L O W F L Y I N G

The Magazine for Lotus and Caterham Seven enthusiasts © © Logo is the property of The Lotus Seven Club G.B. Unauthorised use is strictly forbidden

B r i t a i n PARTS FOR ALL SEVEN MODELS - 1957 TO DATE RAPID MAIL ORDER SERVICE, VISA EXPORT ORDERS WELCOME ENGINE BUILDING, TUNING, NEW & EXCHANGE UNITS TRANSMISSION, NEW & RECONDITIONED SERVICING, REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS ACCIDENT REPAIRS

We have available 6 x 14 FORD centre JUPITER WHEELS and 6 x 13 SUPERLITES in FORD and TRIUMPH stud patterns. These are no longer available as original equipment but we have limited stocks to replace those damaged wheels.

HISTORIC SEVEN PARTS SUPPLIERS FACTORY APPOINTED PARTS & SERVICE CENTRE H E D L I N E ^ H COM PONENTS TEL: (01883) 346515 FAX: (01883) 341604 TIMBER HALL. 19 TIMBER LANE, CATERHAM, SURREY CR3 6LZ ENGLAND 9

Ja m e s W h itin g 38 Glenfield Road, Ashford, Surrey TW15 1JL Telephone: 01784 241466 Fax: 01784 250915

AAAJOR SERVICE FORD ZETEC (or annual service) Comprehensive packages are available £105.00 + PARTS for the ZETEC engine installation which INTERIM SERVICE includes ail the necessary components. (or six months) Main package consists of approximately £65.00 + p a r t s 150 parts to install the engine, which Prices quoted are for X/F, ZETEC, include mountings (engine & alternator), K-series & VAUXHALL hoses, header tank, water tubes, stainless steel hose clips, nuts, bolts washes etc. Kit comes complete with We stock a full range of service and repair parts for the SEVEN and offer an efficient drawings, parts listings and instructions. PRICE: £390.00 world-wide mail order service.

'MOTHERS' Mag and Aluminum Polish - the best!! - if you don’t believe us, ask the people who already use it. PRICE: £ 7 .9 5

'MOTHERS' Car Wax - the ultimate car polish, easy to use and a spectacular shine PR IC E:£7.90

TAX DISC HOLDER - Motorcycle type fits windscreen/aeroscreen stanction, water resistant retaining seal, safer than sticking to your windscreen, (not the lockable stainless steel type which are no longer available). PRICE: £ 1 .9 8

SPECIAL OFFER - while stocks last! SPA F1 type QUICK RELEASE STEERING WHEEL BOSS with lightweight top column assembly, complete with quality BLACK SUEDE 'ALPHA' FORMULA RACING STEERING WHEEL, ready to fit. PRICE: £165.00 ALL PRICES SUBJECT TO VAT In this issue G r e a t Front Cover: 1996 Internotionol Cvent Chairman: Lol Pilfold South Norris, 125 North Lane, East Preston, West Sussex, BN 16 1HB. Roys romblings 2 Tel/Fax: 01903 770770 Six Sevens in the Cor Pork 3 General Secretary: News 6 Roger Swift Lawn Bank House, Nuke the Leuk 7 Wychnor, Staffs, DE13 8BY. Tel/Fax: 01283 791877 Ros

The LUee Haggis Run Review 24 Technical Information & inquiries: James Whiting Balancing Carb Air Flow 25 38 Glenfield Road Ashford, Middx, TW15 1JL. Vegotune VTA Twincam 26 Fax: 01784 250915

I 996 Spec Super Seven 27 Magazine €ditor: Roy & Jo Blyth New Members 31 “Casa”, Back Lane, Preston, Herts, SG4 7UJ. Area Meetings 31 Tel/Fax: 01462 437715

Members Letters 33 liaison Officer: Neil Backwith For Sale & LUanted 35 Chelworth, Lower Lemington, Nr. Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos. GL5 9NP Tel/Fax: 01608 652337

Trade Advertising: Annual Membership: £30 UK Steve Davidson £42 Overseas c/o Graphics One, 4 Belmore Road, Copy Deadline: End of month for inclusion in following Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 OPT. month's issue - Tel:01603 700400 Fax: 01603 700301 i.e. 31st January for March issue.

Club Regalia: PO Box 73 Ashford, Middx, TW15 1XR 24 Hour Rnsaphone: 01784 421885 R o y s

RXMBLINCS II

Last month I started to write some ramblings, but ran out of time due to holidays, etc, etc. I’m sorry that your August issue was late, particularly when we had worked so hard the last few months to get things pulled back into line. However, with me being busy and Steve Davidson trying to organise that wonderful International Did you read last months about the number of raffle ticket books event, as well as sort out the trade ads in the magazine, I suppose that our man Greg Simpson sold! Truly bloody marvellous - well something had to give. Never mind, we can now concentrate on done Greg, we’re proud of you and I know that the LRF really getting back on schedule. appreciate your efforts and those who tried hard to beat your tally.

WARNING! WARNING! Opposite Lock Photo Competition? I have been absolutely This issue contains language that might offend. To inundated with all sorts of cracking photos, from Club members save you searching for it, it’s in the latest masterpiece near and far. My Seven also does 0-60 in 1.3 seconds and I’m the from Michael Eddenden. Queen of Sheba.... ! Not one bl..... inking photo, not one!

If you don’t like reading the ‘f’ word, then don’t read ...and while we are on the subject of response (or the lack of it) the article! you chaps and chapesses out there are soon not going to have YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! any Club regalia to buy at all. Seriously, if nobody wants to take on the job of managing our regalia then I strongly suspect that The Right, what’s been occurring? Young Simon Lambert seems to Team will close down that facility at the next meeting. It really is have got into the flow of writing a regular stream of “different” unfair of any of us to expect volunteers like Ruth and James to articles for Low Flying. I think he needs his own column, with a take on these “jobs” for life. We have had no positive response to sort of pet name to it - any suggestions? In the meantime Simon, the vacancy advert placed in the last couple of issues so it looks keep 'em coming! like the end of Lotus Seven Club regalia to me. Sad really.

The Internet - why does the Editor want nothing to do with it? Well, A free plug. Chris Montague Carb Co (0171 794 7604) can I’ll tell you. I spend all day (and some nights) working with multi­ supply parts and service for just about any make of carburettor. processing, 200Mhz chips, 128Mb single board RAM, 4Gb SCSI-II There, any more advertising is chargeable. drives, DAT drives, rack-mount modems, LAN’s, WAN’s, bridges, hubs, etc, etc - and the last thing, the very last thing I want to do That’s your lot for this month, except to tell you that contracts have when I come home is play with the Internet! Electronic mail? been exchanged and Editor, Wife and Mad Max are all set to Forget it, I like reading my post, I like it when people take the time move (this keyboard is being wrapped up as I type) and our new to put pen to paper, or phone me for a chat or advice. The Internet address is shown elsewhere on this page. See you next month, and electronic mail are, for me, a wonderful business tool and at the same time, different place! Ed. same time one of the worst things to happen to communication at a personal level. So I’ll leave it in the office, thank you. THE EDITOR HAS MOVED There, that’s got that off me chest. Now, how about this little classified ad that I found whilst browsing through a copy of Please note our new address: MotorSport Magazine, dated January 1960, price 1/6d: Roy & Jo Blyth “Casa” 1951 DELLOW. V.G. condition, fast, business-like. Back Lane, Frightens girls into women. New engine. £200. Haggling Preston considered vulgar. Tel: UPL 6373. Herts, SG4 7UJ Sounds like a Seven to me, eh? Tel/Fax: 01462 437715

September 1996 Low Flying 6 7 'S I N T H E CKK

?KKK

The results aren’t really as bad as they look for the Seven’s, in Bob and Pete’s inimitable style they though it would be a laugh to pick clues higher than 18” (46cm for the youngsters) from the ------WG9T rtNTIC9 - JULY------ground! Welcome to two new West Sussex members, an ex-pat returned from Belgium, complete with Belgium plates on the wee beastie Dial Post Village Fete: What a scorcher of a day! First West and a Seven found in the car park at Tesco’s - now it’s owner has Sussex event showing off Lol and Dor’s freshly restored Series 1. joined the Club the car can have its spare wheel back (when the What a blinder! Blinder being the operative word with all that cheque clears of course!) and four new faces from the Surrey and polished aluminium and bright sun AND the very first outing for Middlesex areas. James and Ruth Whiting’s very pretty Series 2 - what a babe, she can sleep under my duvet anytime! (and did, but don’t tell PCD). British Grand Prix Treasure Hunt - The Crown, Dial Post. Many, many thanks to Bob and Peter Gordon for dreaming up the route Almost a complete line up - a Series 1, 2 and my old 3, Brian and clues and to The Crown and LRF Petrol Coupon Appeal for Tuesday’s 1700 de dion Super Puss, Simon Gates gorgeous red the raffle prizes. We had a good day anyway Damon. live axle 1700 Super Cat, Richard Jarmans pristine 240bhp 2 litre Hart powered cat (the car gets so much TLC it is impossible to Trounced in numbers and trounced in results! If it hadn’t been for spot the new bits required after the ‘off’ at Harewood last year), the Surrey lot, my kids humouring the old man and a couple of and a lovely dark blue HPC who unfortunately left as we arrived friends who thought they were coming for lunch it could have been (late as usual), so I didn’t get chance for a purr. Mascot Jack entitled the “Crawley Motor Club” Grand Prix Treasure Hunt! arrived in time to buy us all a pint and apologies for being late for the reason that, as Mum and Dad had a domestic over who would Those that turned up know what a great day we had so I’ll skip the occupy the passenger seat in the Seven, he decided neither of write up and move on to the results. Total points attainable: 405 them would get a go they would have to put up with the family at 5 points per clue, minimum mileage 40.50 miles. hack. Blinking grown-ups! Steve Winterberg 01903 892106 (H) or 01795 477705 (W). Pos. Points Miles ------w n a lo m auea ------1 Ken, Celia and Edward Crawley Motor Club 360 41.20 Yes, there is still life in Lancashire! I must apologise for the lack 2 AMC Racing, CheesemanCrawley Motor Club 360 45.00 of reports for the past couple of months but it’s just the usual 3 Double U, Double UCrawley Motor Club 355 41.00 excuses I’m afraid, work commitments, holidays and that sort of 4 Twiddy'sCrawley Motor Club 355 42.00 thing. No great revelations from the North of the country, the TVR 5 {Paul Bonetti **7 Club W. Sussex 355 48.00 visit has now been and gone and I’m pleased to say that Seven’s {Paul GoslingCrawley Motor Club 355 48.00 almost outnumbered TVR’s with eight being taken to the factory 7 Nick & Julie Richens7 Club Surrey 350* 44.00 and onwards afterwards for a bit of a run and a very pleasant pub 8 Me and Her7 Club W. Sussex 350* 44.30 lunch afterwards. Hopefully the International weekend went well 9 Andy & Louise Tunnicliffe7 Club Surrey 345* 49.00 and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, unfortunately for a 10 Mascot Jack Sweeney7 Club W. Sussex 340 45.80 number of reasons I was unable to attend, but look forward to 11 Michelle & ElliotDaughter & Boyfriend 325 60.00 reading reports in Low Flying. 12 Richard & AmandaSon & Girlfriend 320 46.00 13 Horsham Honkers7 Club W. Sussex 300 42.60 I would like to take this opportunity to recommend a visit to the 14 Brian Tuesday & Emma7 Club W. Sussex 280* 48.70 village of Lamongerie in central France to any members of the 15 Pat & MargoAn old drinking buddy 270 45.00 Seven Club who find themselves in the area, the locals are friendly, and used to sportscars having a good blast around their * Rocking Horse manure - Yes! Seven’s believe it or not! country lanes. As you may remember from past issues of Low ** New blood, keen and enthusiastic - hurry up Caterham or he Flying the local Mayor has a Seven copy and a Dax Cobra replica. might pop his engine and gearbox into a placky copy. Having just returned from a holiday in the Seven in the region, I can vouch for the friendliness of the locals and would like to take Champagne to Ken & Celia, Trophy to Nick & Julie, out of date this opportunity to thank Michel and his wife Francoise for their bottle of Mackeson to Pat & Margo and despite the lack of wonderful hospitality. Michel is planning another car event next support, over £80 for NtL. year in June and I would like to wish them every success.

Low Flying © September 1996 STILL I Kl I H 6 CXK PAKK..

Due mainly to work pressures and other commitments I seem to find myself with an ever increasing shortage of time to organise things to entertain people, so I would like to ask Lancashire members to put their thinking caps on and organise runs out, evening activities, in fact anything that you feel people will enjoy. I don’t mind being a co-ordinator of activities, I just run a bit short of time to actually organise things.

That’s about it from up here, just a quick “well done” to Steve Liptrott with his BD something or other Seven, and Doug The Lotus Seven Club has a Douglass with his Lotus 61, both doing rather well in their respective Championships, good luck for the rest of the season. Vacancy Happy Sevening to all. Brian. for: ATTENTION ALL SURREY MEMBERS

BE AT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING REGALIA SECRETARY ANDY NOBLE OF CATERHAM CARS Duties include:- WILL BE DEMONSTRATING: Buying and introducing new regalia stock

‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’ and selling goods at Club events and through mail ‘SOMETHING SEVEN’ order. ‘SOMETHING SUPER’

If you are interested in helping your Club in this ‘SOMETHING LIGHT!’ important role, or would just like further information, VENUE: ARKLE MANOR, THURSDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER then please call Ruth Whiting on 01784 421885 and she will be happy to discuss it in more detail. BE THERE!

AKJD THEXl WE ALL HAD A BEER AKJD WEXIT HOME...

MOTORSPORT LTD NORTH LONDON'S OFFICIAL CATERHAM SERVICE AGENTS

Full workshop facilities

Many years of experience with Super 7's • Full race preparation and computer analysis facilities + computerised setup analysis. • Exhaust Gas analysis.

Track support

Specialist MOT preparation

Lotus twin cam and Ford tuning specialists OM P r a Personalised car liveries • fCajCTvl Racewear - full range stocked for all budgets plus a personalising & helmet KENT CAMS painting service Unit 9B Atlas Industrial Estate, • Oxgate Lane, London NW 2 7HJ. Competition plumbing & braided hose ______r u u r HIGH - FLOW A IP? FILTERS Tel: 081-830 5677 Fax: 081-830 5688 specialists 9am - Apm Monday - Saturday. • V PIPERCROSS Large stock of Caterham approved l& ta ih e MAIL ORDER SPECIAUSTS. parts & accessories R.G. RACEWEAR Securicor overnight delivery a v a ila b le .

