lotus 7 progress

PLEASE CRITISISE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. its the only way i will learn

sorry for those who always read peoples posts, the massive red writing is for those who never seem to read.

anyway, lets get down to business...

after over 400 posts in this forum i finally start my first 1:24 plastic kit...:lol:

as some of you know i bought this kit a while ago during my exams, so obviously i couldnt start it. i used my alfa 8c as a practice with my new tools (this lotus will be my first model, except hat one i did when i was 12, but you know how they turn out). i now think i am skilled enough with sanding, puttying, drilling and airbrushing that i can start my lotus without ruining it.

i have big plans for this little kit...many of which i may decide are a bit too advanced later.

oh, and as i said at the top of this thread, i need critical advise so that i can learn. its going to be steep learning curve, but im sure going to make sure i do the best i can and i need the advise of all you experienced modelers to help me.

here are a few pictures so far.

box:
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/784279kitboxcover.JPG
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/249881kitboxopen.JPG

a prototype chrome stone chip guard...the ''production version'' will be better quality
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/122603kitfirststonechipguardattempt.JPG

the steering wheel was well detailed, except for the slats that were just slight depressions, which i would imagine was due to moulding constraints. so i decided to cut the slats out my self. using my trusty pin vise with a 0.5 mm drill (and a knife for removing the plastic swarf and a magnifying glass) i cut them out. the top pic is before, the second is to show scale, the third is the final job. a little sanding is still needed, but it seems ok
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/859055steeringwheel.JPG

comments please:bigthumb:

Looks like you're on the right track to me :bigthumb:

Keep it up, I look forward to seeing more:smile:

Looking all right from what I see (not much? )

The key with such a car is to get the interior as crisp and clean as you can.

You should try to carpet it, as that is not that hard.
As for the stone guard, it looks very nice too.

Maybe it would be easier to give comments IF we knew what your plans are for this beauty?

My suggestions;

Wired engine
Flocked interior
Change the exhaist pipe to something more "substancial" , if you knwo what I mean, by just easily try to buy some sturene tubing, drill regular holes in it, chrome it, and blackwash it ...

and if you really want to go beserk, change the rims to some nice but not over the top rims, put cycle fenders, do a disc brake conversion, pt headrests, lower it and turn it into a westfield!

Olivier

oliver, the wired engine, the wheels and the disc brake conversion are on the list...i think i will try the exhaust thingy...i already have some styrene tubing so that should be easy enough.

as far as the seats go, well im chucking the half bench seats in favour of scratch built ones:eek: ...yes, i am insane.:iceslolan

im not going to change the fenders, i like this style. and i certainly will not turn it into a westfield, i will turn it into a caterham (the company that took over the production rights of the 7 when lotus decided to stop making it. caterham still make the car, but with much higher spec's and engines.

i like the idea of carpeting it, but i have to find out weather my (not so local) model shop stocks the flocking material.

other things i plan to do are:

roll over bar
brake lines
various detail bolts
new, more realistic fuel tank
toggle switches on dash
tyre valves
and the hardest and stupidest thing...a removeable soft top :eek:

there are other little things, but the list would get veeeery long then

Very nice ideas!
They seem quite do-able, except for the soft top that is .

Of, and the roll-bar , will it be a racing-spec rollbar, like tha caterham racing cars?

And, another thing, have you thought abot changing the rims?

Ond, if you want to valve your whells, I can deerly recommend it, I ve just tried it some days ago, and boy, it IS worth it big time .


Keep on modeling !


OlivIer

olivier, it will not be a full racing spec roll cage...more of a semi racing one ...like this, but probably not with the diagonal cross member
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/79603565super7ext3.jpg

the rims will be changed, but its going to be hard finding aftermarket ones that will actually fit. 18inch wheels will make it look like an off-roader...i need like 16 or at the very most 17 inch wheels...oh and they need to be fairly narrow so they can fit in the rear arches.

thanx for the advise:smile:

Looks great so far. Cutting out the steering wheel was an excellent idea. What are your plans for body and interior color?

Originally posted by Harlock
Looks great so far. Cutting out the steering wheel was an excellent idea. What are your plans for body and interior color?

yellow body, black seats and dash...so probably black carpet if i ever get to do it

Hope to see more progress pics soon.:biggrin:

Nice start Simon!

I think I would update the seats and swap in a modern engine.

