005 for Lotus and Caterham Seven enthusiasts Lotus Seven Club • PARTS FOR ALL SEVEN MODELS - 1957 TO DATE • RAPID MAIL ORDER SERVICE, ^? EXPORT ORDERS WELCOME • ENGINE BUILDING, TUNING, NEW & EXCHANGE UNITS • TRANSMISSION, NEW & RECONDITIONED • SERVICING, REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS • ACCIDENT REPAIRS We are Agents or Stockists of most leading brands including: WEBER, K&N, SPAX, KENT Cams, VANDERVELL BEARINGS, MINI LITE Wheels, WILLANS Seat Belts, NGK, TOP TEK HELMETS, O/E LOTUS & CATERHAM Parts, MOTORCRAFT, LUCAS, Plus our range of REDLINE Accessories. For Spares, Repairs, Servicing or Free Advice Telephone or Visit our premises in Caterham. Only minutes from Junction 6, M25, Short walk from BR Station. HISTORIC SEVEN PARTS SUPPLIERS FACTORY APPOINTED PARTS & SERVICE CENTRE REDLINE COMPONENTS TEL: (01883) 346515 FAX: (01883) 341604 LTD TIMBER HALL, 19 TIMBER LANE, CATERHAM, SURREY CR3 6LZ ENGLAND Is*/ i~* -w Caterham approved bike-engined specialist Remember to book your spring servicelMOT now Most service parts in stock for D.I.Y servicing We are now taking orders for our alcon brake kits Parts and accessories are shown on our web site www.jameswhiting.com •tjow Make a car bra I- v» Make your Avenger perform < I All your seven needs ! continuous Totus / caterham 7 involvement 1977 to date Appletree Works, 26-30 Glenfield Rd, Ashford, Middx TWI5 IJL t)+44 (0) 1784 241466 f) +44 (0) 1784 250915 Lowflying is published by the Lotus Seven Club We support the Leukaemia Research Fund Annual membership is £37-50 (UK and Overseas) see Membership Secretary details below or visit the web site www.lotus7club.co.uk The team: Chairman Competition Secretary this month: Andrew Walker* Graham Lyall* 44 Park View, Pinner, 139 Rumbush Lane, Middlesex Dicken's Heath, HA5 4LN Solihull B90 1RB t: 020 8421 2133 t: 01564 792 990 (daytime) [email protected] f: 01564 703 241 (work) [email protected] Picture gallery 2 General Secretary Paul Davis* Club Brand Manager t: 01428 652 493 m: 07790 904159 Felix Klauser [email protected] t: 02392 412945 Get to know your Seven 4 m: 07970 990 474 Company Treasurer [email protected] Ray Hutchings Seven goes to school Caterham Archivist Sylvanna, Llanvair Close, South Ascot, John Passmore our favourite car Berkshire SL5 9HX t: 01491 641566 f: 01491 642366 m: 07808 943474 used as an educational aid? [email protected] [email protected] Team members IT and webmaster James Whiting Driving impressions Barry Sweeney* f: 01784 250915 PO Box 777, Haywards Heath RH16 2YA the CSR on track [email protected] t: 01444 443902 for the new Masters series 12 [email protected] Adrian Elkin t: 01403 254373 Membership Secretary [email protected] The G Spot Keith Pickin PO Box 77, Undy, Magor, Caldicot, Honorary Vice-Chairmen a different kind of multi-tool 17 Monmouthshire NP26 3EJ Dave Mirylees t: 07000 572582 (07000 L7CLUB) Nick Richens t: 01420 564347 [email protected] California Sevens Roger Swift t: 01283 791877 AO Coordinator and LRF Coordinator Keith Jecks back to Willow Springs 18 Steve Winterberg* South Lodge Cottage, Rogers Lane, "indicates Club Directors Findon, W Sussex BN14 ORE Lotus Components t: 01903 873007 m: 07855 846963 the Story of the Seven continues 22 [email protected] Lotus Seven Historian Lowflying: John Watson Sprinting and Hillclimbing Project Manager Lotus Seven Register, Flitcroft, Graham Lyall a round-up of the Club's speed event championship 26 13 Astons Rd, Moor Park, Northwood, t: 01564 792 990 (daytime) Middx HA6 2LE [email protected] t: 01923 824376 f: 01923 836637 Area antics 29 [email protected] Trade Advertising contact David Elkerton Track day Coordinator t: 01564 792 990 (daytime) Geoff Pickin Nuke-the-Leuk [email protected] Clementeita, Vinegar Hill, Undy, all the fundraising news 30 Newport, Monmouthshire NP26 3EJ Editor and Designer t: 01633 881837 Tony Pashley [email protected] t: 020 8771 8337 Area directory 32 [email protected] Regalia management but not for sales, please for submissions by post, Ruth Whiting* send to: The Editor Classified advertisements 34 Appletree Works, c/o 2 Oak Lodge, 130 Auckland Rd, 26-30 Glenfield Road, London SE19 2RQ Ashford, Middx TW15 101 Crossword f: 01784 250915 [email protected] Lowflying is printed by solution to last month's puzzle 35 Warwick Printing Company Ltd Calendar coordinator Caswell Rd, Leamington Spa, Dave Oackson Warwickshire CV31 1QD Diary 36 t: 01633 893929 t: 01926 883355 [email protected] www.warwickprinting.co.uk Regalia Sales The Lotus Seven Club is the trading name of Seven Club Limited, Company registration no.3880568, Contact: Please note: Registered office: Devonshire House, Irene