Lotus Seven Adventures

  TL;DR: a compromise for safety A Lotus Seven S2 would have left the factory with either a pair of Lucas S700 (7002) sealed beams or General Electric GE6012 units for the left-hand-drive cars. Mine came with later General Electric "Halogen" descendants of the GE6012. Their 2D1 markings allowed me to determine that they were GE H6014, the halogen version of the GE6014 that replaced the original 6012. With their US-specific flat beam, they aren't appropriate for use in continental Europe. They are also rather dim by modern standards. I considered various Lucas products in the 700 range, including "European" versions and the PL700 with their posh tripods. On my checklist was also the need for "E" markings that would allow me to upgrade to road-legal LED bulbs in the future. The best answer to all my concerns was the Wipac Quadoptic. They are a known quantity on the classic Mini, and their S6009 model has the "E11 0035" markings I was looking f...

TL;DR: Another easy fix The other day the car broke down in our alley, preventing us from attending the Distinguished Gentleman's Drive . Deleting the fuel pressure regulator seems to do the trick, but I'm not sure the Facet cube fuel pump really remains within the allowed pressure range for the Weber carburetors. Today I opened the Holley regulator to check what happened to it. It's clear that the diaphragm has seen better days, now rather rigid with a skewed resting position. The casting reads 34R 6657B, and the Internet told me it's compatible to the current 12-804 for which diaphragm repair kits are readily available. An interesting option would be to use one that is fully compatible with ethanol (E85). That would make it absolutely safe for modern fuel that has between 5% and 15% ethanol in it. A good source for a standard kit would be gooze.com , in the Netherlands (14€ for the parts, 6€ for shipping) . Before committing to that repair, I ordered a 1 bar/15 PSI ...

TL;DR:  Hi-Vis Orange As previously established, my Seven spent most of its life in the U.S.A. (43 years and 98% of its mileage) . That's why it was equipped with red flashers. Those looked rather dim, and they are not something people expect to see in Europe: a dangerous double whammy on an already invisible car. In the user manual, we can read  "L539 Rear Flasher Lamp" with the explanation on how to replace the standard 5/21W bulb. It was no issue to source amber lenses for those L539. I think it cost me about 82€ for a set of three. I got properly screwed on the "combined shipping" as I got a 3€ discount on 3x £12. That guy won't get any feedback on eBay but I have to admit the packing was excellent. Replacing those lenses presented no difficulty when following the instructions provided in the manual: "Press the rim and lens assembly inwards and turn it anti-clockwise to release" .  Good luck figuring that one out by yourself. The orange cap...

TL;DR: Adding lightness  a bit of weight, actually As I alluded to in my " plan ", I had found a eBay listing from TR Shop London for a pair of Alfin-Style brake drums. The asking price was 369€, which was very tempting. I sent them a message to make sure those Triumph Herald drums would fit the Seven and its Triumph Herald rear axle and brakes. The only reply I got was the removal of the listing, flagged as sold. No time for customers and prospects I guess. They surely won't get any of my money in the future. Grief was brief, as I soon found that Rimmer had 3 pairs of those in stock, this time at 315€ for a set. The crazy thing is that the "European" website lists them at 407€   each . I took that as a call to action, and after verification that the car still has its cast iron drums fitted, I jumped on what looked like a good deal. With a 20€ set of brake shoes, 24€ shipping, VAT and brokerage fees, I expect the kit to cost something close to 450€. Not bad ...