paul_w

I wouldn't risk advancing the ignition timing on this basis, it's hard to hear pinking over the noise of a BDR and if the advance pushes the engine towards detonation you've got a big bill facing you. The curve should have been set for the engine when it was built and you've more chance of getting it wrong than right if you start guessing at it. Does the engine foul the plugs due to it being over rich?

Magnificent cars, correctly set up they drive superbly and make lots of 50s cars feel like the cartsprung barges they are. I had a UK-built Light 15 with a skimmed head and a lightened flywheel as a daily driver. One day I'll get another. The only let down on them is the gearbox but you can fit an early DS four-speed. If that one has been in the country for a long time there's a good chance I've welded its sills - I was doing loads of them at one point in a previous life...

Logically then the dampers must be a different length than the LA ones, since the bottom mount is a good couple of inches lower. I'd be interested to know how you get on as I know my shocks must be 20 years old at least, and more regular use than the car was getting may well lead to their demise.

Don't the dampers bolt to the top of the axle on an LA car Vs the side of the tube on a DD one? That would suggest they are different lengths 🤔

Happy to do some scans of these if they're not clear, but won't be until this evening at the earliest

BDR:

Crossflow:

The picture above shows the cross flow on top, and the BDR below. As far as I know, all BDRs should have the pulley markings - have you got any pics of that area?

From the manual

Hi Anthony - to set the ignition timing on a BDR you use the marks on the back of the cam pulley and the small raised line on the cam cover. The pulley is marked at TDC, 10 degrees, and 20 Degrees.

I made the same assumption of compatibility at some point in the past so I have exactly the same combination as Guy! It's somewhere iny garage and I'd forgotten about until now. Unless the column size changed at some point?

I had assumed fixed cam as 140bhp is the fixed cam Supersport spec and because Jools mentioned budget so I guessed we're talking about the older Sigma cars. A 310 is a similar upgrade package added to the variable cam engine to get 152bhp. None of the Sigma cars will have the torque of the 360 so would indeed be slower as an SV two up with luggage. There no replacement for displacement, as the Americans say. But if it's what you can afford, I doubt you'd regret it if you just bought a standard 125bhp car. It still won't be slow, and will corner slightly better than a 360 of the same spec.

Hi Jools I was able to do this conversion pretty cheaply as I got some parts from someone who was upgrading their low mileage Supersport (to the Premier Power 190 conversion) and I also found a set of the cams second hand. But it was still about £2500, though that includes labour as Sevens and Classics did the work. It felt much better than just an extra 15bhp would suggest, and I think a lot of that comes from the lighter flywheel - that came from TTV for £300, so if you can do the work to pull the engine out yourself it would be a pretty cost-effective upgrade to just swap the flywheel and nothing else. But it's true is that it's always cheaper to buy a car that's already done than spend out on upgrades yourself. I certainly didn't get my money back when I sold the car. Have you driven a 125 bhp car? My first 7 only had 100bhp and it was by no means slow compared to normal cars, and was a great tool for improving my driving which is the main thing that makes you quick in a 7. My S1 only has about 40bhp and is still lots of fun, despite being out accelerated by almost every other car on the road! Paul

Sadly can't go to Angouleme for the Circuits des Remparts this year so have two Wilson Grandstand tickets going spare (29+30B) - bought them in December last year as grandstand tickets always sell out almost immediately. They cost me 100 Euros so looking for as close to that as I can if you want to make me an offer - trying them on here first as I know it's a popular trip for 7 folk.

Hi Wayne - I'm sorry, but life has got in the way and I haven't been able to get to the workshop, hopefully this weekend. It is indeed a Ford 100E part and you can sometimes get them second-hand from old Ford specialists, though I think the cross bar piece might be different - mine doesn't have that fitted so you'd need to swap it across from yours. Mike Brotherwood does have one listed on his For Sale page so you could give him a call if you're in big hurry http://www.mikebrotherwood.com/ForSale.html though as I say I should be able to get down to my workshop this weekend. Last one I saw for sale was £125 mind you, so I think I'd want £100 for mine if that doesn't scare you off... Cheers Paul

I have one somewhere in my workshop, I can dig it out this weekend.

Pretty sure I have one at my workshop, I should be able to get there at the weekend to have a look.

It goes behind the upright and you have to cut a hole in the skin for it. There's no bush shown in the illustration in the Tony Weale book. I can get some photos tomorrow from mine if you want?

It goes behind the upright and you have to cut a hole in the skin for it. There's no bush shown in the illustration in the Tony Weale book. I can get some photos tomorrow from mine if you want?

does the standard 160 use a different set up? I've never looked underneath one but assumed they would use an A frame like all other live axle 7s since 1960!

although most DCOE set ups run with just the springs and weights clockwork advance, in theory some of the carbs/inlets have vacuum ports and if you take vacuum off all the ports and into a suitable plenum (to avoid the pulsing you get if you just take it from one runner) then you can run vacuum advance. Not many people seem to have much success with it though. I've been thinking about mapped ignition for my BDR, since it's on 45s and is reasonably cammy, and a clockwork advance can only ever be right for maximum cylinder filling at full throttle - the rest of the time it will be retarded from the ideal timing, which means worse fuel economy, running hotter, worse part-throttle response (though probably helps create the over-run popping!). How much worse is debatable, but I was chatting to someone at the Ricketts Racing Lotus day on Saturday who found his 155bhp crossflow was much more flexible when he switched to mapped ignition, and fuel consumption went from high 20s to low 30s mpg. Depends how you use your car, but I'm tempted - after driving it the length of France I'm definitely on cruise or part throttle a lot more than I'm flat out, and high-octane fuel isn't cheap these days...

They are available, but probably special order. - if Redline Components (Phone number 01883 346515 Email sales@redlinecomponents.co.uk) can't help, then I would try Xtra Special Sevens http://www.xtraspecialsevens.co.uk/index.html

Rob got back via WhatsApp really quickly - he doesn't have the clutch cable but good to know he's nearby (and how to contact him) for future reference. 2x clutch cables and a throttle cable coming from Caterham, and Alternator belt, plugs, rad weld, spare HT lead, and fuses and bulbs all acquired or on their way. Going to be a busy few evenings, but fingers crossed it's going to be ready