PhilS4 Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Thank you for allowing me to join your forum. As the title suggests I have just found a S4 project which I have started work on. The chassis has been restored, as has the 1600GT crossflow and 2000e gearbox. I have a pair of Dellorto DHLA 40s in the post to me which should get the crossflow above the 100bhp mark, with the assistance of the tubular manifold. Maybe a hotter cam will be required too. The bodywork is sound but the bonnet has been repaired and retissued meaning that it was not as smooth as I would like. So I have a selection of fillers, blocks and a DA sander and I’m teaching myself how to fill and fair the grp. It’s certainly getting much flatte and smoother, but there is a lot to do. Weird puzzles are the missing holes for the handbrake mechanism and a home-altered right side engine mount - I don’t know why the mod was necessary?!?! colour-wise, I’m thinking British Racing Green, perhaps with the Lotus racing yellow stripe. It’s presently yellow but was red and white when sold 52 years ago. In my view the relative unpopularity of the shape is partially related to the bold 70’s colours. In the right colour, I think they look classic and aggressive, i.e more ‘7’ and less ‘beach buggy’. I attach some photos for interest. The first was as found. You can see the mess I’m making of that bonnet! kind regards, Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Welcome! Sounds like a fun (and dusty) project. If you are planning to update this thread with your progress -- something I think we'd all like to see -- I can move this to the Build Threads forum. Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilS4 Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 Thanks John. I can’t promise fast progress, but perhaps moving it will give me motivation to get stuck in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Done! We love long, drawn out build threads -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Welcome Phil! Looks like you have plenty to keep you out of mischief. I have always thought the S4 works best in darker colors. Your observation about the overly loud 1970s vintage colors is spot on - I am sure that contributed to the lack of affection at the time. The BRG with maybe a yellow nose band? You could have variations of that - maybe 1960s BRM F1 cars which had the very dark metallic green with a dark orange nose band. Or maybe the same era Reg Parnell team colors of dark blue-ish green with a dark maroon noseband? One thing I have seen on some NZ Steel Brothers versions of the S4 which I think works well is to paint the inset areas of the dash a matte black with the non-inset pieces of the dash then being body color. The dials then look good mounted on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 30 minutes ago, Croc said: paint the inset areas of the dash a matte black with the non-inset pieces of the dash then being body color I like that idea. To me, the beach buggy vibe is predominantly driven by the fact the dash and body have no aesthetic distinction -- it looks like one giant piece of fiberglass. It's easy to experiment with contact paper to see the effect of different dash coverage to decide what you like best. -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SENC Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 Welcome, and looking forward to following this project along - I'm a fan of the S4s. The last one I looked at had the inset areas of the dash in black as Croc described, and it looked great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilS4 Posted January 6, 2022 Author Share Posted January 6, 2022 Thanks all. It’s really helpful to hear that we all have similar views about the aesthetic problem areas. I was playing with the idea of doing the dash inserts in sheet aluminium or crackle black paint to make the distinction between dash and scuttle. Even the red leather of some earlier cars might work with a green body. I also thought that covering the dash top in leather might improve things, but I expect that will cost proper money to have done well. Thanks for all the encouragement. And if anyone has any photos of any areas of the S4, please post them here as I only have the photos in books, and a few on the Internet, as reference points! For example, it took me about a day of searching to work out where to drill the holes for the handbrake mechanism! many thanks, Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 A few S4 related things located here for download, in case you have not found them already Lotus Seven - USA7s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Croc Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 2 hours ago, PhilS4 said: I also thought that covering the dash top in leather might improve things, but I expect that will cost proper money to have done well. A cheaper variation of that idea would be to do the dash insets in leather that matches the seat upholstery. They are square shaped so easy to cut, edge with piping and then glue on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilS4 Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 The Dellortos are here so I spent 10 mins taking off the 32 DGV and putting them loosely in place. The Dellortos are set up with 32mm chokes, 50 idle jet, 132 Main, 33 pump and 200 air correction tubes. The emulsion tubes are 7772.5. Looking at Des Hammill’s book and various posts online, that seems like a recipe that might work for a 1600gt engine. Probably a bit rich across the range, but I don’t know what internals my engine has. I think it is fairly standard as the rebuild receipts just list bearings etc. I just need to fit the handbrake mechanism and buy a new inlet manifold gasket and side entry dizzy cap before I can bolt them up tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee break Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 Lookin' good, it should sound good also. Thanks for sharing your progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilS4 Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Ok guys and gals, I’ve made a tiny bit of progress. First, I found a generic fuel filler hose that should fill the air gap between my tank and the bodywork. Second, this morning my wife was pestering me to get to grips with my new (second-hand) mig welder and fix the frame of a kitchen stool that the kids broke. Great! Something to practice on before I do any welding on the car! Anyway, after a bit of trial and error the stool frame looked ‘functional’ but rough.By the end, I thought my welds were good enough for me to make a front suspension turret brace bar. So I took 2x rose joints and a piece of plain steel tube in which they were a snug fit and then welded it all up. Here are some pictures. It won’t win awards, but it’s a lot better than the kitchen stool! Have fun in the garage! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamScotticus Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 My first experience in a seven was in the late 80s i think working at an inspection station in Dallas. Peter Fawcett's S4 came in driven by his son. I failed it for a turn signal but I also wanted to see it again. No ulterior motive.. I got a conversation going and Mr. Fawcett kindly invited me over to see his Lotus collection. That sealed the deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilS4 Posted June 1, 2022 Author Share Posted June 1, 2022 Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything about the car, but things have been happening. I decided to strip the top end to see what sort of valve sizes the head had and found one snapped head bolt and that the head had small 38/32 valves. Therefore, I bought a Mexico head and bolted that on. The inlet manifold leaked coolant when first fitted, but some Hylomar Blue sorted that. I’ve also fitted an Accuspark non-vac distributor and sports coil. anyway, tonight I put some petrol in the tank (and stupidly spilled a lot on the garage floor too!) and got her to fire and run nicely. Initially, the float valves were stuck closed, but once freed off she ran well enough for me to set the timing and she now idles nicely with good oil pressure and no smoke. A pleasing hour or two, but I do now smell of petrol and the fumes from new parts getting hot for the first time! Please excuse the red rocker cover - I was experimenting but really I’m looking to use a tasteful alloy cover when I can find one at the right price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastg Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 Looking great, that valve cover is certainly red:) Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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