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The 7Y
as told by Barry Flegg and Dave Walden
The Lotus 7Y, Constructed and Raced by Barry Flegg (and written by)
CHASSIS DETAILS
We shortened the chassis length by 4 inches and lowered the height by 2". The under tray was a sheet of mag. alloy to help rigidity of the chassis. All other panels were of very thin aluminium. The top rail of the tail of the chassis was inclined to create a wedge shaped effect, with a tonneau cover causing good downward force at speed (acting like a rear wing).
FRONT SUSPENSION
Independent with Triumph Herald uprights. We manufactured front hubs from a billet of aluminum. My father did all the machining, as he was a fitter and turner. He made me saw the 'billet' into two pieces. I think it took me about a week!! Much lighter than the original Herald cast iron ones. There was nothing else available in those days. The Upper Wishbone was my own design and was attached on the under-side of the upright. This was achieved by reversing the taper on the upper ball-joint. Machined the taper off to parallel (straight). Then manufacturing a taper with a slot, this was placed in from the top and the ball-joint from underneath (I could probably send a sketch). This achieved to compensate taking 2" out of the chassis height, making the car lower in height. A10 Armstrong shock absorbers fully adjustable. Lower Wishbone using a ball-joint from a Rover 2000, removing the taper manufacturing an internal acme thread to suit Triumph Herald Upright (adjustable rose joint) on a conventional wishbone.
REAR SUSPENSION
Lotus Elan diff., Lotus '61 uprights. 4 trailing link rods, all adjustable. Drive shafts manufactured from Rover 80 tail-shafts (no donuts). A10 fully adjustable Armstrong shocks.
BRAKES
Triumph Herald fronts. DS11 pads (Ferodo). Elan rears inboard standard pads. Brake balance system of my own design (tandem adjustable front to rear balance adjustment). Did fail once at Castle Combe causing a crash and a DNF!!
RADIATOR
Front mounted two row, mounted at 45 degrees inclined forward. The front nose cone was modified with a drooped snout i.e. pointed downwards. The area between the engine and radiator then had an alloy panel fitted at approx. 45 degrees rearwards to force the air up and outwards (acting as downforce to the front end). No air passed through the engine bay.
ENGINE
1000 c.c. Broadspeed. Was originally built by Ralph Broad. I purchased from him after the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch '69 (Laurie Hickman drove the 1 litre Escort) I used the Engine in my old Lotus 7 Series 1 to win the 1969 Lotus 7 Championship (sponsored by Lotus). We used the Engine just the once in the last round. The Engine had originally had fuel injection (not eligible in Clubmans!). We manufactured inlet manifolds to suit 40 IDF Webber Carbs. The Engine was canted over to 45 degrees to lower the Engine and the centre of gravity. The carbs protruded vertically from a shaped cut-out formed in the aluminium bonnet. The Engine produced approx. 127 BHP and revved to 7,500 RMP. Dry Sump (modified by myself) as the Engine, when in the Escort, was upright. It had a double plate sintered bronze clutch (hydraulic). A.8 Cosworth Camshaft, gear driven. Ignition was Lucas. 10 m spark plugs. All other Engine parts were Cosworth. All good stuff in those days!
TYRES
We used Dunlop Green Spots and Firestone YB11's.
WHEELS
Were from a Brabham Formula 3. Size (from memory) 7" fronts and 9" rears by 13 dia.
MUDGUARDS
They were very controversial at the time. They were manufactured by a Team member and made from fibreglass. We had many heated discussions with Scrutineers regarding legality meeting regulations (We won the day!).
GEARBOX
Ford Bullet Box. 4 speed close ratio. All magnesium casings, bellhousing and tailshaft.
In 1970 we had 15 races. We won 12. One Second. Two DNF's. In one of the DNF's we held the outright lead for 2 laps, in front of the 7 X at Castle Coombe (that is when we had brake failure or engine??). We did put the 7Y alongside the 7X on the front row at Ford Sports Day at Brands.
LAP RECORDS;- Some Dates are from Auto Sport Magazine and are 'published' dates and not necessarily 'race day' dates! I will try to find more info. if required?
BRANDS HATCH....................27/8/70
THRUXTON.........................7/5/70 and 3/9/70
CROFT............................?/6/70
CASTLE COOMBE...................17/4/70
LYDDEN HILL.....................23/4/70
CADWELL PARK.....................2/4/70
SNETTERTON.......................?/3/70
MALLORY PARK....................13/8/70
RUFFORTH (NOW CLOSED)...........Can't find the date!
Barry Flegg,
Australia.
Photos: Lotus Newsletter Pages 1 thru 11 Lotus newsletter approximately 1964
Lotus 7Y photo courtesy of Autosport (photo featured in April 1974 issue of "SEVEN" - official magazine of the Lotus Seven Club U.K.)
David Bettinson's racing 7 (actually a Caterham build circa 1975 racing in 'Modsports')
I e-mailed Barry Flegg, and he must have been on the phone the instant he read the e-mail, as I received e-mails in return from two of his old buddies in the U.K.! Dave must be quite a character - attached is his e-mail to Barry...
Also, I am trying to determine from Barry if, in fact, the engine was ever canted over at 45 degrees, as it certainly wasn't in these pics, and Dave does not remember it ever being canted over.
Begin message:
From: dave walden
Date: February 8, 2010
Subject: Photos
Hi Bill.
I had a phone call from Barry Flegg in Oz this morning and he told me about the your interest in the 7Y. He thought you might like to see, and maybe use, the attached photos. I helped build the car with Barry - I spent many, mostly happy, hours often long into the night working on the car. I remember in particular working the whole of a Christmas day, apart from a short break for turkey lunch(!) drilling and riveting the floor pan in place. My mother was not best pleased! That's me in the car with very dirty hands, so we'd obviously been doing something. In the second one that's Barry standing at the front.
Kind regards
Dave Walden
From: dave walden
Date: 24 December 2009
Subject: Photos
To: barryflegg
Hi Barry.
Rosemary kept her promise then and made you sit down and write to me!! It's good to hear from you and to see the photo. I've attached the only 2 I have of the 7Y. I haven't any action ones at all. If I had the camera I now have it would have been easier!
Was it that car or the first one I spent most of one Christmas with a template clamping it to the frame, drilling holes and riveting the floor pan on?!! I wouldn't mind a pound for all the hours we spent working on the cars, but it was great for me as a way of getting involved in a sport I couldn't afford myself. I still have a laugh about some of the memories - like driving into the paddock at Castle Combe late at night and demolishing a load of oil drums waking up all the campers!
These are photos of the 7Y from a chap in the U.K., and below, verification from Barry Flegg regarding the engine location.
G'Day Bill
[re 7Y] Yes, you are right about the chassis - it was a Series 2/3 frame which, as you know, I modified by lowering it 2 inches and reducing the overall length. I don't know whether I mentioned that the under tray was of a mag alloy? You are also correct about the engine being upright, from memory it was probably a later car I built that I carried out that alteration. I did receive a part-picture of the article you sent with myself and David Wakefield in the photo - he actually won the race outright, I finished 2nd and 1st in class. The disappointing thing was that I actually went faster in 2 later races in a sports car and Formula Libra race same day winning both classes. I remember going to the presentation night, David got an enormous rose bowl and myself an egg cup size trophy!!! I still have the receipt from Caterham cars for the purchase of the 7Y before my modifications. It had been previously raced in The Channel Islands, for sand racing.
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