AF Super Seven Group Build!

[Ferrari TR]

Thanks Will,
Another bad idea on my part. Modern sports car IRS (with struts) is really not suited to a race car. The latest spec Caterham has IRS with inboard shocks front and rear and I was hoping to incorperate that technology into my car.
If I go back about 10 years in sport racer tech. I can use the kit suspension with scratch built coilovers. I'm gonna havta talk to my SCCA buddies and see what they think of my project before I commit to any details.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by Ferrari TR

Thanks Will,
Another bad idea on my part. Modern sports car IRS (with struts) is really not suited to a race car. The latest spec Caterham has IRS with inboard shocks front and rear and I was hoping to incorperate that technology into my car.
If I go back about 10 years in sport racer tech. I can use the kit suspension with scratch built coilovers. I'm gonna havta talk to my SCCA buddies and see what they think of my project before I commit to any details.

Miatas have four wheel double wishbone suspensions-shocks not struts, (kitwise) the rear coilover shocks are much shorter on either the Tamiya or Revell kit than the stock solid axle version on the Tamiya Lotus. The front shocks on a Miata are rather tall.

Revell's Miata rear suspension looks superior to Tamiya's. Tamiya's model has steerable front wheels though. Revell's front suspension is like their current Corvettes/Vipers, the upright is molded to the lower A arm and the spindle is molded in place.

I'm also quite interested in the offer of loaned parts so I can cast the Revell RX-7 Rotary. My Fujimi RX-3's would be ecstatic I'll PM you about that.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by fubaz

Since 'rotary' has started to be thrown around, I'll tip my hand and mention that's what I have in mind. But not a motor out of an RX-7.

HMMMMMM. No pun intended

I can think of some non-RX7 Mazda kits throughout the years that had rotaries. 1/20 Entex/Bandai R100, RX2, RX3, RX4 (I've got that one ), RX5/'75 Cosmo, '80's Luce/Cosmo 2 and 4 door models (uber-rare kits, from a rather rare bunch to begin with).

Then there are the MPC annual Chevy Vega kits that had an optional rotary.

R26B? HMMMMMMMM

[cfcrules]

Has anyone seen this car yet

Its a twin engined tiger z100. 0-60 in less than 3.1 seconds thats faster than the Mclaren F1. It weighs only 550kg wet so its pretty light. Does anyone know of any half decent Suzuki GSXR1000 engines in 1/24 or Kawasaki ZX9R engine? Thanks

[WRC_413X]

Woot just got my kit in yesterday, so now i can start putting some of my plans in action.

Speeking of IRS i was just going to post up a question b4 u guys started talking about it. I was wondering about its worth? Not worth as in kitbashing and work to be done to do it, thats no problem . But worth as in from a racing standpoint.. What do they usually do as far as 1:1 rear suspension swaps/mods. I was thinking that it might not be even too noticable of a difference from the solid rear axle and 3 link? because of the cars such narrow width and light weight that you would not even have that much weight and car that would be tossing around during cornering. Btw i was maybe thinking of doing some swapping of the IRS from a tamiya FD with diff coilovers. Let me know, thanks!

[Samurai75007]

Seems like a neet idea, thoug if things go right I will soon be building my own superseven for ripin up the track.

[Acerlyte]

Think this is only my second post here

I really like this idea of doing a group build so I have got a Super Seven on order so I can join in. It will be the second car I build so I don't know if I will be doing anything really neat like some of you guys, I might just try and do a clean stock build. I have seen a couple of guys jamming in some massive engines so far but I was thinking of maybe trying to put in a Lotus Twin Cam Engine as the Super Seven apparently ran with one of these in the earlier days. But then again perhaps I should just keep within my limits and go the stock 1300 motor .

As long as I improve over my first car I will be happy, look forward to seeing everyone's completed cars .

[WRC_413X]

Cool welcome aboard Acerlyte! yea that sounds cool, theres nothing wrong with doin a stock build. Maybe you could do it in a neat color or something? thats something achievable that can set yours apart. But if u stick around here in AF youl be picking up skills and ideas in no time. Good luck on the build! and keep us posted

[MPWR]

Hi Acerlyte- glad to have you building along.

Funny you should mention the Twin Cam! My Seven has just been started (I'm hoping to start a progress thread in the next week), and it will be a Lotus S3 Twin Cam. The Twin Cam was a very popular engine in the Seven, both in Lotus and Caterham S3's and S4's- right up until supplies of the head ran out in '83. The Twin Cam is essentially just a Ford Kent (the engine included in the Tamiya kit) with a new head- so the kit engine is a good place to start. But if you want to do a modified engine and don't feel up to doing a Twin Cam, the kit engine can easily be converted into a Crossflow. The Crossflow (and it's tuned versions the Sprint and SuperSprint) is easily the most popular engine ever fitted to the Seven. It was relitively cheap, availible, reliable, and could be tuned like crazy. It first appeared in the Lotus S2 in '68, and could be had new in a Caterham S3 until '99. To turn the kit engine into a Crossflow, really all you need to do is move the Weber's to the right side of the engine. There are plenty of good pics online that show what this looks like, and I can probably point you to some.

[klutz_100]

Originally Posted by cfcrules

Has anyone seen this car yet

Sorry for the late reply - better late than never I suppose

That thing is awsome! It really tickles my imagination...

I love the heat staining on the exhausts - wonder if that was airbrushed on...? LOL

[Acerlyte]

Thanks for the welcome WRC_413X and MPWR . I read a little bit about the S3 Lotus Seven's at this site and there certainly isn't a shortage of engine options if you want to stick with the original stuff! I would appreciate any reference pictures in regards to the engine MPWR, been poking around the net looking for that exact thing but I haven't come across a lot yet. Doing the Crossflow sounds like it's something I might be able to do within my ablities and I am pretty keen to do an original type Seven.

Looking forward to seeing just how small this car is, should be a lot of fun in any case . Cheers!

[MPWR]

This is the beast here-




To convert the kit Sidevalve (Pre-Crossflow) engine, I would incrementally drill out the spark plugs to 1/16", and then insert some short lenghts of 1/16" plastic rod to make the new intake manifold. Cut the kit carbs off their manifold, and mount them on the new one. Then add the wires going to the new plug locations like above (where the intake manifold for the Sidevalve would go). Basically the plugs and intakes swap positions to the opposite sides of the head.

You can find more pics of the Sidevalve and Crossflow looking through the Sevens here, or by doing Google image searches on combinations of Ford, Kent, Crossflow, Xflow, Cosworth, Sidevalve, Pre Crossflow, engine, etc.

[Merkava]

Hey MPWR, that's great stuff! I was hoping to do this conversion on my 7, and you pretty much spelled it out for me. Now, if I could only find some time do work on it....

[mikemechanic]

Thought I would add a site to this thread. http://www.mycaterham.com/ Has some great shots of the owners car and lots of pics of Super Sevens. I hope to get started on mine very soon. Now that I have a lathe I can try some cool stuff.

[bigfrit]

I have finally be able to find one, I m aching to get through this, what a marvelous little kit and plenty of opportunities to act crazy, thus... I like!

Oli