Expect for the steering rack loosening it's a great car! I'm willing to look it over if the GRM family is interested.
https://www.facebook.com/share/vDcymB5BTT7uhnTQ/?mibextid=79PoIi
Expect for the steering rack loosening it's a great car! I'm willing to look it over if the GRM family is interested.
https://www.facebook.com/share/vDcymB5BTT7uhnTQ/?mibextid=79PoIi
Those rear fenders with bug taillights seem like they should be unusual enough to identify the kit manufacturer. Not that it really matters by this point, at least the aesthetics are pretty solid. The scuttle is in the "Locost" position, further forward than on a Caterham.
Lalalalala not seeing this. I want a 7 so bad...
Thankfully too far away from me...
My best guess is Locost, rather than a manufactured kit. The scuttle location, front A-arms, square tubing around the "door" cutout/opening, the simple layout on the engine side of the firewall and battery mount, the panels on the tunnel/dash, and totally unique fenders all make me think home-built.
Hmmm? Is that a turbo header? 
I am surprised that this one did not get posted instead. He sounds like a GRM type I found it in the lower listings
The turbo header is mentioned in the description. Can't use a Miata header because the driver's feet are in the way. That's an interesting solution, I have to say. I built the exhaust system on mine from scratch.
ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter) said:Thankfully too far away from me...
My best guess is Locost, rather than a manufactured kit. The scuttle location, front A-arms, square tubing around the "door" cutout/opening, the simple layout on the engine side of the firewall and battery mount, the panels on the tunnel/dash, and totally unique fenders all make me think home-built.
Westfield uses square tubing like that, and I'll bet a few kit manufacturers did as well. Easier than round tube. I need to look, but I suspect the scuttle location was lifted from Westfield as well. Of course, there was quite a cottage industry for Locost kits for a while. Most kits are frame and body panels and maybe A arms, not much else.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Yes, the lines between kit/homebuilt definetely get a bit blurry, and lots of frames use square tubing, but this one clearly isn't a post-lit FRP-bodied Westfield, and the overall look/dimensions might be cribbed-from, but doesn't perfectly match a pre-lit alloy-bodied car. I imagine if it was a 'factory' built Locost like a CMC, it would probably carry some sort of identifying badge/plaque, but maybe not. All I'm saying is from my limited knowledge of studying Seven replicas for the past 30 years is that it isn't obviously a slam-dunk as one of the dozens of cottage industry builders, so my guess is Locost until proven otherwise. I welcome any evidence to the contrary. Still a cool car, and potentially a good deal for someone in the area. 
In reply to ae86andkp61 (Forum Supporter) :
It's definitely not a Westie, but the majority of kits seem to follow the simpler Westfield design. Published Locost frame designs help a lot too :)
I need to crack open my Seven kit book (Lotus Seven and the Independents) and see if those bug tails show up anywhere. The shape of the fender is too clean for it to likely be a one-off DIY. 2005 is pretty much peak Locost, though.
I just realized it has been exactly 20 years since I took on my Seven build. Wow. And my total build price (retail, not actual) was just over $10k in 2003/4 dollars, more than 10% of which was the ECU.
This really puts a fire under me to finish my locost. I adore 7-esque cars. I have all of your books on the matter, Keith (for the miata and the locost) - I even have "High Speed - Low Cost"
I built the exocet I thought I'd want and it wasn't quite right, just didn't love it. I'd like to try again w/ a miata based locost.
My somewhat finished frame is sitting on the back of my trailer looking sad.
They drive quite differently. They're a lot smaller and you're more exposed. You're also sitting on the back axle, and my car with driver actually had a slight rear weight bias. So you have to manage your front end grip on corner entry, and then you have a huge amount of information coming through your butt that makes it super-easy to manage slip angles in the rear. Mine was also a couple of hundred pounds lighter than a similarly spec'd Exocet.
This is a Westfield Sport (designed for a Miata engine) frame beside an Exocet. They're sitting so the floorpans are at the same level. Obviously, the Westie is missing the roll bar.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
The Locost being sold here has a live axle from a Corolla. I imagine it's got coilovers and three link. Do the Locosts built with IRS have an advantage over the live axle cars? I ask because I've been dismissing the live axle cars and I'm looking for the IRS ones. Thanks...
A Caterham (other than the SV) has a deDion rear. I wouldn't discount the live axle cars if well executed, IRS Sevens weren't really very common until the Miata donors took off.
Having driven a very wide variety of small sports cars including diDion Caterham and series 1 Lotus Seven, Ginettas, Elvas....The live axle cars all fail as road cars if they weigh less than 1500 lbs. empty. Just too much unsprung weight. Smooth track use they're fine. The diDion Caterham is truly a sweet spot on the 7 spectrum.
My Birkin was live axle. Bit spooky to drive on bumpy, off camber mountain roads.
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