SkinnyG

Having just the stripe on the nose makes me ask "what did you get the nose off of?" or "where's the rest of the stripe?" It might look better having the stripe continue up the hood. Having said that.... Having a green nose AND polished aluminum, AND a yellow stripe over both looks too busy to me. But that's just my opinion - you have to do what you want to look at, not what other people want.

Are you ~this~ Gord?

Not only an Alpha grill, bit a complete Alpha drivetrain, including rear-mounted tranny (if I have that correct).

15 cars in attendance, only one minor breakdown during the event (fuse malfunction). Mine broke down enroute to the event (sensor malfunction), but I got there ok. Bloody cold on the Pennask Summit on the way home. More to be posted, I'm sure.

No two-way. Not like you'd even hear it with the wind noise at speed. Or could even carry a conversation. Haha!

Take HWY3 (Grandforks - Osoyoos - Princeton - Hope) and then join the HWY1 to Vancouver. VERY scenic, and fun in the twisties past Princeton. I could do ALL those switchbacks in my old F/SP Nissan Sentra at 90km/h. Should be able to wet your pants in the 7. I'll be leaving Kelowna at about 7:30am on Saturday and taking HWY97C to Merritt, then HWY5 to join HWY1 at Hope. I get better fuel economy doing the Hope-Princeton (yay aerodynamics), but it's 2 hours longer. This will be the longest trip ever in the Lethal Locost, and the longest (by far) since going MegaSquirt. If I don't show up, I'm probably at the side of the road somewhere.

One bay should have a vaulted ceiling for hoist clearance - a real hoist, not an engine crane. And you might want a "compressor room" to keep noise down. A "sand blasting room" to keep dirty away from clean. Make one bay seal-off-able so you could have an impromptu spray booth.

I have clams on the locost, and my pockets still fill up with gravel. No rocks in the teeth though - keep that in mind.

A cat can usually get rid of a lot of HC and CO, even if it's not a "closed loop" system - we had cats with carbies for years before EFI. High NOx, on the other hand, may need an EGR added, or tuning to deal with - but reducing NOx usually increases HC and CO. There are fuel additives out there that can help too. What is it registered as? (ie: what smog specs do you have to pass?)

The Caterham tails (red & amber lens only) on my Locost are only 7-1/2" wide - are you sure they won't fit?? G

You should take it to the Canadian Autocross Championship - this year it's in Saint-Eustache, QC. http://www.cac2010.org

I have two sets of the custom fit ear protection. A vented set I wear at work (shop teacher) which is a bit less effective than the solid set I use in the 7. I've used both the form-fitted and the foam plugs when I worked at a sawmill. The foam inserts are much more effective than the form fitted ones. The form fitted ones are more comfortable and easier to use, but cost about $100 for a pair (local pricing). They should last at least 10 years. My vented set I've been using since '94 and they still work and fit fine. On long trips, if it's not too hot out, I wear the plugs AND an Elmer-Fudd ear-flap hat to control some of the buffeting. The wind buffeting is brutal, and I'm sure is the greatest noise problem. It's not "noise" - it's "pressure." Like "Sound Pressure" which is just pressurized air.

Try inserting the picture using "Attachments" just below where you type your reply. This will take it right off your computer. Otherwise you will need to post the picture up somewhere else (I use Photobucket), and link to the image url.

I was on the phone to CaterhamUSA yesterday ordering a scuttle. Should be here in about a week. Waiting on DOM for the roll bar (DSK style) too.... Apparently Lotus used three manufacturers for body parts back in the day, Arch being the only one still going. Depending on who the manufacturer was, replacement Arch parts may or may not fit exactly. The Caterham nose is slightly shorter and the bonnet longer to compensate. The scuttles are essentially the same (Caterham lost the tab on the rear bottom in '86). Caterham noses seem to be about 1" taller than a Series II. I'm going to try and make another bonnet (I now have a bead roller so I should be able to roll the leading/trailing edges) to fit both the Caterham scuttle, and my existing 1.5" taller Curtis Unlimited nosecone. I can mess up about eight 4x8' sheets of aluminum for the cost of buying a Caterham nose and bonnet. And then I'll buy the nose and bonnet....

You'll bring it to Vernon, of course??!! And I'll tell you like I told Gord (PhatG) when he first drove mine, "once you've driven a 7, there's no going back."

Should be able to complete that in a weekend. Need some wrenches?

Name: Greg (High school shop teacher) Location: Kelowna BC Car: The Lethal Locost: Registered and licensed 2006 Book chassis - scuttle moved back 3" 1275lbs Toyota 4AGE/T50 EDIS ignition GSXR ITB's MegaSquirt tuned Alpha-N http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/skinnyg/PittMeadows2007Sunday061.jpg Canadian Autoslalom Championship 2007 Future Plans: Starting a new chassis this summer - Lotus Series 2/3 dimensions using the Prince Racing drawings from 1981, and some Caterham enhancements. Also 2.0 Duratec....

It's named The Lethal Locost. I refer to it at home as the Lotus "I'm going to take the Lotus to work." I tell people it's a Lotus Seven replica. I describe it as "Looks like a coffin with fenders, and about as safe."

Your is an SV, right? Any difference in height between yours and a "Classic" skinny edition?

How tall is a Caterham nose? My "tall" Curtis unlimited is about 7-1/2" to the underside. It's allegedly 1.5" taller than a Series II. Anyone?

I'm intending to start Lethal Locost #2, and follow a more "Lotus Series 2" than "Locost" design. My current 7 has a Curtis Unlimited Series 2 nose that is 1.5" taller than original. If I were to purchase Caterham bonnet and scuttle, is there anything I need to know? I intend to run a Duratec 2.0L in it. Things like: Is the Caterham nose taller than the S2? Is the Caterham bonnet different in size than the Lotus? Are the scuttles different? Are the frame sides any different in height between Lotus and Caterham? I have no interest in "SV" sizing - keep it closer to original.... Thanks so much.

My Nissan Hardbody is 102dB with the windows down at 100km/h.

Cruising 60km/h was 103dB

I just picked up a decibel meter, and decided to see just how loud my Locost is cruising down the highway. 4AGE motor, Dynomax Super Turbo exhaust exiting before the driver's wheel. Cruising 100km/h, out in the open, no vehicles in proximity. Basic windscreen, no wind wings or weather gear. 119dB. And that's basically wind noise. I did not do a full-throttle test. That's permanent hearing loss in about 7 seconds (how poetic).

I did something similar, but a lot cheaper. I converted from the factory 4AGE EFI to GSXR ITB's, Ford EDIS and MegaSquirt for under a grand. Your process shouldn't be much different. http://www.gwellwood.com/project-cars/the-lethal-locost/lethal-megasquirt