There are only crickets in here...

Post by **BlackBart** » 11 Apr 2021, 19:31

Today I got to drive an early 60's Lotus 7 a friend of mine just hauled home last weekend. It was a complete hoot. Crazy. Completely raw and minimal. ZERO protection from any outside forces, including weather and wind.

DID I MENTION LOUD?? ...WHAT??

He guesses 100 hp in 1000 lbs? It went! I never got out of third gear, it's already going way too fast.

You sit at about hubcap level, your feet don't fit the footwell so pay attention downshifting, and a glass pack is dumping right at your ear. I'm just glad it wasn't right hand drive or I would have crashed it trying to shift!

I'm still smiling.

Post by **BlackBart** » 11 Apr 2021, 19:42

A friend dropped off a pile of old car magazines from the 80s. Mostly about 30s 40s 50s American cars. But as I was sorting and recycling, I saw this article on a cover so I saved it......

Post by **BlackBart** » 11 Apr 2021, 20:20

Sveedy wrote: ↑10 Apr 2021, 08:38 A bit off topic, but has anyone put a 5cyl turbo into a RWD car, such as a 960 ? Or something smaller ? Seems like it would be a lot of fun to drive with that combo.

Apparently it's a thing. I even see motor mounts available.

http://www.retroturbo.com/?product=volv ... teblocks-2

: bb0c0ca098e8382097e8ccb3a4b208f0.jpg (49.92 KiB) Viewed 2323 times

Post by **BlackBart** » 12 Apr 2021, 15:02

Way back..... The Matthews Volvo "Enthousiast" Page, MVEP

That's a Comet!

: 575997_411500448946513_1813219118_n.jpg (72.13 KiB) Viewed 2307 times

: 33943136_1719652164797995_969482480732078080_n.jpg (168.46 KiB) Viewed 2307 times

: The-Volvo-Wagon-Armada-04.jpg (108.42 KiB) Viewed 2307 times

: The-Volvo-Wagon-Armada-16.jpg (102.63 KiB) Viewed 2307 times

Post by **Sveedy** » 13 Apr 2021, 17:44

BlackBart wrote: ↑11 Apr 2021, 19:31 Today I got to drive an early 60's Lotus 7 a friend of mine just hauled home last weekend. It was a complete hoot. Crazy. Completely raw and minimal. ZERO protection from any outside forces, including weather and wind.

DID I MENTION LOUD?? ...WHAT??

He guesses 100 hp in 1000 lbs? It went! I never got out of third gear, it's already going way too fast.

You sit at about hubcap level, your feet don't fit the footwell so pay attention downshifting, and a glass pack is dumping right at your ear. I'm just glad it wasn't right hand drive or I would have crashed it trying to shift!

I'm still smiling.

That sounds sooo cool !! Just wear ear pro

Post by **Sveedy** » 13 Apr 2021, 17:45

BlackBart wrote: ↑11 Apr 2021, 20:20
Sveedy wrote: ↑10 Apr 2021, 08:38 A bit off topic, but has anyone put a 5cyl turbo into a RWD car, such as a 960 ? Or something smaller ? Seems like it would be a lot of fun to drive with that combo.
Apparently it's a thing. I even see motor mounts available.

http://www.retroturbo.com/?product=volv ... teblocks-2

bb0c0ca098e8382097e8ccb3a4b208f0.jpg

Now doesn't that fit nicely ?

Post by **BlackBart** » 14 Apr 2021, 11:33

Post by **BlackBart** » 14 Apr 2021, 12:37

The Lotus 7

Designed by Colin Chapman in the late 50s, it was essentially a lightweight race car that could be registered for the street.
(There was a 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 and 9 as well, but he saved "7" for this important car)
They were a minimal steel tube chassis with stressed aluminum (aluminium!) skin. To keep costs down and make them affordable, he sold them only as a kit to get around new car tax laws in the UK. To close that loophole the law didn't permit instructions, so he included "disassembly instructions"...just do it in reverse. They had a variety of straight four engines - British Fords, Lotus Fords etc.

By about 1960, the Series 2 was introduced with the idea of selling them in the US. It was a bit more road car that you could race. They had fiberglass swoop fenders because the cycle fenders were apparently illegal in several US states. A funny story I learned is that Colin "Add Lightness" Chapman took several tubes out of the chassis in the S2 to save cost and make it lighter. My friend tells me almost every S2 has had a kit installed with those missing tubes - they were too flexible without.

I think in the late 60s he sold the rights to the 7 to the largest Lotus dealer in London, Caterham. From then on, the Caterham 7 has been available and gotten more extreme with huge tires and a lot of power. Still in kit form, but very expensive now. Used ones are sometimes $40 - 50,000.

: lotus-seven-1959-2.jpg (121.2 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

: L unnamed.jpg (40.16 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

: L sv2.jpg (156.14 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

: L seven.jpg (531.57 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

: L A-Brief-History-from-Lotus-7-to-Caterham-7-15a-1957-Lotus-7A-Series-1-Roadster-rmsothebys.jpg (336.06 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

Series 2 (Plastic fenders and nose cone)

: L 0.jpg (44.45 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

: L 11632441.jpg (177.08 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

: L 7_2.jpg (23.37 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

: L 81d50cdd_5b6c_4eea_bc14_9f700df4828c_e2e1afcef04751501c7da333aba207725c07fff8.jpeg (28.83 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

: L unnamed-1.jpg (41.8 KiB) Viewed 2280 times

It's kind of hard to tell an S2 from later Caterhams, but generally the Caterhams have huge fenders, fat wheels, leather, headrests, and too much engine. They have a wide version as well, in case you don't fit.

They have built some retro versions that look like the early ones...