escondidoron

By way of reference, I have an old '62 Lotus Seven with a pre-Xflow 1340 Cosworth. It weighs in at 960lbs (verified) with a full tank of gas. All 5 gallons of it. It makes 85Hp at the crank on the dyno (75 at the wheels, chassis dyno). That works out to about 11.3 lbs/Hp. The car max's out at about 100-105mph with the windshield installed. Removing the windshield raises the top speed by 5-7 mph. I have no idea about the 0-60 time, but it is certainly slower than 6 seconds. And, as mentioned previously, the fuel economy is poor with only about 100 mies usable range. I do know that in real world spirited driving on our SoCal mountain roads it doesn't take a back seat to pretty much anything including supercharged Exige 260s, let alone the usual cast of M3s, GTRs, 911s, F-cars, McLarens, etc. Bottom line: Drag racing and freeway on-ramp acceleration tests aside, pretty much any model Caterham is quicker out in real world driving than the vast majority of all cars.

I'm about to go through my Type 9 this next weekend. It will be my maiden outing. I'm going to install a BGH close ratio gearset along with new synchro, bearings and seals. I've looked around quite a bit in preparation and come up pretty empty for a thorough online guide. Empty enough that when I was in the UK this past summer I made it a point to stop by and meet Brian at BGH and get some personal hand-on instruction from the voice of his 40 years of Ford transmission experience. He kindly took me through the overhaul of a gearbox that they were doing for a customer during my visit. Now, 4 months later I'm about to see what, if anything, I can remember from that experience. That said, here are links to the most helpful materials that I have come across on the web WRT the Type 9 gearbox: Classic Ford magazine T-9 guide I hope that his helps.

I'm running VTO wheels on my '62 S2. Here's a website link: VTO wheels Sorry, I can't help you with the KPH speedo.

Thanks for the follow up. I'm glad to hear that it is working well w/o additional components. That will simplify my installation too.Question: Are you using a key switch or are you going to use your phone for system activation?

I'm using this 10 gallon JAZ fuel cell from Summit in my Seven: I purchased it from Summit for $150 last fall. The price has gone up a bit since then. That price included the interior foam liner, fuel pickup and a certification sheet to use for tech inspection at the track. There are a couple of different fill port options including a remote fill pipe inlet if you look through the catalog. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/jzp-290-010-01

Very cool. I like your thinking here in the circuit layout. I'm presently building a cafe racer bike for a customer and installing the Motogadget M-unit Blue in it. I've been thinking of installing one in my Seven as it goes back together..... at least when I get as far as the wiring. Besides the small physical size of the Motogadget and the bluetooth features I particularly like LED circuit health displays. It's very easy to troubleshoot an issue as a result. Pricing is reasonable too ($300 for non bluetooth and $379 for the bluetooth unit). Conversely their speedo and tach are definitely pricey at $579 each!!!! I have the same general concerns as you regarding the overall power handling capability of the unit. Do you know how much power the system can support? I have not seen that listed in the manual. But then again, I haven't sat down and studied it closely either. .... Based on the lack of clear definition that I've seen so far and the small wire size for the hot and ground leads I'm a little bit concerned about eliminating relays for the high demand circuits and about the overall power capability of the system as the installation manual notes that it can handle up to 200Watts for the headlight switching circuit (more than the 10Amps shown for the circuit breakers). So there is some inrush capability built into the system. Each of my 2 Spal fans draws about 7 amps steady state with significantly higher inrush current (maybe something like 40Amps each peak for a few milliseconds). Conversely the manual wiring diagram shows the various circuit breaker limits as 30 Amps for the starter circuit (probably not sufficient for my old Kent engine with hi-torque starter), 10Amps each for the 8 circuits for turn signals, low beam & tail lights, high beam, brake lights, horn, & aux1 and 20Amps for the two aux2 circuit posts. For my customer's motorcycle I'm using a standalone starter relay and another Bosch-type for the cooling fan circuits with the Motogadget just driving the switching power to the relays. As a result I'm planning similarly to use the Motogadget to drive a conventional starter relay as well as a pair of normal Bosch-type square relays for the fans on my Seven. In the end, the relays are cheap. And letting the smoke out of the Motogadget is not ($379). I've been thinking that it's worth a call to the manufacturer to clarify the operating limits. I will at some point but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll just have to remember the 9Hr time difference from California to Germany when I get ready to call them. Please keep us updated on your progress.

