LSB2468 - even numbers for an odd car

[Darcy]

I thought I should post a picture of my Lotus' current state.  

 

I got the JBW wheels.  They are great.  But the wheel studs are too short, so in this picture you can see that I have new studs installed on the front left, and I'm working on the front right.  I have some parts on order from Caterhamparts.co.uk, because I want to get it back on the road. I was shocked at the shipping charge from them.  It makes no sense.  I can order 5 Pirelli tires from the UK and pay 150 pounds for shipping.  To get 3 kgs of parts from Caterham cost 90 pounds? 

 

I spoke to Ken at DaveBean.com and he reassured me that most parts for my car are available. I sent 3 different messages to Redline and have had no response yet (Email, WhatsApp, and online form).  It was a holiday in the UK yesterday, so he may be a little behind. 

Does anyone have any idea how to remove these dust caps without causing damage?  I have not succeeded in getting them out without making a mess.  I suspect I am the first to remove them in 56 years.  The grease is not pretty, but the bearings seem Ok. 

[Darcy]

Rats, this landed in the wrong place.  I didn't realize these Build threads would end up being long rambling, things that had no subject breakdown. Unless I'm missing something.  I hit the "New Topic" button at the top of my Build thread and it started a new one. 

[Darcy]

Time to think about seat restoration.

One of the seats will be good for a pattern.  The other has disintegrated. ChatGPT suggests using two different types of foam for the seats and gluing it together. 

 

The vinyl material is in good shape. I can make up the plywood.  Marine grade treated is recommended, but I only need a few square feet. Does anyone know what the black plastic material is that is stapled on the bottom?  Here are some pictures of the current state:

[Darcy]

When researching a replacement grease cap, ChatGPT told me that I was supposed to thread in a #10 UNF screw and push them out.  That sounds great, but for one of these, I don't think the screw would have survived. The cap was practically welded in. 

[JohnCh]

3 hours ago, Darcy said:

Rats, this landed in the wrong place.  I didn't realize these Build threads would end up being long rambling, things that had no subject breakdown. Unless I'm missing something.  I hit the "New Topic" button at the top of my Build thread and it started a new one. 

I merged the threads to keep this to a single build thread. 

[pethier]

On 9/1/2026 at 3:50 PM, Darcy said:

Does anyone have any idea how to remove these dust caps without causing damage?  I have not succeeded in getting them out without making a mess.  I suspect I am the first to remove them in 56 years.  The grease is not pretty, but the bearings seem Ok. 

 

My old friend Slide Hammer. 

 

Yes, the theory is to use a machine screw. The screw presses against the end of the stub axle and presses the cap off.

 

The practice is that the hole in the cap is messed up and the cap has mated itself in place.  If the original threads are not up to the task, put a sheet-metal screw into your slide hammer and use it to suggest the cap move out.  Keep hitting it harder until it decides to move.

 

Some caps have a male stud instead of a hole.  They are not even pretending that the press will work, and expect a slide hammer.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 06:13 AM by pethier
The usual reason: Typo.

[Darcy]

I had a question from a forum member for a couple of pictures.  The fan motor numbers and the scoop on the bonnet. Also, the paint is coming back.  I am using a dual action polisher with a fairly aggressive pad for the first pass. I haven't polished the bonnet yet. I think I'm going to keep the paint as is.  It's a survivor with original paint. But the lustre is quite impressive on that rear fender.  I think after two more levels of polish and it will glow. 

 

Darcy

Edited Friday at 12:35 AM by Darcy

[San Augustine]

If you need bushings contact Chris at Sevens and Elans email: sevenselans@gmail.com

 

He is also on this site as @fotsyr

[Darcy]

I did get some A frame bushings from caterhamparts.co.uk

 

Shipping prices were nuts. I don't think I can afford to buy more from them. 6 pound package was 90 UK pounds. 

 

The bushings were an incredibly tight fit. 

[San Augustine]

Ouch! 
 

Here are some pictures from the Tony Weale book that you might find useful especially if you tackle the front suspension. The Y9 and Y16 bushings are MG parts and are readily available. If you decide to replace your engine mounts know that they are from a Jaguar E type and easily obtainable on this side of the pond. 

[Darcy]

Thanks. A local Seven owner loaned me his copy of the book and it fell into my scanner. Oops. 

 

I found an interesting link today to a repair manual for ancient triumph heralds and spitfires. You need an ad blocker because the site is terrible but you can read the document without signing up for anything. Some of it looks applicable:

 

https://www.scribd.com/document/48540023/Group-4-Suspension-Steering

 

 

 

 

[San Augustine]

Yes, I believe the Spitfire uprights are the same. So if you redo the trunnions go with Triumph parts. Also found a cheaper source for the 636 bushings.  They are the same for the Europa and Seven S4.

