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Hoorah! The Lotus is on it's way to it's new home (For less than I'd have liked, but hey-ho) and I've just agreed to buy what appears to be an early clubmans car. I've to drive down south to pick it up next weekend.

I know very little about it, but it's a spaceframe which looks very similar to my old Coldwell Mink, but with a solid back axle and wishbones at the front. (I had a serious bout of sellers remorse recently over the Coldwell an was actively looking for a replacement)

It's got a BMC back axle and looks to have A-series engine mounts, so obviously a 1000cc car. Basically a contemporary of the early Mallock U2s, but further research needed to establish it's identity / origins

Like all my silly projects it's missing many key components and parts, but that's easy sorted, though the lack of available funds means it'll be a budget project, and take a long time. So be it, I do like to have a proper old race car in the garage, no matter how long it takes to finish!

So, 1 step closer to owning yet another spaceframed sprite / midget engined sportscar. Happy days!

I'll be building up a list of parts I'll be needing in due course, but obvious ones are:

948cc inline engine (to be rebored to 998 in due course)
D crown Cooper pistons
lightened flywheel
12G295 head
Gearbox - probably smoothe case
40DCOE and inlet Manifold
Maniflow exhaust manifold

Plus all the usuall stuff: Radiator, header tank, fuel tank, 13" wheels (not sure of PCD yet), oh, and I need to make a body.......

Right, I'm off to the back of the couch to look for the spare change needed to buy all the missing bits!

Pics to follow when I've picked it up.

Sounds interesting Al!
Is the engine supposed to get in at the front or rear/mid?
And in length or east-west?

Hi Jeroen, thought you'd like it!

I'm afraid it's an inline engine rather than a Mini unit, and front engined rather than rear. Basically laid out like a Lotus seven

Well, pity about that, but it sounds really interesting never the less.
And it is in good hands, that's what counts, too!

Well after a crazy drive over the moors in the dark, I collected the engine and gearbox last night.
The current plan is to just stick it in the car for the dry build phase as it is, then rebuild it in due course.
My current thoughts are to use a a mix of old and more modern parts (pistons being one example) but to give it a bit more 'go' for as little cost as possible.
I like the wee engines, and I'm hopefull that as lots of folks focus on the 1275s these days, prices for 998 stuff won't have gone quite so daft....... not sure this will prove to be the case!

my current thoughts are:

998cc (overbore from the current 948)
Metro 998 A+ pistons (or Cooper 'D Crown')
12G295 head + double springs - maybe a bit of porting
skim to give CR 10.5:1 (skim depends on piston choice)
Lighten flywheel (and dynamic balance with crank)
Kent 266/286 cam or equivalent (Even if it does get any road use, I don't mind it being a bit 'lumpy')
Duplex timing chain
Webber 40DCOE (or maybe a Reece fish / minnow?)
Cooper 'pressed' exhaust Manifold (as I've got one!)
Uprated rocker shaft and weld rocker tops
or maybe high ratio rockers / offset bushes?

Any fancy lightened rods or crank will be considered only if I come across them at the right price.

Anyone care to make any suggestions as to preferred budget spec 998 tuning?

The annoying thing is that I had most of these bits and pieces lying about, but they've all gone with either 'Pandora' or the Coldwell when they were sold. How frustrating!

edit - just seen the thread elsewhere on the forum about 998 tuning started today! I must be 'on trend' !

Pandora - I think it's my 998 cooper tuning thread! There have been some helpful suggestions in it already.

Good luck!

Alex

here's a couple of pics:







I didn't actually get the diff, so that's on the list of parts needed too.

I'm pretty pleased with it! the trial build up begins......

Interesting looking project you have there..
Is the frame welded or brazed.?

looks to be mostly brazed, but with the odd welded 'additions'

need to have a closer look tomorrow.

Al...... I bet Mrs Pandora loves all these projects

What was the point of selling the last chassis to go and buy another

Your backside will get wet in the snow with that one.

