Removing/refitting grille

[stevefoster]

The profile of the nose did change around 1986 / 87.

Similarly the rear wings go more rounded....

 

Wickes do good galvo mesh as do homebase... Mine is about 5mm squares.

No airflow probs.

Airflow to the rad is not marginal on a 7... try an MGA... they can be a problem!

 

 

[fastforward]

Hi,FWIW I fitted a 7 grill to a 1990 Spupersprint no worries and bought some ali mesh from a local boy racer shop. ukp20 but enough for two goes tied on with clear (invisible) cable ties. Easily cut of course and looks the business.

 

Brian

 

brianfyfe@ema.org.uk

[fastforward]

Hi,FWIW I fitted a 7 grill to a 1990 Supersprint no worries and bought some ali mesh from a local boy racer shop. ukp20 but enough for two goes tied on with clear (invisible) cable ties. Easily cut of course and looks the business.

 

Brian

 

brianfyfe@ema.org.uk

[NickB7]

i bought a sheet of mesh from local hardware store and have half left if anyone wants it - plenty enough to make another grille

 

S31VEN

[Lali]

As far as air flow to the rad is concerned I have found that deflecting the air from the outside edges of the nose towards the rad has helped keep me cool on some trainig days where the i spent most of the day in 2nd and 3rd. If you have a road rad you will see that there is a huge amount of air that passes around the sides of the rad. not sure if the same applies for the race rad I will find out next week.

I extended the mesh through the grill and bent it in to direct the airflow. Its a little tricky and i did manage to cut my fingers several times.

 

Lali

 

VVC-ya wouldnt wanna be ya!!

 

[ashaughnessy]

Re: redirecting air to go through the rad instead of around, in Tony Weale's Lotus 7 book, there's a picture of an old seven with a plate welded on top of the rad and fitting almost up flush with the top of the nose to stop air flowing over the top of the rad. I can't remember his comments about why this was and is no longer necessary, but might be interesting.

Anthony

[R2D2]

I think that the radiator has been moved forward in the later Caterhams and now sits closer to the grille so the gaps are smaller.

[masha]

I fitted a 7 grill to an '85 Supersprint a year ago when I bought it. Admittedly the prongs were bent the wrong way (at 90degrees to the grill on earlier cars (with a slightly larger flange around the intake on the cone than the later cars).

 

In the end I removed the prongs and neatly fitted it using colour coded zip-ties. The flarier flanged edge on the early nose-cone was also then carefully masked and sprayed satin-black and heypresto - looked just like a later one with a 7 grille.

 

One further tip - if you do have a rusty early std/chrome grill - take it to your local shop that does powder-coating and get it re-finished in a nice tough powder-coated black or colour of your choice (should last much longer than painting it - provided they shot blast the rust of thoroughly first).

[Morls]

Redline, in Caterham village, sell the big 7 grille to fit both types of nosecone.

 

I think mine, on an 83 car, was about 27ukp, the clips should be availible at most motor factors.

 

Mark