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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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 Post subject: Remembering the Berkeley
PostPosted: June 26, 2014, 12:01 am 
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Joined: July 2, 2008, 12:01 pm
Posts: 19
Location: Bartlesville Oklahoma 74006
I was remembering the evening a friend and I in the Berkeley had a flat on the left rear. I didn't have a jack. just a Crescent wrench. The Berk has an 80-20 wt. distribution and weighs 710 lbs. I loosened the lug nuts and sat the full bellypan body on my vertical leg on my knee. It woreked OK. I was able to remove and replace the wheel with ease. My passenger was amused. I was glad it wasn't a front tire though. My usual refuling was to put a quart of oil and 4 gallons of fuel in th e tank, pich the rear up and shake it to mix it. Once at a drive-in bank, the girl said I had to be in a vehicle to use the facility. I got out, lifted it up where she could see it, and she died laughing. In gravel drive-in drink stand, a smartass in a Buick pulled up right behind me and the Mug was in front. My wife and son were in the car. I just slid the rear over and backed out. At work as I was getting ready to leave, two smartasses snuck up behind and slowly lifted the rear wheels off the ground. They didn't realize it was FWD. .LOL. I took it slow so they wouldn't get back and neck injuries. That was one fun litle car. With a 70 inch WB it was a holy terror in gymkhanas. All that could handle me were SCCA 65 HP Sprites. We had a Lotus 7 suck in our class once and protested to no avail. Turned out with an 88" WB he was like a beached whale.


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PostPosted: June 26, 2014, 7:39 am 
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Joined: December 22, 2006, 2:05 pm
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Thanks for sharing! I like Berkeley too.

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PostPosted: June 26, 2014, 1:19 pm 
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Joined: February 22, 2011, 4:14 pm
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Do you have any pics?


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PostPosted: June 26, 2014, 3:39 pm 
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Joined: July 2, 2008, 12:01 pm
Posts: 19
Location: Bartlesville Oklahoma 74006
Scottmkiv wrote:
Do you have any pics?

Yes, but I don't know how to scan on the copier and post here. It was blue, 1958 328 cc with an Excelsior 328 cc Talisman twin and 3 speed Albian transmission + reverse. Starter/generator was Ciba Dynastart as on BMW Isetta. This particular one won the "I" class at Daytona. The guy cut 6 2-1/2" holes in the rump to let air out At least it was handy for picking it up. If you want to see one, just Google 328CC Berkeley sports car. It had a thick FRP body with sheet 18ga. ally and 16 ga. steel inside to mount the suspension and drive train to. It had a 4 gallon tank above the differential, which was driven by #40 roller chain. Girling shock spring units and 65 sq. in. brake surface, 44" wide 70" WB. 720 Lbs. It had a cloth top that fit a frame removed from the bay behind the seat. One funny thing that happened was the Lucas electric wiper would slow and stall on hills. I was about nuts trying to understand that. Just like a vacuum unit, More throttle = less wipe. Post mortem revealed a rotted seal under the left wiper pivot that allowed water to enter the motor and rust the top brush spring. The brush depeded on gravity for contact and the more the car trembled with throttle the more the brush danced. LOL I rolled a new spring from single strand ss model airplane control line wire. No more problem. Top speed about 65
The "seats" were transverse tubes with 2" elastic Pirelli straps hooked into the ally with pads on them. Top speed about 5 mph. they also made a 3 cyl 500 cc and a Berkeley Bandit with a 650CC Royal Enfield 4 cycle. It would do about 100 mph.


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PostPosted: June 26, 2014, 3:57 pm 
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Joined: October 19, 2009, 9:36 pm
Posts: 2199
Location: meadview arizona
the ultimate berkeley.

this i an old friend of mine from England, his name is Gerry Cookson.

he built it because it was the lightest 4 wheeled car he could find.

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