Discussion
I understand your sentiments completely on the forum. The S4 gets very little respect and I have had to end up defending its honor more than once. I just don't understand it, but I think it comes down to jealousy 
I know John. We have met up several times for a group drive or just to hang out, he lives about an hour west of me (near where I went to school). Where are you located? I still have to catch up on this thread.. it dates back till 2010! Seems I am late to the party.
High Resolution PDF's (These are MUCH better quality than the photos below):
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B-epV142tohYdGJh...
PNG Images:
I know John. We have met up several times for a group drive or just to hang out, he lives about an hour west of me (near where I went to school). Where are you located? I still have to catch up on this thread.. it dates back till 2010! Seems I am late to the party. High Resolution PDF's (These are MUCH better quality than the photos below):
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B-epV142tohYdGJh...
PNG Images:
Edited by ncrosty on Friday 26th October 14:27
ncrosty
Many thanks for the PDF Scans of the car & driver test
I live in S Wales, UK
Yep the pistonheads S4 threads been going 2 years or so, plenty of info for the S4 owners within it, and most of the avid S4 owners post within the thread.
Ironically I tried to start a similar S4 thread on the Official Lotus7 club site 'Blatchat'before the Pistonheads thread.
That thread recieved a similar amount of abuse to the Lotus forum that you mentioned.
Many thanks for the PDF Scans of the car & driver test
I live in S Wales, UK
Yep the pistonheads S4 threads been going 2 years or so, plenty of info for the S4 owners within it, and most of the avid S4 owners post within the thread.
Ironically I tried to start a similar S4 thread on the Official Lotus7 club site 'Blatchat'before the Pistonheads thread.
That thread recieved a similar amount of abuse to the Lotus forum that you mentioned.
I actually have a few concerns about my car too that I would like to throw out there. Looking forward to some help.
>First and foremost - The Ignition Key!! It just rotates in the dash and you have to grab it from up under the dash to use the switch. How have you fixed that most annoying problem?
>My left hand motor mount has melted due to the position of the exhaust headers. Where do you guys source motor mounts, and other rubber bushings for that matter? I need to wrap my headers in some fiberglass material, hopefully that will help, but has anyone else built any kind of heat shield?
>How have you guys gone about putting in a safer brake master cylinder, such as a modern dual MC? The diagonal square tube in the engine bay really restricts the amount of space available for the brake MC. I am still using the single Girling setup and it scares me every time I need to stop.
>Does anyone who might have designed a new wiring harness have a drawing available? That should be my main winter project.
>Oil is leaking from the oil pan seal. I have tried a new gasket, and RTV, but I still feel guilty about parking it in anyones driveway. Has anyone had great success at sealing it?
>What are you guys using for side view mirrors? I saw a really neat "Formula Car" looking set on the orange car on the previous page. The one I have now is no good.
Thanks,
Nathan
>First and foremost - The Ignition Key!! It just rotates in the dash and you have to grab it from up under the dash to use the switch. How have you fixed that most annoying problem?
>My left hand motor mount has melted due to the position of the exhaust headers. Where do you guys source motor mounts, and other rubber bushings for that matter? I need to wrap my headers in some fiberglass material, hopefully that will help, but has anyone else built any kind of heat shield?
>How have you guys gone about putting in a safer brake master cylinder, such as a modern dual MC? The diagonal square tube in the engine bay really restricts the amount of space available for the brake MC. I am still using the single Girling setup and it scares me every time I need to stop.
>Does anyone who might have designed a new wiring harness have a drawing available? That should be my main winter project.
>Oil is leaking from the oil pan seal. I have tried a new gasket, and RTV, but I still feel guilty about parking it in anyones driveway. Has anyone had great success at sealing it?
>What are you guys using for side view mirrors? I saw a really neat "Formula Car" looking set on the orange car on the previous page. The one I have now is no good.
Thanks,
Nathan
ncrosty
1. Ignition switch - The Outer chrome ring is threaded to the switch body [which goes through the Dash fibreglass moulding], so try tightening it up!!
2. The Rubber engine mounts are Jaguar 'E' type. The current caterhams still use them so they are easy to source on ebay, or from caterham or 'Redline'
3. S4 Suspension rubber bushes are all available from 'Redline' components in UK.
4. Master Cyl ought to be a simple swop [it is on RH drive cars].
5. Sump gasket - make sure the engine and sump pan are oil free before using a new gasket, You can use a modern 'Black' silicon sealer to guarantee oil don't leak, apply sparingly to the cork gasket. Try Ford part number 1-217-470 available fronm any Ford main dealer, Loctite also make a similar Black Silicon product.
