escondidoron

Birkin42 said: Thanks.

How many lbs/degree of torsional stiffness?

I'm not sure that the additional tubes in the central tunnel were added to increase torsional rigidity so much as to provide a stronger transmission mounting structure. The transmission mount for the S2 and S3, as built by Lotus, was pop riveted to the aluminum floor panel and to the transmission tunnel sides. The pop rivets for the mount are prone to becoming loose over time with the result that the transmission is not firmly secured to the chassis. These structural changes have been evolutionary with several iterations by Caterham and various tuners (like Dave Kaplan of DSK) over time. There is a very good illustration of these and other structural revisions/iterations in the book, "Lotus Seven: Restoration, Preparation & Maintenance", by Tony Weale. The book is out of print but does come up on ebay a few times a year.

Great site! I love these old engines, like the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major 4-row: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5032025360_da4d820a51_b.jpg

You might also consider this supplier, Aircraft Spruce, as an alternative. They have several models and sizes as well as finishes: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/Usher_flushCaps.php

If you're truly interested in topics like specifications, weight distribution, etc, I recommend that you read through Kurt's build diary, join his forum, or you can wait for his next book (This book, documenting the complete build process will be his second. The 1st deals with his last built-from-scratch car; a very nice tube frame / carbon body / mid-engine / Honda powered Mini) with even more complete details. You may have seen that car on the cover of Grassroots Motorsport (Nov '06 I think). There's a link to the build dairy of that car at the Midlana web site. Here's a link to a review of the 1st book: http://http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1964272 Most intriguing to me is that he is doing this in a one-car garage pretty much single-handed. While we have lengthy discussions on many issues, ultimately he is doing this all on his own. Pretty cool I think.

At work during lunch we often talk about cars. We have often discussed what a Seven would look like if Chapman and company were to draw it today. One of the group, my friend Kurt, proposes this sketch: http://www.midlana.com/Diaries/Current/Midlana%20rough%20sketch.jpg Here are a couple of shots of his progress to date: http://www.midlana.com/Diaries/Current/IMG_2592.JPG http://www.midlana.com/Diaries/Current/second_side_panel_on.JPG http://www.midlana.com/Diaries/Current/rear%20mesh2.JPG If you're interested you can see more at his build diary site: http://www.midlana.com/Diaries/Current/ Regards, Ron

Its pretty hard to believe that the winglets produce 7# negative lift each just looking at pictures of them. They are so tiny! It sure seems like the much larger chin spoiler and internal radiator ducting would have a much larger contribution to overall lift reduction than the winglets. Even taking into account the airspeed reduction due to the drag of the radiator. The dynamic pressure at 100 mph is only about 0.12psi. However, if the little winglets are 5" by 12" each (60 sq.in) with 100% effectiveness (coefficient of lift equal to 1) they could produce the stated ~7# negative lift. Their overall contribution to lift reduction could be accentuated by cleaning up the airflow around the sides of the nose a bit by reducing drag where the front suspension enters the body work. Another consideration is the blunt nose shape. It likely makes quite a large boundary layer disturbance that continues well back along the sides of the nose before the airflow is reattached to the body work. This would decrease their potential effectiveness by not being fully exposed to clean airflow. But if they stick out far enough to catch the undisturbed airflow they could help to reattach the boundary layer sooner which could also increase effectiveness. Anyhow, its a pretty good job by the aerodynamicist to reduce the lift by 2/3 especially if the winglets really do provide 7# lift reduction per side!

Agreed.

For that kind of money I'd recommend taking a look at this as a possible lower cost alternative: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORMULA-FORD-1600-Lotus-Seven-KENT-CROSSFLOW-ALLOY-HEAD-/230464051725?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item35a8ba5a0d#ht_500wt_1167 No affiliation etc..............

I agree that this isn't a particularly attractive car. Alaskossie said: This is certainly not a good representation of what an S2 Seven with a Porsche flat 6-cylinder engine would look like. Refer to Dennis Ortenberger's book, Lotus Seven and The Independents, and 11Budlite's earlier post on a similar topic back in 2009 here: http://www.usa7s.com/vb/showthread.php?p=28301

The spin was at the exit of the 2nd of 3 corners that make up a section called "Adenauer Forst". It is a tricky right-left-right bit. Spins (oversteer) and going straight across (understeer) are pretty common. On public track days there are always a lot of spectators there with cameras to catch the action. Vintage 70s video taken at the same location, shot looking at the exit of the left where the R500 spun in the middle of the 3 corners that make up Adenauer Forst: Crashes Adenauer Forst 70er Jahre

Ruadhd2 asked? The engine is a 1275 A-series with an Eaton supercharger. The car's not mine. It belongs to my friend Lee Kaiser. (I didn't mean to hijack the thread.)

