Peter Miles
<Conradmiles@aol.com>

Seven Series One No. ###

The heading of this article indicates the need for information to try and establish the original identity of this particular Seven which was re-identified in 1971 when it was reregistered as a rebuilt vehicle with a current year number. (This probably seemed a good idea at the time to the then owner, John Markham Hartill, as with glassfibre nosecone and flared wings it would look like a new car.) Being Historic in 1971 meant very little.

Prior to its re-registration using the Chassis number JMH71 (derived from the initials of Mr. Hartill and the year) it was in racing trim. In a conversation with Mr. Hartill in 1994 he was unable to recall much about the car, but he stated it had a sponsorship on the bonnet of a Hotel, probably in Weston-Super-Mare, UK.

There is no original chassis plate fixed, but this was probably left off on purpose to disguise its age, as the man from whom I purchased the car thought it was an S2 and had advertised it as such. The usual checks with the DVLA and old county archives have been made to no avail. The rebuild documentation was done at Leicestershire County Council, and the records for the period concerned are not in any known archives.

The car has many unusual features which could be known to racers of the late sixties, and a resume of these and some photos, will hopefully be known to previous owners or competitors.

Starting with the chassis, variations include the fitment of twin wishbone front suspension (see photo left above), the top wishbones being adjustable for camber (these could have been an original fitment as there is no scarring where the original roll bar mounts would have been), the fitment of the anti-roll bar lower down, and straight top radius arms locating the rear axle. The tube which goes from the pedal mount to the right front corner of the engine bay has been cut at the pedal end and moved outward to give clearance in the engine bay. Also in the engine bay at the right front corner are two 1 inch square tubes that have been cut away. (Shown by arrows in the above center photo). The two upright tubes used for the 1172cc Ford engine mountings are not there and there is no evidence of scarring. This provokes the thought that this could be a special order car, as it is believed that this facility was made available in the early days to favoured customers. The rear lower chassis rails are not the usual curved shape, but are constructed in an angular fashion (seen in photo at right above, probably a circumstance of simple repair).

The front brakes are Herald type 12 disc, and the master cylinder mounting looks to have been changed to the Cheshunt positioning at some time.

The engine fitted at that time was mounted about 6 inches more rearward than normal and was a Ford 120E6015 block at 1558cc using Twin-cam bore and stroke. The head being a 116E-GT type fitted with twin 40 Webers, 4 branch manifold and Cosworth Rocker Cover! The gearbox was a 2000E bullet box, with a mounting fabricated to take the loads direct into the frame as opposed to the transmission tunnel as normal.

The rear axle is a Nash Metro with the suspension unit mountings raised slightly, and reinforced to counteract torque forces. The diagonal link is also substantially strengthened and braced. The diff. ratio is 4.55, usually fitted to the Seven C, or Super Seven.

Bodywork had glassfibre nosecone and flared wings. (Now fitted with original design alloy items.) The wheels are period JAP alloys, and it sports a Les Leston steering wheel.

The battery location has been changed to the centre of the engine bay bulkhead, leaving just remnants of scarring where the original rear mounting was. The drivers front footwell is rectangular on the front bottom edge, not angled as normal, and the lower column bush is mounted in an angular fabrication. Probably an update done when the pedals were moved to the later position. The scuttle is secured by one fixing at each side, a feature of the earlier cars.

The only number information is the figures P00018 stamped on the forward face of the tube under the passengers knee position. The is not a frame number shown in the Lotus factory records which are recorded from August 1959 onwards, which would therefore indicate it is a car produced prior to that date. A former Progress Chassis Co. employee has indicated it to be the 18th frame made, but there is no documentry evidence available to confirm this. Also on the underside of the horizontal section of the front firewall is a stencilled number with two figures unclear which reads ##9H or H6## depending which way up you read it.

The car is now on the road again after some thirty odd years. It is currently in the daylight use only mode, fitted with a correct period 948cc BMC A type engine and smoothcase gearbox.

The pre-restoration photo at top shows its condition after standing around for twenty years in the garage of the previous owners relative. Should this information prompt any memories, the writer would be grateful for any history at all. Contact can be made by E-mail at Conradmiles@aol.com

Attached is a photo of the fully built up suspension on my Seven.. You will see it now has the lowered roll bar fitted, which was not on the original photo. It's true identity has still not been unearthed.

Peter Miles.