The team worked with Reg Schmeiss through April and May, pulling molds off the rear of the car and making new body panels out of carbon fiber. As I write this, the area spanning from the back windows to the tow hitch has shiny new body panels. Total, they weigh only about 60 pounds and are much stronger than the foam and fiberglass they replace.
When the new body is in place, Seven will be more efficient than 207 MPGe.
There are a number of photos of the process on our site. You can also catch some informational videos on our YouTube channel:
- How to make a carbon fiber panel
- Creating carbon fiber body panels for Seven part 1
- Creating carbon fiber body panels for Seven part 2
The rear doors are now ready to have molds pulled. They will have Kevlar and carbon fiber panels to replace the foam that is there. Seven’s steel skeleton is still built like a tank, but just to be sure, the inner structure of the doors will be altered for additional safety.
Reg will be returning in September to help finish creating Seven’s new body. And then we need to decide on a color for the paint job. Kevin wants it to be blue instead of silver. He and I have been staring at blue cars a lot. Current favorites are the Chevy “Lazer Blue Metallic” and Ford’s “Blue Flame Metallic.”
Paint suggestions are welcome. Yes, it looks mean in black, but that will make the interior hotter than Hades, so the paint can’t be too dark.