6. Redline in UK sell new S4 Wiring looms, not sure of the cost.
7. Side mirrors, I've bought a pair that Caterham use on current cars, not fitted them yet though. I beleive these were original UK Mini Metro mirrors, not 100% certain on this point.
Hope this helps
Mal
1. Ignition switch - The Outer chrome ring is threaded to the switch body [which goes through the Dash fibreglass moulding], so try tightening it up!!
2. The Rubber engine mounts are Jaguar 'E' type. The current caterhams still use them so they are easy to source on ebay, or from caterham or 'Redline'
3. S4 Suspension rubber bushes are all available from 'Redline' components in UK.
4. Master Cyl ought to be a simple swop [it is on RH drive cars].
5. Sump gasket - make sure the engine and sump pan are oil free before using a new gasket, You can use a modern 'Black' silicon sealer to guarantee oil don't leak, apply sparingly to the cork gasket. Try Ford part number 1-217-470 available fronm any Ford main dealer, Loctite also make a similar Black Silicon product.
6. Redline in UK sell new S4 Wiring looms, not sure of the cost.
7. Side mirrors, I've bought a pair that Caterham use on current cars, not fitted them yet though. I beleive these were original UK Mini Metro mirrors, not 100% certain on this point.
Hope this helps
Mal
Hi Mal,
Thanks for the info. My ignition switch always breaks loose after a few starts, no matter how much I tighten the nut onto the fiberglass. I was afraid it was going to wear out the fiberglass in that spot, so I ended up putting in a momentary switch for the starter instead of cranking the key. I am surprised nobody else had this problem as the hole is smooth and not keyed at all.
Does anyone here have any experience with the Redline wiring loom? I wonder if that is the way to go. Perhaps I'll contact Mick about it.
You said the brake MC is a simple swap? What did you swap in? I couldn't find anything that I liked with the right dimensions to fit in that confined space.
Please let me know how your Caterham mirrors work out.
Thank you,
Nathan
Thanks for the info. My ignition switch always breaks loose after a few starts, no matter how much I tighten the nut onto the fiberglass. I was afraid it was going to wear out the fiberglass in that spot, so I ended up putting in a momentary switch for the starter instead of cranking the key. I am surprised nobody else had this problem as the hole is smooth and not keyed at all.
Does anyone here have any experience with the Redline wiring loom? I wonder if that is the way to go. Perhaps I'll contact Mick about it.
You said the brake MC is a simple swap? What did you swap in? I couldn't find anything that I liked with the right dimensions to fit in that confined space.
Please let me know how your Caterham mirrors work out.
Thank you,
Nathan
Hi All
I'm the owner of a completely dismantled 1970 S4 Seven: S4 2717 GT; GE041; OB5534; EDT 7 J. I bought the car a year ago in August with the proceeds from the sale of my Lotus Seven S2/3 evocation which was a pre-lit plastic Westie underneath all the ally skinning. I went to S. America on my Honda Dominator about two weeks later, returning in the middle of June this year. Since then I've been finishing off my Mk1 Marlin Roadster (doorless & Spitfire based) and helping my son re-commission (rebuild, in truth) his Midas Bronze. The Seven has therefore been languishing in the shed whilst these other projects are worked on.
I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this thread, as the only other owners I'd come across were through my membership of the HLR. I registered on PH immediately!
I live in Gloucester and spectate at Castle Combe/Shelsley Walsh/Prescott and trials. I owned a Lotus VI from '68 to '71 and got into kit cars in '82 with an S2 Phaeton. Since then I've had about a dozen Duttons (mainly two seaters), a Mk3 Scamp and the Westie. From '99 to '09 I went back exclusively to biking, covering over 100,000 miles on two wheels.
The S4 was missing the wings - since purchased from Redline - and the windscreen and frame. I thought long and hard about what route to take with the re-build, deciding to treat it as a kit car - i.e. no powder coating/chroming/two pack respray etc, just nail it back together, sell the Marlin and use it as everyday transport.
I obtained its history from DVLA back to '74 (they have nothing before then) and, unsurprisingly (it was dismantled in '91), got no replies from my written enquiries to the previous three known owners' addresses.
