solder_guy Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Re: Rotus Front Calipers: '70-73 Toyota Corona (Not Mark II). Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGHROTUS Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 It was probably sort of rude for me to jump into this intro thread asking for help without introducing myself, so sorry about that, and thanks to Rob for the quick info on my front brake question. I have been into sports cars since I read "The Red Car" probably in 6th or 7th grade. Some of you might be old enough to remember that classic from the traveling book-mobile with a story about a wrecked MG-TC at "Frenchy's garage" and the kid who bought it and fixed it up. While my first car in college was actually a VW beetle, as soon as I got a job I bought a Triumph Spitfire and drove the wheels off it autocrossing almost every weekend. Since that first sports car, I have owned another Spitfire, two Datsun Roadsters, Fiat Spyder, Alfa Romeo Spyder, BMW Z-3 and now the Rotus as of a couple weeks ago. I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and attend most SCCA events at Summit Point, WV just a short drive north. I have been into motorcycles for the past 15 years or so and have not had much luck getting my wife on the back seat of anything 2 wheeled, so the Rotus seemed like a good compromise. I am a Marine Engineer and have pretty good mechanical skills, so I should be able to tackle most maintenance and repair tasks on the Rotus myself. I am looking forward to meeting some of you 7 owners on the East Coast in due time. No exciting stories about how I came upon my car. It was sitting in a Foreign Car Repair shop about a block from where I work in downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia and the owner who runs the shop was downsizing his small collection so I snapped it up, stuck it in my garage and begged my wife for forgiveness. It's always easier to get forgiveness than permission:smilielol5: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotus8guy Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 WGHRotus, I'm curious what your chassis number is? I know Rob and Mazda have very early cars, and it's difficult to know how many Roti are out there since Chris Custer didn't number them sequentially. Mine is number 151 (I think) and I haven't heard of one produced after that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotus8guy Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Oops, my bad. I just noticed that you already said you have chassis #57. Still leaves open the mystery of how many where made, and where we all fall in the sequence. Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruadhd2 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I"m not sure that the Rotus number 57 is correct. If it was built in 1989 and there were only about 60 cars made, then that means Chris Custer and Dennis Hedges only made about 3 more cars, but mine is a rotary also that was produced in 1990 and there were still the Rover V8s that were produced. Dennis once explained the production number code to me but I really didn't understand it, like a guy asking for directions. Maybe I wasn't listening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruadhd2 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I guess one of us needs to call Dennis and ask him to explain the code. I have his number. I was hoping to go up to see him in West Virginia when the weather breaks. He still has the leftover gigs, parts, and plans from the Roti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 I guess one of us needs to call Dennis and ask him to explain the code. I have his number. I was hoping to go up to see him in West Virginia when the weather breaks. He still has the leftover gigs, parts, and plans from the Roti. The explanation on production number is that they went by sevens for the first few cars. except mine is 2, even though it's 1 :willy_nilly:. So the first few cars are 2,7,14,21. After that, I don't know. Dennis joined the company a little later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotus8guy Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I just checked my paperwork, mine is chassis #101. First registered in 1995. I think it was the May 1994 Carlise Show that Chris and Dennis used my frame for their display. I just got off the phone with Dennis, he didn't have the paperwork handy, but he said he still had it somewhere and will call me back with the numbers. His recollection is that total production was 40 something and mine was 3rd or 4th to the last. Anybody from our Rotus support group want to go in on the Rotus jigs and production equipment? Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruadhd2 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 John.This is really funny. Warren, the guy who started this thread, and I have been talking about going to visit Dennis in the spring. We were thinking about starting a car company based on the Rotus concept. I have a possible very well positioned investor with significant business experience but my dream of doing this is weakening the more I think about the complexities of the endeavour. It sure would be great to own the jigs, parts, and plans though, since I want a new bonnet and could use a bunch of other parts. PM me to talk about it. I'm in Silver Spring, MD. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Guys, the Rotus topic is worthy of its own thread... John or Steve, can you start one? or take to email and copy me and probably Rob too. Very worth discussing (I have given this much thought too) but I wanna keep it out of the member introduction thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruadhd2 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I think it would be great if Rob had the time since he has compiled so much information about Rotuses (Roti?), including parts lists, articles, and has tracked down a number of owners. I know he is very busy at work, but if he doesn't have time I'd be happy to assist. He's the first person I thought of. Rob??? Of course you, Mazda, know a bunch about them too, though Frankn7 would require a car detective to recognize that it was actually, originally a Rotus. I probably am one of the few people who has had the fortune or misfortune of owning two