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Lotus 7 Project Arrived


ianashdown

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I have Goodyear heavy duty tubes with one still in the box. They come as a pair and are advertised as being 80% thicker than standard tubes. The size I have is for 26" x up to 2.3" wide. The tube flattened from the packaging (two layers) measures 2" x 0.110". The thickness was from being squeezed a bit. I think two tubes, cut at the valve and one tube end cut back an inch to lap in the channel would work well to isolate the glass, well enough for sealing, and be long enough to fill the length of the upper channel if it is less than 51 inches. I noticed the lower channel is a bit narrower than the upper.

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Just noticed your project yesterday, might look like a lot to do but remember it is a small car!

 

I had my local window guy cut and seal my windshield, and I think he just used some type of black liquid sealer.

You may try Fairchild Industries, they have all kinds of automotive weatherstrip.

 

I don't remember where I got the windshield to body seal, but I think that is fairly available.

 

Good Luck!

 

Joe

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I was cleaning the windscreen today, scrapping off the RTV stuck to the glass etc, and on closer inspection I find the glass has a couple of pretty decent chips, an small area that has been worn, and quite a bit of delaminating around the edge.  One area the red RTV has penetrated between the panes.  All in all I think it’s worth, as part of the restoration, getting a new screen.

 

Is there anyone else who’d like a screen, either a replacement or a spare?  I’m just thinking we might get a better price for a number of screens.  I’m probably going to 2 screens (1 spare) for my Series 2, if any one is interested, let me know and I’ll get a quote for a quantity.  
 

Happy 4th to you all!  
 

Ian

 

Ex-Brit! 🇬🇧🇺🇸

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Even though I’m very much at the beginning of my restoration I have been thinking of some finish items that come way at the end, but also have decisions that need to be made quite early.

 

It appears my car was originally white, with red dash, seats etc, from the factory, presumably that would have been some variant of Old English White.  Certainly what I am finding on the car supports that conclusion.

 

I was always planning the appearance would be ‘of the period’, and what could be more ‘of the period’ than the original color?  It seems there aren’t, or weren’t, many 7’s in white, and I think it could look pretty cool!  I’ll go with red interior with white piping.  What color piping should there be on the fenders (wings for my fellow Brits!), red, white, black or none?  
 

To pull this off completely I think I should get the trunk cover and tonneau in matching red with white.  Should the hood and doors be red too?  Then the question is, who makes these items in red?  I’m guessing they might be custom, but I think it would look very cool!  One trick will be to get everything to be the in same color!

 

I’ve not decided on wheels yet, but it’s between lotus steel with hub caps, or Minilite style.  Then there’s the color . . .  White Minilites might look good!

 

Progress reports coming soon!

 

Ian

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Boot cover black, white piping.  Wing piping white.

Tonneau, hood and all weather equipment is black.

Get with Thundersport

https://www.thundersport.co.uk/

Or Arch Motors.

Also, pay the money and get on the Lotusandcaterham club so you san post on Blatchat.

https://www.caterhamlotus7.club/

Also, there are Lotus clubs all over.  Post WTB on them all and you might find some spares.

Fleabay too.

 

And PLEASE! Don't paint any chassis or suspension tubes the body color.:banghead:

There is a shade of gray for chsssis. Gray for seeing cracks better.  There may have been various shades of gray, it doesn't really matter which exactly.

Edited by IamScotticus
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Ian, you need to find a copy of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car November 2014 Issue 111. In it there is an article called: Restoration Profile: A spectacular Lotus Seven emerges from its owner's garage. I'm sure a lot of your questions will be answered.

From working on early open wheeled Lotus race cars I know that the frames were painted gray. The images I found online from the above article looks like the fender, interior and rear boot cover piping are white. Remember, Google is your friend.

(oops, I see I'm a little late with this info.)

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Nov 2014 cover.JPG

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a5f34632d1e8ba93eaa516af073c4a92.jpg

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49 minutes ago, IamScotticus said:

Boot cover black, white piping.  Wing piping white.

Tonneau, hood and all weather equipment is black.

 

Also, pay the money and get on the Lotusandcaterham club so you san post on Blatchat.

https://www.caterhamlotus7.club/

 

And PLEASE! Don't paint any chassis or suspension tubes the body color.:banghead:

There is a shade of gray for chsssis. Gray for seeing cracks better.  There may have been various shades of gray, it doesn't really matter which exactly.

Don’t you think a red Trunk cover and Tonneau would look cool with a white body?

 

I visit Lotusandcaterham forum often.  I find very little ‘Lotus 7’ content on there, but for the cost of entry it probably is worthwhile.

 

OMG!  I’m horrified that you even think for a minute that I might commit such a heinous sin! :classic_cool::classic_laugh:  Most of my chassis is still in the original medium grey.   It will be going back to that color.

 

Ian

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For the exterior, the pipping looks just like what is used on vw bug fenders. The upholsterer will make the seat piping.

 

I took a few pics of the green car at LOG in '09.

Edited by MV8
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4 minutes ago, SENC said:

but it's your car, you should do it exactly the way you want it!

 

This!  Unless your goal is pure originality, or you plan to sell off the car fairly quickly, satisfy your aesthetic.  

 

-John

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16 hours ago, ianashdown said:

IMG_1631.jpeg

Lotus made a few S3 SS models with twin cam. And there was a premiere show car to introduce the model.  I suspect the Nearn family still has it "NRN7" plate. That picture looks like it.  The redness was for the show.

The mounting of the front amber lamps, louver grille and recessed brake lamps are unique things limited to that model.  Only 14 or so were made (officially).

Edited by IamScotticus
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  • 4 weeks later...

I got all the Aluminium panels removed so the frame could go off to my local powder-coater for a sandblast clean up.  I’m just wanting to reveal all the ‘issues’ with the frame.  With the panels removed the condition of the frame was much more easily seen, and several things I’d not seen before were revealed, as was the horrendous standard of work done by/for the DPO.

 

Already the scope of frame repairs has significantly increased, then add my ‘improvements’ and there is a lot of work to be done.  I have a gas fluxer and am fairly handy with it, have the correct rod etc so I could use this low temp method for all the repairs, but this frame, being a Unirads built frame, was gas welded not nickel-bronze brazed.  I was going to buy a TIG welder but I think my available power at home may not be sufficient, and the cost to upgrade the power plus buy the TIG set-up it getting a little higher than I’d like, so I think nickel-bronze brazing will probably be my choice.  I do need to figure out some kind of jig for the chassis to make sure I have a chance of the end result being close to straight.

 

A few shots of some of the things that will need to be addressed.  I’m going to try a find somewhere to post all the photos so they can be viewed by anyone.

 

I also had a new windscreen cut from flat laminated glass.  It wasn’t ‘cheap’ at $190, but not too bad either.  The thickness of laminated glass that was used (0.220”) is no longer available, we have to use 0.25” thick (which turns out to be 0.258”) and the rubber channel extrusion that I got from Caterham seems to be made for thinner glass, maybe it is available in the UK.  The combination of the new glass with the rubber extrusion seem to be impossible to fit in to the frame extrusion, so I think I’ll have to investigate the bicycle inner tube idea or I’m back to the plan of using a sealant of some kind.  I might look into getting a mask made so I can etch some period markings in to the glass.

 

More fun to come!

 

Ian

SoCal

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