Building an R1 Powered Seven


A few years ago I got it in my head to build a kit car. After months of searching I came across the Locost concept. In short, quite a few amateur hobbiests around the world have built their own Lotus 7 inspired cars from scratch, following plans available on a variety of Internet sites and published in a book by Ron Champion.

I started gathering parts and finally began building the chassis in July '05. In August '10 the car was titled, licensed and is now street legal. The following blog captures the progress of the build and driving experiences after completion.

Blog Posts

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Sunday, April 15, 2007

Assembly begins

Stands are finished, they're about 24" high. I managed to get the car on the stands by lifting one end at time while my wife slide them under. The car feels stable but I'll keep a large tool chest under the center just in case. At some point I'll have to get a jack with enough travel to lift the car onto the stands. Harbor freight sells a 'farm jack' that may do the job.

The build is transitioning from fabrication to assembly. I'll still need to fabricate brackets and bracing from time to time but most of the cutting and welding is done, I hope. Making the stands reminded me how dirty that can be.

Slideshow of Build Progress