From: Dennis Gibson
Date: 29 Jan 2002
Time: 11:36:12
Remote Name: 150.203.2.60
No argument, you are all correct in that it is an odd and ambitious project. I just thought that I would scribble down some of my motivations:
I love the concept of the early seven, and wish to run the car in daily commuting. The reason for a replica vs the real thing is that I want to go electric and would not want to bastardise such a rare commodity for that! The ADR (Australian Design Rules) requirement puts the "original" in some doubt, but when building from scratch one can build in all of the requirements. The ruling is obeying the "intent" of the 75 ADRs, not necessary verbatim compliance. Most of them are common sense anyway (destructive crash testing is not required!) :-)
Of course supervision by an approved Automotive engineer is mandatory, although I have the engineering background to attempt such a project myself.
It will be a hard slog, but worth it in the end (for me anyway). I am crude enough to accept modifications that remove the exact replica title in favour of a concept replica, hence "modern" wheels and tyres, hydraulic brakes etc. The chassis will have to be modified so much to carry the battery weight that I may as well start from scratch! I would like to find a rolling chassis though to use the axels, springs etc and copy. A fibre glass replica body would save a lot of work and I am happy to buy the FG guards and running boards but have no source yet - still in my information vacuum!
My biggest "problem" at the moment is information! I have the "source book" and the "Original A7" book coming from interstate libraries for a look and will probably end up buying them if I can.
I am hoping to track down a vehicle in the ACT that I can photograph and measure, as I have not yet been able to fine a good chassis photo on-line yet.
Thanks for the "conditional" support. :-)
Cheers, DG