Watson, Views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Seven Club Limited {'the Club') merely the views 1 Devonshire St, London W1W 5DR at Dowlis Group Limited and experiences of individual writers. Opinions (whether technical or otherwise) should not be t: 01932 791400 A copy of the Company's constitution construed as precise authoritative advice. The Club recommends that readers take specific professional f: 01932 342224 and rules is available on written advice and that technical and/or mechanical work is only undertaken by suitable qualified individuals. an order form can be downloaded request to the Company Secretary at The Club does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered by any reader after reading this from the Club web site (see above) the address shown above. publication. Editorial coverage or advertising in Lowflying does not imply endorsement. Lowflying July 2005 1 The fridge door Running repairs in France for Geoff Tate, while Sandy and Andy keep the engine bay dry. Don't worry about the driver... 003 Above, below and right centre: a few slices of life captured by Matt Deakin at Spa and the Nurburgring... Above: Steve Bawtree and BD-engined Seven prepare for the Nordschleife. Right: two ways to skin a cat - Mosler meets Seven. Club member Paul Thompson's Below: a little more wrench than you ex-DTM E30 M3 nestles really need - for the Seven, at least - those among the Sevens at Spa. German tourers are a different matter! 2 Lowflying July 2005 Lowflying July 2005 3 The basics As WE DISCUSSED last month, less mechanically-experienced members have said they would like some information on basic maintenance for the Seven. So we'll kick off at the very beginning with getting the car off the ground. Even if you don't feel ready, or simply don't wish, to carry out any specific tasks, it may encourage to take a look at your car from underneath and start to get a feel for where things are, how they are put together - and to begin a fuller understanding of your Seven. Compiled by Andy Belcher and Adrian Elkin. Getting to know your Seven This month we'll deal with jacking the car up, wheel retaining nuts as described above and safe and efficient removal of the wheels and use the approved jacking points which are securing on axle stands for safe working on under the chassis rail under or close to the the car. Quite a basic skill that everyone engine mount for the front, and under the should know already, you may think, but it's main chassis tubes just in front of the rear essential to establish a safe working environ• wheels. It is advisable to place a wheel under ment under the car before commencing any the chassis as a precaution against the jack fail• maintenance. Besides, if I could repeat some ing whilst carrying the operation out. of the things I've seen and heard about what those who are ignorant and just don't know Quick-lift jacks any better have done or attempted, you'd be Several other types of jack are available. A truly amazed, I assure you. Interestingly, 'Quick-lift' is a time efficient way of lifting the changing a flat tyre is third in the AA's list of car just off the ground for wheel changes say reasons for call outs. on track days. It's advisable to use a 1-2" block of wood on the face of the Quick-lift depend• Raising the car ing on the ride-height and to provide protec• Before jacking any car if you intend to tion. At the front of the car, place the jack face remove the wheels, apply the handbrake under the cross-member immediately forward and/or put the car into gear to prevent it from of the engine or in the middle of the crucifix moving. Then loosen the retaining nuts on the depending on the chassis. At the rear, place wheels to be removed by around half a turn, as under the mounting point for the A'-frame to this is easily done with the weight of the car on the de-Dion tube or live axle. Ensure that the the ground along with a socket and breaker hand brake is released and the car is out of bar or extendable wheel wrench available from gear as the car will roll slightly as it is lifted, car accessory shops. Once maintenance has and that the jack face is in position as it con• been completed, fit the wheels with the retain• tacts the car then haul on the handle until hor• ing nuts tightened moderately using the stan• izontal to the ground. This method of jacking dard wheel brace. takes up a lot of room so ensure the handle has The car can then be lowered to the ground clearance to reach the ground if using indoors. To lower, just lift the handle to the vertical and the wheel nuts tightened with a torque above, from top: wrench to the specified torque value.