October 2017

Following a light cosmetic and full mechanical restoration, the car is looking a bit better, and it's recent Test n' Tune at Talladega GP Track resulted in 14 second quicker lap times than the 2016 Spring shakedown "as found" , with the same old man driving...

Credit the improved times to the replacement of steering u-joints, and thorough front and wheel suspension alignment.

The car still appears pretty much as photographed by Dennis Ortenburger in the 1970's for his book Legend of the Lotus Seven. The frame has been carefully repainted, except for the cockpit area where the Progress Frame Plate is located. We did replace the dash panel completely so we could add new instruments, but retained the original dash without changing it. In the same way, for the track, we designed an appropriate looking race legal custom made fuel bladder from Eagle and a custom built tank that will fit our other race cars, but did this without modifying the Lotus, and saved the original fuel tank as well as maintaining a correct appearance of the car.

Shown here with a set of 13 inch wires and appropriate skinny tires for 'show' , we retained also the Original blue 13 inch front/15 inch rear set of wires , and had Hoosiers mounted on them for track use. The original fuel tank is shown.

Other than the roll bar added later in the mid to late 60's when they became mandatory, all of the rear frame construction appears to be original to the L563/763 Progress Frame. Of particular note may be the pictures of the IRS rear suspension with early Elite center and 4 link. Back in 2007, David Porter commented about the uprights (bearing carriers) being 'fabricated'. Actually, they are the correct Lotus alloy castings, and I suspect the earlier Bardo pictures that David saw, do not clearly show them.

Too bad I am not younger, so I could enjoy Vintage racing this car for a long time, but I do expect to get it to Road Atlanta next month in November, and maybe Savannah in December 2017, and have an open invitation to the 2018 Put in Bay Historics.

Best Regards, Dave Perry, OldSchool Restorations of North Alabama, USA

February 2016

The car was just removed to Alabama , from Arizona, after 30+ years of storage. Prior to Arizona, it was in Ohio, and at some earlier time believed imported through Canada.

It appears in a pre 1980 picture without description, in the same condition, on page 143 of Dennis Ortenburger's 1981 "Legend of the Lotus Seven"

All attached pictures are it's current condition taken Feb 12, 2016. I see no evidence of any fenders ever being attached, although there are a pair of alloy front cycle fenders that came with the car. The car currently runs and drives, but is not considered track ready. No seat upholstery came with the car.

March/April, 2013:

In February 2007, David Porter (original driver of 34 TPF, the car that was converted into the "7/20" by Lotus Engineer Hugh Haskel in April 1962) commented on this "similarly" modified Series One Lotus Seven:

The first difference is that Bardo car has fabricated rear hub carriers whereas the 7/20 had cast light alloy hub carriers from the Lotus Formula Junior type 20 where the lower parallel locating arm met the hub carrier very close to the ground. The suspension geometry is not the same -- as can be seen from the very high mounting point for the top parallel locating arm on the Bardo car.

The 7/20 had a Lotus 11 alloy diffcase with inboard disc brakes using Girling AR calipers. I can't see the rear brakes clearly on the Bardo car but it looks as if they might be outboard drum type. [they are drums]

Obviously the Bardo car still has its original seven Mk.1 wire wheels whilst the 7/20 had 13 inch diameter magnesium "wobbly" wheels -- also from the single seater Lotus (front 4.5 inch wide Lotus 20 type; rear 5.5 inch wide Lotus 22 prototype).

Rgds
DAVID PORTER