:tongue:

Originally posted by Ferrari TR
Nice start Simon!

I think I would update the seats and swap in a modern engine.

:tongue:

thanks:bigthumb:

seats are already in progress...but replacing the engine would cost me a little bit more than i want to spend unfortunately

Looks good to me! :wink:

I have this kit as well in my stock. I having plans for converting it into a Caterham Super 7. Needs a complete new nose, front and rear fenders... well, maybe I'll start it in a year or 10... :bloated:

Anyways, good luck with yours. Keep us updated :wink:

thankyou all for the kind coments so far

a little up date for you. i started the scratch built replacement seat a few days ago..progress has been slow because of the rain (i like to do sanding out side so i dont leave fine dust around the house)

so here are a few progress pics. i will briefly explain each one...

first, this is the seat that i was using for inspiration. a Cobra roadster 7 seat. it is specifically designed for the lotus 7 and similar cars, so it made sense to use it

http://www.riegger.cz/images/roadster7.jpg

here is the roughly hacked pieces of stryrene placed to check scale and shape. the wings are glued to the back and the wings on the base are glued...but nothing else is glued together

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/824213seat2trialfit.JPG

this is the underside of the bottom of the seat. it has been fitted with a simplified mounting frame. this was partly because i noticed in the trial fit that the lower part of the seat was too low, so needed to be raised. worked out for the best though:bigthumb:

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/362765seat3mountingframe.JPG

and finally, this is where i am up to so far. every part has been sanded to shape to match the real seat (except the lower wings...i like them the way iv left it. all edges are beveled, and some areas are curved slightly. the top has been puttied to blend in the wings...but there are a few pin holes that need sorting before i move on. i need to add harness holes and some texture later. oh, on the passenger side is the lower part of the original seat...just for comparison

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/927379seat4trialfit2.JPG

sorry if im going into too much detail...if i am, just tell me and i wont post as many pictures or info..

any comments, help, or advise will be greatly apreciated...especially on how to do the ''pleats'' on the seat...

For the pleats, I'd draw the lines on the seat & after I'd use this (I hope you have a Dremel):
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/832440Disk.JPG

With this disk, I think you can easily make the pleats (not too deep !!)

Originally posted by Towelboy80
For the pleats, I'd draw the lines on the seat & after I'd use this (I hope you have a Dremel):
http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/832440Disk.JPG

With this disk, I think you can easily make the pleats (not too deep !!)

thanx.. ill give it a go

sorry to anyone who was following this. progress will be very slow this week because i am very busy. hopefully i can start painting stuff next week:iceslolan

Wow, good job on the seat there. It looks really nice. I'm interested to see how this model turns out.

WOW, an update...no, its not a mirage.

ok, so iv finally got back down to doing this kit. the reason i stopped was simply because i wanted to paint everything with an airbrush so all the paint would be very smooth. however i have yet to sort out a decent air supply for it so i cant airbrush. iv now decided that enough is enough, im going to start painting smaller parts by hand. so here are a few little updates on bits that have been painted, including the steering wheel that i drilled the slats out of. most of the parts are still on the tree so i could paint them easyer...ill wait untill they are properly dry before cutting them off and touching the paint up. i also need to touch up some bits that have been rubbed off looking at the pictures.

sorry about the poor lighting.

front hubs:
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1068407838.jpg

steering wheel:
this photo makes my painting look really bad. trust me, it looks a million times better in real life...eccept that part of the rim where the paint has been rubbed off.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1068407853.jpg

front shocks:
no where near finished, this was just an experiment to see if i could paint convincing springs without having to resort to scratch building them. i think they look ok, let me know what you think.
http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1068407866.jpg

ok, thats all for now. hopefully i can get some more updates done soon.

and remember, if you see anything wrong, please point it out. i will not be offended.

damn, i almost forgot the best part.

these are the pedels. again the paint looks really crap in the photo, but again, it looks good in real life. you cant see the friction surface of the pedel but i have detailed it by first painting with silver, then with flat black...then i sanded through the flat black to make it look worn, then dry brushed a lighter silver to highlight the wear

http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1068409428.jpg

Looks like your in the right direction. Lots of decal as I can see.

