ianashdown Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 My 1961 Lotus 7 S2 basket case project arrived today! It’s been since early February we’ve been trying to purchase the car and arrange getting it from AZ to me in SoCal! It a Unirads built chassis that was taken apart in ‘69 and stored in an attic in Phoenix. There are 1969 Phoenix newspapers used to pack some parts! There are enough parts to build at least one other car included in the pile of ‘stuff’! I’m not sure what most of the other parts are from, all kinds of different things! Some junk, some look quite decent quality. But I do think that most of the important parts are present, rough as guts in some cases, but somewhere to start. Some parts seem to be in decent shape, some quite original, and some may not make the Final Cut. It does look like this car was raced or auto-crossed at some point as there are signs of ‘performance’ modifications, a very rough roll hoop, some chassis gusseting etc. but most significantly the head has clearly been worked, the ports seem nicely re-shaped, and there are a pair (I think) of Webers. Everything was thrown in the garage a quickly as possible this morning, but I’ll get out in the garage later to start sorting out which parts are 7 and which are from something other than a 7. I’ll take take pictures as I go and post a few here. My goal, at present, is to restore the car to near original but we’ll see if that remains a viable objective as I get into the project. Im sure I’ll have all kinds of questions for the collective wisdom here! Fun times! Ian SoCal 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11Budlite Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 Ian - Looking forward to seeing pictures of your project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 Looking forward to following this! -John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamScotticus Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 (edited) Don't be shy. I love seeing original rough conditions. Its like a time capable. You're fortunate the car was stored in a place like Arizona where its drier. Don't toss anything! You will eventually discover the reason its there long after its gone. Edited June 4, 2023 by IamScotticus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoBoost Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 Yes, photos please! I love project cars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panamericano Posted June 4, 2023 Share Posted June 4, 2023 6 minutes ago, MoBoost said: Yes, photos please! I love project cars! Yes! Who doesn't love seeing someone else's project? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 3 hours ago, IamScotticus said: Don't toss anything! You will eventually discover the reason it’s there long after it’s gone. My problem in this case is I received about 3 cars worth of parts. Some I know was MG TD, the rest I don’t know but it’s clearly not Lotus. I’m sorting everything in to three categories: definitely Lotus 7, might be Lotus 7 and definitely NOT Lotus 7. Some of this is quite modern so no doubts there! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 I have taken, and will continue to take load of pictures. The question is should I post them on here or put them in DropBox and supply the link? Ian SoCal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdb Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 I’d say a handful of pics here, to give us the gist of things. Save the tonnage elsewhere that is freely available and post a link here. This is my way of subbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 (edited) An original Tank? Clean inside too! The gree nose is unused, albeit with a little damage. The Yellow one might make a good buck for a mold . . Engine definitely seems to have some tuning improvements. Never seen this mod on a 7 radiator before. Serck radiator. Original - maybe. Edited June 5, 2023 by ianashdown 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 (edited) Just a selection of todays unloading/unpacking. The frame needs work, serious work, but it’s far from some I’ve seen that ended up beautifully! Some of the sheet Aluminium is not bad, and some will need to be replaced. Then there will be the paint Vs polish discussion . . . The rear lower frame looks a bit rough and might need to be remade or at least repaired. The front suspension seems to be in good shape. There is an original fuel tank and radiator although the rad has a modification I’ve not seen before. Ian SoCal Front suspension seems complete and in good shape. A bit rough and will need to be repaired. Edited June 5, 2023 by ianashdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 (edited) The rear wheels have been modified for greater offset, and not really that well, the fronts seem to be in good shape though. Do these look like the original wheels? If so, are the available new anywhere? It may be that it could get a set of minilite type wheels or some Lotus steel wheels from my Elan if the sizing and offset works out. Ian SoCal Does this look like an original wheel? Nasty modification! Edited June 5, 2023 by ianashdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamScotticus Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 (edited) Don't throw away ANYTHING! The only parts of a Seven that are Lotus, made for the Seven are the fiberglass, body, seats, fuel tank. suspension links, Engibe mounts, hood sticks and weather equipment, wind screen, stanchions and propshaft. Everything else comes from other cars. You typically need to know about four other cars to know your Seven. Edited June 5, 2023 by IamScotticus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 Things are just going in to different piles at the moment. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way many years ago on a Triumph Hurricane restoration. Ian SoCal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MV8 Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 The wheels look original. The rear centers and hoops could be saved with a lot of work. You might try Stockton Wheel. New universal hoops are available spun or rolled in different gauges and sizes from a few suppliers. I'd look for aluminum rims to fit. The radiator steel upper neck mod looks to be soldered on to the brass tank so a hand torch and some heat could remove it for modification to a single neck or you could add the remote fill tank it seems made for instead of fitting a upper neck /filler combo to the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnCh Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 Great photos! Do you know what led the owner to disassemble the car when it was still relatively young? And not to derail the thread, but is that an Elan project I spot in the first photo? Thanks, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anduril3019 Posted June 5, 2023 Share Posted June 5, 2023 (edited) 12 hours ago, ianashdown said: The rear wheels have been modified for greater offset, and not really that well, the fronts seem to be in good shape though. Do these look like the original wheels? If so, are the available new anywhere? It may be that it could get a set of minilite type wheels or some Lotus steel wheels from my Elan if the sizing and offset works out. Ian SoCal Does this look like an original wheel? Nasty modification! Those wheels look like Ford Anglia, or early Cortina. But the chassis is too early for a Ford rear axle, and the front drum brakes are going to be Triumph PCD, which is 3 3/4", and typical for Lotus. Ford PCD is 4 1/4". Steel wheels in either PCD are not too hard to find, I've even seen steel Lotus wheels for sale occasionally. But you'll need to decide what to do at both ends depending on the parts you have and what direction you want to go. Keep the drum brakes, or upgrade to period discs? Keep the Triumph front hubs and use a Triumph rear axle? A few more variations you could go with. Here's a '69 Cortina GT wheel for comparison, slightly wider, but not by much! (4 1/2" I think) Edited June 5, 2023 by anduril3019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 (edited) “Do you know what led the owner to disassemble the car when it was still relatively young?” I really don’t! The owner is apparently quite sick and I had no contact with him at all, dealing only with his brother in law. Ian Edited June 5, 2023 by ianashdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianashdown Posted June 5, 2023 Author Share Posted June 5, 2023 3 minutes ago, anduril3019 said: Those wheels look like Ford Anglia, or early Cortina. But the chassis is too early for a Ford rear axle, and the front drum brakes are going to be Triumph PCD, which is 4", and typical for Lotus. Ford PCD is 4 1/4". Steel wheels in either PCD are not too hard to find, I've even seen steel Lotus wheels for sale occasionally. But you'll need to decide what to do at both ends depending on the parts you have and what direction you want to go. Keep the drum brakes, or upgrade to period discs? Keep the Triumph front hubs and use a Triumph rear axle? A few more variations you could go with. Here's a '69 Cortina GT wheel for comparison, slightly wider, but not by much! (4 1/2" I think) Hi, The rear axle is Standard 10, I even was provided with a spare. I’ll check the bolt pattern on both but I think they will be Triumph, both ends. I’m not sure what look I’ll be going for, I quite like steel wheels and hub caps for a very period look on S2’s, I do have some steel bolt on Lotus wheels and hub cap from my Elan project and could use them, or a set of minilite style wheels would look good too. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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