September 1996 © Low Flying rs UPEe, CATERHAM CARS Unit 2, Kennet Road, Dartford, Kent DAI 4QN Telephone: Sales (01883) 346666 Service (01322) 559124 Parts (01322) 559122 m \ m S SERVICE SPECIAL ...why trust your car to anyone else?

Engine type: First Annual/3000 6000 1 2 0 0 0 I l l (A S2 3 SUPERSPRINT £79.00 £99.00 £165.00 £229.00 > i i i ‘K’ SERIES £79.00 £99.00 £160.00 £190.00 VAUXHALL £79.00 £99.00 £160.00 £229.00 2 S PRICES INCLUDE ALL SERVICE PARTS & VAT. Please ensure you deliver your car to Dartford for servicing!

SPECIAL OFFERS ■ SEPTEMBER ONLY

N e w Baseball Cap with ‘21’ Logo (Pan no cco7bco7).. £6.38

N e w Carbon Fibre Dash - RHD (76518cf>...... £99.58

N e w Carbon Fibre Cycle Wings (76518cf>...... £99.58ea

N e w B o o k - ‘Caterham Sevens’- Chris Rees (B00K31) £29.95

N e w Competition Parts Catalogue now available

COMING SOON,

N e w Lightened Steel Flywheel for Rover Engines

The Caterham Sales Office is on the move, further details next month!

Prices exclude VAT (except books) P .S . Don’t forget....we always welcome any photos taken at SEVEN CLUB MEETINGS for displaying in reception. Please send to Nick O’brien.

BUYING OR SELLING A CATERHAM SEVEN?... Consult the manufacturers, we always purchase good condition standard models. PHONE THE SALES OFFICE ON 01883 346666

Low Flying © September 1996 RACING NEWS DYMAG WHEELS from Entreprix Ltd, the C aterham Race Series administrators, For those of you disappointed that you can no concerning some proposed changes for the 1997 series. longer buy Dymag magnesium race wheels for your Seven I have some good news. Dymag are Firstly, the K Series: This will remain unchanged in principle prepared, subject to demand, to restart limited except that an F1 style fuel cell will be permitted (and production. The six-spoke wheels will only be recommended) in the series as a safety move. Technically, the available in sets of four and will costs £1,034 per only change that is being discussed is the inclusion of the 6 x set (inclusive of VAT). speed gearbox which competitors can either buy outright or on an exchange basis. Prices have yet to be confirmed. There is still no If you are interested please contact our General intention of introducing the 1600 K-Series car until at least 1998 Secretary Roger Swift on 01283 791877 for details and if it is introduced at that point, it will run as a class. The 1400 of the proposed scheme. will not be redundant. We have also asked the BRSCC to make as many races as possible one day meetings. THE S6V6KI RAC1KJC The Vauxhall championship is being revamped a little more comprehensively than the Ks but with no technical changes likely CALENDAR FOR I996 for 1997. As all competitors know, Caterham is planning to bring A combined calendar, featuring the best in Seven racing: in a new model in 1998 if all goes to schedule, but again, the current cars will still be eligible either as a class or to run alongside Date Circuit Format the new car. Aug 31/Sep 1 Brands Hatch Advent Challenge Sep 1 Goodwood Top Gear Scholarship Amongst other plans, we now have approval from the BRSCC to hold longer-distance and double races for Vauxhalls next year. Sep 14/15 Castle Combe K's & Vauxhall Only 9 or 10 meetings will be put in place for the Vauxhalls, Sep 14/15 Pembrey Advent Challenge possibly with double headers bringing the rounds up to 12. All Sep 15 Thruxton Top Gear Scholarship races will either be 30 minutes long or two short sprints and at least one and possibly two of these championship rounds will be Sep 28 Snetterton Advent Challenge in Europe. Other goodies are in the pipeline, so hopefully more on Oct 6 Brands Hatch Top Gear Scholarship this later. Oct 12/13 Silverstone K's & Vauxhall Oct 26 Snetterton (6 X hour) Advent Challenge

Oct 26/27 Donnington K's & Vauxhall

Top Gear Scholarship features a round of this years championship for novice racers.

Advent Challenge the all new Advent Seven Challenge for road-going Caterham and Lotus Sevens, organised by the 750 Motor Club.

K's & Vauxhalls .... need no introduction!

100 uses for a seven. No.34 Becky Henstock captured by Giles Turner.

September 1996 © Low Flying NUK€ L€UK

The race so far...... £3,295.86

Lap 7:

Chris Scott, Coventry Area 100.00 Since its conception 30 years ago the Leukaemia Research Fund Gary Palmer 15.00 has poured more than £94 million into research nationwide. West Sussex Area British GP Treasure Hunt: Almost all money raised for this purpose has been from voluntary Entry Donations 41.71 contribution. Raffle 40.00 81.71 The LRF emblem, a Forget-Me-Not, is a memorial to those who have succumbed to the disease and for whom it is wished more LRF Raffle. Over 300 Seven Club members could have been done, but whose memory is the inspiration sold an unbelievable number of tickets, towards achieving the ultimate goal. amounting to a magnificent..... 4,000.00 The Lotus Seven Club, since 1991, has raised a stupendous A Brilliant Effort from everyone involved - thank you. £7,492.57 £24,800 for LRF, of which £24,000 has been raised in the last years.

Every year in Britain 17,000 people will be told they have Steve Winterberg 01903 892016(H), 01795 477705 Leukaemia, Lymphoma or Myeloma. 500 of these will be children. 976735 (M), 1 The Bungalows, Rectory Lane, Sussex, RH20 3LH. j jo ' ^ . X Much has been achieved over the last 30 years. From Leukaemia being an almost certain death sentence, now, for those 7,000 with Leukaemia each year, more than 6 out of 10 children and 3 out of 10 adults can now expect to be cured. This sadly means that 200 children and 4,550 adults won’t - an awful lot of misery.

OFFICIAL CATERHAM SERVICE AGENT

FIXED PRICE SERVICE AND REPAIR

POST BUILD INSPECTION AND TESTING

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378 CLAPHAM ROAD LONDON SW9 9AR TEL: 0171 720 2686

MOTORSPORT PLEASE CONTACT KEVIN MAXTED 1995 ‘K’ SERIES CHAMPIONS

CATERHAM IN THE CAPITAL

Low Flying © September 1996 Ros and Simon Do...

Part Two of their trip last year finds them halfway home after a memorable time in Florence....

We set out from Switzerland and I noticed that the red light had At about 7.45 the next morning I realised that I still had the Seven not come on when I switched on the ignition. After a few miles keys and that Monsieur Le Patron de garage would need them to and corners I also realised that the indicators had stopped do the work. So I missed breakfast, rushed to the garage to give working. Well, what do you do if two electrical bits stop working the keys in (and to take the nose off myself... I didn’t want some simultaneously? Check fuses. They were all OK. Then I stranger finding out about Dzus fasteners using my car as a remembered that the indicators had stopped working before and learning experience ...). I was sent away whilst they did the work had been cured by running the hazards for a couple of blinks. It and at 10:45 it was finished. One Fiesta recon alternator: £100 worked again but the red light was still AWOL. Broken bulb was (HOW MUCH???!). Well, that’s how much they are in France. I the diagnosis, especially after all the extra burn time it had had on offered to supply a few at that price. The broken one was £38 this holiday. We had a bulb set but not that one and as the car new!. ‘A Oui, mais il n’march pas’ as Le Patron said. So, having was running fine we pressed on, hoping to make Auxelles for a paid a small fortune for this thing, it seemed churlish to point out hotel and dinner. that the red light didn’t go out before 2500 re v s .....

Several hundred miles later, we refueled (again! please Santa, As Ros said as we re-started our epic dash, “Its 700 kilometers bring me a five-speed box) and moved back out onto a long to the ferry, we have a full tank of gas, half a pack of biscuits, its stretch of uphill motorway. It was getting dark so I turned on the sunny and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it.” lights. A kilometer later the engine faltered... we were doing 80 in the fast lane but I had only just enough go to get to the layby at We hit it all right. We had to go just about as fast as our ears and the side of the road. bodies would allow to make sure we could get to that ferry by ten that night. We made it with just enough time to belt around the I cleaned the connections on the alternator again and it started Supermarket for six cases of wine, forty-four packets of coffee, OK. So, back out we went, in amongst the slow moving lorries two hundred bottles of beer - OK, OK I’m kidding, we had just grinding up this fairly long steep hill. After all of about 100 meters enough room in the car for two bottles of very good wine from the it died again. We parked just out of the crawler lane and tried vineyards surrounding the garage where the Seven was fixed, again. Well I did, Ros is more sensible than me and she realised and a couple of packs of coffee .... that parking a tiny little Seven with two wheels in the crawler lane and two just on the grass was probably not such a good idea. I Naturally we grounded the car onto the ferry and off the other side was sure that I could fix the connection again and get going - at too - that gearbox hoop is a toughie thank goodness - and the least to the next service station eight kilometers down the road. sump now has the same number of leaks as it did before we left. It’s not a problem, it’s an automated oil changing system. I pour Off with the bonnet again and a big 16-wheel truck pulled up, it in the top, it seeps gently out of the b o tto m ..... covering us from the other traffic and giving some light too. The torch was still working but the car lights were very dim by now. Would I do it again? Like a shot! Would I change anything? Well After about ten minutes I bowed to pressure and we gently I would bring it back on the train. Its a very, very long way. Would pushed the Seven off the road into the long grass, praying it I like a Vauxhall de-dion five-speed car for Christmas? I think I wasn’t hiding any huge rocks or holes and accepted Saint Michel might, but only ‘cos it has a bigger boot for more wine, the truck driver’s lift to the next layby and the police phone. He honest...... Ros and Simon even phoned the police for us and explained the situation before jumping back into his lorry (with its dogs and two day old puppies Footnotes: One of the interesting aspects of driving a Seven is in the cab!) and disappearing off into the night. Thanks Michel, if the way different nationalities react to the car. I’m sure we are all you are reading this! aware of the way the Brits are generally too cool to look at the car (unless they are six years old....) Well, here are our subjective Forty-five minutes later we are sitting in the cab of the rescue observations of the reactions of some typical Europeans: truck with the Seven up on the back. Our rescuer didn’t say a word, just drove 30K back South along country roads. We Belgium & Luxembourg: (where 99% of the cars appear to be eventually got to a garage where he unloaded the car and he Grey/Black/Dark green etc) - quite a lot of neck straining and finally asked us about the problem. Fortunately, alternator sounds friendly smiles. the same in both languages and we had enough French to explain about the switch, ignition light etc. ‘No problem. Demain.’ he said France: - the car (and those in it by association) are Total Stars! and that was that. He took us to the local motel and we phoned The traffic stops, old ladies stand on street corners saying 'Ooh la ETA (our breakdown and travel insurance company) to find out la! Q'uelle Joli Auto!' and you can always find it in a car park - just what to do. They were brilliant and in thirty minutes had arranged head for the crowd. everything including hire cars for Ros to get home alone should the Seven take a few days to repair.

September 1996 Low Flying ...EUROPE Port 2

Germany: (a limited sample based on motorway travel only) Some interest - neck straining, in car discussions about our ear defenders (you can see the gestures that the other car's passenger does to explain to the d riv e r.....)

Switzerland: (the German Speaking bit) No one notices- I am not kidding, with the exception of one rather portly gentleman on the shores of Lake Lucerne who was obviously thinking that there was no way he could fit in it. I don't think the German speaking Swiss registered that the Seven was different in any way. I wondered why one of the Sevens u n d er ______construction in the Kumschick „ , ,, , , , , , , , , . Ros under the watchful eye of fast freddy s dog! garage had a 2 litre turbo engine and very bright yellow paint - obviously to get a little attention! A speaking Swiss are like the French. I guess it's that kind of country... Swiss friend explained that they see so many flash motor cars that So on to Italy. W e frustrated the drivers by going too slow, not they just get used to them all - sad isn’t it! trying to overtake at all times even though it was obvious that we had a fast car, and leaving acres of space between us and the car The Italian speaking Swiss were a different kettle of fish. Obvious in front. However, generally the car was looked at and interest from all quarters... just like the Italians, and the French appreciated whilst on the move. W e had great fun when getting ------fuel and coffee on Italian motorways and Ros (who is female in case you wondered at her ambiguous name) quickly learned the Italian answers for the standard questions .. How much, many per

with a carrying I think my manhood was definitely in doubt

shapes and^sizes' driven places by their female partners as a

COVER SYSTEMS Outdoor: Polyester woven textile with anti-UV treatment, In-Garage: Dustproofed nylon ru*e an^ definitely don't ^ e being (L7) lightweight, smooth, high water resistance, breathable, elasticated textile, breathable, elasticated blown off at the lights by a woman driving all-round hem, underbody straps. both ends. a red sports car! 113 HIGH STREET SOUTH, Outdoor IrvGarage seven. except series 4...... £80...... £57 So, in conclusion, the best reaction just R U S H D E N , Seven series 4 ...... £82 ...... £58 1 NnRTH ANT^ utnern t^ r Lotus i mooeis. rrwta/c- has to be in France without a doubt. kiMtnnoD Elan 62/73. Lotus 23...... £82...... £58 Worst - the UK and German-speaking NN10 O R B. Elan 89/92, Sunbeam...... £84 £59 0 . _ . ,. ... Tel- Of933 410851 Ela" *< *• e m m ...... **• u o Switzerland - we Seven pilots don t like Eciat, Elite...... £88 £61 being ignored! Lotus 51. 61. 69. (Form. Ford) ...... £168 £89 Lotus 20. 22. 27. (Form. Jnr.) ...... £168...... £89 « % £ £ —protect your Seven! Low Flying © September 1996 /Clutch to o

by Jim “Copperslip” Hardy

The time had come for the HPC to undergo major surgery by way of a clutch change. 14,000 miles had elapsed and the clutch was Jim H, Nadine and Monica -“ he always said he had a big end.” an ex clutch, no longer of this earth, the clutch is dead, long live the new clutch. Had I been driving it too hard? I think not. Did I have an oil seal leak? By this time I was beginning to lose sleep! It was now time to unbolt the clutch cover, revealing a small sad looking clutch plate. Earlier HPC’s such as mine were fitted with After numerous phone calls to our friends at Caterham and having a smaller 7 1/2” plate as opposed to the 9” plate on the later enlisted the assistance of Simon Piercy and Simon Hellberg, the models, which we were now about to fit. The new plate was moment had come to actually start taking things apart. We began aligned within the tolerances of a Rolex watch makers watch, and as we meant to go on and switched the kettle on, well OK then, it looked splendid covering the possible 100% surface area of the Monica switched the kettle on, whilst we had a team meeting and fly wheel. It’s amazing what a difference an extra 1 1/2” makes, discussed what time the pub was going to be open....! as Nadine keeps telling me. When the time came to torque up the clutch cover plate to the fly wheel the question was asked “How Our first task was to unbolt all the loose bits hanging off the much?” “One tight, not too tight” came the reply. Unfortunately it engine, I believe the experts call these ancillaries. The first few was too late and I had stretched the bolts. Bearing in mind it was hours passed without much excitement as all the loose bits began Saturday, late afternoon and 7mm shanked bolts are as rare as a to come apart as planned. Mr H's pit was soon proving it’s value, Seven owner at a Westfield convention. The day was scuppered, but communication did become difficult on the odd occasion when and I was led away to the phone to ring the Samaritans. trying to get Simon’s attention and two answers returned. Sunday arrived, and my good lady Nadine drove me round It was at this point things started to get a bit tricky, but we were Hampshire, while I drove her up the wall, hunting down a again rescued by Monica who had organised food and Westfield convention. Miracle upon miracles, we managed to find refreshments for the troops. We ate, drank and were merry, by the replacement clutch cover bolts from a Vauxhall dealership this time the HPC was shaking in its’ boots ready for another whose’ parts department just happened to be open, praise be to attack from the ‘A’ team. Vauxhall dealerships! Was this going to be a good day after all?

