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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: June 16, 2012, 11:34 pm 
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Racepedals wrote:
Added the bracing up front. Now I am pondering about the tubes running from the front to the rear. . .
Any ideas..options etc., would be appreciated.]



Think long and hard about how you will get the engine/tranny out if you add a bunch of bracing. I ended up using a removable "strut tower brace" on my miata based build because I needed to bring the eng/trans quite a ways forward to get enough tilt so it would clear the firewall. Tack and test any tube you add that is out of the ordinary.

Looking good!

Keep after it. It's worth it!

Rusty.

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PostPosted: June 17, 2012, 8:42 am 
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Thanks for the advice. I'm leaving the engine in as I add these braces (tack welded) just in case. I could not find many picture of what others did for braces around the Miata engine besides leaving them out. I do want to add some horizontal bracing in the engine bay but they may end up being bolted in.


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PostPosted: June 19, 2012, 9:16 pm 
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In order to get a smooth transition from the scuddle to the nose cone and to finish up the scuddle, I need to do some work on the nose cone so it clears the from valve cover and radiator. This required I increase the height about 2". Sure did hate cutting the nose cone but it needed some work anyway as the shape was not as uniformed as I would have liked.
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PostPosted: June 19, 2012, 10:19 pm 
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Yo, 'Pedals-
Scary moment, cutting up a perfectly good piece, isn't it? I remember flaring fenders on my ol' MGB racer... I drew the lines on the car, plugged in the cutoff tool and then sat there and stared at it for about 15 minutes, just trying to get brave enough to do it... It gets easier with time, now at Slotus HQ, we have a timer for "Out of the box until first modification" and it doesn't take very damned long sometimes!

Work on the nose cone is looking good, that's a good idea with the plywood at the back to maintain the shape. I'm sure it'll come out looking like brand new when you're done!

Good luck!
:cheers:

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PostPosted: June 24, 2012, 8:51 pm 
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Added some bracing in the engine bay. I don't think there will be any problems removing the engine but I'll keep them tack welded for now.
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PostPosted: July 29, 2012, 10:09 pm 
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Finally got back to the nose. After adding about 2" to the sides, the side contour needed a lot of filling. I used some microbubbles in the fiberglass resin to add a light weight filler before adding bondo. First time I have every used microbubbles and they are amazing if you want a light weight filler that is easy to sand. I think this is used in boat repairs. I then primmed the nose so I could see where I needed some more smoothing. First inspections showed some low spots and pin holes but I am quite satisfied how it turned out.
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PostPosted: July 29, 2012, 10:56 pm 
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Nice job! That takes a lot of effort.
:cheers:

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PostPosted: July 31, 2012, 9:49 am 
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Nice work. You cannot tell from the picture that it was modified.

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PostPosted: July 31, 2012, 2:51 pm 
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Great finish work on that nose cone! Wanna come to Florida and do that kind of work on an entire car???

:cheers:

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PostPosted: August 1, 2012, 12:34 am 
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Looks great. I had to do the same thing. Increase the height 2" and also narrow the front of the nose about 1 1/2". Like Gonzo says, I sat there with the zip disc and wondered what I'm getting myself into. Fortunately I have a kid thats a autobody refinisher and painter - he takes one look at it and says "nothing too this" once I showed him the roughed in fiberglassed nose. He did an amazing job on it. Final paint, Electric Blue, you'd think it was factory just like yours does. Good job.

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PostPosted: August 1, 2012, 11:12 am 
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Where are you located? I'm going to take my traditional September Blat across the US and there are details of your build I'd like to see in person. Great work on the nose.
Racepedals wrote:
Haynes nose came from Kinetics
In fact, if it's not too modified by the time I get there, I'd like to work out something to make a mold off it. I'm surprised you needed 2" taller for a Miata installation (is your engine mounted higher than most?) but there are enough big engine guys out there that it might be worth adding to our parts list.

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PostPosted: August 1, 2012, 10:33 pm 
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Jack,
I am near Charlotte, NC. The miata engine oil pan sets 1 inch lower than the bottom of the chassie. I also modified he flange area for the hood to set on. The original was too rounded so I squared it off in hopes of obtaining a smoother transition. I'll take a picture of that as well.


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PostPosted: August 7, 2012, 6:21 pm 
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Did a little trimming and set the nose on the frame. Fitup looks pretty good.
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PostPosted: October 15, 2012, 1:27 pm 
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Well....it has been 2 months since I posted anything. I guess I am in a slump right now. Not much progress except I did bend some tubing for the rear section. How do you guys stay on the build? Seems like I get real interested in a certain portion of the build and when it is completed, I lose some interest. For example, I worked really hard on the nose cone and when it was done, I have not touch the car since. I've got an 11 year old granddaughter thats wants to drive the car to school when she turns 16 so I've got to get busy.


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PostPosted: October 15, 2012, 2:00 pm 
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Have you checked bump-steer yet? I ask because I'm rather sensitized to it right now, having found some on my own build. In my case, the outboard end of the steering tie-rod is too high, which produces toe-in on bump, and it looks as if you'll have the same situation. Not trying to be a downer, just mentioning it so it's not overlooked.

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