HankMauel

Which explains why the shocks are mounted upside down...an upward movement of the wheel/tire now results in a downward movement of the (internal) suspension arm. Bounce and rebound movements are reversed from standard outboard shock position. And I only had to scratch my head for a few seconds to realize that while looking at the photos. Not bad for a sleepy Saturday morning!:smilielol5:

In memory of Patrick McGoohan http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1589/7808673/19264650/399729867.jpg

Thanks, Mike. The 1984 photo under the Lotus, CA Post Office shows the car shortly after I brought it in from England. The guy who bought it from me in 1986 was a follower of our Vintage Race Elite and he had the "lust". He drove it for 4 years and then started the resto. He was 55 when he bought it. The "project" was done by one of our fellow Lotus devotees and the glass work on the body is really nice. The project was slow and when finally back at home for the owner to complete, the enthusiasm had waned. It was in the owners garage most of the first 10 years of this century, with bits and pieces done. Approaching 80 and with no real drive to "git 'er done", he called me early this year and asked if I was interested in getting it back and completing the job. I've got to do interior, new wheels and tires (those in the photo are the same as in 1984!), bumpers and miscellaneous like rebuild the carbs as the gaskets are petrified, a new hi torque starter, auxilliary fan for cooling and just generally "fettle" the car. I'll post some photos as I progress.

OK...I sent the email! Want one to match my 7...the grandkids will go ape**** over it! http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1589/7808673/19264650/399688804.jpg

Street car...photos of as owned in 1984 and a few months ago, back in my possession, begining completion of restoration. http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1589/7808673/23951918/399674998.jpg http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1589/7808673/23951918/399674994.jpg

http://www.mauelguitars.com/Lotus1.jpg Having Vintage raced a Lotus Elite for more than 20 years, I can state it was the most wonderful car to drive and drift through corners. Yes, in stock form they suffered from poor quality in assembly, etc. But when "put right" via a thorough rebuild and attention to the known weak spots, it was virtually bullet proof. We had nearly 9000 racing miles on the car without the engine ever being out of it. The only DNF's ever were due to the a Facet fuel pump packing it in...several times. With a good mechanical pump we finished every remaining race. And it was a blast to drive. My favorite position was in the middle of a pack of 4 Lotus Cortinas at Sears Point...just ruining their photo ops! I am now completing the restoration of an Elite that has come back to me...25 years after I sold it to help put the first child through college. Should be ready in the spring.

Just in case you haven't noticed, Western Civilization is failing quite adequately on it's own!:rant: Copy away and enjoy! Hank

Seems they also overlooked the Lotus Elite (original) series from 1958-63. Certainly a far more extensive and groundbreaking feat of engineering/production for a fledgling company such as Lotus. Not without it's faults, of course, but many others on the list have their "issues", too. I'm just happy to have an example of the 7 and the Elite.

Well guys, I did "pay" for it after all. Immediately after that weekend, NorCal entered into a REAL winter that has just ceased, hopefully. We have had rain, snow...even our own tornadoes which I realize do not hold a candle to what has occurred in the midwest lately...but nonetheless a real exciting spate of weather. Our local high school grads sat through a downpour last Saturday. They normally sweat in 85+ degree sunshine. So, the Seven has been quitely sitting in the garage, Battery Tendered, since that first blat. Another week or so and I'll be "on the road again".:driving:

I am not a number. I am a free man!

Ah, yes. You can see by my license plate and the surrounding frame just what I think of how the world has progressed since the good old days. Patrick McGoohan certainly had it pegged, even back then!

Thanks for the info, Mike. I took the liberty of sending an email asking if he would like to post some info on the 5/8ths 7 on the forum. It truly is a little gem of a project and any child would have to be seriously restrained from wholeheartedly embracing it.

Thanks, Skip! It truly is a wonderful piece of work, and "motorized" just puts the icing on the cake. Now I know I won't show this to the grandkids! They would be all over it like white on rice and I'd never get back to my Lotus. Hmmm...just think what a cnc machine, a digital probe and a billet of aluminum could do........

Is that a pedal car 7 on the back of the trailer? I Want One! The grandkids would love it. They fight for "who's next" for rides in my 7. Here's another "parked next to" photo.