I wouldn't give up without a fight if a Seven is truly your dream car. I haven't. I'm 6'4" with long inseam (36"). I have a '62 Series 2 and fit in it quite well.....Albeit after a bit of work: I don't have lowered seat wells. I do have only 1" of very high density foam in the seat back. I have fabricated a .75" thick spacer for the clutch and brake master cylinders. This has effectively moved the clutch and brake pedals forward a couple of inches. I'm not sure of the exact distance. But it's enough to make it possible for me to get my knees and thighs under the instrument panel crossmember comfortably. I have adjusted the throttle cable and pedal stop so that the accelerator pedal lines up with the brake pedal. I have also fabricated a spacer for the small diameter (10") steering wheel to move it 2" further out from the instrument panel. For safety I have fabricated a taller roll bar to get 2" clearance after I have my helmet on. The roll bar and steering wheel spacer are visible here: The Caterham has individual seats. So going with early Lotus style seat cushions might provide a significant spatial improvement. The Cat also she the "long" cockpit. Again, this is another inch or so over my S2. My S2 doesn't have the corner brace in the cowl. So the Cat will have less knee room. But a steering wheel spacer might help somewhat in allowing a bit more wiggle room. Lack of diagonal instrument panel brace in S2 chassis visible here: Persistence and ingenuity may get you in there comfortably yet.

San Diego County Back Country Drive Day / Date: Sunday 07/01/2018 Meetup Time: 0645am Departure / Home Time: 0700am >>>> Noon Meetup Location: Westfield North County Fair Mall, Escondido 92029 SDLC is hosting its inaugural back country drive on Sunday 1 July. This is a fun run that features canyon carving, plenty of great photo opportunities and a hearty breakfast. Breakfast offers plenty of time to socialize with your fellow Lotus fans. The group will depart the shopping center at 0700. The breakfast stop will be at approximately 0900. The route offers exceptional San Diego back country views: Good food: And the perfect roads to enjoy your Lotus: We will end up back at the mall around noon. If you're planning to participate please send me a PM to confirm. More info on the Events page of the club website: SanDiegoLotusClub.org

1 June 2018, San Diego. The San Diego Lotus Club is now live as the newest Chapter of the Golden Gate Lotus Club. SDLC is proud to join the Bay Area parent organization as well as the sister Chapters in Sacramento and Los Angeles (Lotus Club of Southern California). SDLC is dedicated to the enjoyment of, and enthusiasm for, one of the world's great automotive Marques:*Lotus. The club serves as a satellite chapter of the Golden Gate Lotus Club (GGLC) as a convenience to residents of San Diego and Imperial Counties as well as nearby residents of the greater Temecula Valley area of Riverside County. The San Diego Lotus Club exists to promote interest in Lotus cars by bringing together Lotus owners and interested people to engage in club events for the exclusive enjoyment of members that center around the usage of members cars. The new SDLC organizes weekend drives to enjoy the beautiful back roads of Southern California as well as any other activity that provides for the enjoyment of our cars and things automotive. Our “fun runs” are generally scheduled on Saturday or Sunday mornings and usually include a stop for breakfast or a snack along the way. Our inaugural event will be a San Diego County fun run / morning drive on Sunday 1 July. Check out the Events page on the SDLC website to sign up / get the details. San Diego Lotus Club Not already a member or don’t own a Lotus? Not to worry. The San Diego Lotus Club exists to promote interest in Lotus cars by bringing together owners and interested people to engage in club events for the exclusive enjoyment of members that center around the usage of members cars. Come on out to one of our events and see what the fun is all about! Wanna join the club? Visit the SDLC website to to learn more. Membership | San Diego Lotus Club Click on the membership button to join in on the fun! We look forward to sharing our enthusiasm for the Lotus marque with you.

Concur. Stewart's Cat is indeed a looker: And often admired by passers by: Stewart: I didn't get an opportunity to thank you for the beverage on Saturday. So thanks! Please touch base with me this week if you have time.

Yes.

Concur on the remove before painting. WRT removing / loosening the headlight retention nut: You could also use a line wrench or make your own by cutting a slot in the side of a box end wrench like this: Harbor Freight tools are perfect (i.e. cheap and relatively disposable) for these kinds of limited use special tool creation projects.

Hi Dave; That is a very good idea. And one that has lead me to my planned path forward. Yes, I am familiar with Milton's 105E upgrade kits and their 3-rail to T9 steel sandwich plate adapter. It is very attractive but not a good option for me as it doesn't support the HD version T9 (i.e. the V6 configuration) that I have. The V6 box has an additional cover for an uprated bearing on the mating / front face of the gearbox as well as a longer input shaft. This additional cover is shown in the bottom inset picture, below: http://www.classicfordmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/classic-ford-type-9-five-speed-guide-820x547.png That said, I'm now planning to make my own 30mm thick Caterham style adapter plate, along the lines of Milton's piece, but with an integral mount for the Ford Focus, Contour, Mystique annular throwout bearing assy. The adapter will sandwich between the bellhousing and the transmission to accommodate the longer input shaft as well as provide mounting pattern for the Focus throwout bearing / slave cylinder assy.