of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Gunther Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) Hey Angus, So glad to hear you're alive and well. I'm sure you'll have a GREAT experience if you DO come to the States. FYI: If you're going to work in NYC you don't have to live there ('Tho it would certainly be a great experience.) In any event, there are certainly a lot of great drives within an hour of NYC. Still on my favorites list (and checked periodically for signs of life) http://www.MyCaterham.com Edited February 4, 2011 by Jim Gunther Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klasik-69 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I'm brand new to the Lotus scene, not sure if this thread is done or dead but I thought I'd jump in anyway and introduce myself. I'm in the process of buying an 03 Caterham R300 superlight fitted with the Duratec 2.0 L 205 hp engine and 5 speed tranny. I have yet to drive this car. I'm buying it from the doctor who did my total knee replacement 5 weeks ago. I'm a business owner in Melbourne, Florida who now has the extra time to pursue life's little pleasures. I race in SCCA SM class and have run numerous HPDE events all over the southeast. I have mostly run my 07 Z06 Corvette on the tracks to include Daytona, Sebring, PBIR, Gainesvill, Roebling and Barber Motorsports Park. The Miata has left me wanting more speed, hence the interest in the Super 7. I also own a 2007 Z51 Corvette convertible, a 1969 matching numbers big block Corvette roadster, and a 1967 Pontiac GTO (not matching anything). I hope to learn from you seasonned Lotus owners and hope not to bore you with stupid questions. I promise to do a search first, then if I don't feel like I found out what I need to know, I'll post. Thanks to all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellowss7 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 A 205Hp Caterham is closer to an R400 than an R300 in spec. I promise the first time you take the 7 out on the track you will be smiling so hard your face will hurt. You will be amazed at the difference in braking points and cornering speeds. Although you may be disappointed in straightaway speeds. Welcome aboard!! Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klasik-69 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Yes, you're right about the car being closer to an R400 in specs but he bought the R300 then opted for the bigger HP motor. I don't really know enough about these cars to make any kind of claim of opinion. I believe you're right about having to get a doctor to surgically remove the smile off your face after the first drive. Top speed, as you pointed out, may be the drop off but it will be much better than the Spec Miata. I never saw more than 106 at Sebring with it, and at that I had to flog the bejesus out of it. On the other hand, we were hitting 174 mph at Daytona running the Z06 on the Rolex 24 hour course. I'm thinking the top speed of the 7 may be around 140, depending on tire size. Let me know if I'm way off base. Also, don't hesitate to give me any information or tips you think will benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRTurboGuy Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 A quick hello, I hope I'm allowed here, as I have a 'Locost' and not a kit. I've been interested in building a 7ish car for about 7 years or so now. I used to be an admin over at the LocostUSA site, but life got in the way & I disappeared for a while. There are a couple of folks in my local SCCA region that have 7ish cars, so I'm somewhat familiar with them and prior to buying my Locost, got a chance to drive one around an autox course. I recently purchased a R1 powered Locost in VA and drove it back to Iowa. It was quite a journey, don't know if I'd do it again. It is a good starting point to further develop it, I've already got a few ideas for improvements. Just thought I'd stop by and introduce myself. --JOsh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slngsht Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Josh, you're definitely more than welcome here. No competition between the two sites... members here regularly mention locostusa to new people looking for more build oriented information... I look at it as locostusa is very useful during the build process, and usa7s is more focused on ownership and using the car, whether you built it, assembled it, or bought it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scannon Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Welcome aboard Josh. Please tell us about the journey home and post some pictures of your new car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHKflyer52 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 A quick hello, I hope I'm allowed here, as I have a 'Locost' and not a kit. I've been interested in building a 7ish car for about 7 years or so now. I used to be an admin over at the LocostUSA site, but life got in the way & I disappeared for a while. There are a couple of folks in my local SCCA region that have 7ish cars, so I'm somewhat familiar with them and prior to buying my Locost, got a chance to drive one around an autox course. I recently purchased a R1 powered Locost in VA and drove it back to Iowa. It was quite a journey, don't know if I'd do it again. It is a good starting point to further develop it, I've already got a few ideas for improvements. Just thought I'd stop by and introduce myself. --JOsh Hi Josh, Good to hear from another enthusiast with a home built or Locost or LSIS. I know a lot of folks would enjoy reading about your trip and seeing some photos of your 7 also as stated by Scannon in the post above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRTurboGuy Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Thanks for the warm welcome! I found this picture of my car in the Member Rides area in the thread 'So a Westfield and Caterham walk into a bar' from a car show/meet that one of the members went to, though it wasn't mine when the picture was taken. https://picasaweb.google.com/drsms22/BestOfKatieSCarsAndCoffee#5593615274605185058 I'm still working on writing up an account of my trip, but once I do, I'll be sure to post it or a link to it. --JOsh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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