Jim said: I pretty much agree, except I always equated the Minilite look with 60s road racing, not just English road racing. Although, thinking back about it, I think that the 1st set I saw were on an early 60s Mini Cooper in Sports Car Graphic magazine. I had a set of Minilites that I bought in the mid 60s. I put that set on several different cars over the years. I thought they looked best on our '71 Datsun 1200 fastback then on my '62 Ranchero. I definitely agree about them looking good on a Bugeye, especially with knock-on hubs. This one will be on the road in the spring:: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4207502998_80168f49a5_b.jpg I remember the American Racing knock off. I think that it was called the Silverstone. I bought a set of 4-spoke Libre wheels in the late 60s. I remember looking at the American Racing catalog and choosing between the Libre and Silverstone. Both were available in your choice of aluminum or magnesium. I bought the Libres because I already had a set of Minilites.

One of the sites of the company that I work for is at El Mirage, adjacent to the lake bed. Over the past 15 years I've spent about 1/2 of my working time there. As a result I've had many opportunities to go out on the lake bed. I've also been to a couple of SCTA events there (It is very interesting from a technical perspective and pretty cool from a historic perspective as lakes racing is where the whole hot rodding and movement and drag racing originated back in the 20s - 30s). Driving around on the lake beds in a car or on a motorcycle is pretty cool. Especially in a rental car! Not so much in/on your own vehicle. That said, I'd never take one of my own cars out there under any circumstances! The dust from the fine top layer of silt on the lake beds is simply pervasive once it gets airborne. When you drive along at any kind of speed or with any wheelspin a significant rooster tail rises into the air behind you in your wake. If there is any wind it can become blinding, not to mention damaging to your vehicle. I have to replace the windshiled on my truck about every 3 years from the pitting on the windshield due to pitting from the particulates in the air. The mornings are generally calm from dawn until mid-morning. After that a breeze comes up, generally out of the west, at 10 - 15 knots. Also, if it is warm (above about 80 degrees) it is pretty common to have dust devil activity (mini desert tornados). The air movement from the wind and/or dust devils generate significant dust and general haze in the area from the airborne dust. El Mirage is probably the best lake bed for driving/motorcycling with a pretty reliable surface starting around June. By then the lake bed has dried up and the surface has hardend sufficiently to provide a good solid surface to go fast. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) has paved the road out to the lake bed in the last couple of years and erected a ranger station at the entrance. The lake bed is pretty much fenced off these days. So access is pretty much limited to the pay entrance. The access fee is about $15.00 IIRC. The SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) paints a stripe on the lake bed early in the season as a guide for the lakes racers. The course is about 3.2 miles long. The SCTA hosts 6 - 8 meets per year on the lake bed. They time measured 1.3 mile runs. The current top speed record stands at a little over 300 mph. This is pretty impressive when you think about it as the vehicles have about 1 mile accelleration and 1 mile of shut down room. The limiting factor in top speed is the ability to get power to the ground. Basically it is like drag racing without traction. When you get going fast there is very little turn-in due to the silt on the surface between your tires and the lake bed. This is further aggrevated if you get any aerodynamic lift (Imagine the effect of clamshell fenders). If you're interested in learning a little bit about lakes racing I would recommend the book, "The American Hot Rod", by Dean Batchelor. Dean Batchelor was an avid hot rodder before he got into sports cars. He grew up in SoCal, seved in WWII, worked for Alex Xydias at SoCal Speed Shop and wrote a little. He was editor of Road & Track for several years, was a noted Ferrari enthusiast/expert. The book was his dream project and is a sort of scrap book of his youth, growing up around cars in SoCal before the war. The book has a great picture of a very young Dan Gurney as well as a chapter devoted to hot rod specials for road racing. whenever I pick up this book I always wonder what a Seven would be like if Colin chapman had been an American? One more thing: In the event of an injury at Elmo, the closest medical facility is about 20 miles away. Your choice of going to Victorville or Palmdale/Lancaster as the lake bed is just about 1/2 way between them. It's not a good place to sustain an injury! Anyhow, all of that said, as I mentioned earlier, it can be great fun with a rental car.

So does this make the standard key the valet key?

Scannon said: There is a similar Army program for the Rangers (Rangers were the guys who scaled the 100' cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc on Omaha Beach on D-Day). Sometinmes called the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP) but is actually named Ranger Assessment & Selection Process (RASP). The program is designed to identify those who truly have the both the mental and physical characteristics to become a Ranger. The program begins at the Ranger Memorial at Fort Benning where the fresh candidates assemble to watch the previous training cycle's graduation. The new class is typically about 220 candidates. They stand at attention and try to comprehend the degree of difficulty that lies before them. The graduating class typically is reduced to only 20 - 25 of the original group. As with the Seals, the program is intended to be so difficult that those with insuficient physical and/or mental stamina will drop out. All of our service men and women deserve our respect and gratitude. Members of these elite forces have earned the honor of tackling the most difficult missions that we can ask. The respect that these Seals demonstrated for PO2 Mike Monsoor is indicative of a quote of one of the D-Day Rangers that I recall from the Band of Brothers book, I think from Major Richard Winters. Sometime after the war, when asked if he was a hero, he relpied, "No, but I served with some."