I have had very good interactions with them as well. I have researched the web to see what's out there. I'm concerned that the bellhousings from Burton, RWD, Tiger, etc., will require a different flywheel and starter. And I already have a very nice lightweight unit in the Cortina, Escort, Anglia configuration and lightweight hi-torque starter motor setup that I would like to stay with. Here are a couple of pics that show the starter / bellhousing interface. Both bellhousings are to bolt up to the Kent engine. The top one, with three bolt holes for the starter, is for a T9 or Rocket Box 4-speed and supports the late Ford style starter. I'm not sure, but I'm concerned that it may not take the starter that I have ('60s EnFo 2-bolt style) and/or a different flywheel to provide the proper starter engagement. The bottom one is for the Cortina-style 3-rail gearbox and standard Cortina starter / flywheel combination. Note the 2-bolt starter mounting interface: http://www.rwdmotorsport.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/img_0556hydr.jpg http://www.rwdmotorsport.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/0/2000e-front.jpg I've also looked into using a bellhousing from an XR4TI or Pinto. The T9 was used on the Merkur and the Rocket box was used on manual shift Pintos, but the pair of bellhousing to block mounting bolts are an inch or so higher on the Lima engine bolt pattern. Also, the input shaft on the Merkur T9 is apparently a bit longer than the Euro short shaft T9 (which is what I have) and a bit shorter than the Scorpio V6 long configuration input shaft. I'm not sure about the 4-speed Type E gearbox used on the Pinto input shaft length. But the Pinto flywheel uses an 8-1/2" clutch so I suspect that it is a larger diameter. And Pintos use a standard 3-bolt Ford starter. http://www.merkurmidwest.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/bellhousing_t9.jpg

I'm in need of a bellhousing to mate a T9 5-speed gearbox to a Kent engine. I need to retain the standard Cortina flywheel / starter interface. Anybody have one that they want to sell? Regards, Ron

Sounds interesting. I'll be in Monterey for car week. It ends on 26 August IIRC. That might make a fun starting point.

Very cool. I've got a thing for museums. Especially those relating to transportation. I never miss an opportunity to take them in during my travels. as a result I've been fortunate enough to visit quite a few. This site is point out some that I haven't known about previously. Most Xlnt! Here's a link to a related thread on another site that you may find to be of interest: Interesting Museums Thanks for posting.

On the topic of "welding" I came across some absolutely gorgeous chassis work a couple of weeks ago. So nice that I stopped to take pictures:

Thank you very much. You are correct sir.

Yeah; that car is pretty sweet. It looks like it's ready to head out to El Mirage for a run right now. I was in love with those four old Stromberg carb's. And you're right, that blown flat motor sure sounds good! During my conversation with the owner he told me that particular engine was put together by his buddy, none other than Ed Pink: http://image.hotrod.com/f/10301766+w660+h495+cr1/0509_hrdp_01_z%2Bed_pink_racing_engines%2Bpose.jpg You might want to take a closer look at the guy who was driving that car. He lives nearby and his shop is only a couple of miles from our gathering place. Here he is in conversation with an aging Seven owner: If you have ever been into NHRA top fuel drag racing, read Hot Rod Magazine (or similar) or maybe played with Hot Wheels as a kid, you might just recognize the driver of that red Model A-V8.

Hi Gert; It looks like you had a great time today. I hope you don't mind if I chime in here on your thread. I know what you mean. It was beautiful down in Escondido this morning as well. Today was the kind of cool, crisp and clear morning that only comes after the end of a winter storm. Whether in SoCal or the frozen north where I grew up. It's like the world has cleared its eyes after taking a cold shower. And the grass is bright green instead of the usual sunburnt golden brown! Similarly I went out for a drive this morning as well. But it was just a 10 minute trip from Escondido over to Rancho Santa Fe in the Evora to take in our little Cars & Coffee type event, Secret Car Club. It's just an informal gathering of 25 - 40 cars at a 4-way stop sign about 1/2 way to the beach in Del Mar. But today was really special, not just because of the weather, but because a drag racing legend showed up with his grandson in his old red A-V8 hot rod. Here's a pic of my friend Peter's Seven from today: And a link to a few pics that I took this morning: Secret Car Club Rancho Santa Fe, California Saturday 14 January 2017 BTW: I'm finally moving forward with a new engine for my old Seven. After our last drive together back in May I broke a piston ring land up near Taft. The block is out at the machine shop now. I hope to be back up and running by April. I'm looking forward to another drive with you when I have it complete.

Concur. I've used this approach several times for large parts / structures. A simple pallet style base and sheeting made from large chip structural 3/8" particle board (I.e. Cheap) with 1-5/8" drywall screws and 2x2s as corner reinforcement / screw strips. I've shipped a large framework to Europe using this method w/o damagE.

Or maybe he was influenced by Bruce Meyers? Or both Chapman and Meyers? The Meyers Tow'd from about '68 or '69. The Tow'd was intended to be a lower cost purpose built offered only dune buggy than the Manx.

You might want to check with these folks. They have several different styles in a range of sizes and bolt circles. http://www.vtowheels.com

I wish I could say the same for its driver!