Registration No.     7 VC

Commission No.    CT 5581 O

First registered       27 March 1962

The specification of 7VC is intended to be similar to the works cars (3, 4, 5 & 6 VC) as they were from the Tulip Rally in April 1963 through to their last event in the UK in November that year, the RAC Rally.  Externally, the cars in this specification were distinguished from the earlier events by having three auxiliary lamps - two Lucas 700's and a single 576 mounted centrally on the bonnet.  They ran on twin Weber 45 DCOE carburettors and had a number of other homologated performance improvements.

7VC also has some modern refinements and safety features, but only where permitted by historic rally regulations - the car still qualifies as a 1962 TR4 historic rally car.

Chassis

• aligned & reinforced as works cars
• white gloss powder coating
• longer-type sump guard (bolted on)
• towing eyes front & rear

Body

• seam-welded
• steel panels, not aluminium as the works cars for reasons of cost and practicality
• T45 full roll cage and matching long-range fuel tank
• original aluminium backlight & centre section as works cars, glass rear window
• all seams sealed, all body panels & cavities Waxoyled
• “long” bulge bonnet as works cars, quick-release catches
• front wing air vents
• heater inlet air scoop
• works-type lamp bar
• longer boot hinges
• all fuel lines and brake pipes routed inside vehicle
• aluminium fire wall behind rear trim panel
• black vinyl panels on doors for rally numbers
• laminated screen
• chrome “bullet” type door mirrors

Suspension

• uprated springs, shocks & dampers as works cars
• polyurethane bushes

Wheels & tyres

• 15” 5½ J Minilites (Mag style, aluminium alloy)
• Colway Road Plus 185/70 tyres

Engine

• all components balanced & lightened as appropriate
• Weber 45 DCOE carburettors and K&N filters
• original SAH cylinder head, with unleaded valve seats
• tubular manifold and rally exhaust system with skid plates on silencer boxes
• spin-on oil filter
• thin fanbelt conversion
• later type radiator without header tank extension as works cars
• electric cooling fan
• oil cooler
• oil catch tank

Drive Train

• uprated clutch
• standard gearbox
• competition-spec overdrive
• standard differential (3.7:1 ratio)
• overdrive switch on gearknob

Brakes

• standard braking system, with early Powerstop servo mounted on left-hand bulkhead
• Alfin rear drums as works cars
• handbrake mounted on propshaft tunnel
• stainless steel braided hoses
• Mintex pads and shoes
• Castrol SRF brake fluid

Interior - all interior trim as standard (blue), except:

• dashboard covered in black vynide
• Ridgard rally seats
• Luke GM4 harnesses
• Moto-Lita 14” steering wheel
• fire extinguisher

Electrical

• hand-made wiring loom – 6 relays, 4 Lucas fuse boxes
• alternator conversion
• interior battery master switch
• twin SU fuel pump, switchable
• refurbished 25D4 distributor, vacuum advance disconnected
• standard ignition/points
• twin original Lucas HA12 ignition coils – mounted on l/h inner wheel arch
• original works-spec HT leads
• twin air horns on l/h inner wheel arch
• exterior lighting:
  • halogen bulbs in all lamps
  • Lucas SFT700’s on lamp bar, switchable with headlights
  • centre Lucas WLR576 lamp mounted on bonnet, switchable with main beam
  • Lucas WFT576 reversing lamp
• instrumentation as standard
• Lucas SPB160 horn button on passenger side
• headlamp flasher switch on dash
• Avanti map reading lamp
• Halda Twinmaster TWM1 (metal case)
• 4 x P lights for stopwatches to right of Halda
• Hella-type auxiliary power sockets in engine bay, boot and behind dash
• additional Lucas fuse box behind dash for auxiliary instrument power (Halda, P lights, compass, map light)
• cagelight power at base of cage by B-post