrived at our house I had to deal with getting it off of the trailer. This was no small feat as all 4 tires were flat and I didn't have another set of wheels. What to do. Well, the Seven doesn't weight too much (this one likely less than 1000 lbs). So some creative use of the cherry picker and a couple of car dollies made it possible to unload from the trailer:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4878515358_3325259e63_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4878516414_9fa000e790_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4877908059_aba388b8c5_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4877908371_08fdca31de_b.jpg

So the new baby is home at last. I'm off to pick up a bunch of parts shipped from the UK and from the east coast up in the Bay area next weekend. A "new" TR10 rear axle assembly, a Cosworth / Lotus / Weber induction system, steering wheel and the all important new shoes (a set of Revolutions w/ semi-slicks). While I couldn't work on it I could scour the world for parts. The new suspension bushings from JAE should arrive at about the time I get home with the parts so that work can begin in earnest.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I'm bringing home a Europa twin cam for my friend Lee. After all, something had to take my car's place at his house.

[escondidoron]

It has been a very busy Labor Day weekend here at our home. I installed built-in speakers in the kitchen, dining room and in the ceiling behind the couch in the living room (now we have surround sound capability ... as soon as I figure out how to work the system. Something for tomorrow!). Also installed a new lamp over the table in the dining room and a new light fixture in the bath.

In between those projects I found time to do a little work on the Seven so that I could drive up to the gas station and fill it up. It was its 1st blat in about 35 years. What fun! :)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/4966008623_107a84abc0_b.jpg

[BMWRACER]

It warms my heart to see projects moving along. Love the wheels! Old school Revolutions

[escondidoron]

BMWRACER said:

Love the wheels!

Thanks, me too. I wanted to get a set of Wobblies as the car had them at one time back in the mid/late '60s. But at about $400.00 a corner for a set of aluminum reproductions, I couldn't afford them any time soon and still keep moving forward on the project. And for a set of original magnesium ones the price is similar but then they would require crack / corrosion inspection at additional cost / risk. I wanted something that would be period correct for the car and safe for track day use. I had a short list of what I wanted in the following order:
1) Wobbly webs
2) Revolutions
3) Minilites (or equivalent)
4) Mambas
5) Steel rims w/ hub caps

When these original Revolutions came along in near perfect condition I just couldn't pass them up.

[escondidoron]

Margaret got some new shoes today:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6166/6142012193_a5d622f8ae_b.jpg
and
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6142568074_2b49277805_b.jpg

Toyo RA-1s.

I took her out for a short test drive after installation. What an amazing improvement. :)

[sevenhead]

Ron,

That looks good - are they 205-60 x 13? The revos are 5 1/2" wide?
When I changed to new wheels I went from 8 year old General M&S tires on
4 1/2" x 13 American Racing Silverstones to 195-60 x 14" Falken Azenis on
6 x 14 Performance wheels. The tires are sticky but I can really feel the gyroscopic effect of the much heavier tire/wheel combo.

What damper/spring package do you have on there?

BTW, I have a couple of sets of Wingard lamps if you are interested.

Lee

[escondidoron]

Ron,

That looks good - are they 205-60 x 13? The revos are 5 1/2" wide?
When I changed to new wheels I went from 8 year old General M&S tires on
4 1/2" x 13 American Racing Silverstones to 195-60 x 14" Falken Azenis on
6 x 14 Performance wheels. The tires are sticky but I can really feel the gyroscopic effect of the much heavier tire/wheel combo.

What damper/spring package do you have on there?

BTW, I have a couple of sets of Wingard lamps if you are interested.

Lee

Thanks. It sure looks different than when I first got it. Lots of little baby steps. I've installed a new muffler and painted the rear wings since our dyno day in August. -- Well, I actually fitted up the muffler after I left the dyno day. That coupled with the new tires makes a big difference in the old girl's appearance. Man, attempting to match the color (yellow with pearl and clear coat) on the nearly 50 year old paint was much more time consuming that I thought that it would be.

The wheels are 13x6
The tires are 205/60R13

The shocks / springs are from Aldan. Extremely reasonably priced and light weight (aluminum bodies). Adjustable in both jounce and rebound, although the shocks must be disassembled to adjust. But once you get them set, the extra cost for externally adjustable units didn't seem justifyable to me.

I've got a pair of pretty nice Wingards. Although I could use one rubber backing bezel as one of mine is split. I'm looking for a set of Lucas L539 indicator lamps, both front and rear. Also looking for a license plate lamp. Have any of those? I'm waiting to install the Wingards until I get the indicators. Then I'll install all of them at the same time. Presently the tail lamps are mounted to the spare tire rack using the English license plate mounting holes:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/6142012855_825e573d55_b.jpg

I'm visiting Mick at Redline this Friday and hope to pick up the lamps from him if they have them in stock along with a few other bits & pieces.

[Mondo]

Maybe not "era" correct but I have this on the back of mine and I really like it... very clean

http://radiantz.com.au/license-plate-lights.html

[sevenhead]

Oh, I'm late. You must be in the UK already. I don't have any extra L539 lamps; just a bunch of L488's and no plate lights. I had a notion of changing all the lights to the L488's but then I found the Wingards.

Ah yes, Aldan, the hot rod guys. I'd be interested in hearing how it was to work with them and what spring rates/lengths you decided on. I like the idea that they are American made.

Well, dang it I wanted to see if you would pick something up from Mick for me. My procrastination strikes again.

These folks have about any kind of light or switch you can imagine. They are in the UK.

http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/


Cheers
Lee