Simon, Not sure if you've sorted wheels yet but I have some spare wheels that might suit. Both these sets are 15" rims. The minilite style ones with the centres done in yellow (see the example on the left) look pretty similar to the ones on the 7 above but are split rims. If you want a set you're welcome to them, I can pop them in the post to you.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/1059110910_0523.jpg

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/1059110910_0524.jpg

:disappoin well, its been a long time i know, but once again i have picked up this project again. i am still yet to sort out an air suply for my airbrush :screwy: so im still continuing with the hand painting. no progress photos as yet as my camera is out of use for a while. your not missing much though. i've finished the pedel box and i've painted and drybrushed the radiator to give it a kind of aged effect. its not too bad for my first atempt at drybrushing, but i will get the photo's up later so you lot can decide.

well, bad news for me with regards the seats. as i can not source any wheels that will look right to replace the old skinnys, i will just stick with the box stock ones. for this reason the modern style seats would look very out of place, so out they go. Now the project will involve a little bit of weathering to make it feel more like a kit car that was built over 30 years ago...but kind of looked after and cleaned.

Looks really good so far.

sounds good to me, great to hear you havent abandoned the project yet!

All looks god but I would fit a V6 or V8 in and go for an exhaust out of each side of the car.

Ratdat,

what brand of wheels are these in the picture? Are both from an aftermarket set or from some kit? The width of the right ones looks good for a Seven but the look of the Minilites would suit better. I'd probably cut the left ones narrower and put the rubber of the right ones on them if I could find similar for my own unstarted Seven project.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/1059110910_0524.jpg

-Mikko

cool project, nice to hear you picked it up again...go for the minilites ;)

righty-ho, heres a couple of pics. now, i dont know why they have come out so bad. they're way too blurry to show the detail, but hey, you get the idea. first pic shows the pedel assembly (brake and clutch). in the first photo of that one you can just about make out the wear effect that i have 'attempted' to recreate on the friction surface of the pedel. The second photo is the front and rear of the radiator. i couldnt be bothered (or know how) to get rid of the injection marks on the back. that big hole on the front is for the fan to mount to later. It's been dry brushed silver to 'try' to make it look as if its old and used. not bad for my first attempt at drybrushing. its not great though. The top of the radiator (where the brushmarks are) will be covered in BMF, when i get some, so that crappy bit will be covered. Oh well, please give me your HONEST opinions anyway :)


http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1085257942.jpg

http://www.automobileforum.com/forums/uploads/post-12-1085257968.jpg

done a little bit more. i really need oppinions on these things, guys.

this is basically how the total project is looking. not much done really, but im now well on my way. i now have my airbrush completely sorted!!!! i will start airbrushing everything as soon as my cold clears up.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=503/621662.JPG

This shows the relatively large injection marks that i needed to remove
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=503/621661.JPG

the injection marks have been filled and sanded. a few pin holes remain which will be sorted later. The rear suspension and diff have been airbrushed tamiya x-18 and dry-brushed with a mix of humbrol orange and flat silver enamel paints to simulate some kind of wear. chips and a bit of rust, that type of thing. these parts are dry-fitted at the moment
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=503/621663.JPG

another shot of the rear suspension. the harsh light has lightened the dry brushing, it is actually a bit darker.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=503/621664.JPG

The sump has been treated in exactly the same way as the rear suspension.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=503/621665.JPG

and finally a quick shot showing the sump, the engine with putty filling the rear of the starter motor (so it can be shaped to a cylinder later) the two completely cleaned body panels and the carbs. body parts cleaned with 400grit to remove large imperfections, then 1200 grit to remove small imperfections and scratches then toothpaste to finish. the carbs are painted with the same mix i used for the dry brushing. humbrol orange and flat silver (3:8) and brushed on.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=503/621666.JPG

good work so far!
Can't wait to see more

looks really good.just a Q. why dont you take ratdat up on his offer? Then you can keep the modern seats.

looks really good.just a Q. why dont you take ratdat up on his offer? Then you can keep the modern seats.

i just dont really want to be giving my address out over the net. just a matter of principle.

besides, the more i looked at how different a new 7 is from the old one, the more i realised it was a project way beyond my experience.

Looking good so far. I have one I built from that kit with some of the upgrades mentioned, carpet, wiring, new wheels, etc. It really does enhance the kit. - Mark

Lookin good man..I still wanna know what wheels those are that ratdat posted..the split 4 spokers look to be from a hasegawa celica..but the other ones i'm lost on..

anyone have info?