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The next task was the
suspension set-up. The front suspension is an independent
double-wishbone with all aluminum coil-over shocks. The
A-arms were fabricated in Uruguay as part of the kit. The
uprights and disc brakes were used from the Jensen Healey.
The front brakes are Girling 14F self–adjusting caliper
discs. The rear suspension provided a more difficult
challenge. It is a live axle with four links, coil-over
shocks, and a Panhard bar to stabilize side-to-side movement
of the differential. The rear brakes are Lockheed
self-adjusting drums. Some existing chassis reinforcement
bars were in the way so they had to be redesigned and welded
to avoid interference. Once the rear axle was in place, the
drive shaft could be measured and manufactured. Inland
Driveline, a shop specializing in prop-shafts cut and
fabricated the old shaft to our specific needs. The
powertrain was now in place! |
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Above: Differential is set in position with two forward
links.
Below: Left front suspension close-up. |
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Several medium scale
projects followed. Now that the suspension was in place a
set of rims and tires had to be selected and purchased. The
traditional mini-lite rims soon gave way to modern spec
rims. They are Team Dynamic-Monza aluminum 16-inch spoked
rims. The tires selected were Dunlop Sport 9000 205/ ZR60
positive direction tires. An overhung pedal assembly was
fabricated out of steel, and specially designed to fit the
available space. Independent front and rear Girling master
cylinders were fitted, with adjustable balance bar. The
original rack and pinion assembly from the Healey was used.
Careful positioning was required to obtain the desired bump
steer measurements. The steering linkage was assembled with
safety in mind, as it is curves around the engine. A Lotus
racing steering wheel was fitted. The clutch line was
installed with the appropriate spring. The radiator was
fitted in front of the steering rack with three brackets. It
is positioned to reduce the space around it when the
nosecone is on. In addition, an aluminum shroud was
fabricated to increase the airflow through the radiator. A
push fan was installed on the radiator wall. |
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| Above:
Left rear wheel and tire. Below: Chassis is
mounted on wooden cart while steering rack is positioned. |
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Some of the projects in
the rear section of the car include the gas tank, trunk
cover, and spare wheel. The gas tank is a 12-gallon aluminum
tank located in the rear section of the vehicle. It is
secured with stainless steel straps and tensioned with long
allen bolts. The fuel pump is adjacent to the tank, and
leads the fuel line through the tunnel all the way to the
carburetors. Above the gas tank there is a trunk cover. It
is a wooden platform covered with a British Racing Green
fabric. The gas cap protrudes the cover and is in a vertical
position. The fact that this Seven is a road car, a spare
tire had to be placed on the car. A rectangular mount sits
behind the hind-panel, with a license plate frame and an
extra brake light. The spare is a full size copy of the
other tires and is secured by three leather straps. |
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Above: Pictured
is the radiator with push fan and aluminum shroud.
Below: Rear end without trunk cover. Exposed is
gas tank and rear shocks. |
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