New Owner's Lotus Seven
SB1325
UK

By Previous Owner - May 2014 Current photos following sympathetic restoration of missing panels, rear strucuture, interior and drivetrain...

A few 'nearly complete' photos toward the end of restoration...

Initial contact: Jan 2012

I am a UK resident and have just bought this Lotus 7 Series 2 Cosworth back from San Diego, California where it had been with its previous owner since the mid 60's,as you will see he modified heavily???????

The car was purchased used from Quality Foreign (no longer exists) in San Diego, it has a sticker in the screen "Blytheville Air Force Base, Strategic Air Command" where I understand the owner before the previous owner was based. The person I purchased the car from bought the Elan new from Quality Foreign also. The bulkhead where the VIN plate would usually sit was cut out to facilitate a balance bar pedal box as the person who I bought the vehicle from Victor Li from San Diego used the vehicle for Slalom's. He bought the car used in 1966. There is no frame number on the crossmember where the Master Cylinder bracket is mounted nor on the cross member in front of the passenger seat. California Title shows 1961 consistent with a 1340 Cosworth which is what it purports to be.

In preperation/stripping the skin for the chassis chassis restoration I drilled out the rivets for the red/aluminium trim on the nearside. I noticed, wedged between the frame and the skin in the passenger footwell an aluminium plate, see photos. On pulling it out there is momentary elation only to find the somewhat pristine VIN plate except where it has sat between the frame and skin, has never been stamped with either the chassis or engine number. Even drawing on previous experience it doesn't take a Detective to envisage what has happened here!

The previous owner painted all the engine bay tubes as well as the rear ones in red oxide as well as the inner aluminium skin around the engine bay and bulkhead. As the panels and frame are original I have gone for a sympathetic restoration so whilst the frame will have original paint worn and faded and the skin with lots of markings I like the character - the contrast will be the drive train and suspension and interior will all be nice and shiny.

The previous owner used it for slalom and at one point hit a kerb shattering the rear Standard 10 axle, I still have the original broken casing and damaged the rear panel and tubes. I have just had this repaired.

The chassis and skin panels have all been examined by John Watson, Arch Motor's and Mick Beveridge from Xtraspecialsevens (nee Xanthos), all conclude a very original car with many correct features and distinctive aspects on the panel work identifying it as an early car. The person I bought the car from has owned it since 1966/67 - I also bought his one owner Series 2 Elan which still sports its Quality Foreign San Diego dealer sticker in the window - Dale Schoupe's outfit. Whilst the car has been modified for slalom you will see from the selection of photos it has the twin 40DCOE's, the original speedo, its original correct 5 1/2 Gallon Serck's petrol tank, original lamiplate interior panels and seat backrest. The last photo shows its original Pale Lotus Yellow paint as the previous owner received it - in the corner of screen again present when the previous owner bought the car is a Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command parking sticker. The original purchaser was a James R Jacobson in Wellingborough UK. My personal belief is that the car originally in the UK was bought by a US Service Personnel whilst in the UK and exported to the US.

Determining the chassis umber to be SB1325 is a long story but identified by the carburettor numbers. The chassis plate that was found behind the lamiplate when the car was partially stripped was notmakred with a number, but appears quite genuine. The difficulty, as is often the case, was that another known Seven claimed the number SB1325. Gary David's car has been presented as such for years since its well documented restoration with updates... But Gary himself recently clarifies via email:

"Colin, I just checked the info I got from John Watson on our serial number. Our car is registered with the state at SB1375 and this is from its chassis number. John says that our car really is SB1161 but I tried to change things with the state and they laughed at me. --Gary"