 

SJ enterprises.

 

https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and-accessories/X036C6004Z.htm

[EdWills]

Hi @San Augustine and @Darcy.  Just some info. that I added to another forum and found on-line regarding bushes used on Lotus cars in general.  A poster had inquired regarding the source of a certain bushing, and a model of car (not Lotus) was quoted as the source.

 

This from from AI: "Metalastik (often spelled Metallastic) is a famous historical British brand of rubber-to-metal bonded components, including flexible bearings and bushings, founded in Leicester in 1937 by engineer Mac Goldsmith.  The brand is now owned by Trelleborg and distributed in the U.K. by Robush.  

 

Numerous car manufacturers used these bushes, including Ford, TVR, Jaguar, Lotus, and numerous other road and racing car manufacturers, plus kit car producers. Back in the day before computers, manufacturers would have catalogues of products from the various supply companies, and the car designers would source bushings and other necessary parts from the catalogues to suit the car they were designing.  Although a Metallastic mount was used on say a Jaguar front and rear bumper, it was not exclusively a Jaguar part, as other manufacturers would make use of the same item (Lotus Seven 2,3 engine mount).  Lotus would buy the bushings directly from Metallastic, not say Jaguar, as doing this would reduce profit margin.  Although interesting to some where a certain bush was used on another car, I don't think it would be necessary for a rebuild of a Lotus Seven to source a set of bushings from all of the different car manufacturers who used a certain bush in order to replace it on a Seven (or even a Caterham 7), unless a required bushing was so rare and only available from another car company parts bin.

 

I hope during the winter months (when it's freezing in my garage and too cold to do any work) that I will add a list of bushes with photos identifying the various part numbers of the bushes - used on a Seven - to my web site.  This is not to say that Robush for example, will still have the same part number. Many bushes are probably metric measurements these days

 

Chris Mintoft at Redline would be the go to for these bushes, unless he can no longer get some of them.  Just a note:  I am not sure if Chris uses Lotus part numbers.  Mick Lincoln of the original Redline Components advised me ages ago, that he did not use the numbers from the Lotus Seven Owners Manual, instead relying on a description of its use or photo of the required part?

 

@Darcy  I would be interested to find out which is cheaper, purchasing - with the cost of shipping included - from the U.K. and the U.S. please? Cheers, W.

 

[EdWills]

1 hour ago, San Augustine said:

Yes, I believe the Spitfire uprights are the same. So if you redo the trunnions go with Triumph parts. Also found a cheaper source for the 636 bushings.  They are the same for the Europa and Seven S4.

 

SJ enterprises.

 

https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and-accessories/X036C6004Z.htm

Found this out from a post by a Lotus Seven designer.  He redesigned the front hubs for the Lotus Seven Series 3 in order to take the 4-1/4 inch bolt circle pattern of the Ford wheels to match the same bolt circle diameter of the Escort rear axle after supplies of the Standard Triumph rear axle dried up.  The Standard Triumph steel hub could not be modified from its 3-3/4 inch bolt circle diameter to suit the larger diameter, therefore Triumph hubs as fully machined by them could no longer be used. He did not mention if the hubs were specially produced by Lotus, or sourced as blanks from Standard Triumph.  The hubs for the Series 4 would likewise be required to have a 4-1/4 inch bolt circle.

 

Would the Europa and possibly the Elan be required to have a different bolt circle measurement, or were the rear hubs still of 3-3/4 inches on these models?  Cheers, W.

[San Augustine]

@EdWills I wasn’t referring to the hub, just the spindle which is Triumph. The Europa and Elan still used the 3&3/4  bolt pattern hub. Although, Elans were available with knock offs. Now that we have new tariffs the UK is probably a better source of parts for Canadians than the USA. I suppose you can get parts from the UK duty free? 

[EdWills]

8 minutes ago, San Augustine said:

@EdWills I wasn’t referring to the hub, just the spindle which is Triumph. The Europa and Elan still used the 3&3/4  bolt pattern hub. Although, Elans were available with knock offs. Now that we have new tariffs the UK is probably a better source of parts for Canadians than the USA. I suppose you can get parts from the UK duty free? 

Hi @San Augustine Understood, and my error, apologies.  I should have added it to one of Darcy's posts on page 1.  Sorry about that.  Thanks for the confirmation on the Europa and Elan.  It would be interesting to compare prices between the two countries, as shipping from the U.K. as noted by Darcy, has gone sky high. I recently ordered a part from Pegasus in the U.S. (only available from them), and they found a very reasonable postal rate for me.  The cost of the item was below the tax level for Canada fortunately, so nothing extra to pay.  Cheers W.