Don’t think for one second that Chad and I have not been privately scheming on a car that we could take on Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week and the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational. We’ve come up with some really dumb ideas, so when I stumbled upon the perfect car for both events on RacingJunk, I had to share. This is a go kart on PCP.
Firstly, it is all 100% street legal. Motorvation comes from a Chevy LS 376/480 engine backed by a TKO-600 transmission. It has run in the 9.90s at the strip and the owner/driver has won open track events and other road course type shootouts with the car. Most of this due to the famous ethos of Lotus founder Colin Chapman…no unnecessary weight. Even with the large by huge backsides of Chad and I installed, this car would come in under 2,000lbs. Empty, we’re talking just 1500lbs!
The seller claims that he cruises the car, takes it to shows, drag races and slays road courses with it. The giant wing is removeable and makes more than 500lbs of downforce. I’m in love with this thing and it would be the ultimate “gut it out” car to do Drag Week in. No protection from the elements! In the hands of a capable driver it would hold its own at the Optima Invitational as well.
We don’t have $50,000 and since we’ve already sold a couple of non-essential internal organs on the black market, we have no easy way to come into it either. Do you?
RacingJunk Find: A Dragon Slaying LS3 Powered Lotus Seven
Using “PERFECT” in the same sentence with “LS” is sick and wrong. Besides that overpriced heap doesn’t have near enough downforce. Performance is weak considering how uncomfortable it would be. Besides, flames on a Lotus 7 replica look stupid.
Sire Custom Performance just had a potential customer bring in his real ’63 Lotus Super 7 that weighs just 910 lbs with the 1700cc Ford 4 cyl and Top Loader.
Yeah , find a Caterham 7 used on Ebay whatever , preferably with a trashed motor and build one of your own as this guy did .
But here’s a thought . Go to Caterham USA , hit them up with the idea ( the home company in the UK is in grow mode ) and see if they’d help with the project . Those Caterham folks are pretty crazy and I’d bet the idea of building a Muscle Car kicking light weight would hit all the correct buttons
FYI the US headquarters of Caterham is in Denver CO if you don’t already know that
Damn ! What a great idea . Another Yank/Brit butt kicking flame throwing monster
Do it !
I like it!!
Now just expand your events to the Targa Newfoundland.
I think the way to do this is to buy some tubes and get to welding. There are plenty of plans available.
To cloak a Lotus 7-inspired tubular space frame with Ford Model T bodywork (I wonder why Factory Five doesn’t add something like that as a companion to their ’33 Ford?).
Hot Rod ran a bitchin Chump Car racer awhile back that almost hit on this idea.
Better yet, narrow the body and make it a single-seater . . . sort of a sprint-car-meets-road-course-meets-vintage-Indy-roadster.