Ahhh...the Good Old days! Too bad it's all gone. I guess a good portion of those 30 million clowns I mentioned earlier have had their way with our State. Your comment about the bicyclists fits up here, too, but not as severe as yours sounds. Still, they are the first to scream and yell when they think their "rights" have been compromised on the road...after they disregard all the traffic laws. From what I've seen here in Auburn, fully 95%+ blow stop signs as if they don't exist. And the "parade" of 2-3 abreast is standard procedure up here...ever since the Amgen went through here last year. We're going to have to form our own state, with all drivers required to pass a rigorous "at speed" driving school a la Bondurant, Russell, etc. and have their cars thoroughly inspected for road worthiness. If I were "King of the Forest"....... Maybe we should head north to the Booneville area and work over the roads to Elk and Highway 1 north. Not quite as overpopulated as SF bay area.

Obviously he's not waiting for ObamaCare to gear up and fix his teeth!:puke: But wait, Congress exempted themselves from it and kept their Best of the Best medical plan! So what's his need for another $150K...we're all on the hook for him in perpetuity.

Jim... Did you take the road over Crystal Springs reservoir to Half Moon Bay and then terrorize Highway 1 or did you play on Skyline? I grew up in the SF Bay Area and my folks still live in Menlo Park. The back roads on the coast mountains are fun...La Honda, Saratoga, over the back way to Santa Cruz via Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton. Great fun in a sports car! And for the folks who "envy" us out here this time of year, remember, we have to put up with 30 million plus bozos and bozettes, most of whom have absolutely no comprehension of vehicle dynamics, trail braking or clipping the apex of a turn. Their highest driving skill levels top out at 1) Cell phones & texting 2) putting on make-up 3) reading a novel resting on the steering wheel while commuting and 4) Oral sex, while driving! That one gives a whole new meaning to"Multitasking"!:rofl:

Yes, I guess the shot with no wipers really added insult to injury. Won't tell you the temp today but the 7 may go out again....

I know for about 2/3rds of the country this is going to hurt, but it is lovely in California...about 65 degrees...and I just couldn't bear to keep the 7 locked up until springtime. I attach a couple of photos taken from the cockpit...gauges, a country road in Auburn and the view we get everytime we come home (looking east towards the Sierras and Lake Tahoe. Ignore the date stamp, it's a month behind. For the frozen part of the country, take heart, your spring will come and then you can rub my nose in it!

I recall back in the day...a long, long time ago... sitting on the hillside at the original Laguna Seca (no infield road course) watching the races. For the lunchtime entertainment, they had scheduled the UOP Shadow team...both the CanAm cars and the two F1 cars being campaigned at the time. I recall only one driver's name, J.P. Jarrier, in one of the F1 cars. This was to be a "demo" run, but drivers will be drivers. From the slightly inclined standing start, the big bore CanAm cars just rocketed away up towards the hill section. But not to worry. The F1 cars caught them in less than a lap and, exiting the (old) Turn 9 onto the starting straight, just blew their doors off. The F1's went through all gear changes (four if I counted correctly) in about 200 yards and just dissapeared under the bridge and over the hill after start/finish. The CanAms took most of the starting straight to lumber through their gearchanges. It was like two thundering buffaloes chasing two angry hornets...and falling further behind by the second. If I recall, the F1's lapped the CanAms in just under 4 laps of the (then) 1.9 mile course. So much for a "demo" run! And the sound. OMG, what a glorious SOUND!

About 1.5K a year on my 1963 Seven, in nice weather.

Sorta like a racing skull on wheels. Should boost deodorant sales as I imagine a commute in one of these will generate a lot of personal "steam"!

If it's green with yellow nose cone, you can copy mine for use in Canada!

How about the original Lotus Elite? Considering it was designed in the same time frame as the 7, they both illustrate the fertile genius of Colin Chapman!

I use an Optima battery with side mount terminals (as well as the normal "top posts"). Left the plastic covers on the top posts and the posts clear the aluminum bonnet by about an inch. When not in use I hook up a small Battery Tender unit to charge/monitor the Optima. They may now have a "side post only" model.