Nearly 50 years ago, my family went out for pizza in Manhattan Beach. Along the way I talked Dad into stopping at Bob Challman Sports Cars on PCH. There, front & center in the showroom window, sat a Lotus 23. A small (tiny, actually) mid-engined racing sports car, the "23" had just made a good showing at a race in Riverside at the hands of some big name driver (Jim Clark, I think). The "23" was small, low, sleek, and incredibly fast for such a small package. I was 12 or 13 at the time and just starting to take an interest in Hi-Perf cars, so needless to say, I was in love! My thoughts turned immediately to things like "How can I make this thing street legal?", or "How soon can I get my drivers license?" Of course, there were no mundane questions such as "How do I pay for it?" No sense letting reality mess up a good dream.
While the "23" held the center stage spotlight in the showroom, off in the back corner sat a quirky little roadster called the Lotus 7. It was not quite so small, not so low, and definitely not so sleek, but it was still interesting nonetheless. Compared to the streamlined "23", the "7" almost looked like an antique. It was front engined, with a long hood, sweeping front fenders, and a big flat windshield growing out of the cowl (sorry, scuttle). It looked much like the old MG "T" series cars, but much smaller and lighter, and more rounded. The salesman was kind enough to give this star struck kid a spec sheet for each car, and we continued on to dinner.
For the next couple of weeks I drooled over the specs on the "23", but the "7" kept creeping into my thoughts. It was already street legal, for one thing. It was also available in kit form, which would make it more affordable. Eventually, the "7" became the car that I had to have. By this time though, reality had finally set in. How do I pay for it? The "7" was moved from my shopping list to my "wish" list.
Over the years I've had a few cars that were pretty cool. The first car that I actually owned was a '55 Chevy with a 327 & 4-speed trans. There was a '61 Biscayne with a 427 & 4-spd Hydro. My first truck was a '57 F-100 with a Big Block Chevy and Turbo 400. Over the years I've messed around with V-Dubs and Corvairs. I've even done a little stock car racing, but sports cars have always been my first love. I helped a friend keep his TR-4 running. I had my own TR-3 for about 3 days 'til the crank fell out of it. I bought a Spridget as a project, but never had the cash to make anything of it. Champagne dreams and a beer budget, the classic dilemma. All this time the closest I ever came to participating in a road race was a couple of "Solo" events run in my brand new, shiny '73 Civic. Lots of fun, but still not quite what I was looking for.
As the years passed, my life took a lot of twists and turns as most lives do. I've been married and divorced several times. Third time's the charm, they say. If I'd been smart, I would have married Carol the first time ( she's definitely a keeper). The only problem was, we didn't like each other back then. I've raised some kids, had lots of different jobs, and moved around a bit in the So-Cal area. I grew up in Culver City on the west side of LA, But by the time Carol and I were married, we were living in the Victorville area of the Mojave Desert.
The old desire for a sports car was still there, especially with the wide open spaces of the desert right outside my door, and the great roads of the San Bernardino Mountains just minutes away. I was looking at "kit cars" as a possible answer to my yearning. Not the old "Ford GT impostor on a VW pan" deal, but some of the new, purpose built cars like the Cobras, Grand Sports, Cheetahs, or GT-40s. At one time I was even researching the possibility of building and manufacturing for sale a Reventlow Scarab replica, but as usual, finances were not available.
When I was a kid, So-Cal was a great place to live. The beach was close, mountains were nearby, and there was still open space in parts of LA. Heck, I can still remember when Disneyland was an orange grove. However, the last few decades of the 20th Century saw changes that were not for the better. Open farm lands were plowed under to build more belly-button homes. More and more people crowded into the area. Crime increased. I saw a government that inserted itself into peoples lives to the point that personal rights were trod upon rather than protected. Businesses were harassed 'til they left and took their jobs with them. Home prices increased to the point that if you wanted to own your own home you had to be either very wealthy, willing to live in the worst parts of town, or willing to move so far out that you faced a 4 hour daily commute. In February of 2000 I made not just another job change, but a career change. After twenty odd years of working as an industrial maintenance mechanic, I decided to become a truck driver. And not just me! My loving wife joined me as we started truck driving school in Little Rock, Arkansas. We did this for several reasons. I was getting tired of that 4 hour daily commute. Although I made good money as a mechanic, the cost of living (as well as child support payments) ate up most of it. As a result, our home was in foreclosure. A big reason for the change was the fact that we wanted out of California, and we felt that driving would allow us to see the rest of the country and decide where we wanted to live. As always, more of life's convolutions followed but in 2005 we made the great escape, and moved to Gainesville in the Missouri Ozarks.
We've now been here nearly five years. We have a nice little home on 5 acres of land that is surrounded by hills and forests. The cost of living is much lower here so our financial situation is some better. I have a part-time job at a local supermarket and a union pension that covers our few bills with little left over. The problem that remains is (yep, you guessed it) I still have that old itch to own a sports car. Not just any sports car, mind you. I want that lotus 7! Now, Lotus quit building the 7 back in the 70s when they sold the rights to Caterham Cars of Surrey, England. Unfortunately a new Caterham, in kit form, is somewhere in the neighborhood of $36K. Oh well, let's check out the replicas (kit cars) to see what we can do. Hmmm, the Brunton Stalker is about $10K plus donor parts. A Westfield Miata kit is $14K plus the Miata. A Birkin is over $30K, but that includes donor parts. Coveland Motorsports sells a kit for about $8K plus donor. These are getting better, but still pretty steep for someone on a (more or less) fixed income. The solution that seems best for me is a "Locost" rather than a "Lotus". I have learned of a British gentleman by the name of Ron Champion who wrote a book titled "Build Your Own Sports Car For As Little As £250", and apparently he coined the term "Locost" to name a homebuilt 7 replica. There is also a semi-secret society made up of people like myself who find themselves financially challenged but technically gifted. I will build mine from scratch! As a maintenance mechanic I spent many an hour honing my skills as a weldor, a machinist, and a sheet metal fabricator. Some of my hobbies helped in my training also. I mentioned the stock cars. Did I also mention the sail boat I built or the airplane that I helped construct. I can do this! I can buy parts and materials as I need them and as finances allow. The largest single expense will be a Mazda Miata, but I have found them for as little as $1200. The Miata will also provide many parts that I don't need that can be sold to help finance the project further.
OK, here's the plan. I have already started researching the design. I have read books by Chris Gibbs (Build Your Own Sports Car), and Keith Tanner (How To Build A Cheap Sports Car). Keith's book is the definitive work for me as I intend to use a Miata donor as he did. BTW the car shown in the picture above is Keith's Seven and my inspiration. Thanks Keith! You can learn about Keith, his seven and his book on his website, www.cheapsportscar.net . I haven't yet read Ron Champion's book as it is out of print and something of a collector's item and therefore rather pricey. I have also gleaned much information from Jim McSorleys website, http://www.sevenesque.com/. Thanks to you too, Jim. Much education was also had by joining some of the Locost groups on the web. Next, I need to set up my shop in preparation for construction. I already have most of the equipment that I will need, and my garage is a 740 sq. ft pole barn with a concrete floor and 220VAC already run in. The first project will be a work table to construct my frame on. I already have much of the material needed for the table and the frame itself. The best part is, so far all this stuff has been free. I still need to find a Miata and figure out what other parts and supplies will be needed for completion. I have some excess stuff around here that I plan to sell this spring to raise money for this project. Hopefully the Good Lord will bless my efforts and show me the way to make it all happen.
Well folks, that's it for now. keep checking back for further updates.
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