Another Super 7

[Scale-Master]

I decided the time has come for me to build yet another 1/12 scale Super Seven, (it has been almost six years since I finished my last one), the only “problem” is I don’t have any more kits of them.
If I counted correctly, this will be my 7th 1/12 scale Seven.
So instead of shopping for one, I grabbed a sheet of brass and started cutting, beating and bending.
I am not sure why I started with the hood first, it just seemed like a good idea.

[eugene78]

Wow, that's an impressive start! Subscribed.

[andybmw7272]

Do you plan for this to be as detailed as the last one Mark?

Cant wait to see this!!!!!!
Andy

[Scale-Master]

While I haven't planned it all out yet, I don't see any reason why it couldn't be as detailed as the last one... Right now it is just a bunch of possible ideas in my head.

[Scale-Master]

OK, so next I figured I’d make a wheel for it, (or at least to entertain myself…)
I have a hood, and a leftover tire to fit a rim to. All I need to do is make a wheel and then just fill in the stuff between them, right?
I started off with a chunk of 6061 aluminum rod stock, (actually two like this):

Using the lathe, I turned out two parts like this. The basic shape of the face of the spokes/spider is cut in at this point.
Front:

Back:

I made sure they nested together with a positive fit:

Next I cut out everything that wasn’t the spider part of the wheel on the mill and added lug holes:

Here is the dry assembled rim:

I used a 195/50R15 tire. The standard Tamiya kit provided a 15X6 rim. I wanted more. So my rim is 15X8. Any wider (in my mockups) and the tread bowed in like it was underinflated. 8 inches wide is pushing it for this tire, but I like the way the sidewall looks now.
A stock Tamiya (a spare tire from a previous build) is on the right for comparison:


The almost finished wheel; it needs a little surface fine tuning before making a mold:

[Bossolani]

Expert machining job!!

Subscribed!

[SuperMele]

Sweet start!

[eugene78]

The machining is great! Are you replicating a particular set of wheels used on a real car or is it your own design? The offset looks kind of strange to me: the kit wheels seem to have a very small positive offset, and I thought that if you increase the wheel width on a 7, you need to have the wheels farther away from the body - which means the offset must be reduced, not increased... Am I wrong?

[Scale-Master]

It is a design I adapted from a larger modern style wheel. I wanted something really different, and this is being done as a custom home built based on the Super Seven. It’s not meant to represent a traditional factory Caterham or Lotus kit.
Since I am making the hubs, fenders and other parts they will fit properly. The location of the inboard tire side wall is still in the same place in relation to the frame/body as a standard Seven. In fact, these wheels could be bolted onto a stock Tamiya model and fit.

[Scale-Master]

I was enjoying the mill work so much I decided to make a cam cover, something custom to contain a bit rowdier pair of cams. The bolt pattern is the same as what would mount to a BDR Cosworth head. I milled this out of 7075 aluminum. This is the top:

And this is the underside cut to fit the head (I still need to make) positively:

Here I have added the fittings for the PCV line and a made a “710 cap”…

[SkylineFan]

Incredible mill work Mark!!

[Ferrari TR]

well...
It's easer to fit the car to the hood then the other way around.
You should pose a MB Kat with the parts for scale.
Awesome stuff as always!

[Scale-Master]

Before I could fully finish the shape of the rear of the hood, I needed a cowl piece to mate it to. The cowl is made from the same piece of brass as the hood. Here is the basic shape cut from the sheet.

I hammered over the front edge and reinforced it with solder. Relief cuts were made into that flange to allow the shape to match the hood starting at the top center and working outward.

Then a lip for the hood to sit on was formed and soldered on while shaping it to match the hood.

Another arch was made of brass rod and set inside the lip with solder.

Still a little more work fitting the cowl and hood together, but they are coming along…

[andybmw7272]

Dang bro, don't let not having the actual kit stop you!
Amazing.

That is great!
Andy

[Scale-Master]

I made some intake horns with mounting flanges so I could mock up/measure the spacing and location of them and the carbs in relation to the hood and determine where to cut the hole in the side of the hood. The intake manifold and carbs are measurements I have, plus I have a few finished Sevens I can measure from too.