To split the engine from the gearbox, they have to slide forward as Unbeknown to me the Simon’s had been selling tickets for a complete unit to give access to the Allen bolts holding the ringside seats at the Hellberg pit, as well as holding high level engine to the gearbox bell housing. This was done and the talks with Bernie Eccelstone for television rights. The possibility engine and gear box split, losing some gearbox oil in the process. of seeing a grown man cry was certainly drawing the crowds in. It was now time to lift the engine out of the car, but how? There We arrived with the clutch cover bolts, followed shortly after by the were chassis rails in the way which prevented the engine from Piercy clan. Work was soon under way and the clutch cover was being lifted straight out (this is not a problem on later HPC’s fitted bolted to the fly wheel ‘one tight’. All gasket surfaces were with removable top chassis rails as Simon H showed me on his cleaned up and the engine (square peg) inserted back into the car, after that I poked him in the eye). The engine had to be engine bay (round hole) after instruction from our team of twisted at an angle within the engine bay to hoist it out of the car consultants, Nadine Monica and Shirley. All the ancillary bits were - we always knew Caterham could get square pegs into round bolted back on to the engine with the help of our new apprentice holes. Tim Piercy, and a tin of copperslip. The engine was secured back in it’s home. Gearbox oil topped up (another square peg round After what seemed to be a cross between a Mensa test and the hole scenario) and coolant added. This started to get the crowd Krypton factor the engine was finally out of the car. Everyone excited but something took the better part of valour and it was within eye poking distance was poked after telling me how much decided to call it a day. “It’s a day” said Zebbede, “Time for bed”. easier this would have been with removable chassis rails.

September 1996 © Low Flying Tim P and Simon P - A chip off the old block!

Monday came, HPC started, drove home......

To summarise the removal of the ancillaries and unbolting we did the following:-

1. Drained all the coolant and removed the coolant hoses as required from the engine. 2. Disconnected the battery and starter motor leads. 3. Disconnected the leads and removed the alternator. 4. Disconnected the fuel feed and throttle cable from the 45’s. 5. Disconnected the clutch cable at the bell housing. It’s a good idea to replace the exhaust manifold studs and bolts. 6. Removed the entire exhaust system. Remember to top up the gearbox oil. And if you jack the front of 7. Disconnected the speedo drive at the gear box end. the car up so that the expansion tank is higher than the heater 8. Undid the gearbox mounting bolts (eventually). when the time comes to top up the coolant, it will be easier to get 9. Removed the coolant expansion tank. all the air out of the system when the engine is run and the 10. Took the weight of the engine on the hoist. thermostat opens. 11. Undid and removed all the engine mounting bolts and brackets. Finally, many thanks to Simon H (Team Manger), Monica H 12. Moved the engine and gearbox forward, split engine from (Simon H’s boss), Simon P (Technical Director), Tim P (Chief gearbox. Apprentice), Shirley P (Simon and Tim P’s boss) and Nadine (my 13. Lifted engine out, changed clutch plate. boss) and remember, the two morals of this story are; a friend in need is a pain in the arse! and don’t eat a curry the night before The reassembly was the reverse of the above plus the following:- you intend to work in a pit. Jim (Copperslip) Hardy.

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Low Flying September 1996 September 1996 September 1996 (12J Low Flying

P J Barber in a Lotus Seven at the June 1966 BARC meeting, Silverstone. (Photo courtesy of Ferret Fotographics) LOTUS ‘9 6 INTERNATIONAL EVENT PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY You can not have avoided Mark FitzPatrick desperately trying to organise us for a group photograph at the Lotus factory on the Sunday...... well now's your chance to own a copy of this very photo (as featured in-part on this month's cover) 2 sizes are available 11" width: £7.50 18" width: £12.50 including post & packing Other pictures available, prize winners etc., for more details contact Mark on 0181 423 1732 or mobile 0973 343275 Please send size required (with other prints quote ref number) plus cheque made payable to ‘MMS’ to: 46 Rabournmead Drive, Northolt, Middx UB5 6YH

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Low Flying © September 1996 To Build A Seven Chapter 16 ... "The devil you know" by M. Eddenden

To recap: The Seven is almost ready’, It remains only to start up the engine, tune the carbs andfinish the electrics. An oldfriend. now a mechanic, offers to help...

August 5,1990

“Is he still drinking?'’ asked Donna. “He says he’s pretty much stopped.” Donna stirred the eggs but said nothing. “Peter’s very good at what he does “You can’t do it?” I shrugged. “I’ve never done it before.” Donna didn’t look up. “Besides,” I said, “ In a way, I owe him.”

A Miata pulled out in front of us. “Sassenach!” barked Peter. We did not slow; Peter mashed the gas pedal and downshifted. The Mustang lunged past the Miata into the oncoming lane, and with the speedometer rising began to pass one car, two, three ... The Mustang was not a pretty car. Plain, black inside and out — Peter had ordered the dealer to strip out all options — it had no aesthetic appeal but that gained from a single purpose: Power. With all the high performance options the car’s 5 litre V-8 produced almost 300 hp. It was a squat, brutish car, a pitbull, vicious if mishandled, and as tough ... the speedometer climbed past 120 mph, five cars, six cars passed. A line of trucks was coming towards us, fast. Peter passed one last car then swerved back to our lane. The Mustang shuddered as the big trucks went by. “Now,” I began, “I wrant you to charge me for this —” “Are you trying to insult me?” He looked at me the way sergeants look at recruits in World War II movies. “I just don’t feel... You’re a professional and I don’t want you to feel I’m taking advantage.” “You flicking well better not,” he answered, “$50 an hour. That’s what BMW charges all those doctors and lawyers who don’t know whether their assholes are punched or bored. For my services.” “Well, I appreciate that,” I said gingerly. “Right!” He pulled up to the Brewers Retail entrance, “You’re buying the first case of beer.”

Peter was a Rasputin of sportscars. Years before he had handed me his old flak jacket, patched and stiff with age, and insisted that I drive his aging TR250 as fast as I dared along Manitoulin Island’s remote sweeping roads. I w^as not interested in sportscars. I was not really interested in cars at all. For weeks he had attempted to fan my interest without much success, but that crisp fall night my enthusiasm caught.

Several months later he found my first sportscar, a ‘67 Datsun roadster. He had searched the classifieds for weeks, then accompanied me on the long trek from Manitoulin to Toronto, and talked the owner down from $1600 to $900. And it had been with Peter that I had seen my first Seven, a Lotus, at a gas station on a quiet Sunday morning. When the driver left with most of our questions unanswered, Peter glared, and called him an arrogant posing asshold unfit for a true driver’s car like the Seven. He then outlined the car’s history, handling, design; it’s reputation.

Now ten years later and for the first time since, we were both living in the same city, and this time I had a Seven.

We pulled into the driveway. Peter pulled out his toolbox and I opened the garage. There before us sat the nearly complete Seven. “Fuck Eddenden,” he said, “I'd have this car on the road tomorrow! Hand me a beer.”

September 1996 Low Flying Everything was limp with heat. The humidity felt like grit. Odours unable to dissipate in the still air, composted: damp concrete, sweat, the scent of metal on our hands. We worked in the darkened garage, out of the sun, but already our clothes stuck to us like dirt. Peter straightened with a grunt. Time had not been kind. Years as a mechanic had strained his back and hips, tie was heavier, balder, tougher, moodier. He finished off his beer and placed it carefully at the end of the row of empties.

I could not complain. In two hours we had filled the differential, the gearbox, and the engine with oil, installed the filter, added coolant, bled the hydraulic clutch, bled the brakes, and adjusted the hand brake, plus a hundred fine adjustments and checks. It was familiar work and we worked together. Then he started tuning.

Peter began by laying out his tools: a 1/2" wrench, a screwdriver, an old plastic tube. “All you need,” he said, “are these, your eyes and,” raising his voice, “Ears!” First he checked to see that the number one cylinder was T.D.C., then while watching the timing marks, he turned the engine over. He then removed the coil’s lead, and using the screwdriver placed it near the terminal, delicately. Next he loosened the distributor, told me to ‘Shut the fuck up’ and turned it slowly until I heard a sharp crack. At one point he emptied his cigarettes, fished out the foil -backed paper, “Because,” he said, “you have an electronic ignition,” and inserted it into the distributor to check the gap. Finally he adjusted the Webers peering down tiny holes and turning the idle mixture screws counting, one half, one, one and a half...

Somewhere, along the way, I became an apprentice. As he worked Peter methodically explained each task not only as technical steps, but as Mechanics Lore, giving each piece of the puzzle its due respect as a revealed truth. He punctuated secrets with “My father showed me this” or “This is the fucking correct way” or ominously, beer in hand, “Do what is Right, Let the Consquence follow!” It was all a little magical, a little ritualistic and extremely low tech. • > • -

Then he stopped, lifted the last beer and declaimed, “Do what is Right Let the Consequence Follow! Gather in truth,...” Oh God, I ’m losing him ... “... and freedom and light, And with stout heart lead ye on to tomorrow and God will protect you in doing what’s Right!” I resisted the urge to count the empty beer cans. Peter frowned at the blank look on my face.

“Fuck Eddenden! — Start the engine!”

I climbed in the car. The last time I had done this was in an MGB; the rebuilt engine had blown a gasket flooding the garage in seconds with hot oil. Peter pulled the leads off the spark plugs. “Now! — Five second bursts.” Once, twice, three times the engine turned. Peter replaced the leads. “Now! Do What is Right Let the The engine groaned, stiff, slow, like someone drugged with sleep trying to wake, then choked. Smoke oozed out the tail pipe and the carbs. “Again!” yelled Peter. The engine coughed heavily, then caught uneven, stumbling. “Off-! Off-! Do you wish to Destroy this marvellous little engine,” he yelled. “Just run it a few seconds at a time!”

Over the next half hour we gradually warmed the engine, stopping, starting, letting the oil circulate, checking for leaks, until at last it was running on its own, strong, sweetly. I stood grinning in the driveway. Peter remained in the garage, hidden by the dense black exhaust which poured from the open door. Now and then I could see him, listening to the carbs through the plastic tube, intent, serious, a caricature of the stethoscope wielding doctor.

‘This car is fucking wonderful!” Peter yelled out, “You’ve done a marvellous job.” I fidgetted, uncomfortably: Why is it I can endure criticisms stoically but complements embarass me. Peter emerged from the smoke and lit a cigarette. “As soon as its burned off the oil,” he said, “You and I are going to celebrate. First the Beer Store ...” His eyes narrowed, he leered forward. “Then you’re taking me to the nearest strip joint!”

Low Flying September 1996 S H iW S ABBEY SPORTS Monks Cottage

F0LDIN6 CHAIRS ■ M r

Ideal lor Sprint, Track Days, club events or when you're simply out and KIT CAR ACTION DAY about: untolding in a single movement, they are strong and pffer superb CASTLE COMBE, WILTSHIRE comtort and support. Each chair t« n g p lW with il's own matching nylon bag complete with shoulder strap and measuring |ust 29" x 4” (Approx). 21st September, 1 99 6 Fits easily into the boot of all 2-eeater sports cars. Choose from two attractive colours • Red or (Due. price £24.96 each (+ P & P). 0 9 .0 0 - 1 7.0 0 For more information, or to place an order (allowing up to 28 days for delivery) post cheque with your address on the back to Lotus Seven Owner Ken Puttock at: ABBEY SPORTS, MONKS COTTAGE, COURT Club stands, memorabilia and parts stalls. LANE, OFFENHAM. WORCESTERSHIRE. WR 11 5RP TEL: (01 386) 45304

Track passes available £15 for five laps. P & P in the UK - 1 Chair £24.95 * £4 50 = £29.45 Admission £5 adults, £2.50 children and O.A.P.’s. - 2 Chairs £49.40 + £5.00 = £54.90 Advance tickets cheaper - phone 01249 782929.

SIX FREE PASSES for the first six Club members. ------NATIONAL CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW ------NEC EXHIBITION CENTRE - H a l ls 4 a n d 5 Call Geoff Brown on 01793 876465 (or fax on 01249 891196) for more 2 3 r d a n d 2 4 th November 1 99 6 details and help him put this event on the map for the Seven Club. The Lotus Seven Club has been allocated stand space at this prestigious show and will be exhibiting three classic Seven’s -LONDON CLASSIC CAR SH O W ------as well as promoting the sale of Club regalia. KEMPTON PARK RACECOURSE NEAR JUNCTION l ON THE M3 Club members will receive a warm welcome when they visit our S u n d a y 2 9 th September, 199 6 stand at the show and hopefully make the most of a very sociable occasion, whilst enjoying the sights and sounds of a Incorporating the Grand London Autojumble this is claimed to be truly classic show. Our stand number is 4151, located in Hall 4. the largest Show in the South East, with over 1,000 stands to see. Call 01923 829547 for a 24 hour information hotline. Make a note in your diary now and look out for more details.

