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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Saturday, April 14, 2007

Engine Installation

Before getting too far on the steering column, I thought it would be a good idea to set the engine in place and check clearances.




Turns out a family of mice had set up residence at hotel R1 and left a few souvenirs. Fortunately I had stuffed rags in 'most' of the openings. While they chewed on the rags, it doesn't look like any got in. One small breather tube was open but it should be too small for a mouse to get in...guess I'll know for sure when I start the engine.




The bottom of the chassis is open so I can set the engine on the ground and lower the chassis over it. Works good now but it won't be as easy once the car gains some weight.
With the engine in place, it looks like there will be plenty of clearance for the steering column.






I started fabricating some stands for the car to bring it up to a good working height. Hopefully finish them off tomorrow so I can get back to work on the car.

Slideshow of Build Progress