DuncanK Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Calling on the collective wisdom of blatchat: Kathryn & I are off to tour Europe beginning of August. Having chosen probably the hottest month of the year, I'm beginning to worry about keeping cool. One thing I've noticed is that the standard sidescreens are obviously designed to allow you to undo the lower popper and flap the lower half outwards allowing a nice cooling draft. My question is, does anyone make a prop to fix the door like this? It could be a stick with several poppers to allow it to be fixed at different angles. (Maybe I should patent this idea and make my fortune??? ) Also any recommendations for seat covers to keep my black leather seats cool? I know Angus & Tessa found some red ones somewhere.... Other thoughts on keeping cool? (Knowing my luck it'll probably rain for 3 weeks now! ) Cheers, Duncan Duncan M7JVL 1.4K with clamshells (Sheep-liker's 'other half'!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alias Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Hi Duncan, When I was in Annecy last year, I made very effective use of the Michelin map. Simply turn it upside down and it fits the cockpit of the car perfectly. It also serves as a map. 😬 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1400 Supersport with 6 gears and clamshell wings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Field Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 There is a company in Surrey I think which makes a sort of sun canopy for the seven which keeps the sun off but allows the air through. I think they may have advertised in LF, but someone will no doubt know the details. Terry 1700XF - Team Lotus with flares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 It's Jill Judd (Soft Bits for 7s) - (as usual) - mention Frank Martin if you contact them. Project Scope-Creep is live... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncanK Posted June 15, 2005 Author Share Posted June 15, 2005 I've had a look at the Softbitsforsevens website, as I was thinking of buying one of their boot bags (they have a new bigger one in development). I didn't see anything about sun canopies though. Does this go between windscreen and roll bar? I found a thread saying this doesn't work well above 5mph as it balloons up. I was planning on going quicker than that.... Duncan M7JVL 1.4K with clamshells (Sheep-liker's 'other half'!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manxseven Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Have a look here at these pics here photos from Stoneleigh L7 BDA Supersprint Joy here 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian B Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 The yellow 'bikini top' in the photos is the prototype on my car It works very well, pops onto screen poppers and then 3 web straps wrap over the rollbar and are tensioned back on themselves using ratchet clasps. It's available in wide range of colours as well It has a few other advantages as well; 1. If you don't want to run with the sidescreens on at all then it substantially reduces the bufetting in the cockpit so you can still breathe (tested to well over 100mph - on track of course!) 2. It keeps the rain off the inside of the screen if you get caught in a shower. 3. Even in torrential rain, if you have the sidescreens on and keep above 45mph, very little rain seems to come in through the gap between the top of the sidescreen and the bikini top, or get sucked in the back. Jill also does a 1/2 hood that curves down the sides to meet the top of the sidescreens, and extends down the back a little. That was the blue one in the Stoneleigh pics and was being tested by Frank. I know he's very pleased with it as well. Having tried both, the 1/2 top feels a bit more 'enclosed' than the Bikini, but then I'm fairly tall and sit quite high in the car so if you sit lower it's probably not so much of an issue. They were developed mainly for the USA tour later this year and she's making quite a few at the moment so if you wanted to one she might well have something at her place if you were able to go down there (West Sussex). Ian - MI 5EVN - Slightly Vider SVelte model 😬 now repainted to match the Autocom headsets 😳 Edited by - Ian B on 15 Jun 2005 15:24:29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted June 15, 2005 Support Team Share Posted June 15, 2005 Search the archives for details on the "Bikini" hood. There are two types planned for production - one Caterham specific one (blue one in the photos on the above post) and another universal one which attaches to the rollbar, is flat, doesn't come down to meet the doors and is a universal fit for any seven type car (yellow in the photos). I saw the universal one on trial at Cadwell park and other than a small problem with one of the poppers coming undone (problem with the popper rather than the design) I can assure you it worked at a little over 5mph 😬. I ordered the Caterham specific one at the Stoneleigh Kitcar show - its being made at the moment so expect delivery in a week or so. Edited to say "too slow again" Ian beat