X/FLOW - BDR - LOTUS T/C - K Series - VAUXHALL

Specialist engine building, modification and rebuilding for both Don’t forget that I also work on all other engine types fitted to road and track. Full parts and machining service, cylinder head Sevens (lots of BDR’s recently), as well as supplying new and used work, tuffriding, camshaft timing, one-off components, etc., I engine parts, unleaded conversions, free advice etc., provide a personal service backed by 16 years experience with all Export enquiries welcome, both personal and commercial. types of engine. If you want to rebuild for next season, whether for fun, or for a serious campaign, give me a call and we can Plus club talks happily given. discuss your options. NEW PRODUCT Three easy steps to upgrading aX/flow: Currently under development and scheduled to be available in early 96 1) FORCED PISTON CONVERSION is a 3D mapped ignition system for cars running on Weber carbs. Target price is around £400 + VAT for the complete system consisting Same price for either 1700 or 1800 cc. This eliminates the origi­ of: Ignition box. throttle sensor and mounting bracket, wiring harness, nal cast pistons, and replaces them with much stronger forged mapping softwear, etc..Facilities will include a rev limiter, maximum rev items which are lighter and have a lower friction ringpack, giving memory (useful if you lend the car to junior!), and a shift light which up to 8 bhp improvement and a much greater willingness to rev. can be set to suit the rev limit of your engine. Also includes heavy duty head gasket, new big-end bolts, new Not only can you now map your ignition to allow your engine to give flywheel bolts and all labour. £930 + VAT. it’s best possible performance throughout the rev range on full throttle, but throttle response can be much crisper and fuel economy improved, 2) UPRATE PACK sometimes dramatically How? - well, for best efficiency on small throttle openings an engine requires far more ignition advance than at the same Cosworth big-end bolts, dowel flywheel to crank, duplex set. revs on full throttle This used to be crudely provided by a vacuum bronze valve guides, steel rocker posts, uprated valve springs, advance mechanism which cannot be fitted to Weber equipped engines. porting improvements. £340 + VAT (in conjunction with step 1) But now the same function can be fulfilled (and far more precisely), by providing the ignition electronics with a throttle position sensor; 3) WHERE NOW? ...... ignition timing now varies with both revs and throttle opening. The tw o packages above will make a dramatic improvement to To discuss the possibilities, please ring for a chat. performance and allow a safe rev limit of 7000 rpm. But it is easy to improve a X /flow up to 170 bhp and still retain road useable tractability (more for racing). This is generally a lot less money than changing the engine type and keeps the car original. ROGER KING I like a chat so please ring for more details. ENGINES Please note that the above prices assume that the 37 Ross Close, Saffron Walden, engine is in a suitable condition for up-rating. Essex CB11 4AY Tel/Fax: 01799 524916

September 1996 Low Flying asm®*

J cJL l \

L rJ L 2J

ARROWSTAR ^ W E R H A N l I CATERHAM ■■PARTS SALE OWNERS TRACK DAYS SPECIAL SALE EVENT Prices art per car and include WAT. Every sort of new and used No extra charge for 2nd driver. Caterham part you t JULY 25 £199 can imagine - it all has to go! Sihrerstone Grand Prix Circuit TELEPHONE FOR & AUGUST 28 £165 NEXT SALE DATE Castle Combe k SEPTEMBER 4 £199 R o h a n Silverstone Grand Prix circuit the finest outdoor clothing t SEPTEMBER 10 £199 Mallory Park Visit our new, fully stocked Full test support (one technician per car) Rohan shop and race services including preparation Spring/Summer range now in stock! and transport available. Tuition £46 per person. Special prices available on Winter Arrowstar hire cars and corporate (or summer in a Seven!) Wear! entertainment facilities will also be available on most days. ARROWSTAR JACKETS CORPORATE EVENTS FOR NOW ON SALE £79.95 YOUR COMPANY Poloshirts & Sweatshirts also available.

Did you know that we use our fleet of racing Sevens for Track Days too-or that we offer power boat or sailing trips on the Solent? FAlRacesuits...... from £179.00 Racing Boots...... from £ 6 4 .9 5 BOOK A DAY NOW AND RECEIVE ARROWSTAR FREE 7 VALET! Cloves...... from £2S .99 FREE TRACK TIME FOR YOUR 7! NEW CAR Balaclava...... from £ 8 .9 9 SALES All caterhams visiting Arrowstar Sparco Leisurewear (even for parts purchase) Monza jacket...... £ 6 4 .9 5 CLEANING will be fully valeted Slalom polar wool top...... £32 .50 As a Factory Appointed New Car Fashion polar wool top...... £ 3 9 .2 5 YOUR SEVEN? Sales Centre we are always keen to FREE OF CHARGE! discuss your intended purchase. It's never been easier. Our experience is Try our fantastic range of new your guarantee of ROLLING ROAD PAINTWORK products from the USA! good advice. We are so confident that your Rill Rolling Road Tuning With the utmost love and care we will aluminium will be brighter Service now available •k Strip car as necessary and your tonneau blacker ARROWSTAR * Prepare and paint, colour that we ll give you back your money if -anything from a quick power you're not completely thrilled with the U SE D CARS check to a full set-up and tune to match wings t Re-build as results! Special introductory offer! required ★ Carry out full valet Stock changes dally Full Rolling Road Test & Tune including: orit £ 6 9 9 please call for current list COMPLETE CAR Any part-exchange considered 'k Compression test or special colour RE-BUILD 'k Valve clearances :if applicable) including wings 'k Charging system check only £ 7 9 9 FLAT-FLOOR 'k Full ignition system check & set-up Fixed labour price to strip your car SUSPENSION k Full fuel system and cartourettor down to a bare chassis and rebuild set-up and tun with new parts, bushes, nuts, bolts etc SET UP ★ Full report sheet £ 7 9 9 . 0 0 exc. gearbox and axle Special Price £ 1 3 9 .9 5 iexact, all-in price quoted after strip-down) With our new computerised flat floor we will check and set-up: (Necessary parts charged extra) GEARBOX REBUILD KnMi latar durje £ 1 5 9 .9 5 k Comerweights k Ride heights AXLE/DIFF REBUILD ■k Weight distribution ^ Camber lausui! labour charge £ 9 9 . 9 5 k Centre of gravity k castor k Tracking k Bumpsteer OFFICIALS APPOINTED CATERHAM CENTRE FREE MOT k Chassis/wheet ali9nment sales service MOTORSPORT CHECK! fo r a lim ited period only £ 1 1 6 .9 5

Followed by test or list of worK required- if we put your car in for test and it fails, w e will do any necessary Centremead, Osney Mead, Oxford 0X2 OES work labour free! ALL PRICES NOW INCLUDE VXT Telephone 01 865 201155 Facsimile 01 865 201177

Low Flying © September 1996 '"'LOTUS SEVEN CLUB International Event

We had been talking about it since last year, we had our first serious meeting about it in April and the weekend was now upon us.

The Lotus Seven Club International Event for 1996 was being held in Norfolk over the weekend of 27th and 28th July and was to be the biggest and best ever!

THE LOTUS FACTORY SATURDAY 27th AND SUNDAY 28th JULY 1996

Saturday 27th: Ketteringham Hall, the former home of Lotus Grand Prix and now the base for the GT1 programme. Visitors started arriving from 11 a.m. receiving their Goody Bag1 and Programme before being directed to park. A quiet, relaxing day was planned with time for people to soak up the atmosphere and meet old friends. There was an Esprit GT1 race car parked in front of the Hall together with a selection of Seven's including Chairman Lol's beautifully restored Series 1 car. Lotus also kindly opened up the workshops for us to have a snoop around!

To add to the atmosphere a band had been hired to play at the front of the Hall and a selection of pictures were on display by local artist Mike Harbar (Tel. 01394 388729).

For the fellas (well, and the girls) there was slot car racing, with fastest time of the day going to Christopher Harrison, plus for the ladies only their very own competition which was in two parts. Firstly, identifying various components on Steve's car and secondly putting the names to the faces (or legs!) of the organising committee - how did you do?

September 1996 Low Flying The culprits were: A. John Adams B. Vivienne Davidson C. Caroline Ingram D. Jon Ingram E. Steve Davidson (in a dress!) F. Paul Gifford

... and the winners: 1st: Kate Denny 2nd: Julie Richens 3rd: Ruth Whiting Joint 4th: Chris Conley, Jane Pringle, Sue Homer & Louise Tunnicliffe

The Concours, which ran throughout the afternoon, was split into seven categories with the following winners:

♦ Best Lotus Seven Series 1/2/3 : Lol Pilfold Sponsored by Arch Motors So to the evening and dinner at Dunston Hall Hotel, a beautiful ♦ Best Lotus Seven Series 4 : Dominik Frutiger venue and one at which many members had chosen to stay for Sponsored by Classic Carriage (also furthest travelled) the weekend. We completely filled the room we were in (230 ♦ Best Caterham Seven : Geoffrey Tobert people - is this a record?) and virtually everybody had entered Sponsored by Oxted Trimming into the spirit of things by arriving suitably attired for the ♦ Best Kit Built Seven : Richard Jarman 'Gangsters and Molls' theme. Raffle tickets were sold in aid of Sponsored by Restall Nuke the Leuk with the superb total of £538 being raised - well ♦ Best Cosworth Seven : John Watson done to everyone! Added to this total was an additional £115 Sponsored by Cosworth Engineering from Arnie Webb who was the highest bidder for the race ♦ Best Vauxhall Seven : Nick Richens training. The superb meal was followed with an immense Sponsored by Vauxhall number of raffle prizes, hundreds of them, (you must have won ♦ Best Zetec Seven : Paul Fleetwood something) and then by John Adams, Seven owner and Sponsored by Dunnell Engines musician with his band The Pawnbrokers - weren't they just

Low Flying September 1996 ""LOTUS SEVEN CLUB International Event cont...

Sunday 28th: and a very full day ahead at the Lotus factory in Hethel. Almost too much to see and do, factory tours to see the Elise and V8 Esprit being built, radio controlled model car racing all day (thanks to Peter, Mark and Christopher Harrison together with Kellers Models), test track lapping behind an Elise demonstrator, followed by fun karting.

I hope everybody enjoyed the weekend as much as we did and our thanks for all your support on the day, from Paul Gifford and your organising committee; Steve Davidson, Jon and Caroline Ingram, John and Linda Adams.

Also, our thanks to Vivienne Davidson, Ian Tubby, Colin Covell and Craig Wildman and a special mention for the two dads, Steve's and mine for getting you all parked safely and their supreme effort arranging you all for the great group photograph.

Photographs available from Mark Fitzpatrick (Tel. 0181 423 1732).

September 1996 © print £ pic

“Soak in water for a few hours, then leave to dry in the open....”

Round five, for me anyway, of the CCC Championship was at A couple of weeks later and we found ourselves in the north Valence in Kent. Norfolk countryside at West Raynham, at a disused airforce base. Do you remember that really hot weekend? This was it. The track The track at Valence is actually the tarmac driveway through the was laid out mostly on the widest, longest runway I have ever grounds of a school for disabled children, hosting a whole seen and was 2.7 miles long! The sprinting was good, but I weekend of motorsport in an effort to raise money for the school. seemed to spend a long time on the straights at maximum revs Spectators are encouraged and are given a wonderful view of the waiting for a bend to arrive. More confidence in the brakes vast assortment of cars charging their way up the hill to the finish. produced some reasonable times, but there wasn’t a clean line anywhere - as poor old Tom Whiter found to his cost. Having just driven back from our holiday in Cornwall the day before, we arrived at the track a little bleary-eyed and immediately The day did drag on a bit, mainly because of the number of “offs” set about walking the course as the early morning sun dried the and the time it then took for the breakdown truck to get round the tarmac. Then it rained. Then the sun came out and dried the whole track. The heat itself wasn’t too bad, that is until you found track in time for my first practise run. Then it rained. Then the sun yourself sat on the line in the blazing sun, suited, helmet and came out. Second practise. Rain. Sun. First timed run. Rain... gloves on, pulse racing and.... another bugger comes off and the red flags come out. Now, there were nine entrants in my class and it should have been an easy task to work out where I was going to finish. After all, I I think I managed to keep off the bottom of my class times, but to was driving a Seven, in Class 7 and my racing number was 77 - be honest I was more concerned about keeping on the tarmac at so I dutifully came seventh! high speed - you never know what’s in the long grass, do you?

First practise was aimed at feeling my way up the hill; a short blast This was also the first time I had met the Top Gear Scholarship to a sharp, very slow right, then quickly accelerate towards the drivers who competed in their own class. There were some ‘mild’ esses through the trees, backing off a little before bursting envious looks in their direction from the front runners in our class out through the rhododendrons and up the gently sloping hill, though, as the Classic spec cars are allowed to run with aero- brake hard for a very sharp uphill right-hander and over the line. screens - and it showed on the straights! Good luck to you lads Easy? Not quite. The main problem for me was getting a fast ‘n lasses, most of you were turning in some very respectable enough run at the hill to justify using third. I did both practise runs times! without getting out of second, then deliberately used third in the first of the timed runs and managed a slightly slower time! The Mechanically things were running okay, although by the end of the other problem was the two tight right-handers which caused the day I found a small amount of oil in the catch tank, but I think this engine to bog down a bit when you dropped into first. was down to my usual practise of slightly over-filling the engine before sprinting, combined with long, long sessions at high speed. Meanwhile, in between runs the rain was getting into everything Apart from that, she’s still running sweetly. and the grass paddock was getting muddy causing quite a few problems for the other classes who were changing from slicks to Scammonden was next on the list, but back trouble intervened so wets several times as they queued for runs! Some of the turbo that was a no show. Add to that North Weald last weekend when cars looked a bit of a handful running in the wet, with the turbos the rain threw itself down so hard I couldn’t even get out of the cutting in at the most inappropriate time and spinning them off to garage - no hood! Next should have been Pestalozzi, but my grass-cutting duties. entry was late due to being on holiday, so we won’t get a run there either. Still, an impending house move should keep me occupied Of course, one person who managed to keep dry in the paddock until Goodwood. was our Arnie Webb, fresh from his Le Mans Expedition. He and his entourage erected a very smart looking white, open-sided I think I’m getting sprint withdrawal symptoms...! awning to protect car and occupants - a sort of Arabian Sheikh’s tent. Still, the commentator for the event was obviously not impressed and tried to convince the massed crowds that Arnie was driving a WS^oE^ - should have gone faster Arnie!

