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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: December 14, 2006, 12:37 am 
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Joined: August 15, 2005, 10:13 pm
Posts: 7043
Location: Charleston, WV
December (and Jan due to busy holiday season) build of the month: Bob MacLeod's 4age powered Locost 7

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I'm retired and live in Markham Ontario ; a suburb of Toronto ; and my Locost was finished and licenced in the summer of 2002. I have about 12000 miles on it as of this date and its used daily ; weather permitting ; and has proven to be as reliable as a hammer ! Ron Champions book was mentioned in an article in the local newspaper in the late 90's and I picked up a copy and I was hooked ! I had a well equipped basement workshop that included an Arc welder and Mig welder and a good working relationship with a local steel supplier so I got right into it . I didn't buy a complete donnor car and in fact had the chassis pretty well completed before I picked up a Toyota 4age with a T50 transmission from a local jobber . I picked up the other bits and pieces from a variety of places whenever I found something that would do the job .
I was fortunate in one respect if your going to build one of these things in Canada ; my basement workshop has direct access to the back yard and was large enough to allow me to build the whole car right in the basement so I could work year around . Once it was complete I just tore it apart on last time and moved it to the garage for paint and final assembly. It sounds easy but it took me 4 years !
Now a little about the build . The chassis is as per the " book " with just a couple changes . I added 4" in length to the cockpit area because I thought one of my two sons might want to get their hands on it but I shouldn't have bothered because neither one can work the pedals because of their big feet ! The scuttle is about 2" lower than the book design just because I thought it looked better. I didn't like the way the external coil overs worked even while it sat in the basement so I designed the push
rod / rocker are arrangement where the Spax coil overs are mounted vertically in the centre of the car. I'm using Isuzu Impulse
front uprights and a MGB steering rack. Most of the body panels are aluminium all though I molded a number of pieces out of Fiberglas such as the hood , seats , gas tank and " boot " liner . The only Locost parts on the car are the rear fenders and the nose cone which I had to modify quite a bit to get them to fit the way I wanted. Everything else on the car I built myself .
I spent about four hours looking at the 4age wiring harness and ECU then chucked the whole mess in the garbage and ordered up the SDS ( Simple Digital System ) engine management system . It was the wisest decision I made on the whole build because
when it came time to get the old 4age running it fired up instantly and has been completely reliable for four years and running !
I run up about 3500 miles in the first year on the road with the 16 valve 4age but I just couldn't resist the 4 throttle bodies on
the J spec. 20 valve 4age so I picked one up off of E bay. I had to do a bunch of mods. on those 4 throttle bodies to convert them from the stock air flow meter to the MAP system used by the SDS system but it works like a treat ; starts instantly hot or cold , idles at 700 rpm and revs through the 8400 rpm red line without hesitation. The switch to the SDS MAP system also allows me to run straight ram tubes on the throttle bodies which just look the part !!! The total build cost a little over $8000
but that includes the two grand for the SDS engine management system .
The car is a blast to drive and I just couldn't see putting it up on blocks through our long cold winters so for the last two years I've been towing it south with me to our winter home in Florida .
It's safe to say I had almost as much fun building this thing as I do driving it so it's time to build another one and I've been collecting various bits and pieces ; including a brand new " crate " Ford Duratec 2.3 engine ; over the last few months and should be able to start cutting tube and welding in the spring .
If your just getting started or struggling through the inevitable problems you'll encounter while building one of these things ; I encourage you to stick with it ; it's well worth the effort.

Bob MacLeod

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He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.


Last edited by chetcpo on December 19, 2006, 3:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: December 16, 2006, 12:58 am 
the engin bay looks stunning


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PostPosted: December 16, 2006, 6:10 pm 
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Joined: December 27, 2005, 8:13 pm
Posts: 787
Bob,

She's a beauty. A fine example and very authentic looking interior and all around. It would stand up well next to any B or C car at four times the cost. Push rods in front, too. Your build time was well spent.

I'm in awe...got to get back in the garage.


Last edited by Anonymous on January 7, 2007, 6:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: December 17, 2006, 11:26 pm 
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Joined: July 29, 2006, 6:49 pm
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Thanks Jon ; I've got the car in Florida for the winter and having a great time in the sun. Keep in touch ; I'd give my right arm to drive the At-om !
Bob MacLeod


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PostPosted: December 18, 2006, 5:48 am 
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Joined: August 17, 2005, 1:30 am
Posts: 2397
Location: So CALIFORNIA
Stunning build....Very nice!!!

I hope my build is half as nice.....


My question is.....
Quote:
I'd give my right arm to drive the At-om !

How would you shift?


