jbcollier

"Original S2" covers a lot of ground. Early cars would have had a dash mounted mirror like this car does: https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/25221/lot/60/1962-lotus-super-7-s2-roadsterchassis-no-sb1401/#photos Later cars would have had a suction cup mount mirror like this S3 does: https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/26807/lot/47/1969-lotus-seven-series-3-chassis-no-lsb-2454/#photos Where did they came from? Most likely aftermarket accessory manufacturers, not OEM. They were bought in small lots, perhaps even singly at times as Lotus Seven production numbers were very low, sporadic and subject to long lulls.

SU carbs have (relatively) huge jets and seldom get restricted unless very large chunks indeed are in your system -- peeling tank liner for example. If the fuel in the float bowels looks clear, this is not your issue. I know nothing about your engine but try a NEW set of plugs. Ordinary NGK spark plugs can be prone to clean fouling. The plugs look perfect and fire just fine when removed from the cylinder. Pressurize them though, and they will fail. I bought a spark plug pressure tester for just this reason. I also avoid the basic NGK offerings. I spoke to a NGK technical chap and they acknowledged the issue. Something to do with the basic plugs having a slightly porous ceramic insulator. Their iridium and platinum plugs are just fine. After that, replace the condenser if you still have a distributor with points.

Some GL5 rated gear oils are corrosive to brass. Make sure you use GL4 rated gear oil in your trunnions.

Both the S2 and S3 Lotus Sevens have a "long" cover over the gearbox. It tucks under part of the front bulkhead and is secured by a single screw at the back. It also likes to vibrate at some engine rpms. The cover has a hole for the gearshift lever to poke through with a boot to restrain air leaking in.

Kids grow up, move out and never call. Wives run off with your best friends. You need something steady in your life. Get the Seven! :-)

That chart is meant for interpreting a common-manifold reading for a 6 or 8 cylinder engine using a non-dampened gauge. Multi-cylinder engines with 6 or more cylinders, and common manifolds, give steady readings compared to the same with four or fewer cylinders. Vacuum fluctuations/flickering is perfectly normal if you are using a non-dampened gauge on an engine with isolated, individual intake manifolds and separate carbs/throttle bodies. Non-dampened gauges give an accurate reading at the expense of readability. That's why motorcycle gauge sets are dampened so it makes setting up the carbs/throttle bodies quicker and easier.

Looks good to me. I usually only use vacuum gauges on motorcycles as there is no easy way to get an airflow gauge on them. Frankly, the first readings were spot on as well. Small variations like that usually only require a very slight tweak of the adjustment screw and are not particularly significant. Before people ask/comment, motorcycle vacuum gauges are dampened to eliminate/reduce needle bounce. They give a "steady" reading, not a pinpoint accurate one.

Check to make sure the main cable is free and lubed. Also check that the speedometer head hasn’t seized. Don’t want to be doing this again any time soon.

There’s enough sticking out the speedo gear you might be able to do the same. I just used old cables I had lying around. Any shops around that work on older cars or older motorcycles or scooters? They might have a used bike one around you could use. Measure carefully! Mine were 0.1 mm too tight and I had to carefully grind it down.

That can be tough as the wire is hardened and drills poorly. Still, that is where to start. If you can break things up a bit, it will all fall out. A very small dremel bit would also work. GO SLOW and replace bits frequently.

Done this a few times. FIRST, get a piece of square speed cable the right size. It is a slightly smaller than most speedo cables out there. It has to slide freely into the tranny's speed gear. Any binding will leave it in tension and it won't last long. You have to take the drive apart. Lightly grind away the peens holding the rear cap on and dig a bit to pry the cap off. Next drive the old cable out. Carefully fit the new cable section. Too tight and it will futz up the new section when you install it. Too loose, and it will just spin rather than drive the gear.

No thermostat in an S2/3 and you certainly can't easily fit one with pictured swirl pot. Is there an issue? Does it not warm up? Or, take far too long to warm up? No issue, no need to fit one. I modified and fit a thermostat to my S3 crossflow because I regularly run in cool temps and want to some heat out of the heater. I run a 160° thermostat (no extra holes) and it works great.