Low Flying © September 1996 Caterham race report

ROUND 8 - THRUXTON 28TH JULY

Vauxhall: From the tight confines of Brands Hatch to the wide The track was dry for the race but very slippery. Mark Ticehurst open spaces at Thruxton and a first pole of the year for Nigel led initially from Justin Keen but these two were often side by side Taylor on a slippery but drying track, David Walton, winner at the around the track and followed Richard Fores, up from 6th on the circuit in 1995, was 2nd ahead of Shaun Balfe, Simon Jackson, grid. Denis Autier and lain Rangeley were having their own Simon Harris and Chris Strakosch making one of his infrequent private battle for what would eventually be 8th, Rangeley getting returns to the series. Nick Hart lost his nosecone and then spun the nod, while Justin Oxenham survived a lead straight across the and was collected by Peter Matthews and would start 11th but chicane. Mark Humphrey and Mike Neumann battled for 6th but fellow championship leader Bart Hayden was even worse off, made contact on the 6th lap and Humphrey was forced to retire. starting from 14th. Others in difficulty included Jean Francois Bihl with engine troubles and Rob Mears with no 4th gear. The battle for the lead was still furious between Ticehurst and Keen, resulting in the former’s wing going for a burton and Walton made the best start but John Grant was also on a flier up inspiring a suicidal marshal to run across the track to collect it - to 2nd on the first lap from 7th on the grid. Behind him Nigel rather him than me! Keen was ahead at the end of lap 8 after Taylor, Simon Jackson and Simon Harris were battling with Harris Ticehurst ran wide at the chicane but the roles were reversed a moving from 5th to 2nd on the 5th lap, but Jackson passed him lap later. On the final lap, contact was made and Ticehurst again the next time around. Meanwhile, Paul Thomas and Nick dropped to 3rd as Keen picked up the victory from Richard Fores. Hart were putting friendship aside in a furious battle for 7th which Subsequently a protest was made which took all day to resolve. continued until the final lap when Hart ended up dropping a place Eventually the Clerk of the Course decided that the information to John Grant; Paul Thomas finishing in 6th place. available was so conflicting that he dismissed the protest and the results stood as published. The battle for 2nd raging behind Walton had actually allowed them to close up to the race leader by the end, but the reigning Paul Stephens finished 4th, first of the registered competitors champion held on to win by 0.35s from Harris and Taylor. Bart (which meant he took points for first) and this opened up a huge Hayden dropped to 8 points behind Hart in the series after points advantage for him following Humphrey’s retirement. Neil finishing 12th just ahead of returnee Guy Parry who was suffering Delargy and Bruce White didn’t finish either while Richard Fores an oil leak. Almost suffering much worse than that was Jean took fastest lap (but as he’s not a registered competitor either, the Francois Bihl who miraculously missed the end of the pit wall after prize for this went to Mike Neumann). Minister Driver of the Day a huge spin out of the chicane. was Jack Gratton who made up a staggering 12 places on his grid position. Not bad when you consider this weight penalty! Belinda Fastest lap was shared between the two Simons, Harris and McDougall. Jackson, while Minister Driver of the Day went to John Ingram for his recent improvement.

K-Series: Mark Ticehurst and Justin Keen recorded identical lap times on the same lap during qualifying but neither of them could quite match Mark Humphrey, still on a charge after the final few laps at Brands Hatch. Justin Oxenham got taken off during the session and championship leader Paul Stephens found himself down in 9th place just ahead of Simon Mason, back out after missing Cadwell and Brands.

September 1996 @ Low Flying 1996 CAI6RHAM K-S6R16S CHALLCKiqe RESULTS

Pos. Driver S'tone Combe Mallory Brands Don’ton Cadwell Brands Thruxton Total Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Race 6 Race 7 Race 8

1 Paul Stephens 40 28 40 34 40 40 36 40 298 2 Mark Humphrey 34 34 34 26 34 34 41 237 2 Justin Oxenham 36 8 30 28 37 32 30 36 237 4 Mike Neumann 32 32 36 32 36 32 36 226 5 Grant Tromans 28 30 6 41 26 30 20 181 6 Denis Autier 20 26 28 22 28 26 28 178 7 lain Rangeley 2 24 2 16 24 26 18 30 142 8 Jason Dance 22 14 28 34 32 130 9 Neil Delargy 25 40 32 24 121 10 Damon Dance 22 20 10 16 22 14 104

1996 CAIGRHAM VAV/XHALL CHALL6KICC RESULTS

Pos. Driver S’tone Combe Mallory Brands Don’ton Cadwell Brands Thruxton Total Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Race 6 Race 7 Race 8

1 Nick Hart 24 36 34 40 36 36 36 26 268 2 Bart Hayden 34 32 32 36 35 32 41 18 260 3 Simon Jackson 36 31 29 32 26 40 30 33 257 4 Nigel Taylor 28 26 36 34 30 12 24 34 224 5 Shaun Balfe 22 24 40 20 20 34 22 30 212 6 David Walton 40 40 26 28 28 40 202 7 Simon Harris 32 4 26 31 40 30 37 200 8 Tim O’Kennedy 2 34 20 28 32 1 34 24 175 9 Jack Newland 20 14 18 16 16 24 20 20 148 10 Rob Mears 16 16 22 22 20 32 128

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Low Flying ® September 1996 The V \ ) u Haggis run review by Diane Allen

When Paul and Anita announced their Scottish trip Tom and I booked into another hotel just along the road, thus reducing the weighed up the pros and cons. Tom’s pros; driving with his friends odds of his getting someone else’s wife in the pudding club! on some of the best roads in Britain and an opportunity to sleep with someone else’s wife. My cons; being six months pregnant I After a few drinks, twelve fly-splattered rednecks enjoyed a meal did not relish the thought of spending ten hours a day being thrown followed by more drinks and a game of “Swap the Nose Cone”. from side to side, trying to keep up with the convoy in a badly Unfortunately someone had reversed into Rover, the brightest driven Seven! But, when Anita handed out the route and itinerary yellow Seven I’ve ever seen. Mike had already been carried to bed we decided we just HAD to go.... in a drunken stupor so we thought we’d ease the pain and put Male’s nose cone on Rover hoping Mike was colour blind. Saturday 29th June - 7.30 a.m. Five Sevens set off in the pouring rain, no roofs, we are a hardy lot you know (or just too tight to buy The next morning Simon and Tom rose early to hire the much them). I was immediately surprised by the speed the MacGoverns talked about rowing boat. (Shame the discussion didn’t include a and the Dickens were negotiating roundabouts. No sooner had I warning not to pull out the plug!). We later realised their motive, said, “What the Dickens”, than we were looking at Shirley through they wanted to be out of the way when the angry, midgebitten her sidescreen with the car at 90 degrees to the kerb. Malcolm crowd spotted their swapped nose cones. was enjoying himself so much at this point that he tacked yachtlike for the next 100 yards. Gulp, I hope this isn’t a taste of things to After a hearty breakfast and a good chat with “nose basher” - who come. subsequently paid his dues - and a photo session in the rain, we continued along the Stewart test route on the A85 and some minor We met Simon and Susan avec un roof (they must have good jobs) roads towards Gleneagles. The rain intensified to monsoon-like and continued up the A65 to Kirby Lonsdale in the rain then up the proportions, but this was, for us, the highlight of the weekend, with A6 on fantastic dry roads through the Shap Fells. At this point the aquaplaning cars and great rooster tails spraying from the sprinting wind was blowing our rapidly moving convoy across the road. Sevens - the nearest some got to a wash all weekend. The Would we slow down? No. weather was typically Scottish now, with the rain subsiding and being replaced by brilliant sunshine, turning Male’s forehead to the Sixty odd miles up the A7, nip and tucking with MM playing chicken colour of a baboon’s whatsit. with the oncoming traffic. We too “put our clog down” as the sound from Mike and Betty’s carbs was deafening. We named the car However, no lengthy trip in a Seven is complete without an Rover as it sounds like a dog barking down your neck. Lunch at obligatory roadside pitstop to change A-frame bushes and this was the Dugin with the Scottish lot and their tatty cars (only joking), no exception. Andy and David’s car was nominated to receive the whooped the MacGoverns at pool and admired the Caledonian treatment, like it or not. Someone had two bushes spare so they cars. The multinational convoy headed north, passports in hand had to go somewhere. (Did you know that cow’s tongues are and circumnavigated Edinburgh, picking up the M9 to arrive at a brilliant at removing grease). sunny Doune Motor Museum. Well, some did. Some took another motorway very similar in number, to the opposite side of Scotland. Onwards to Gteneagles and the end of the Stewart test route and time for Paul and Anita to test the flying capabilities of the On arrival at the museum, the MG Club insisted that we parked our Caterham, showering the following cars in nuts and bolts. Is that cars in the prime spot and robbed them of all the limelight of many the crankshaft passing by? inquisitive visitors. A couple of hours later the Coast to Coast cars arrived. We had a tour of the museum (not worth the 600 mile The journey now took us to Duns, passing the Knockhill Racing journey the MacGoverns had racked up) we walked up the famous Circuit and negotiating the Dunfermline tank traps, (makes Pudsey Doune Hill Climb with McLawrence and McJohn the Undertaker look like a billiard table). At Duns the Jim Clark Room is a must for (no reference to his profession). Wow, it looks dangerous with lots any Lotus/Clark nut with a very helpful and knowledgeable curator. of Armco and trees plus copious amounts of rabbit and squirrel We ate our picnic on the lawns outside and now we’ve all got shit! foreheads resembling monkey’s backsides.

From here we followed the A84 and A85 along the Jackie Stewart We left Duns and headed for the magnificent rollercoaster, better test route where he fine-tuned the handling and brakes on the Ford known as the A68. Plenty of opportunity for some swift overtaking Mondeo (somebody please explain that to Curly Haworth). We with Paul giving a few light aircraft a run for their money. We all arrived at the Drummond Arms, St. Fillans around sixish and said met up at the Scotch Corner services on the A1, then made our goodbye to our Celtic chums who roared off into the distance own way home. A great weekend was had by all and we must say (these are the mad buggers who drove 400 miles one evening to a big thanks to Anita and Paul for organising such a wonderful trip. the Pennine meeting for a drink!). Tom and I left the others and Diane C Allen.

September 1996 0 Low Flying BALANCING CARB AIR FLOW An ingenious DIY device, created by Peter Oates, from Kent.

While “tinkering”, as one does, I noticed that one carb was significantly noisier than the other at tickover (Weber 40’s). This led me to wonder about the flow balance between the carbs. The balancing adjustment was roughly central, so one would think it was “about right”. I made up a device to check the balance (consisting of four orifice plates and a water manometer), and C found that one carb was drawing about 20% more air than the other up to 4000 rpm. The flow restriction prevented me going further. The balance was easily achieved with the adjuster, which outer end and a pressure tapping point immediately behind the is now quite close to one end of its travel. Incidentally, the two restriction. The four pressure tappings are connected by plastic inlets on one carb were balanced, but on the other are slightly out. tube to a water reservoir, with a fifth tube to indicate water level. The reservoir and the plastic tubes are mounted on a square of I am an engineer by training and I’m fairly confident about the hardboard which fastens conveniently to the air filter mounting method, but would any of the experts out there like to offer any brackets. The flow of air into each inlet of the carbs through the comment on the method and/or the significance of such an out of restrictions causes a pressure drop. The greater the flow, the balance? greater the pressure drop. The four pressure drops are indicated by the four water columns simultaneously, and can be compared. Assuming that the method is OK, is anyone interested in the Note that pressure drop is related to flow squared, so a 20% flow details? Peter Oates. imbalance causes a 44% pressure drop difference.

BALANCING DEVICE DETAILS I am fortunate in that I was able to make this up from scraps I had lying around, and I have a small lathe. You can’t buy the materials The orifice plates for each inlet are made from 3” lengths of plastic in “scrap” quantities and you need the lathe to fit the tubes to the wastepipe machined to fit the inlet tubes, with a restriction at the car inlets, and to make the holes in the orifice plates.

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Station Road Taplow Maidenhead Berks Telephone 01628 - 605353 Fax 01628-663467 Evenings 01483-2 3 2 5 7 8 Tel: 01689 831207 Eves & Wkds 5 mins. M4 June. 7 E-MAIL: [email protected] http://www.mmresearch.co.uk/sgt \ Low Flying ® September 1996 ££ TwinkiebdrS, by Steve Shaw ■ D ig white balls, , 55 As I start to write this, the engine is in! 1700cc of '-■number six Vegantune twincam, all bolted up with over 450 miles under its belt in a weekend miles and had no water pump failure, this is not really a problem. Other problems include limited exhaust valve cooling and a trip to Portmeirion. As I’m tendency to drink oil, as well as a not overly impressive potential sure it will take some time BHP figure. The other choice(s) could possibly be Cosworth variants of the Kent block, but my budget precluded those for me to finish this missive, (couldn’t find one anyway). So, back to the mags and see what is I will update the story as the around. At this point I could say I’m conversant with the full history of Lotus Sevens, the Twincam engine and therefore knew miles clock on and my initial all about the link between them and Vegantune, but I’d be lying. feelings stabilise. Instead I saw reports in CCC and other such mags about the Mono Kent racing series and noted how many cars had won with Vegantune engines. At that point the name rang a few bells and A s you should by now realise, when it comes to my Seven I scanning through various Seven and Lotus books told the full do things in a slightly different way to other people. (There story. How Vegantune had initially modified and then further have been many suggested reasons as to why this is, developed the original Lotus Twincam. How they had even taken mostly by Pip, upon which I will make no comment.) over production of that engine when Lotus stopped (possible legal problems with a Lotus badged engine being made elsewhere saw When many are upgrading their chassis to De-Dion rear end I’m this was short lived) and then went on to design a tall block enjoying the ‘high spirits’ of a live axle and in no rush to change. twincam based on the Kent block with their own twincam head. When 5 x speed boxes came about I stayed with the 4 x speed, Caterham even had Vegantune make engines for them with feeling the ratios better suited to my style of driving (no comments ‘Caterham Twincam’ cam covers. And to cap it all I had a £50 off Pip). And now, when the Kent seems to be a thing of the past, I install voucher for Vegantune from the last International meeting, which a new Kent based engine rather then one of the modern K-Series, Sarah won for me. Seemed as they were worth a visit. Zetec, Vauxhall, etc. engines that seem to be de rigueur today. To save money, I had originally intended to get only the basic So why should any sane person in this day and age want to install engine building work done (such as machining and balancing) and a Kent engine? Well, the simple answer, as would be suggested then completing the build myself. However, Vegantune were by those that think they know me, is I’m anything but sane. But if reluctant to do this as there was a danger of my shoddy we ignore that for the moment, and ask the question slightly workmanship (not their words) reflecting badly on them. Instead, differently, is there any reason to chose a Kent engine for a Seven an initial phone conversation turned up the prospect of a second­ above the more modern alternatives? hand engine from a slightly dented Evante. Vegantune suggested it could make the basis for a good rebuild, which they would be The answer depends a lot on your requirements. In my case, my interested in undertaking. Sounded good so off I went, with Mike first requirement was to keep the basic chassis, gearbox, axle and Ebery in tow, to talk to Vegantune director Richard Marshall and engine combination reasonably close to the spec as at the date of engine builder (a.k.a, God) Rob - Knobby - Morley. manufacture. Having decided this I started looking at the various possibilities available for Kent based engines. My previous one I was impressed, as was Mike. They were happy to discuss was built in conjunction with Roger King and was a reasonably various possibilities, especially as once again I was working with powerful 1700 push rod. Roger was confident of being able to a limited budget. We concluded they could build a VTA 160 produce over 170bhp from the basic engine without too much engine, referred to as Road/Sprint spec., using the basic difficulty. However, the single cam. push rod engines seem to me components from their second-hand engine and ancillaries from to be a bit ‘peaky’, or maybe that was just the way my last one my old unit. It would have the potential for 170 plus BHP with was. Either way, having had two push rods previously I decided 135/140 Lb/Ft torque. We had a deal, and Rob got to work on it would be good to have a change. checking the old lump.