This is an interesting thread. I've wondered several times previously about the cost of my Seven in today's currency. I've got the history for my '62 Seven dating back to its sale from Lotus in December of 1961. The sales price was £495. The specification was a Ford 105E (997cc) 4-speed, weather equipment. Since then it has been upgraded to a Super Seven. I.e. Ford 109E (1340cc). Using the calculators referenced in the posts above, the 2008 (the latest year that the calculators can accomodate) value of the original purchase price is: £8,250.00 using the retail price index £18,600.00 using average earnings If the car had been purchased originally as a Super Seven the published price for the kit was £599. This results in the following 2008 adjusted pricing: £9,990.00 using the retail price index £22,400.00 using average earnings These Lotus ex-works prices represent a complete kit w/ all parts required to complete a road worthy street licensed vehicle. I just checked the Caterham website for the present (2010) pricing for the Classic: £13,300 (the model closest in specification to my car when originally purchased). The cost of weather gear is additional. I also ran some numbers based on income levels for my profession from then and now (data I don't care to publish) and found the relative cost as a percentage of income for the Seven then to be very favorable. In summary, the Seven kit at £495 was a smokin' deal back in the day! This makes me think, as Mr. Peabody used to say, "Sherman, set the WABAC Machine for England, 1961!"

Hot Rods & Custom Stuff is located here in my home town. If you are ever in Escondido (just north of San Diego) you should stop in and see what is going on. They do some really cool stuff and they are good people too. A few years ago I bumped into Randy, the owner, at our local Friday cruise night, and mentioned that I was looking to do a disc brake conversion on the front of my '62 Ranchero. He said to drop by on Saturday morning, that he might have something. So I did and he gave me a pair of rotors that I ended up using. He wouldn't take any money for them. He just wanted to help and he didn't need them. Anyhow, they have had a car in the Grand National Roadster Show and a few years ago they built a gorgeous red '49 (I think that is the correct year) Chevy coupe, called M-80, that won the Ridler award at the Detroit Autorama.

S1Steve asked? That is the general area. But I think that is a filler neck / thermostat housing. A swirl pot typically has spiral internal baffeling to allow any entrained air to separate as it passes through the container. It acts as a coolant / air separator. So if you have any coolant hot spots where boiling may occur, the swirl pot will separate out any entrained gas bubbles. If I have to fab my own it would be a lot easier to know what the inside of an original one looks like. S1Steve added: Thanks, I'll try to check it out. Since I don't have a copy, check out the pics that I have so far (below). Is it like the ones in the bottom three pics below? I've never seen the interior of one of these to know for sure if there is internal baffeling. The 1st two are non swirl pot. More of a remote fill neck so that you don't have to remove the nose to get to the radiator mounted fill cap. The bottom three are the type of swirl pot I'm looking for: http://www.lotus7register.co.uk/images/l7s2pix/s2coseng.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4899418409_5c16ccb8e4_b.jpg http://www.lotus7register.co.uk/images/l7s2pix/Thirty-7.001.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4899454591_38520be85e_b.jpg

I'm in need of a swirl pot / header tank for my '62 Series 2. The original ones mount to the head directly and replace the thermostat housing / water outlet neck and incorporate the radiator cap I think. If anybody has some pictures of one, or better yet, some drawings I can make one if necessary.

I have one of these. It came with my Series 2. I think that if someone pays the $950 buy it now price they are paying a little bit too much. The going rate for these manuals on Ebay UK is $75 - $100 when they show up.

Are these your old wheels? http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1384/5112593800_8c0a100998_b.jpg

Croc said: It looks pretty much like a track day at the 'Ring. Anybody can drive on the track and most of the time there are bikes on the track at the same time as the cars (the bikes really slow you down!). The passing rules at the 'Ring are pretty simple, you can only overtake on the left. The Cat driver only passes a single car on the right, a BMW at about 2:30, who stays left for the pass. That would be a no-no at the 'Ring -- for both drivers. Also note the use of turn signals on several of the cars being overtaken. It is customary in Europe to use your turn signals to request a pass or show the following driver your intention. If you're behind someone who isn't giving way the last resort is to flash your high beams. They are sometimes referred to as the "light horn". Generally it is considered rude to do this. These basic rules are in effect to a greater or lesser degree on the European tracks I have driven depending on who is running the event. some tracks / event sponsors require licenses and some don't. BTW, if you think that this guy is getting too sideways you should try the 'Ring in the wet or snow!

Here are some addtional pics of some of the different types of Sevens at Zolder today. There were quite a few of these British Tiger kits: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/5002368798_f93d64b897_b.jpg Westfields: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5001763695_9ef53d1f27_b.jpg Caterhams: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5001762047_01e00cfbd8_b.jpg Donkevoorts: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/5002354608_3489b89f87_b.jpg and a few more.