While I am on a roll, ;;What turned each of us on to a 7

[Alaskossie]

It takes me a long time to actually do anything...I read the Road & Track road test of the Lotus Seven America in July 1961 (lead-in tag line: "What is it, Daddy? It's a kit car, son.").

 

I collected everything on or about Lotus and Caterham Sevens for 45 years (even visiting the Caterham workshop in Caterham-on-the-Hill, Surrey, in 1985).....

 

But the clincher was riding shotgun with Bob Simon in his Caterham VX Evo, and finally driving a Seven SV through Rocky Mountain National Park, in the Colorado Rockies when we spent three days with the Brits' "How the West was Driven 2005" tour. Being a part of that gaggle of 55 or so Sevens, with all of the enthusiasm and variety, made me realize that I'd been burning daylight all these years.

 

So the Caterham Seven/Duratec 2.3 was ordered and delivered, and it's taking me a while to get it all together. I just look on it a prolonging the best parts of my midlife crisis, long into post-midlife.

 

Alaskossie

[MHKflyer52]

Alaskossie,

 

Good going and keep the build going as the build is the hardest part but also one of the best parts of 7 ownership as how many people can say that they actually built the car they are driving.

 

By the way how many 7 are in Alaska besides yours.

 

[Alaskossie]

Martin,

 

Presently there is one Caterham SV in Anchorage, and one Caterham Classic in North Pole, outside Fairbanks.

 

(My '07 Caterham Classic is actually not in Alaska yet, as I am building it in Colorado).

 

I saw one Caterham here about 10-12 years ago, owned by someone in the Air Force (he has long since transferred), and I have seen one competition-prepped Lotus 7 at an auto-x a few years ago (don't know if it is still up here). That's it for Alaska.

 

No Westfields or SIS's up here, as far as I know.

 

A couple of weeks ago I spoke with Graham Beckett, an ex-pat Brit who lives up here part-time. Graham built Alaska's first Lotus (and first 7) in his living room in Anchorage over the winter of 1962. He had to remove the picture window in the living room to get the completed car out of the house! (He said that his wife was spending that winter with relatives in the Lower 48, which explains a lot of things.....).

 

Graham also said he and a friend drove his Seven down to the Kenai River for some trophy king-salmon fishing -- forgetting until too late that when you catch two 60-pound kings, where do you put them in a Seven??

 

Graham has promised me some photos of those days. Wonder where his '62 Series 2 is now.......

 

Alaskossie

[andrew7]

I wanted to build a car before I could drive but was waiting for a large workshop garage. Fast forward 20 years with no super garage and I was sports car deprived. I wanted a convertible, never owned one. I wanted it simple and light, nothing in the car that wasn't required. The car had to be unique and not seen every day. I wanted to build everything from the ground up. I ran across Ron Champion's book and started researching the car and its history. I've never seen a Seven before 2004 even though I've been to races and car shows all my life. I showed Dad the car I was going to build in a few years. He said, "Why wait, I'm retired your on Sabbatical let's build it now." It was going to get a 2.3 Pinto engine but a local autocrosser convinced me to use a motocycle engine. Seven long winter months later it rolled out of the garage. After the kick stand went up(inside joke) the engine fired up and sounded like a growling police dog at idle and a Formula car at redline.

 

It also became the greatest bonding experience. My Dad and I, laughed to tears, bled from aluminum cuts, and argued till one of us left the garage. The car has so much character, everyone from children to the elderly marvel at it, including soccer moms in their minivans. I'm proud to be one of the Keepers of the Driver's Flame.

[scannon]

Modded 7s showed up. 7 clone with a 2.0 Porsche 911 mill in it.

 

m

 

Any info on this car? I'd like to see how they went about getting that flat 6 into a 7 chassis.

 

Skip

[pi7ot]

 

Any info on this car? I'd like to see how they went about getting that flat 6 into a 7 chassis.

 

Skip

 

Skip.

 

This car was running SCCA solo2 DMod in 1983.

 

The owner is a retired Porsche Tech/independent Shop owner.

 

From what I remember, the frame was extensively modified due to the width of the engine, and it used a rear mounted transaxle. Induction was Weber IDA down draught carbs.

 

It tossed a rod, and was replaced with a punched out 327 and ran in EMod in the early to mid 90s. At that time , the car would break its driveshafts. The car was sold and went west, but was still competing in solo 2 in the late 90's.

 

I'll ask the Previous owner if he has any pics.

 

m