The idea of a Lotus twincam (tall block or otherwise) is the It was a little later that I got my first surprise. When checking the obvious first choice, but as an engine it has a number of old 711M block Rob found water corrosion where the pistons had drawbacks. The first is that being chain driven, access to the been sitting, which could not be removed with honing. Would I water pump is not the easiest - but having driven over 74.000 like an AX block at cost as they had promised this engine? Yep,

September 1996 © Low Flying you bet. In my slightly cynical mind this impressed me a lot, as the last thing I was going to see was the inside of the cylinders. A less honest company might have said sod it, especially as this was not to be an all new engine. taller to improve cooling. Vegantune also supplied a set of racing spec plug leads; new, self contained Lucas electronic ignition The next contact I had was when Rob needed some of my distributor; spark plugs; various hoses and coolant expansion ancillaries and my special (home made) sump and pickup. There header tank; and a new, light pressure, high performance clutch. on a stand was MY engine! (Well, the bottom end at least.) It Come the weekend the installation would start in earnest. At least looked great. Don’t tell Richard, but Rob had even polished the that was the idea.... con rods as well as fully balancing everything. After a bit more drooling, and poking my cylinder head that was lying on the The weekend came and with the gearbox connected to the engine bench, it was time to go. The next visit would be to pick up the full the whole lot was hoisted into position only to find it wouldn’t fit! engine ready for installation. Argh... It seems as if my Seven chassis was some interim version and the slightly longer twincam engine wouldn’t fit (before you say A few weeks later the call came. My engine was ready to be they were never meant to, it was back in the early 80’s (my picked up. Pat Coneley was going to be in the area so arranged chassis is ‘83) that Vegantune engines were fitted as a standard to meet me at Vegantune to give me his sage like views on the option). This was a serious problem. I only had this weekend to company. He seemed impressed; but like me wanted to see what complete the work as the following week I was due to be away in the engine could do. Cannes, before a weekend trip to Portmeirion. Uh oh! Time to call Vegantune with the bad news. Rob had put the engine on a dyno so by the time I got to it, it was fairly run in with a full set of power figures. These showed a I have to say the results of my panic phone call were impressive. minimum of 84 BHP @ 3500 rpm moving up to 172 BHP @ 7000 None of the ‘oh, that’s a shame’ or ‘umm, erh, not sure’. No, not rpm with a corresponding 126 Lb/Ft torque @ 3500, up to 140 Lb/Ft at all. The response was “we’ll send Charlie down with a trailer @ 6000 with 129 Lb/Ft @ 7000, as seen in the following diagram. right away to pick up all the bits. Leave it with us!” Amazing. It needed new engine and gearbox mountings, shortened prop, 180 shaft and lots of fiddling to make it all fit. Within a week the Seven

170 was on the road, all fluids, hoses and cabling done, ready for a blast to Portmeirion. Vegantune even cleaned the engine bay - 160 which was caked in years of grime - and the outside of the car as 150 well. As the tv program says, “Ab-fab”. Do you know another company that would have done even half as much? So, by the 140 time I got back from Cannes, the car was in my garage, (re­ 130 delivered by Charlie) ready to go.

120 The drive up to Portmeirion was amazing. The first impressions 110 of the engine were great, even with the ‘heart in the mouth’ feeling you always seem to get when driving on a new engine for the first 100 time. Rob had said it was OK to give it a good thrash as the dyno 90 had bedded most of the new components, but even so I found it

80 hard to go above 4,000. As the miles accumulated so did the speed, and with it I became more impressed with the engine’s capabilities. Through the gears acceleration was (I need a new word, amazing, impressive and great have all been used) superb. All seemed OK and the engine was loaded into the back of the This is an engine that doesn’t ‘come on cam’ as with many others company hack for the trip home. Great! At the same time as because the grunt starts low enough down that it just powers building the engine Vegantune had built a new radiator, based on through the entire rev. range. Floor it at 3,000 in any gear and it the ‘83 spec one, but with three cores and one and a half inches goes. This makes mid-range overtaking a breeze.

Low Flying September 1996 polishing a car you shouldn’t have a Seven. (That should stir a few up, eh Barry?). Twinkie Seriously, as always, these are my views. If you have some of your own, as you should, why not put pen to paper. Tell the world So, it's some 800 miles later and what do I think now? We’ve had why my ideas are wrong and why you have a Zetec/Vauxhall/K- one minor problem, which occurred on the return trip from Series thingy. I won’t believe you cos I’ve got a Vegantune, but Portmeirion. Due to the cam belt bedding in and the whole car it's worth trying. FWS having got soaking wet over a two day period, the jack shaft hopped a tooth, knocking the timing out. This was easily rectified PS. As I write this I’ve just had the 1,000 mile service and spent a by borrowing a timing light from a friendly local garage and since great day at Vegantune with Knobby, Richard and Steve. Ignoring tightened has not occurred again. The engine is now on Mobil 1, the actual work done (which was great) the day was fantastic. after the running in period on mineral oil, and shows no signs of Knobby showed me the foibles of the Twincam engine and how to being an oil burner. The need to re-locate the throttle linkage service it, and even the correct sealant to use. (Silicone bog means that at the moment I can’t get full throttle, which I haven’t variety!) I know there is a lot of potentially negative press around corrected yet as it's probably the only thing stopping me from regarding Vegantune and their engines, but things have changed seriously buzzing the engine. (It turns out this was Richard’s way a lot in recent years. Knobby has addressed the initial problems of preventing me from using full throttle and, based on my driving of the Vegantune engine (valve guide oil seals, improved cam skills or lack of, damaging the engine.) It's now due its first return lubrication, etc.) making it a worthy contender for the ultimate trip to Vegantune to get Rob to re-set the tappets and generally Seven engine stakes. check it over. I foresee no problems and am looking forward to seeing the lads again. I have been able to get over 160 miles per tank in the past month, better than any previous engine, making the Vegantune Twincam At the end of the day the engine you choose to go for is obviously one of the best breathing engines on the market. With full throttle a personal decision. I can fully understand people who want now available, engine response is even better than before. What modern blocks, with saloon car reliability. However, I bought my I thought was initially quick now turns out to be devastatingly Seven as a source of driving enjoyment. To be used and to repay quick, both through the gears and at top end. So much so that as such use with thrills. For my money a live axle, 4 x speed Seven I couldn’t afford an over rev limiter Knobby has lent me one to with a good Kent derived engine is unbeatable. It may not be the protect his engine. absolute fastest - but it's now close. It may not be as easy to drive as other suspension/axle combinations, but it's probably a lot I think I made a good choice with Vegantune, but don’t take my more fun. It isn’t even as shiny as most, but after 75,000 miles it word for it, call Richard or Knobby on 0181 343 0618 and ask them, shouldn’t be. And anyway, if you want to spend all your time or talk to Dave Lees about the Cosworth they prepared for him.

Tom Watkins wrote in last month .... with a couple of technical questions which I put to Jez Coates, Technical Director at Caterham. His reply follows:

The symptoms of the slip in the steering system indicated to me The Swindon 215hp engine is externally identified by a blue cam that the upper and lower steering columns are moving relative to cover insert. each other when sufficient torque is applied. Although Tom is sure everything is “right and tight”, I would recommend checking The “A” bushes are changed as follows:- that the grub screw in the steering clamp is tight. 1) Jack up the rear of the car and support the chassis allowing If this proves to be OK then the only other possible culprit is the the rear suspension to fall to its full droop position. rack. Careful observation of the track rods movement relative to 2) Remove 1/2 UNF x 2 1/2 bolt and nut which fixes the “A" frame the pinion movement should reveal any discrepancy. I would to the axle. suggest Tom has a friend to rock the steering wheel back and 3) Pull the “A” frame downwards clear of the axle. forth through the critical range where the slip occurs whilst he 4) Prise out the old bushes with a screwdriver. watches each of the track rod ends movement. It may be that 5) Push the rear bushes into the “A” and squeeze into place there is play in one of the knuckle joints under the rack gaitors. using water pump pliers. Push the “A” frame upwards into Detection of this is easiest if the gaitor is grasped firmly while the position in between the bracket on the axle. steering wheel is rocked back and forth. He will be able to feel the 6) Re-fit the 1/2 x 2 1/2 bolt and nuts and re-tighten to 40-45lbft. play if there is any. If this is the source of the problem, then the free play in the knuckle can be adjusted out. Regards, Jez Coates, Technical Director, Caterham Cars

September 1996 Low Flying ♦ The geometry of the front suspension, which had remained constant since Lotus days, was changed to give more camber compensation to keep the outside tyre upright during Specification cornering when the car rolled, but to stop excessive negative camber under braking a degree of anti-dive had to be SUP€R S6VCN incorporated, instead of the pro-dive traditionally used. An unacceptable level of steering response, due mainly to increased gyroscopic precession from higher levels of camber An extract from a technical review of the new change, has been addressed by the development of a steering specification Seven prepared by Jez Coates, rack with a high level of self damping without resorting to the Technical Director at Caterham Cars. frictional damping formally used, thus resulting in a smoother lighter enhanced feel to the steering.

Suspension System: ♦ At the rear, the geometry was changed to give a small degree of toe in on roll and therefore roll understeer. This change in Experience with the road and racing behaviour of the Seven geometry also gives a horizontal “A” frame to improve traction, throughout the first five years of the 1990’s indicated that there this in conjunction with the higher pre load on the softer rear were several areas where improvement was possible. springs stops the inner rear wheel lifting which prevents the outer rear wheel going into positive camber reducing Specifically:- oversteer and increasing lateral acceleration capability.

♦ The general expectation of the public concerning the ride of Chassis (De Dion cars only): modern cars had increased and thus it was possible that if the Seven ride could be improved it may appeal to a wider group Torsional stiffness has been increased by a full 30%. This has of people. Furthermore compliant suspension would enhance been achieved by introducing a fully triangulated space frame not only ride but also handling and road holding. structure in the tunnel which is then covered in stressed aluminium panels. ♦ The use of ever stiffer springs on the racing cars was stopping the suspension working and changed the car in to a ‘Kart’. ♦ The review also contained details of the revised handbrake, This also led to the adoption of ever more extreme camber seats, instrumentation, etc which have been covered in angles on the front suspension to try to even out the front tyre previous issues of Low Flying. Ed. wear.

