Lotus 7

[twobjshelbys]

I watched The Prisoner this summer and hadn't thought of the Lotus 7 for a long time. Has anyone ever done one of these?

The originals were actually available as kits from Lotus (Number 6 mentions in several episodes that he knew every nut and bolt because he built it himself).

One with a Ford Cosworth would be a worthy car. I see a few for sale around.

[LMH]

Never built one but I have driven one. Very much like a go-cart and you look up at every Honda and Toyota on the street. Absolute blast to drive fast. You really feel the sensation of speed!
Larry

[twobjshelbys]

I'm not into building one - don't have the patience and buying all the tools isn't worth it. Just wondered how they compare to cobras.

[LMH]

More cart like, less car like than the Cobra. A lot depends on the engine of course and what model. (new or old) The one I drove was an original, so not terribly powerful but a blast to drive non the less. Awesome braking ability!
Larry

[Dimis]

They're much easier to drive fast.
Much more forgiving, much more precise...
lighter and easier to throw around.
Also they feel like you're doing 100kph at 60kph.
Open air, small wheels, very zippy.
The one I drove had a vtec Honda engine. Reved to 8.5k rpm.
It was awesome!!!

Go for it. Compared to a cobra, it's all the fun at under 1/2 the price.

Comparatively speaking, the cobra feels like you're wrestling a bear.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

I watched The Prisoner this summer and hadn't thought of the Lotus 7 for a long time. Has anyone ever done one of these?

The originals were actually available as kits from Lotus (Number 6 mentions in several episodes that he knew every nut and bolt because he built it himself).

One with a Ford Cosworth would be a worthy car. I see a few for sale around.

I've owned a few Caterham and Birkin 7's, they are unlike a Cobra as they are half the weight, and handle just like an oversized go cart. Lots of fun, easy to work on, easy to build. The newer "kits" are a breeze, set up for either a Ford Zetec or Duratec drivetrain. A few have used low mileage Miata drivelines, very few use the Honda drivelines due to the ground clearance issues of the oil/sump pans (they all require a skid plate/sump guard if driven on the street). .There are a few kits, not quite designed to duplicate the 7 that offer V6 and V8 drivelines, affectionately known as "Storkers" that have a decent following as well.

Check out the USA 7's forum if you are truly interested, great bunch of extremely knowledgeable guys.

Activity Stream - USA7s


Bill S.

[Mark IV]

Well there is this available: Superformance Owners Association ** FOR SALE SITE **

Or you can go for a new Caterham Seven. The Caterham were distributed by Superformance but are now done directly to the dealers by the factory resulting in a large price reduction. Oh, BTW, I am a Caterham dealer.

My Caterham guy is hooked up with the resale market for both gennie Lotus Sevens (we had a real Lotus 6 here that sold back to the UK) as well as Caterham from the last 30 years so if you want info, contact me and I will put you in touch with Tony.

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

Well there is this available: Superformance Owners Association ** FOR SALE SITE **

That is a great deal for a S1

[twobjshelbys]

Not to get into the real vs emulex wars, but what do the original cars sell for?

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by twobjshelbys

Not to get into the real vs emulex wars, but what do the original cars sell for?

$23,500-$55,000 depending on the configuration and history of each one