That's it for now, but if anyone has a spare windscreen knocking about they want rid of .........
Regards, Mick
I'm the owner of a completely dismantled 1970 S4 Seven: S4 2717 GT; GE041; OB5534; EDT 7 J. I bought the car a year ago in August with the proceeds from the sale of my Lotus Seven S2/3 evocation which was a pre-lit plastic Westie underneath all the ally skinning. I went to S. America on my Honda Dominator about two weeks later, returning in the middle of June this year. Since then I've been finishing off my Mk1 Marlin Roadster (doorless & Spitfire based) and helping my son re-commission (rebuild, in truth) his Midas Bronze. The Seven has therefore been languishing in the shed whilst these other projects are worked on.
I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this thread, as the only other owners I'd come across were through my membership of the HLR. I registered on PH immediately!
I live in Gloucester and spectate at Castle Combe/Shelsley Walsh/Prescott and trials. I owned a Lotus VI from '68 to '71 and got into kit cars in '82 with an S2 Phaeton. Since then I've had about a dozen Duttons (mainly two seaters), a Mk3 Scamp and the Westie. From '99 to '09 I went back exclusively to biking, covering over 100,000 miles on two wheels.
The S4 was missing the wings - since purchased from Redline - and the windscreen and frame. I thought long and hard about what route to take with the re-build, deciding to treat it as a kit car - i.e. no powder coating/chroming/two pack respray etc, just nail it back together, sell the Marlin and use it as everyday transport.
I obtained its history from DVLA back to '74 (they have nothing before then) and, unsurprisingly (it was dismantled in '91), got no replies from my written enquiries to the previous three known owners' addresses.
That's it for now, but if anyone has a spare windscreen knocking about they want rid of .........
Regards, Mick
arbseven said:
Anyone have a picture of the location of the battery ion the boot in an S4?
I've had three NZ S4s all with batteries in the boot. Unfortunately it isn't the sort of thing I ever thought to take a picture of. The standard position is tucked right up into the driver's side rear wing. Far enough not to intrude on the boot-space and far enough to be a pain to remove the battery! I would take a picture of my current S4 except a previous owner obviously gave up on trying to saving space and just mounted it pretty much in the middle of the boot alongside the dry-sump tank. ncrosty said:
How have you guys gone about putting in a safer brake master cylinder, such as a modern dual MC? The diagonal square tube in the engine bay really restricts the amount of space available for the brake MC. I am still using the single Girling setup and it scares me every time I need to stop.
I know what you mean! I took my single circuit MC out last week and that was hard enough! It must be possible though as there is a twin circuit MC in the S4 photo below:
Batwing7
Many thanks for posting the S4 tests ftom the NZ mags, Anyone into S4's will realy enjoy reading them.
Here's the photo's of S4 Battery clamp, Its basically a clamp that goes over the battery, the original ain't very good at securing the battery, especially if you have poor road surfaces. My mod to the clamp ensures the battery stays in place.
Hope this helps
Mal
>
Many thanks for posting the S4 tests ftom the NZ mags, Anyone into S4's will realy enjoy reading them.
Here's the photo's of S4 Battery clamp, Its basically a clamp that goes over the battery, the original ain't very good at securing the battery, especially if you have poor road surfaces. My mod to the clamp ensures the battery stays in place.
Hope this helps
Mal
>
Welcome, Mick OMalley (31 October). I can send you a paper template for the windscreen if you let me have your address (phbarnard@aol.com).
My last replacement was cut to fit from a laminated sheet on my drive by Autowindscreens covered by my insurance - the technician came from Lincoln to North Norfolk. An earlier screen I had cut by a glass merchant from a sheet of laminated - it is plain flat after all.
Regards
Paul
My last replacement was cut to fit from a laminated sheet on my drive by Autowindscreens covered by my insurance - the technician came from Lincoln to North Norfolk. An earlier screen I had cut by a glass merchant from a sheet of laminated - it is plain flat after all.
Regards
Paul
Batwing 7 said:
I know what you mean! I took my single circuit MC out last week and that was hard enough! It must be possible though as there is a twin circuit MC in the S4 photo below:
Batwing - Since my car is left hand drive, I think I have considerably less space for the brake MC than the RHD version. This is due to the position of the pedal box and the pesky diagonal bar.Gassing Station | Caterham | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff