A passion for classic cars is instinctive and usually develops early. However, the knowledge and skills required to maintain and restore such vehicles are generally learned. If you have been left surveying a scene of devastation with the words “How hard can that be?” ringing in your ears because your ambitions were greater than your abilities, trust me when I say you are not alone. That’s where this 1967 Lotus Seven might fit into the picture. This pint-sized gem is based on go-kart underpinnings and could be the ideal vehicle to help a young (or not so young) person to develop their mechanical and restoration skills without spending a fortune. The Lotus is listed here on eBay in New Braunfels, Texas. Bidding is currently below the reserve at $1,275, and only a short time remains in this auction.

Lotus produced its “Seven” model from 1957 until 1972, but its spiritual successor remains in production today, in both kit and turnkey form, through Caterham Cars. The company designed the Seven to be affordable to build and maintain, but it followed the Lotus philosophy of being extraordinarily light. Its rudimentary design principles made it a perfect candidate for clones. In this case, someone may have stuck the original blueprints on the Xerox machine and hit the “Reduce” button. The seller describes it as “Half Scale,” but I think it might be even smaller. However, its creator has taken time to capture the Seven’s styling effectively, even finishing it in the traditional Lotus paint combination of British Racing Green with a Yellow nose band and genuine “Lotus” badges. The kart’s panels appear in good order, although it requires a good cleaning to determine the severity of the apparent paint deterioration. That could be the first step in skills development because correctly cleaning a vehicle is an important component of any project build or restoration. If those tasks reveal problems, dismantling the Lotus entirely for stripping and repainting would be child’s play. Therefore, that is the ideal opportunity to hand those tasks to a child and supervise their work as they return this gem to its former glory. The Minilite-style wheels look at home on this beauty, while the trim, plated items, and glass should all respond positively to cleaning and polishing.

The “little Lotus” features a front-mounted air-cooled single-cylinder engine. I’ve puzzled over the drive system for a while, and I think it utilizes a centrifugal clutch similar to a chainsaw for easy operation. The power looks like it feeds via a belt-and-pulley system down the left side of the underside to the solid rear axle. Stopping power is courtesy of a pair of rear-mounted hydraulic disc brakes. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for excitement, but these engines can be tuned to provide surprising performance. It isn’t clear whether it runs or drives, but getting it to that point shouldn’t be difficult.

Assessing the kart’s interior isn’t challenging because there isn’t much to consider! The seat and side panels feature Red vinyl, the dash is a flat aluminum sheet, and the driver grips a chunky go-kart wheel and monitors the engine’s health via a pair of gauges. The upholstered surfaces are free from significant wear or damage, but everything requires a deep clean. However, the interior would look pretty slick with that work complete and the aluminum polished.

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I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t passionate about classic cars. I often think that my first word was probably “Mustang!” I was lucky that my father fostered that passion, helping me develop mechanical skills that have helped me complete many restoration and customization tasks. However, the lessons were fraught with danger because the teaching tool was always a classic car of reasonable value. Life probably would have been easier and less stressful for everyone if I had owned something like this Lotus Seven Go Kart. Get a task wrong on a valuable classic; the consequences can be wallet-breaking. Get it wrong on the kart, and you will hardly lose any sleep. If you have a young person in your life keen on becoming involved in the classic scene, would you buy this Lotus as their first project? I won’t blame you if you do.