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1963 Lotus Super Seven (series 2) Authentic Vintage Racer And Tilt-bed Trailer on 2040-cars

Year:1963 Mileage:12038
Location:

Topanga, California, United States

Topanga, California, United States

 My father vintage raced the first Lotus 26R S2 to compete at west coast vintage race events in the 1980s.  When he deemed his 26R too valuable for him to race, he sold it to a collector in Japan and began restoring this Super Seven.  He purchased the car from Jim Profit, of Racing Restorations in Long Beach, CA.  First he stripped it down to a bare metal tube chassis.  When the chassis met with his approval, it was powder painted black and re-skinned in fresh aluminum.  Fenders were restored to more proper proportions.  The car was built as a "street legal" (and road registered) racer in accordance with the rule set embraced by HMSA and General Racing.  Original correct engine with period correct updates, original suspension configuration.  A lot of thought and development went into this car.  There are many subtle details which all serve a purpose.  No expense was spared.  Dave Vegher of Veloce Motors West engineered and built the motor (as well as a fresh spare full-steel motor which can be purchased separately).  There are many ways to set up a race car ... choices in chassis set-up, spring rates, dampening, gear ratios, and differential set-up.  Without giving away any competitive secrets, let me just say that this car is a well developed tool, it is fast, yet forgiving to drive.  The car is so neutral handling and forgiving that it's eminent "drivability" makes even the occasional racer like me look like a "hero." 

The Super Seven weighs 1052 pounds with half a tank of fuel ... Power is in the neighborhood of 140bhp ... weight distribution is 48% front to 52% rear, and 49% to 51% measured diagonally.  The limited slip differential is a very special piece.  It is a Hewland design that runs a 4.4 ratio and benefits from the most slick fully synthetic lubricant.  Both my father and I have run different differentials ... the Hewland is magical.  Since 1990 the Super Seven has always been clad in "Allegheny Maroon" ... my father raced it with a French Blue nose band.  When I bought it and refreshed the entire car in 1997, I opted for a nose band of sea foam green.

I am 6'1" and 200 pounds with a 34" inseam ... the Seven fits me like a glove ... it is a very comfortable work space.  I am including a nifty light weight aluminum box tilt-bed enclosed trailer (single axle).  It was reported built by Webb Webster for an Indy Car he had built.  I bought the trailer from Don Ferguson of Paramount Forge and Ardun.  The story was that he bought four or five 4 cam Ford race motors from somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, and they gave him the trailer to get them home.  Weighs about 1000 pounds and the tilt-bed engineering is incredible!

If you want to run at premier vintage race events in the same class with Lotus 26Rs, Ginetta G4Rs, Shelby GT350s, and 289 Cobras, then this Lotus Super Seven is both rare fun and reliably competitive ... AND a bargain price of admission.


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Auto blog

Lotus responds to rumors of demise, promises 2016 MY Evora

Thu, 25 Sep 2014

It's not been a great week for Lotus. Seven days ago, the UK-based automaker laid off a quarter of its workforce, terminating "up to 325 jobs." And then, just a few days ago, it was reported that the company would be ending US sales of its well-received Evora due to the expiration of an airbag exemption. The Evora is the only vehicle Lotus sells in the US, meaning its end effectively removes the brand from the market.
That was apparently a bridge too far, though, as the company has issued defiant statement, claiming it'll be back, in both the US and Canada, for model year 2016, with an air-bag compliant Evora.
"I know that this will be welcome news to our thousands of owners and fans in North America, but the reality is that there was never any intention to leave. The North American market is vitally important for us and we intend to expand our dealer network and grow our sales volumes in the future," Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus said in a statement. "I would like to thank our fantastic Lotus following for their support over the years and remind them that we are working on many exciting products for the future. We will continue to explore our core values on how to make a sports car better by making it faster, lighter and maintain the pure driving experience."

Lotus recalls 2008-2011 Elise, Exige and 2011 Evora over fire fear

Mon, 07 Jul 2014

Lotus is recalling 860 vehicles after discovering that the oil cooler hose could detach from its fitting. Should the hose separate, it could spray oil on one of the lightweight car's tires, giving new meaning to the phrase "sudden loss of grip." The other case is, believe or not, more dire, as the spraying oil could hit the engine and ignite. Of course, neither situation is desirable, hence the recall.
The vast majority of the affected vehicles (780 of the 860) are the 2008 to 2011 Elise and Exige, built between November 2007 and July 2011. Another 80 Evora S coupes from 2011, manufactured between September 2010 and September 2011, are also included in the recall.
All repairs will, naturally, be completed free of charge. In the Elise/Exige's case, that means replacing the hose fittings, while the affected Evoras will get a new hose assembly.

Race Recap: 2013 German Grand Prix is old beginnings, new endings [spoilers]

Mon, 08 Jul 2013

Just like at Silverstone last weekend, the German Formula One Grand Prix started with Lewis Hamilton putting his Mercedes-AMG Petronas on pole. The only thing missing at the pointy end of the grid was his teammate Nico Rosberg, who lined up beside him in England but back in 11th in Germany because of a team error in qualifying. So instead it was Vettel in the first Infiniti Red Bull in second, his teammate Mark Webber in third, the Lotus duo of Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean.
Again, just like at Silverstone - and Canada - Daniel Ricciardo used his magic beans to impress with the Toro Rosso, lining up in sixth, followed by Felipe Massa in the first Ferrari, Fernando Alonso in the second. Jenson Button in the McLaren, Nico Hülkenberg finished up the top ten.
When the lights went green, it didn't take long for the race to become a black-and-blue affair...