IamScotticus

I'm not any thermal engineer, although I do have a thermal imager, I suspect that the felt heat is not so much from hot air flow (which much of it is) but from radiated heat. airflow and radiation shielding is required. Even with that, I have found it necessary to wear protective clothing, particularly where the knee and thigh enevitably rest against the tunnel. in the end, this is a race car; creature comfort was not a consideration. Some things to consider are that the early 7s and perhaps the majority of 7s made by Lotus and early Caterham were RHD with left side exhaust. Considering the average climate of northern European and UK markets, with lower atmosphere and road surface temperatures, cockpit heat may not have been a major complaint. The majority of sufferers seem to be the drivers with the exhaust on the drivers side. In that the 420 is a RH exhaust and you are most likely considering a LHD 420, you may not have too much of a heat battle with the headers being opposite side of the feets. It is not uncommon for drivers to need to wear the slimmest shoes they can find and racing shoes made with Nomex or fire resistant materials is an option. Perhaps they should be a requirement. The seven you get will have its own particular set of niggles to work out. Thats part of the fun of having one. You get to work out solutions to problems quite frequently. I appreciate the advance effort of research here. The 7 is going to be what it is. Like a motorcycle, you sit on top of a machine that was barely designed to accommodate human beings, and you eventually learn to stop burning your legs, or you get used to it 😉. I don't want to derail this thread, but my burning question is, why are you set on a 420? That new car smell is nice, but there are 50 years of Caterhams to choose from. You can get your training wheels for half the price.

There is the old story that to reduce cost and weight, Chapman had frame tubes removed until collapse, then put the one back to hold. Trial and error design back in those days. He would say he wanted pounds ouf of that car. Pounds weight and pounds sterling.

CROC7 CROCKS7

I did same recently, pulled a hood out of a box. I found it had shrunken. Might want to try fitting your hood to see if will go on at all. Now considering buying a new set. But I avoid getting 7 wet if at all possible. A weather kit is low priority for me, opting for long sleeeves.

Its a mystery 🤔

There was a discussion recently about a reproduction source for those tail lamps

U joint lubrication access cover? Im holding out hope there is a purpose..

Ian, can we gave a close up of that medallion on the tunnel?

Get the pannels from Arch. Do the rest here. Another S2 repanneling said his rivet holes matched! Arch may not be able to make Lotus length bonnets, I would call about that. Cats run an inch shorter.

A snippet fron the aforementioned article: "Consumers should be aware that what this company is doing is importing a Solex designed carburetor from South America – branding it a Weber – and calling it a “Genuine” Weber. They reason that if Magneti Marelli owns the Solex factory then it can legally be called a “genuine” Weber...Now this company has taken it a step further (as of the Summer of 2011) and is now supplying the 32/36 DGV series and the 38 DGS series carburetors and branding them as Weber's just as they did with the Solex Carb's from South America." "That company", a prior N American distributor, is no longer importing these, I understand. The article, the best I've found so far, doesn't mention parts interchangeably or performance. The issue is branding. I don't have any reason to doubt that my carb will work as a carb should, but if I need tubes and jets, will Weber parts interchange? Or is my carb bespoke? Of course the answer is put it on and find out. I'm several months away from that.

@jbcollier could you post a link to that info?

Honestly, I haven't opened it up to find out. Im relying on the collective wisdom here to save some time. My only other Webers are DCOE and a 32DFM. Carbs can be a complex subject

True that. The best way I know so far is to bypass all the experimentation and get a prepared carb from a FF tuner like Ivey. Also, most of the webber books I own have lists of standard jettings for, say the Cirtiba GT, etc. Good enough to get me running. The SOLEX was a gift (Thank you 👏🫵) Ive already found out the expensive part of buying jets. Its in the shipping costs for every single time I have to buy another set until I settle on the set that works. Better to settle on a single carb base model, like a Weber or Delorto, then buy a full range of jets, tubes, gasket and rebuild kits. That would probably cost as much as a whole carb but Id have enough to play with without going back and forth in the mail.

Don't throw away ANYTHING! The only parts of a Seven that are Lotus, made for the Seven are the fiberglass, body, seats, fuel tank. suspension links, Engibe mounts, hood sticks and weather equipment, wind screen, stanchions and propshaft. Everything else comes from other cars. You typically need to know about four other cars to know your Seven.

Don't be shy. I love seeing original rough conditions. Its like a time capable. You're fortunate the car was stored in a place like Arizona where its drier. Don't toss anything! You will eventually discover the reason its there long after its gone.

The DGs are. A Weber distributors in the USA would sell them as Webers. No longer, people caught on. Now they sell Chinese clones. At least the SOLEX was made wirh a connection to Bologna. Read: https://lcengineering.com/what-is-a-genuine-weber-carburetor/

Does American Modern have specialty low mileage car policies? Or are you grouped into a home plan?

SOLEX 34 DGEC. Does anyone know if these Weber clones use Weber jets, tubes, etc? Not a Chinese copy. These are legit carbs with a complicated history.

The bain of the cable clutch has traditionally been the breakage at the top yoke eyelet. And stretching. Both are manageable. for a LHD car you want the 5ft long cable. The advantage of the cable is its easilly replacable and inexpensive. The downside is they are not high quality reproductions and are known to break on the drive so always have a spare. Your mileage may vary. A potential higher quality substitute may be a marine grade out board motor control cable, but I can't direct you to one in particular. It was an Idea I read and having looked at some, I think its possible. Another option is to send Speedycables a donor and have them make a high quality cable speedycables.com/cables

If you park with the wheel fully turned to one direction and lock the steering, its difficult to push or move the car in any direction.

Alright. I suppose there is something about current production patterns that has changed since the 90s. I have my doubts about this statement. Pick it apart and realize how quickly many will dismiss a email request. "the current full hood and doors" What is "current"? What aspects of fit are they referrer ring to, the adjustable popper locations? "might be able to get away with" = "I really don't know" "we no longer have the patterns available" = we can't be bothered to get them. I would lend you my hood to test, but without more clarification on why current hoods will not fit, it may not prove anything. I believe my hood will fit perfectly. But I say that as one who hasn't actually fitted my hood and its a hood ten years older than my build. Sorry, not selling it, its my only hood. I will go erect my hood and if it doesn't fit, i will PM you.

Around here, they will haul you away on a trailer. A traier stolen ten minutes earlier. Need a motion activated alarm.

Some pics might help to identify that axle at a scrapper.

@anduril3019 Are you stick welding? MIG, TIG, Silv bronze gas flux?

@fastg Grahm, Did that RX7 axle fit in a long cockpit?