Keith Baylis's Lotus Seven
FRAME number 1122
UK

October 2018, Keith Baylis reports:

I have recently bought a Lotus 7 S2 Cosworth I believe old and original. It has no chassis plate, so I investigated and found, stamped on the rear O/S suspension turret, the number 1122. Also, on the chassis angle piece where the master cylinders are mounted there is a "B" stamped on the bar, next to it is a welded on tag, but nothing on the tag. I have been told that this number would indicate that it is an early 1961 car. I believe the car spent its first 20 years in South Africa, possibly racing, returning to the UK in 1981/82 and registered here as DWV 990 C in March 1982.

Below image is of the car in 1982, reg No. DWV 990 C just after returning back to the UK.

- The twin Weber carbs: 40 DCOE18 Nos. 2N and 3L.
- Engine No. 116E 676(or8)29
- Block casting No. 120E 6015 (the original engine may of been a 1340 109E)
- Serck fuel tank No. L6246 71 London
- The frame is light gray.

Below is a photo of the car now, as bought in June 2018. It still has the leather bonnet strap and minilite wheels etc., as in the 1982 photo. The 1982 photo shows the hand made aluminium rear mudguards, made to fit the wider ford rear axle and 51/2j Ford stud Minilites. The rear axle retains the trailing arms and "A" frame. The diff is a 3.9:1 ratio. The car now has series 3 rear mudguards.

At the front it has 9" Girling disc brakes with 12MP calipers still with original pads and hoses, Ford wheel studs. The frame has been strengthened, in the engine bay and for the rear trailing arms. Drive train is 1498 Cosworth engine, Ford Cortina C/R gearbox, Ford Cortina rear axle. Serck fuel tank, original brass radiator, original leather rim steering wheel, Aluminium dash. Wiring loom looks original too.

Apparently the car first went to South Africa (somewhere) around 1961/62 probably all aluminium, later sprayed blue the colour it was on returning to the UK in 1981/2. It was first registered DWV 990 C in 1st March 1982 later changed to VHV 584 a 1962 number, which it retains today. Since 1982 the car has had 5 previous owners before me and done very little mileage, just kept in garages.

The frame is light grey gloss (the original) but has partly been painted over in black without the body being removed. The body looks original and not having been removed, with glimpses of the blue colour overspray. I was told many years ago, that another place for the frame number on S2 Sevens was on the O/S rear suspension turret, so on investigation under two layers of paint I found a faint stamped number "1122" and under a sheet of aluminium and two layers of paint in the usual place above the peddles found a "B" stamped on the angle with a metal tag welded on top of where the number could be. Will investigate under the tag!

If anyone has info/photos of this car in South Africa/Rhodesia would be much appreciated [email protected]