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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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PostPosted: January 16, 2018, 4:37 pm 
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Tim,
The front of the chassis was built to the same overall dimensions as the stock Europa chassis. The caster is the stock 3 degrees, which meant the crossmember is tipped 3 degrees. All the suspension pieces, though not stock in appearance, match the critical dimensions of the stock bits (dimensions can be found here: http://www.lotus-europa.com/manuals/s2work/c/index.htm#fig16 ).

I'll see if I can track down the stock chassis dimensions, there was a PDF on the interwebs with the various chassis components laid out as fab drawings. This link has some of the dimensions: http://www.lotus-europa.com/manuals/s2work/a/index.htm#fig2 , but I'll still see if I can find the other ones and post them.

Rod


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PostPosted: January 16, 2018, 6:24 pm 
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The voice of reason
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Is the oil filter just sitting there? Maybe you're planning already on putting in vertical, it will be cleaner that way.

Heck get yourself a saddle and go for it!

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PostPosted: January 16, 2018, 7:04 pm 
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Marcus,
The filter is bolted onto a wee plate welded to the removable crossmember. I agree it's in a bad spot, but I'm trying to emulate the Lotus 47 which had the filter in the same area:

Image

I'll have to make up a spill tray to aid in changing the filter.

I'm now regretting not bolting a seat to it, but I did have some issues with the brakes, so stopping it would have been a problem (leaking rear caliper).

Rod


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PostPosted: January 16, 2018, 8:13 pm 
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Rod,
Great and useful stuff. Thanks :D One more small question: what was the metal gauge of the stock Europa?

Thanks again

Tim


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PostPosted: January 16, 2018, 8:20 pm 
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Tim,
I believe it's 16 ga, but I can measure the old chassis the next time I'm in the garage.

Rod


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PostPosted: January 17, 2018, 12:26 pm 
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Your chassis looks really cool, and very professional, Rod.

I feel your pain with respect to the painting costs. In another thread, painting costs were being discussed. I had no idea that a decent paint job would be in the several thousands of dollars now. I grew up on the Earl Scheib ads, so I'm definitely tuned in to yesteryear. :roll:

Cheers,

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PostPosted: January 17, 2018, 4:20 pm 
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Location: BC, Canada. eh?
A buddy of mine recently had his Triumph TR6 repainted. It's a very nice job, almost a concours job. Not perfect, but close.

He did all of the body work, etc. himself, leaving the paint shop only a tiny bit of blocking & sanding to do, then paint.

Job cost around $15,000...just for paint. Is it any wonder I plan on trying to leave the body of my Locost in aluminum, except for the nose & fenders? Too rich for my blood, I'm afraid.

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PostPosted: January 17, 2018, 5:12 pm 
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Quote:
I'm now regretting not bolting a seat to it, but I did have some issues with the brakes,


Some regrets are better than others. So a little impulse control generally doesn't hurt. :rofl:

I thought you would have a reason for the filter I was curious what it was. Must have been fun to change that old style filter that opens up to remove. :shock: Like you're saying I'm sure the enterprising mechanic made something to help with that. Then you could call yourself a "Lotus specialist".

:cheers:

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PostPosted: March 27, 2018, 10:44 am 
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Time for an update, the project is now in the restoration phase of it's construction. There isn't really any restomod things to do other than modify the rear lower wishbones to allow toe change without disassembling the rear suspension. I'll post pics on that when it happens. Anyways, I sent the car in for paint (my paint job was a bit see through), the paint guys found some lows and flat spots so those were corrected then the car was sprayed:

Image

Image

Image

The car actually received two paint jobs while out of my hands. The painter had the same issues that I encountered, the paint seemed to have very little in the way of solids, so covering the car took a lot more paint than expected which delayed my plans a bit. I managed to get the body and chassis back earlier this month, but only got the doors and lids back last week. So, this past weekend saw me fitting the doors which surprisingly didn't take as much time as I had planned. The Europa hinges are very simple and allow lots of adjustment, but can be a real pain to work with. The stock pieces are all mild steel and have a tendency to rust together. I had to cut the old ones apart, and made up my own out of brass and stainless. Some of the usual suppliers have the same set up, but charge a bit more than I had hoped to pay.

Image

Image

Image

This upcoming weekend I will hopefully have reinforced the a-pillars with carbon fiber tube (the pillars have bowed a bit), and fingers crossed it might run again.

Rod


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PostPosted: March 27, 2018, 12:30 pm 
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It looks....spectacular!!! Well done, sir!! :cheers:

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PostPosted: March 27, 2018, 2:26 pm 
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zetec7 wrote:
Job cost around $15,000...just for paint... Too rich for my blood, I'm afraid.


About 10 - 12 years ago, my Dad finished his V-Dub powered "Bugatti" kit car. Did the painting himself. Used a Toyota white, nothing exotic, but a quality brand of paint. The paint alone (no labor) cost around $700. This is for a VW based Bugatti kit. Not much bigger than a Locost. $700!!!

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PostPosted: March 27, 2018, 2:32 pm 
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Well, if it makes you feel any better, a few years ago I scouted prices to get my Porsche 944 repainted, in its existing Guards Red color. The price was very consistent at all the shops I visited - the purchase price of the paint, alone, was over $6,000. Yes, six thousand dollars. :shock: :shock: :shock:

Apparently, there's a lot of gold (the metal) in Guards Red, which is what makes it so incredibly bright.

As the paint cost was more than the car was worth, and the labor cost was equal to that of the paint, I declined...

And THAT is why I'm hoping to leave all the metal bodywork on my Locost in polished aluminum. It will all be down to my yet-to-be-determined aluminum forming & finishing skills...

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PostPosted: March 27, 2018, 5:43 pm 
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Red paint seems to be the priciest paint around. When I painted my old Seven's wings the first time around, I think a quart of red in PPG's medium quality line was something like $100, then a few years later when I was pricing paint for dear old dad's MG TF, the price shot up to roughly $1k per gallon. Both were single stage acrylic. The paint I picked up for the Europa, OMNI single stage, came to roughly $300 Canadian, but didn't cover very well. I didn't find out what the painter paid for the single stage that he used. I can tell you that the paint job cost 5x what I paid for the car, luckily the car should be worth about 3x what the paint job cost when it's finally finished.

If I were to build a Seven again and paint it, I would do it myself in a makeshift paint booth. But if I were to do a whole car again, like the Europa, I would send it for paint. It's much easier to paint single wings etc, compared to painting a whole bodytub.


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PostPosted: March 28, 2018, 2:04 am 
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Whatever the paint cost, as the saying goes, it looks like a million dollars. :thmbsup: Love that blue. Is it the same or close to what you used on your previous build?

That would be my dividing point also; 7 parts at home, where it's not difficult to build a small booth with fan and filters but for a whole car, not so much.

Ron


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PostPosted: May 29, 2018, 12:05 pm 
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A bit of an update, I managed to get the car cobbled together enough for the local All British Field Meet earlier this month. It wasn't quite finished and moved under it's own power the Friday night before the show. The weeks leading up to the show are a blur for me, there was way too much to get done (and it's still not 100% finished). Anyways, here are a few pics of how it looks:

Image

Image

And one of the other cars it was classed with:

Image

I'm hoping sometime in the next month I'll have it inspected and insured for the road.

Rod


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