♦ In the Caterham Vauxhall race series, the left-hand rear tyre showed marked tyre wear on the inside due to Toe out on roll leading to roll oversteer. «WEVE pa*?®*’

The solutions to the problems were:- ST RRC1N ° LOTUS and CATERHAM 7 SPECIALISTS ♦ Careful consideration of the ride comfort of the Seven suggested that the damping was far from optimised. After All Seven work undertaken exhaustive testing and evaluation of the dampers, it was found including kit builds, accident that the Seven ‘fell’ into pot holes and then ‘fired’ out as the repairs, repaints and restorations. tyre met the rising edge. This was largely due to the rebound • ROAD and RACE ENGINES - characteristics of the dampers and it was found that with such REBUILDS, UPGRADES etc. a light car it was possible to drastically reduce the rebound damping well below the classic 3:1 rebound/bump damping. • SUSPENSION SET UP for ROAD Also by significantly increasing the very low speed damping and TRACK. both in bump and rebound better dynamic control of roll was SEVEN SERVICING achieved without resorting to large anti-roll bars and “trussing SERVICE X/FLOW COS WORTH VAUXHALL up” of the front suspension. Therefore a much smaller front 3000 £45.00 £40.00 £40.00 anti-roll bar and none at the rear was required. To give the 6000 £120.00 £120.00 £120.00 greatest choice for customers’ specific requirements the ability 12000 £150.00 £150.00 £150.00 to fit the rear bar has been retained. In order to limit attitude ALL PRICES SUBJECT TO VAT. change due to two passengers and/or luggage it was decided to use variable rate springs at the rear, which allows a lower Telephone for more details base spring rate of 95lbs/inch instead of 170lbs/inch. This 01279 647261 (workshop) lowers the ride frequency to around 1.6Hz instead of 2.3Hz 0860 443704 (home) which in conjunction with the dampers gives a significantly improved ride. We are situated 5 minutes from junc. 8 M l 1 3 PARSONAGE EST., STANSTED, ESSEX

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September 1996 Low Flying L o w Flying would like to welcome the following New Members: David Abbott Ed Cotterell Gordon & Susan Grant Mark Plant ST. ALBANS, Herts LULWORTH, Dorset BLANDFORD, Dorset HATFIELD, Herts Chris & Jacqui Anderson Simon Crewe Kare Hansen John Powell TAVISTOCK, Devon HASLEMERE, Surrey & Miss Charlie Turking AYLESBURY, Bucks John Aylott Steven & Jane Dewberry WINCHESTER, Hants Thomas Randrup CRAWLEY, W. Sussex WOODBRIDGE, Suffolk Joachim Heber UCKFIELD, E. Sussex Paul & Rachel Banner Juliet Doran & David Gadson & Ulrike Schneider Patrick & Sarah Roper TEDDINGTON, Middx LONDON HEIDELBERG, Germany LONDON Smuts Beyers Charlie Dryden Andy & Angie Hunt Tony & Jan Russell GREAT DUNMOW, Essex & Jayne Compton DEREHAM, Norfolk BEXLEYHEATH, Kent Arran Bibby & T Badcock LOUGHBOROUGH, Leics Herbert Ickert Peter Schubert NR. BALDOCK, Herts Philip Eaton VOERDE, Germany KAARST, Germany John Boardman MAIDENHEAD, Berks Arthur & Rosemary Kay Norman & Susan Shields FELIXSTOWE, Suffolk Brian & Barbara Ellis HORLEY, Surrey BURY Lancs John & Julia Bryant CHORLEY, Lancs Trevor Kidd & Carolann Banks Gary Stephens CHILTINGTON, W. Sussex Paul Featherstone OLNEY, Bucks HIMBLETON, Worcs Marc Carpenter & Karen Hope Steve Kirk John & Wendy Turner & Michelle Aviss Chiswick, LONDON WOLVERHAMPTON, W. WATERLOOVILLE, Hants PURLEY, Surrey Jeremy & Roxane Midlands Andy Wren Ben Casemore Featherstone Alastair MacKinnon WINCHESTER, Hants Clapham, LONDON RIPON, Yorks LONDON Timothy & Julia Chadwick Gary & Angela Fletcher lain McKenzie Total Membership is now CHIPPENHAM, Wilts SAFFRON WALDEN, Essex PERTH, Perthshire 1,834 Alan Chelsom James & Fiona Flew Eric & Hazel McLoughlin MAYFIELD, E. Sussex SUNNINGDALE, Berks FARNBOROUGH, Hants Graham Cooper Martin Frost Richard Palmer PEWSEY, Wilts KENILWORTH, Warks HATFIELD, Herts

LOTV^S SeV6KI CLVB AREA MEETIKICS

AREA ORGANISERTELEPHONEVENUE DAY

Cheshire & Staffs Peter Fletcher The Bickerton Poacher, Bulkeley, A534 between Nantwich & Broxton 1st Tues Durham Alan Walton 01325 300126 Cock of the North, on the A167 near Durham 2nd Tues Essex Debbie Stott 01277 354239 The Ship, 0.5 mile from A12 on B1007, between Stock & Galleywood, South of Chelmsford 2nd Thurs Gloucestershire Andy Couchman 01451 821982 Cotswold Explorer on the A40, 1 mile west of Northleach in Gloucs 1st Thurs Hants (Nth) & Berks Jon Pippard 01256 28233 Phoenix Inn, on the A30 at Hartley Wintney Last Thurs Hampshire (West) Rupert Short 01425 657756 The Elm Tree, Ringwood 1st Tues Hertfordshire Dick Dixon 01920 871153 The White Horse, Wareside. Nr Ware (B1004) 1 st Wed Kent & East Sussex John Cordingley 01795 431221 The Dering Arms, Station Road, Puckley, Nr Ashford 2nd Thurs Lakes & Lochs Dave Eldon 01946 61915 Roving venue, roving organisers. Ring for details 2nd Wed Lancashire Brian Croston 01253 354518 The Sirloin Inn, Hoghton, on A657 Nr. Hoghton Towers Last Tues Leics, Notts, Derby & Staffs John Shaw 01664 822688 The King's Arms. Hathern 1st Thurs Terry Dutton 01283 538968 Lincolnshire Mai Page 01522 720869 The Royal Oak, Scopwick (B1188. 8 miles south of Lincoln) 3rd Tues London(S )& Kent (N) Richard Brunero 0181 300 5110 The Plough, Eynsford. Kent 1st Tues Arnie Webb 01883 627254 Merseyside & District Roy Sang 0151 486 7120 (w) The Ring O'Bells Pub. Daresbury, Warrington 1 st Wed John Riley 01925 721074 Middlesex & West London Paul Fleetwood 01923 265818 The Red Lion, Hillingdon Hill, Hillingdon 2nd Tues Norfolk Paul Gifford 01603 436524 The Swan, B1118 (off A140 Nr Scole) Last Sun lunch

Northants. Beds & Bucks Stuart Shepherd 01604 710459 Roving venue. Please call for details. 3rd Thurs Northumbria John Sweeney 01661 25623 Newbum Motor Museum 2nd Wed The Aero Club, Middle Drive, Woolsington. Ponteland 4th Wed Oxford Brian Soper 01235 531632 The Chequers Inn, Burcot, Nr Dorchester-on-Thames 1st Tues Pennine Robin Oldfield 01535 652284 The Devonshire Arms, Cracoe. 4 miles north of Skipton, 2nd Wed on B6265 Skipton to Grassington road Scotland John Cherry 0141 649 9974 Lea Park Hotel, Bo'ness Road, Grangemouth 2nd Wed Somerset & Wessex Rhett Land 01935 71394 The Bathpool Inn, W Then N (at lights) from Junction 25. 1st Thurs M5 (approx. 1 mile). Suffolk Robin Baldwin 01787 210391 Joint meeting with Norfolk as above. Surrey Angus Denny 01483 301999 The Arkle Manor, A25 between Dorking & Reigate 3rd Thurs Sussex (West) Steve Winterberg 01903 892016 Crown Inn at Dial Post, off A24 2nd Wed Warwickshire Lizzie Backwith 01608 652337 The New Inn, Wroxton, (A422. 4M north of Banbury) 1 st Wed Wiltshire & Berkshire Steve Shaw 01672 810419 (h) Blue Boar Inn. B4494 Wantage road north of Newbury, near J13 on M4 3rd Tues 01635 48222 Ext. 3317 (w) Worcestershire Bill Bowen-Jones 01905 775665 The Brook Inn, Callow Hill Lane. Elcocks Brook. Nr. Redditch, Worcs. 2nd Wed Yorkshire (South) Nick Henstock 01226 765463 The Royal Oak, Ulley. off A618 Nr J31, M1 Last Wed Andrew Barefoot 01709 530190

Low Flying © September 1996 INDEPENDENT LOTUS & CATERHAM SEVEN SPECIALISTS We buy and sell new and secondhand Sevens. We also offer a kit build facility, plus any help you may require. Please contact Stuart Wylie on 01737 645213 Beechwoodr Gatton Bottom, A/Verstham, Surrey RH1 3BH

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September 1996 © Low Flying EMBGRS L6TTGRB

D6XK CD, This will probably result in my being banished from all In addition, a king size marquee was provided in the event of bad things Seven, but I cannot keep quiet any longer, I’ve got to say my weather (which we had none). Into the marquee and one found a bit. giant BBQ and gas for those wishing to demonstrate their culinary skills. Boiling water was on tap for the provision of instant coffee The Club Badge...... It’s dreadful...... (sorry to it’s designer). or tea and by magic there appeared a giant TV screen linked up to Sky. I have been the owner of my dream car (a Seven of course) for two years now and no matter which aspect I view it from it looks It was good to see historic racing on video and the first two hours nothing like the offering on the Club emblem. Thank Goodness!! of the 24 hour race for anyone who missed the live action. Cleverly captured was a video recording of the one hour practice for the Is it not time to commission some of the graphic designers in the Canadian GP from Montreal followed immediately live from the Club, or have a competition even, to come up with something more venue the full Grand Prix, rewarding us all with a win by Damon. elegant than the sixties matchstick image of a ‘medieval man in green tights robbing the rich and giving to the poor?’ Every detail of the trip was carefully thought through and generous provision was made for everyone to enjoy themselves to the full. I await the rock hurling. (Please mind the paintwork). Chris Peel. Many thanks to Arnie on behalf of all those on the trip, a magnificent effort of organisation. Kevin Murray, Car No. 35. Uh oh! Knowing the trouble we had the last time we tried to change the badge, I am only too happy to leaves things alone. But Seems to me that you did a cracking job Arnie. There’s nothing I what do the other 1,800 members think? Ed. like better than a swarm of Sevens! Ed.

P.S. Go easy with the rocks, Steve! DCAFk 6D, Many thanks to Michel Lautret and all in Lamongerie for an EXCELLENT weekend. If you missed it this year DON’T diXK CD, I thought that too much time should not elapse before miss it next year. Many thanks also to the Swiss for another great writing to you concerning this years pilgrimage to Le Mans, weekend (even if it did rain, rain, rain..... ). Also to Ratrace for their organised by Arnie Webb. The time and effort he must have put pre-Lotus ‘96 party, and the organisers of the Lotus ‘96 weekend into making all the arrangements must have been immeasurable. (and Francis and John for persuading me to go along to the All the many small details which were included in the trip made the Saturday evening do). whole event quite unforgettable. For other Classic owners.... Back in the Spring I got fed up with a Approximately 100 people, in 50 Sevens duly met at the IBM HQ slipping clutch and took the engine and gearbox out for further in Portsmouth on the Thursday evening. Everyone was booked in investigation. It appears that the ‘reconditioned’ gearbox had a few and allocated a number which was to be affixed to the rear of ones problems. The inside of the bellhousing had been painted - over car. The whole party left the meeting venue in convoy for the short dirt. This led to poor o-ring seating and oil leakage. The input journey to Portsmouth Docks. shaft seal was too large - again leakage. One of the layshafts had been incorrectly installed and the hole in the casing was too large. To say the least, the sight and sound of 50 Sevens in convoy, was All corrected by Brian Hill (excellent job) as it was past the warranty only matched by a similar sight of the same leaving Le Havre a few period! Whilst repairing the seals Brian noticed that the ratios in hours later. In France, the convoy slowly broke up, much to do my 4-speed 'box were the wide ratios - not the close-ratio Sport with the lack of individual navigational skills than reasons of speed. ones. According to Caterham, the ratios you get, when you buy a Classic, depend on what they have available at the time of delivery. The items of detail hitherto mentioned included everything which If you’re thinking of buying a Classic soon, check with Caterham was very much appreciated by myself and I am sure everyone else and try and get the close-ratio ‘box. It’s much more fun and keeps who was on the trip. the acceleration going from 3rd into 4th.

Arnie organised extra baggage arrangements which allowed As I do quite a high mileage, 29,000 miles in 21 months, I’ve been participants to forward on tents and other belongings to the camp looking at ways to make Edmund slightly more economical (in site and to be returned to their homes. A van was on hand Seven terms!). I talked with Roger King about his 3D mapped following the convoy down and provided help for anyone in ignition system and the technology seemed to be what I was distress. A first class camp site was chosen, adjacent to where the looking for. I fitted it between the Lamongerie trip and the Swiss main activity was taking place, super weather was provided and trip. Within 20 minutes of getting the system connected I was magnificent racing was there to be seen and heard. racing up the A1 to the Newark Show, and it has worked faultlessly since. During the Lamongerie trip, 1300 miles, I

Low Flying September 1996 very welcome and had a smashing time. I hope Angus Denny AND TH6RB M0R6 managed to exceed his goal of one hundred Sevens and I look forward to my next meeting with the Lotus Seven Club. Once again thanks to all the owners who made me so welcome, averaged 22mpg. During the Swiss trip, 2300 miles, I averaged especially Angus. See you soon, keep on Sevening, M.W. 30mpg! The part throttle pick-up is much smoother and I think I Humphrey. should be getting an extra bhp or two as my standard Caterham distributor would not give me as much advance as I needed for my 1600 X-flow. DEAFk ED, I recently took up the offer of the MBNA Lotus Seven Club credit card. I would advise members who are similarly Finally.....I want to do a “Swiss” style event in Britain next year. Is inclined, that under certain circumstances, a bug in the system anyone interested in a long weekend DRIVING (no Concours!) will debit interest from your account, without justification. over some of Britain's ‘nicer’ roads? We could start somewhere motor sporty on the Friday night, driving about 150 miles on This may occur if you already have an MBNA account. The Saturday, with the Sunday run ending up at some Caterham existing account number changes, when you swap to the Lotus racing? Let me know you thoughts. I can be contacted at 27 Seven Club card. Also the statement date may change, and you Herns Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, AL7 2AG Tel. 01707 may not get a statement to cover transactions made between 326972 or via email on [email protected] or through these two dates. Of course, you can’t pay for what you don’t my home page on http://www.sonnet.co.uk/seventony/ (Caterham know about, and when you don’t pay, you get stung with the Journeys). Tony Boyd. interest charge. A nice little earner! Ha!

The good news is, a freephone call to MBNA (0800 062 062) will DEXFk ED, Look out Nick Henstock, your favourite Volvo driver get you a ‘no haggle’ refund. has swapped his Sunday runabout for a T5! Talking of whom, my spy reports that he recently saw Dangerous and son at Caterham Secondly, if Low Flying were to publish the Club’s bank sort code sales office. At least he assumes that a purple Micra with “that and account number, then members with a telephone banking registration” was him. Seems he has signed up for next year’s facility could transfer funds to the Club at a fraction of the cost Top Gear Challenge and he was putting his cash down. Methinks than of using Royal Mail, and there’s no worry about your mail a lettuce leaf diet is in order ‘cos 17 stone and that little glass fibre being nicked! Yours faithfully, Greg Simpson. seat won’t go! Anyway, welcome back Dangerous, we knew you could not carry out your threat to buy that Vauxhall W*!.%ld for I understand your point about transferring money direct to the half the price of Steve Shaw’s new engine. Club's bank account Greg, but I'm sure the problems would mount up when trying to identify hundreds of receipts lodged Don’t tell Twincam Shaw or else he will want to sell him his old without proper identification against them. Thanks for the point araldite valve special and hand over the area reins. Come to think about the credit card and I have passed this on to Roger Swift to of it, that wouldn’t be a bad idea ‘cos he can’t organise a p.... up take up with MBNA. Ed. in the local hostelry. Seems that our portly friend was the only person to attend the July meeting at the normal venue and date. Why? Twincam forgot to tell him of the changes...... I ask you, no D EX k ED, I am presently on business in Scotland, and have just wonder everyone has such a high opinion of him. Enough of that, completed a drive that is a must for Seven owners! Unfortunately, let’s keep the letters on an even keel. Yours incognito, A Nony- I wasn’t able to drive it in mine as I only have the use of a Vauxhall Mouse. Tigra hire car.