No, the Burton one is not correct for the Seven application.

https://kelvedonlotus.co.uk/product/speedo-drive-right-angled/

Bought one from Kelvedon. They are different from the much more common type used on MGBs, etc.

Pull the head, measure the bore and stroke, and then you know.

Tapers are a problem for pullers. The break away force can be very high such that parts can be damaged. Especially soft aluminium parts like steering hubs. I you must use a puller, use a bearing splitter against the hub to spread the force. The hammer blow shocks the taper, allowing it to break free under much less pressure. Much better for everything involved. YMMV

Loosen the large nut, and back it out a bit but do not remove it. Grab the wheel at 9 and 3 and wiggle it side to side. 90% will pop off. If not, repeat and have your assistant use a brass drift and BFG and smack the shaft (nut still in place) while you wiggle again. That gets the remaining 10%.

Any SU carb work starts with fresh fuel, valve clearances and compression. If the valves are tight, it will never run right. Low compression, ditto. Today's fuel go off much faster now. So, check those three first. Next, wiggle the throttle shafts up and down. If there is a play, you need to repair that first as well. False air at idle will make it very hard to set up. All those things good? Now check the carbs out further. Is the recommended needle in place? Same for both carbs? Check that the shoulder of the needle is flush with the damper/piston. Adjust your jets so they are even with the top of the brass guide. Now lower each two complete turns (12 flats). That is a good starting point. Release the linkage between the two carbs. Back out the idle speed screws. Lightly seat them and then 1T further. Lock the linkage. Refit the piston and dash pots. Does the piston drop freely? Should fall quickly with a solid "thunk" at the bottom. If not, you will have to recenter the jet. Procedure is on the web. That is your basic tuning starting point. Do you know how to sync and set the mixture?

There are lots out there. Some are so much snake oil. Look for reviews from reputable organizations. I know there are at least a couple out there that have been long in use with great success. People complain about today’s fuels but they are much, much cleaner than fuels were in the 60s and 70s. We used to do lots of decarbonizing and valve grinds back in the day. Now, virtually unheard of.

Interesting. Wouldn’t work for me that’s where I look to see traffic lights. If you get one, let us know how it works out. People seem to be trying for “zero” wind buffering. Having grown up with MGs and Triumphs, I’m not sure I get that. Love the wind in your hair (albeit little remaining) feel myself. It’s the Lotus Sevens strong side buffeting I’m tempering.

If you are MOVING to Canada, you are allowed to bring personal possessions. Vehicles will have to pass a provincial Out-Of-Province inspection. That will mean daytime running lights, high mounted brake lights, and a few other things. Usually not a big deal. Though the rest of the car has to be in excellent shape (brakes, suspension, etc). You can’t move to Canada and bring in 20 cars on spec, even if you “own” them. Personal possessions are narrowly defined. You should not have to pay any taxes. If you are IMPORTING a car into Canada, it has to be homologated for the Canadian market or it simply can’t come in. Cars homologated for the Canadian market but built to another country’s specs, have to have “some” modifications performed to bring them to Canadian spec. Sometimes this is as simple as using software to switch the dash to metric readings. Often though, this involves changing dash assemblies, wiring harnesses, etc: $$$$. Taxes, both GST and PST apply. The only exception to this importing rule is if the car is 15 years old or older. Then you are back to the provincial OPI and the taxes. At one point I wanted to bring in from the US a modern Vespa scooter. As the Vespa hadn’t been homologated for Canada yet, the answer was a flat no. The scoot would have been seized and crushed. Had I owned one and moved to Canada, it would have been ok. After homologation, when importing, you would still have to have a metric dash and other mods performed. Short of fraud, there are no exceptions to the 15 year rule.

Most aluminum heads already have hardened exhaust seats. The problem was with cast iron seats which I would doubt your engine has. Do not take my word for it though, talk to a race-engine builder who is familiar with BDAs. If it is a concern, I would pull the head and have the seats changed. Lead is really, really nasty stuff.

“Windshield mounted scoop/diverted” Photos?

Fun with punctuation! I took the old wheels open sub clause dunlop mags and no-name 185s close sub clause and the Pirellis to my tire shop… mags had old tires. Brought Pirellis and had them fitted.