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I was up at a localish machine shop today to meet the owner and I told him about my project and he said "I have a Lotus over here" and so we went and looked at it these pics are from when he bought it, now it is stripped down for restoration/ rebuilding.

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That is cool. Its amazing how few tubes there are in the frame.....


Thanks for sharing!

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"The decision to build a car is not one reached through a rational mindset. It is a decision that is made because we have to do it! It makes no sense, but neither does love, children and taxes" -Sam Buchanan

My Build Log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3054

I was looking at it and thinking the same thing!

Makes you wonder what we all get so worked up about sometimes when we get to arguing about frame strength considering what these really started out with for strength and what they were capable of doing in their time!

Be neat to get some side by side comparisons of the new/old (frame, a-arms...). See just how far we've come in some aspects and what we've forgotten on others!

KS

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Never become a pessimist. A pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events.-Robert A. Heinlein

Here are some pics of the only real 7 I've ever sat in and made the vrooom vrooom sounds. Didn't get a ride in it.

When I get mine done and help the owner of the one in the pics get his restored and put back together we'll have a photoshoot at the track

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Agreed, until you look at the size of the tires/wheels and start to realize just how much greater the laterial and longitudunal loads that we are putting into the chassis are. Remember, the early 7's were built when drivers were (race drivers) fat and the tires were skinny.

Even seen a photo of Juan Fangio? That guy was not small by any strech of the imagination and won 5 World Championships. Now he probably wouldn't fit into the transporter for the cars. He certainly would not fit into a modern F1 car. (NASCAR easy, F1 or Indy Car, nope)

Fangio: Taxicab driver makes good.
He is one of the great ones.

Notice that the bonnet opens from either side (piano hinge down the center line). I've never seen one like that before. Must be a customer mod. Also notice that you have to take the nose cone off to check the radiator water level.

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"My junk is organized. At least is was when I put it wherever it is." -olrowdy
Completed building GSXR1000 CMC7, "Locouki"
Website: http://projekt.com/locouki/

Owners often found out that Colin was seriously scraping the bottom of the design envelope, with cars often cracking in critical places. It was common to add a couple tubes to patch his slightly overzealous weight-savings.

Some of the Lotus race car drivers were scared of his cars, as more than a few physically broke on-track... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/lotusf1/7224561/Lotus-F1-set-for-Formula-One-return-with-the-focus-on-reliability.html

Here's a good one, from Sir Stirling Moss:


About the thin tubes, as was noted above, we now have tires with far more traction than Colin could have imagined for the street. My buddy has an original Seven and I think he said it had about 50 hp or so. With 3-5 times that amount, and the above chassis issues, I think we're doing right by "overbuilding" the chassis, and probably making them about where they need to be.

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Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
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