To get to the route, drive north up the west bank of Loch Lomond D6XK ED, I have been a member of the Low Flying, Lotus Seven on the A82, passing the village of Luss (this is also worth a visit, Club of Great Britain for only three months but am very and the Colquhoun Arms Hotel serves a good Haggis dinner!). impressed. So far I have purchased a pair of K & N air filters out Drive to the town of Tarbet, taking the left turn onto the A83 to of your “For Sale” section and on the 3rd August I planned to go Arrochar. In the middle of Arrochar take a left turn onto the A814 to Loseley Park Classic Car and Country Show, this I am very towards Helensburgh. This is the ‘Seven’ road, where you are not nervous of doing as I own a pre-lit Westfield Seven. What sort of just horizontally but also vertically challenged! I would suggest a welcome will the plastic pretender and myself receive? More to little caution for the first time, as there are several blind brows and follow in my next paragraph. bends. The road is excellent down to Garelochhead, and then opens up down to Rhu, ending up in Helensburgh. Apart from the August 3rd had arrived and I dragged the plastic copy of the most road, the scenery is beautiful, and well worth the visit. famous of Colin Chapman’s cars the Lotus Seven, turned the key and the Caterham 1700cc engine as always burst into life. I I suspect that there are a lot of other good ‘Seven’ roads in this pulled her out onto the main road and roar towards Guildford, area, and well worth the while exploring. Hopefully, this letter may nervously clutching my plastic membership card as if my life prompt a few members to give it a go! Happy Sevening. Mark depended on it? Gilbert.

I was on the A331 heading towards Farnham, when I became You see, I told you those Scottish roads were just made for aware of another Seven and to my joy it was a pre-lit Westfield. A Sevens! It’s just a shame you were in one of the oddest looking quick chat told me he was also heading towards the Loseley Park cars in the world. Thanks Mark. Ed. Car Show so I didn’t feel so bad. We arrived and we were made

September 1996 Low Flying S AU

Please remember, ads in writing to The Editor, enclosing payment where appropriate. Parts & Wanted - FOC. Cars for Sale - £7.50 (Non-Members - £10) payable to Lotus Seven Club, quoting your membership number. Thanks.

FOR SALE: Set of 5 x Prisoner wheels - Special Edition with FOR SALE: 1700 X-flow extensively modified produces 140bhp at polished rims and centre caps. Fitted with Goodyear Eagle tyres, flywheel. Full engine build spec, available. Fully polished 1 x new tyre, 2 x as new and 2 x part worn £420. Small diameter competition exhaust system. All for sale due to Zetec upgrade. Motalita steering wheel, mat black spokes complete with latest £1,450 or will split. Also cycle wing mounting brackets for 14” type boss £45. Call Peter Groves on 01829 720439 home or wheels £40. Call Dave Bates on 0151 334 8559 day or 0151 327 0161 869 7355 office. 4807 evenings.

FOR SALE: 1700cc crossflow, professionally built, done 3,500 FOR SALE: Short cockpit, live axle Super Seven. Engine built by miles from new, 711M block, 2 x 40DCOE’s and inlet manifold, Trevor Greaves of TranZpower from Chesterfield, new 1700 Ford plus 4 into 1 exhaust manifold, steel rocker posts etc., electronic 711M block, Accralite pistons. Polished, lightened and balanced ignition and rev. limiter, heavy duty clutch, alloy rocker cover, crankshaft and con rods with heavy duty big end bolts, 5Kg sump, alternator and starter motor. May be tried in car if required, lightweight flywheel, doweled onto the crankshaft, Kent 244 £950. Call Peter Groves on 0161 869 7355 office or 01829 camshaft, duplex timing chain and tensioner, competition cylinder 720439 home. head by John Noble with slim stem large head valves and Isky valve springs. Large bore competition 4 into 1 exhaust system FOR SALE: Caterham Seven 1990, all red, live axle, long cockpit, and silencer, dry sumped lubrication, Burton high 1700cc by John Noble Engines, axle and gearbox from Graham Sykes. pressure/capacity 5 x port oil pump, Quaife 4 x speed straight cut Under 3,000 miles! Adjustable seats, Luke harnesses, fully carpetted, gearbox built by Graham Sykes, with high 1st gear, Quaife 4.1:1 tonneau, luggage rack plus spares. Must sell hence £9,975. Call Tim limited slip differential fitted by Graham Sykes, Ital rear axle by Eade on 01954 250301 in the evenings (Cambridge). Graham Sykes, rose jointed rear radius arms, high capacity competition radiator with header tank. Midas Metalcraft FOR SALE: 5 x Dunlop alloys with Lotus centre caps (as fitted to adjustable camber front top wishbones, Caterham wide track twin cam SS). Fitted with 205/60/13 tyres. Best offer secures. negative camber front bottom wishbones, choice of 12mm and Call 0115 939 9497 anytime. 18mm anti-roll bars, Spax adjustable dampers with screw platforms, SPR sprint spec springs, 3101b front 1651b rear, Stack FOR SALE: Pair of adjustable leather seats including headrests in 90 second memory replay rev. counter with gear shift light. perfect condition £200. X-flow bock (711M) covered 14,000 miles Optional leather seats or drivers glass fibre bucket seat, drivers 6 as a re-con SuperSprint type. Complete with Piper 285 cam, x point and passengers 4 x point seat belts, ignition cut-out switch, followers and duplex chain £40. Call David on 01293 888376 Revolution alloy wheels 6J x 13 with Yokohama A510 tyres buffed after 6.00 p.m. (Crawley, West Sussex). 5mm. Complete with many spares and documentation, £10,000. Call David Laidlaw on 0973 878355 or 01737 842588. FOR SALE: Vauxhall 2.0 Ltr 16V engine £675. MBE 912V3 fuel inj./distributorless ign. system c/w 45mm throttle bodies, yellow FOR SALE: 5 x Superlite 5 1/2” x 13” wheels fitted with 155 x 60 Bosch inj. Pipercross air filter, adj. fuel pressure regulators Yokohama A008 tyres. Less than 2,000 road miles, VGC. £300. £1,250. QED dry sump sys. complete c/w pump, sump pan, all Purchaser collects. Call Brian Armstrong on 01242 692490 brackets and belts £500. Ultra light steel flywheel, Vaux 16V between 8 and 9 p.m. (Cheltenham). £100. AP twin plate cerametallic clutch 7.25 23” spline (max torque 295 LB/FT) £300. Caterham Vauxhall 4 x paddle drive FOR SALE: 5 x Superlite 7x15 wheels fitted with 195/50 x 15 plate £80. Pair Vauxhall 16V cams (DA10 profile @ 240 BHP) Avon Turbospeed Sport tyres. Ideal tyres for road and club £200. Stack ST482 performance analyser tachometer c/w wiring events. Excellent in wet conditions. Approx. 2,500 road miles loom, white shift light, PC software, download lead, (0-4-105 dial only. Would cost new approx. £900. Offers. Call Paul Turner on face, 4 cyl.) £300. 270mm black suede race wheel/alloy boss 01623 551254 with offers. £50. Pair black knee trim panels (left/right) £10. 4 x KN Starmags 7x13 alloy wheels fitted with 7.5/21-13 Avon wets (4 x 108 PCD FOR SALE: All from 1986 long cockpit de dion car. Standard roll­ Ford) £300. 2 x Caterham front f/glass wings red (used) £10. over bar complete with boot tonneau cover, vgc, £60. Standard Caterham race cockpit brace £50. Caterham Vaux front race anti­ steering rack c/w brackets (non-restricted lock), vgc, £60. Tubular roll bar £10. Caterham Vaux rear race anti-roll bar £10. x-flow manifold plus rear exit exhaust system (complete), needs Caterham 91 rear anti-roll bar/mountings £10. Set of standard silencer bracket rewelding back on, otherwise vgc, £70. Bench Vauxhall 16V internals pistons, valves, valve springs, cams, seat (complete), black, vgc, £40. Pair red flared wings (cracking offers. Four wheeled, braked trailer suit Caterham Seven, on tips - need filling/painting) complete with brackets, offers? All Goodridge brake lines, alloy chequer plate covered deck, fully item are only surplus due to upgrading spec, of car (FIA bar, cycle wired electrics, hinged ramps, new wheel bearings £600. All parts wings etc.) and are open to reasonable offers as I’d rather have are as new or brand new/unused. Call Dave Kimberley on 01948 the space. Call Phil Thompson on 0181 756 1799 (day) or 0181 667418 after 6 p.m. 568 9003 (evenings and weekends), Heathrow area.

Low Flying ® September 1996 Sole manufacturers of Lotus and Caterham Seven chassis for over thirty years. All chassis and body unit restoration is carried out using only correct specifications and production tooling. All forms of tubular and monocoque chassis component restoration by the specialists. We do not charge for advice and estimates. Please contact Bruce Robinson or Don Gadd.

ARCH MOTOR & MNFG CO LTD REDWONGS WAY HUNTINGDON CAMBRIDGESHIRE PE18 7HD Telephone 01480 459661/2/3

FOR SAL6: Caterham Seven 1700 Super Sprint. 4,700 miles, Q FOR SALC: Full bevel gear set (i.e. both shafts, with gears) in reg., bright yellow, double wishbone, 5 x speed de dion. Roll bar, excellent condition from standard 5 x speed Ford XR4i gearbox leather seats and headrests. Full weather equipment including from 1992 HPC, approx 12,000 miles including one race season. tonneau. Luke harness (and inertia belts if required). Heater, roll Girling brake master cylinder as standard for HPC. Both replaced bar, delay wipe, etc.. Looks and drives like a new car. Complete by racing parts. Call Mark Turner on 01903 703217 (day) or with manual £10,500. Call Dave Palmer on 01375 361110. 01734 404580 (eve).

FOR SAL6: De dion aluminium petrol tank and sender unit £25. WANTED: For 1985 long cockpit live axle Supersprint. FIA roll New left hand drive mini steering rack (for RHD Caterham) £20. bar and boot cover, flush fitting fuel filler cap, hood bag, leather Rear nearside wing, red with stainless stone guard £20. New adjustable seats (black), battery master switch, master switch steering wheel Mountney £10. Boot cover, pre-inertia reel belt protection eyebrow. New RH/LH top suspension links and lower chassis £7. Crossflow A2 cam and followers as new £8. Steel wishbones. Headlamp stone guards, oil catch tank (aluminium). rocker block assembly £5. New inertia reel belts £20 pair. One Call Gordon Hind on 01252 518607 (eves.) or 046888 0499. Lucas black headlamp assembly £12. Complete ignition switch/steering lock with keys £10. New late Ford 70 amp WAK1T6D: Vauxhall/Caterham wet sump and bellhousing, HPC alternator £20. Ford 2000E aluminium bell housing, brand new wheels (with or without tyres), standard hood and frame for long bargain £40. Complete set of relays.... cheap. Oil cooler, offers. cockpit de dion car, Ford X/F “Super Sprint 1700” rocker cover, Call Dave Palmer on 01375 361110. Vauxhall side exit exhaust system, (preferably with catalyst), Ford 4-1 side exit competition exhaust system, 4 or 6 x point seat belts. FOR SAL6: Caterham Seven Cosworth HPC, 1989 on 1992 Call Paul Jacobs on 01823 421748 or mobile 0860 676746. chassis fitted by Caterham. BRG/Yellow, 18,000 miles total, 10,000 on new chassis. Genuine 170bhp+, top end engine work WAKIT6D: 1600 Sprint, short cockpit, flared wings, preferably by Roger King including tractability modifications, all new valves around ‘86 or ‘87. Must suit buget of £7,500. Money waiting for and porting. Quaife 5 x speed gearbox with BGH helical 5th the right car. Call Anthony Micallef on 0171 667 4132 (W) or 0181 modification. All usual HPC extras, leather, increased vis. 524 3010 (H). weather equip., hood, full tonneau, LSD, plus dry sump, plumbed extinguisher, microwave alarm, Yokohamas, uprated suspension, WAK1T6D: Lotus Seven Series 1. Not knowing how easy/difficult FIA and standard roll bars, Willans 6 x point belts, ABUS Granite. it is to find such a car I am open minded about condition. Call Dry weather road use only. Full history. Genuine reason for sale. Piers Leigh on 01677 426308. £15,950 ONO to include various other spares etc.. Call Jon Pippard on 01256 28233 evenings and weekends. WAK1T6D: YOUR PETROL VOUCHERS. LRF have raised over £120,000 with them so far!! Any of the following will help FOR SAL6: 1987(D) 1700 Super Sprint, 5 x speed de dion. support the charity: Air Miles, BP Vouchers, Blue Chip, Esso Red/Ali, 12,500 miles, full history, one previous owner. Adjustable Tiger Tokens, Green Shield Stamps. Gulf, Mobil Points, Q8, Shell, seats, full weather equipment, luggage rack, heater, stainless Texaco Stars. Please send to LRF at 43 Great Ormond Street, exhaust. All in excellent condition. £10,500. Call Ken Pope on London, WC1N 3JJ. Many thanks. 01734 587508.

FOR SAL6: 1984 (B Reg) 1700cc, live axle, yellow, recently reskinned and new wings/nose, Revolutions with HFR001, hi-vis weather equipment, rollbar & brace, new alloy tank. Very good condition. £7,950. Call David Millar on 01877 382684 (Stirlingshire). &v W X

September 1996 (36 Low Flying KENTSPORTSCARS

Always a quality selection of Lotus classics, current models and Caterhams in stock. • Part exchange welcome • Commission sales • Sale or return • Finance arranged

Lotus & Caterhams Urgently Required U.K. Collection - Immediate Settlement

Wanted: All classic Lotus models from restoration projects to concours rebuild. All modern Lotus required.

New and rare original parts available. Please fax or phone. Wanted: Lotus memorabilia, early Lotus steering wheels, early badges, unusual branded items, books, garage clearance etc.

Top prices paid. Immediate collection. HERITAGE APPROVED 1 Tel: 01227 832200 Fax: 01227 832201 1 Bridge, Canterbury, Kent CT4 5HH. Viewing by appointment please