IAIN wrote:Al...... I bet Mrs Pandora loves all these projects

What was the point of selling the last chassis to go and buy another

Your backside will get wet in the snow with that one.

She is more tolerant than I deserve!

The 'problem' with the Lotus was that it was always just going to be built in the style of a clubmans car, rather than being a real one. I always regretted selling the Coldwell, and this ones is the next best i've seen. Oh, and selling it made enough to buy this and the panels needed for the camper.....

I won't get wet as it'll probably never get out the garage!

I need to get a diff for the car - anyone got any idea what ratios are available for the midget / sprite ' minor axles? I'm obviously going for 13" wheels.

do I go for the Post office van moggy ratio?

Anyone who's into rwd A series cars got a 4.5:1 diff going spare?

Unusual progress update.

Whist awaiting my finances recovering a little after Christmas etc, I realised I've made little worthwhile progress on the car, so I managed to grab a couple of hours this afternoon and made a first stab at sketching out thoughts on the bodywork and preparing to make a 1:5th scale model to see how it will look, and to see (roughly) how clearance etc for the engine will be.

I started with the scribble at the top which I jotted down one lunchtime during the week, and today neatened it up in drafting tape.

I'll probably need a small bulge over the carb, depending on what I eventually fit, but otherwise it looks like I can keep the really sleek shape I'm looking for if I shorten the sump a bit.

I like to do most of my 'sketching' in 3D in foam, as I already have a fairly good idea of the forms I want to create. My 2D sketches tend to show more of what I want rather than what is possible!

As the car's basically going to be a pure indulgance, I'm planning it as an offset single seater, with the nominal passenger space covered by the one piece front body - a single moulding from the nose to the rear of the cockpit- though I may include a lift off panel to give access to the space for any short passenger trips. The rear will be along the lines of the Coldwell, much more shaped than the normal '7' type of design, and will again be in GRP.

wings will be simple cycle wings.

anyway, here's a fairly poor photo of todays progress - centre section line and various key cross sections through the upper body.

Enough to get me started on the foam version where the real shape will evolve. The nose and the rear clamshell are where the real style will develop, as well as the small flares where the nose widens over the front of the chassis and up over the suspension mounts

But the foam work means going out to the garage, and it's too cold for that yet!

looking good!!

Progress- have been given kid free shore leave for the last day of my holiday!

To the garage!!!!

A&E by lunchtime?

Pandora wrote:Progress- have been given kid free shore leave for the last day of my holiday!

Lucky you! Enjoy yourself! I know that feeling well!

This looks like a brilliant project - can't wait to see your models

Decent progress today.
Old engine mounts chopped out, wishbones and trailing links all cleaned up, engine and box placed in chassis (at a bit of an angle for best fit).

Placed the axle into chassis where it looked like it should go based on Panhard rod mounts, but it looks like it might not actually be from this car - the shock mounts are in the wrong place, the Panhard rod mounts aren't right and it hits the chassis, still not a problem, I'll just rebuild the rear of the chassis to suit!

Not too many other problems though, dizzy just clears the steering column and the gear lever is in roughly the right place once I'll bend the lever a bit.

Crappy photos in the dark:


Chassis and engine by alastairbrownuk, on Flickr


Column clearance by alastairbrownuk, on Flickr


Wishbones and links by alastairbrownuk, on Flickr

Got 2 more trailing links finished and modified the others so they all take the same size rose joints. the 3rd fits perfectly as a Panhard rod, so back end is on - result!

side exit dizzy cap on order to aid clearance on column.
gear lever cut down, but needs a tighter bend to get it away from bottom of dash rail
Looks like it'll only have 4" ground clearance, so sump will sit flush with base of chassis.

On to making engine / box mounts and lots of wee brackets.

Nice to be making progress!

Packed the car up the other week in preparaion for moving house next week and was wondering how long I've had it - turns out just a few days over a year. How time flies.

I haven't managed to do much to it - cut a few bits off, cleaned a few bits up, bought a FJ radiator, an engine and box, a diff.........

Must make progress once I move! (and resist the temptation to sell )

Al