On a side note......and questions answered.
I saw a one armed man taking his 9yo for a drive for a drive in a restored/rebuilt Sunbeam Tiger....(I was 16 yo, and MANY years ago) and he took the car sideways as he pulled out of the gas station slapping the gears with his left hand. (What a character...what a car!!!) The memories.........

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I am more human than most.


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PostPosted: December 18, 2006, 10:58 am 
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Joined: July 29, 2006, 6:49 pm
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Good point ; I guess I'll just keep my right arm and give him my first
born ! Bob MacLeod


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PostPosted: December 18, 2006, 9:25 pm 
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Joined: April 11, 2006, 10:27 pm
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Location: Murfreesboro TN
Bob. Very nice build. Nice and clean. How do you like the 20 valve compared with the 16 valve?
Great work and a credit to you.

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Graham,
www.earleymotorsports.com


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PostPosted: December 18, 2006, 9:35 pm 
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Joined: November 20, 2006, 8:59 pm
Posts: 91
Beautiful. Not my cup-o-tea, but very, very clean.

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PostPosted: December 18, 2006, 10:19 pm 
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Graham - I've been very pleased with both the 16 and 20 valve engines;
smooth , reliable and bullit proof so far. The 20 valve revs higher faster and does make more power but not as much as you might expect. I found the 20 valve more tractable than the 16 valve which is supprising when you consider that each of those 400cc cylinders is fed by it's own
47mm ( 1 7/8" ) throttle body . You can putter around town at 2000rpm all day then just put you foot into it revs cleanly to red line . Not a ton of power at the lower revs but you had better be hanging on and pointed in the direction you want to go once the 20 valve heads into the 5000 to 8000 rpm range !
Bob MacLeod


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PostPosted: December 18, 2006, 11:35 pm 
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Joined: August 16, 2005, 10:29 am
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Location: Alberta, Canada
Very nice.

Bob gave me some very nice info on 20valve some months ago - I've seen wimped out and gone 16 valve 4AGE :P


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PostPosted: December 24, 2006, 4:59 pm 
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Joined: January 18, 2006, 10:41 pm
Posts: 349
Location: Concord, NC
Bob,

Very nice build. I remember this car from a good ways back. Quick question. Where did you get your individual air cleaners from? I may need to do something like that on my car short term untill I can make an airbox for it.

Thanks,

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-Jeff

Project Seven
Instagram: @RexRacer19


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PostPosted: December 29, 2006, 12:50 pm 
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Jeff - You ask about my little " Powder Puff " air cleaners ! I covered the face of each ram tube with a piece of expanded metal so the foam elements wouldn't get sucked in then used about 4 layers of open cell filter foam saturated with oil over the face of each ram tube . These where held in place with a 1" piece of bicycle inner tube ! Worked OK untill last summer when I had occasion to drive the car with these filters removed and I noticed a considerable improvement in performance so I've since made a new one piece air filter that goes over all 4 throttle bodies. Not as pretty but it flows a lot more air .
Bob MacLeod


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PostPosted: December 30, 2006, 2:16 pm 
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Joined: January 18, 2006, 10:41 pm
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Location: Concord, NC
Thanks for the info, Bob. I am looking for something temporary until I can figure out what the final solution will be. I had considered just buying some foam material and making some units like what you did. I will just have to do some more searching.

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Project Seven
Instagram: @RexRacer19


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PostPosted: March 9, 2011, 8:53 am 
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Joined: March 6, 2011, 11:33 pm
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queensb7 wrote:
Graham - I've been very pleased with both the 16 and 20 valve engines;
smooth , reliable and bullit proof so far. The 20 valve revs higher faster and does make more power but not as much as you might expect. I found the 20 valve more tractable than the 16 valve which is supprising when you consider that each of those 400cc cylinders is fed by it's own
47mm ( 1 7/8" ) throttle body . You can putter around town at 2000rpm all day then just put you foot into it revs cleanly to red line . Not a ton of power at the lower revs but you had better be hanging on and pointed in the direction you want to go once the 20 valve heads into the 5000 to 8000 rpm range !
Bob MacLeod


5000 to 8000 rpm nice engine... how did you mount the engine... i have the same engine i think... but mine only allows me to rev a maximum of 7500rpm... is that normal? or is it my computer box? dunno the problem is... and how did you used the sensors for the intake manifolds? pls help... thanks!

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PostPosted: January 28, 2012, 11:28 am 
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Joined: January 28, 2012, 11:21 am
Posts: 1
WOW, deja vu !

Love the number plate, wish it was available here.

Just had to register and post up my build from 1999, it's featured in Ron's book on inner sleeve (With Ron's son in seat) and various pictures throughout. There's even one of me holding a drinks can somewhere :lol:

My build site unfortunately unable to be updated, but hope to put it up somewhere else eventually.

The site is www.robs7.com

Cheers all.

Rob Lane


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