me to it - it was his car that I saw at Cadwell. Yellow SL #32 Edited by - Shaun_E on 15 Jun 2005 14:49:31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian B Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Shaun, That was indeed me 'testing' it. To avoid confusion the flat 'universal' (yellow pic) is now called the Bikini, and the curved Caterham only (Blue pic) is called the 1/2 hood (and yes one of the front poppers was a bit loose at Cadwell, but has been crimped a little and is now perfick ) Ian - MI 5EVN - Slightly Vider SVelte model 😬 now repainted to match the Autocom headsets 😳 Edited by - Ian B on 15 Jun 2005 15:25:24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 I strapped a fan to the dash on the Italy tour a couple of years back - attached it to the two center poppers on the dash top. Also used a fine plant sprayer filled with water - the water evaporating cooled you nicely - spraying it into the back of the fan created a nice effect. I've now got a couple of Misty Mates to do similar. We also used a couple of sunhats - they had an interior band which you made wet - a gel pack inside then kept you magically cooler - worked quite well. We actually found it very tiring driving in the heat - soon removed the Whimps and held both door flaps open to get a warm breeze through the car. As water carrried anywhere in the car heated up (from engine heat or just the sun) stopping at just about every service area became a necessity to re-stock on ice lollies and more importantly, several more litres of water. And of course, as soon as you hit traffic, the warm breeze stops and you just cook - crawling through Switzerland was not fun! The dash fan become very important - so much I'm thinking of installing another so we each get a high flow on our weeks tour this September. Driving up in the cooler Alps was much nicer - I have a piccie of the car parked on snow (in high summer), on top of some high pass, in late afternoon/early evening, with Debs sat inside it with only a t-shirt on (plus suitable lower garments of course) - and she feels the cold normally - but it was a pleasant change to the heat lower down. Never really had any problems with the seats - if you are sat in them, they can't get hot from the sun . . . Leave the car in the shade or with the tonneau on and you should be okay. But it was still probably the most enjoyable driving I've done in the seven. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncanK Posted June 16, 2005 Author Share Posted June 16, 2005 Thanks for the tips - looks like Jill Judd will be getting an order from me soon probably for a bikini top (for the car, not me 😬) and a boot bag - looks like the new design was at Stoneleigh, looking at the pictures of the car with the half hood. Anyone any ideas about sticks to hold the lower half of the door open? Duncan M7JVL 1.4K with clamshells (Sheep-liker's 'other half'!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Mill Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Hi Duncan How about a strip of say 2mm thick carbon sheet - would look the part better than the top off the broom-handle. I'm sure some heavy duty velcro could be arranged to keep it in place as it seems to be doing a good job of keeping my doors shut in place of the dreaded poppers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted June 16, 2005 Support Team Share Posted June 16, 2005 Duncan - just use your elbows If you really wanted to make something to hold the doors open then you can buy thin auminium strips from B&Q very cheaply. Bend to shape and drill holes for poppers and you could have some neat little arms that attach to the popper in the side skin and prop the door open - a popper base rivetted to the arm could then allow you to attach the door to it to prevent the door being blown open too far - IYSWIM Yellow SL #32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrolhead Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Last year when one the motorway and it was hot I found the lower half would stay up at speeds 30mph + NE7Club Web Site R5 no 65 😬 I am after low level tyre rack and jerry can box for Mino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Yup I was about to say as long as you are moving at 30+ then the lower half of the door will generally stay up on it's own. Rob G www.SpeedySeven.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul jacobs Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 The doors do indeed stay up on their own, but just a little warning, make sure that you have done up the popper at the back, otherwise you will find that the wind could get under the flap and just lift the whole door off its' hinge and fly it away across the road.......don't ask me how I know Paul J. Hard work never killed anyone ........ but why take the chance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Thanks all, Some interesting thoughts which we will certainly look into. We promise to take photos and let you know how we get on! Kathryn I like sheep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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