Is this the one?
Yup, but it looks like that photo was taken a while ago in TTR’s workshop
March 2003 at Tony Thompsons on the Saturday of Donington Weekend. Bill Gavin is taking the photos and I am standing on the right in the grey sweatshirt looking at the red Shapecraft, Tony and Carl are talking Ralt RT1’s on the left in the photo named shapecraft3.jpg .
Yup, but it looks like that photo was taken a while ago in TTR’s workshop
Thanks, I knew it was an older picture, but wasn’t sure of the identity.
March 2003 at Tony Thompsons on the Saturday of Donington Weekend. Bill Gavin is taking the photos and I am standing on the right in the grey sweatshirt looking at the red Shapecraft, Tony and Carl are talking Ralt RT1’s on the left in the photo named shapecraft3.jpg .
Hi Gary, sorry for poaching Bill’s photos… I would imagine you have quite a few more that would be worth posting here.
Indulge those of us who will probably never get there. ![]()
Hi Mike
In 2003 I was still taking film photos, there are many of them but no scanner. Taking digial photos of curved photgraphic paper is a bit of a pain (1995 and 98 Monterey photo come to mind). Most are of Lotus Elite and earlier as there were few early Elans in attendence that I saw in 01, 03, or 04. I think I see more early elans at home than I saw during the 3 visits I made to Donington. I’ll take a look through the older stuff that was scanned at work (when I had a job) and start a new topic, not much in the last few pages but rat droppings. How sad
Gary
Hi Mike
In 2003 I was still taking film photos, there are many of them but no scanner. Taking digial photos of curved photgraphic paper is a bit of a pain (1995 and 98 Monterey photo come to mind). Most are of Lotus Elite and earlier as there were few early Elans in attendence that I saw in 01, 03, or 04. I think I see more early elans at home than I saw during the 3 visits I made to Donington. I’ll take a look through the older stuff that was scanned at work (when I had a job) and start a new topic, not much in the last few pages but rat droppings. How sad
Gary
… With the help of the glass from a glass mount , you could take some digital pictures of them …
Please , Gary …
Christian.
Hi
I think Tony’s car went to France
Regards
Steve
Hi
I think Tony’s car went to France
Regards
Steve
Yes I know you’re right there.
I was just wondering if it had found it’s way back on to the racetrack.
Cheers
John
Those were the good old days where marshalls wandered around on the inside of corners inches away from the track rather than hiding in concrete bunkers with debris catch grills on top.
Marshalls did a lot less damage to a spinning car than their concrete bunkers do these days
cheers
Rohan
[attachment=0]Niagra%20Balls%202.jpg[/attachment]
Pete
You had insufficient fan mail for this, been chuckling all day!
JK
JK,
No credit due to me; another long-term forum member sent it to me. ![]()
1964 LOTUS 26R.
The ex Bob Jane car.
Continuous race history from day one.
Possibly more race wins then any other 26R.
Returned to the UK last year and prepared for Chris Rea, on a no expense spared basis.
Fully documented from new inc. race results, invoices, CAMS log book, FIA papers, photo`s, full race set up data, etc.
Tested Donnington, Nov 08 by a very rusty, oversized driver at 1.24 !!!
Enormous amount of spares inc. 2 x sets of mag wheels with new M section Dunlops,
Spare dry sump engine,
All dry sump equipment,
Wishbones,
Drive shafts,
Radiator, Long / short range tanks,
Alternative springs,
Anti roll bars and more !
Every component checked, crack tested, overhauled or renewed.
An absolute delight to drive and ready for the coming season.
Only for sale due to change of direction.
?149,995
Chris Rea raced it last week-end at Donington, over-revved it and knackered the head gasket.
Has he had another change of direction and decided to keep it?
This thread looks like it needs CPR…
I used to own 26R5 and 26/S2/18 in the mid eighties.
26R5 had been rolled at Mosport near Toronto in about 1972 and fitted with a very lightweight body provided by Lotus. When I acquired it in 1984 it had not been run since the rebuild. I had gone to an ‘open house’ at the local (Vancouver) Lotus dealer and they allowed us into the basement where all the ‘junk’ was stored. Sitting at the back, behind various bits of grey porridge was a white Elan coupe giving off an “Aura of reek” that was palpable. “What’s that?” I asked a Lotus Club official standing next to me. “Oh, just some old Elan” he replied. I climbed over the grey porridge to get to it and immediately noticed knock offs and mag wheels. I eased the bonnet open and saw a Brian Hart valve cover-I had to have it! I had a meeting with the dealer principle the next day in his palatial office. He had just finished telling me about the car and that he wanted $25K for it-then the phone rang and he answered it. “The white Vanden Plas? it is seventy five thousand. You’ll pick it up tomorrow? Very good, Mrs Shapiro”. He turned to me. “You were saying?” I was saying that I would give him $7500 for his white sh**box. “Oh no, I think twenty thou at least!” I got it for eight.
After having the engine rebuilt by a local “expert” in addition to rebuilding every single mechanical aspect of the car I took it to Westwood, our local track, after a final last minute frenzy. I needn’t have bothered-the block was cracked! I acquired another T/C block and gave both blocks to a very competent machine shop with instructions to copy the modifications on the Brian Hart block exactly. I did the next rebuild myself!
The engine was a wonder! It was one of the Brian Hart 412 (?) engines. It had a forged steel crank, Carrillo rods and Mahle pistons. The build sheet at Hart’s rated it at 185 bhp. I used 8000 rpm as a shift point and it was flawless. The gearbox however, was a POS. No wonder people use Quaife units now! I raced for two seasons with it and won a lot of races-I had one memorable race with a 427 Cobra. I would pass him once a lap and he would pass me once a lap…He timed it right and won.
I sold it eventually to John Streets in California and raced it at Monterey for him-I had a wonderful dice with an Alfa TZ2. John sold the car to Steve Griswold who put a replica 26R body on it and sold it to somebody in Italy.
26/S2/18 also had a racing history in the Toronto area.(The other side of Canada). It was more sophisticated than 26R5 with more magnesium parts. It had a Cosworth motor. I bought the car at the end of it’s ‘contemporary’ racing life and sold it, part restored, when I became involved with a lady and we needed a house… It went to ace restorer Nino Epifani in California for him to restore for some wealthy patron in California. I still have a sidescreen from it covered with plaques for races in the Ontario area in the late sixties and would love to pass it on to the current owner, if anybody knows who that is…?
Dave B --you may remember this one —it was blue with a black top came with plaques from 1978 Trillium trophy race and the BARC challenge series DRIVER Willy Goblits OF WILLYS DOWNTOWN PORSCH Car ran at Harewood and Mosport in production in the BAC --BEMC --LASC- DAC --BARC club races from 1966 t0 1978----1972 was my novice year in a red Kelly v number 104 —drew some attention when I tried to drive it through the pit wall exiting 10 --ed
Sorry ed, I have only been a brief visitor to Toronto-I lived in the UK until 1973 and Vancouver area since then.
db
Hi David
Thanks for adding some talk that includes some knowledge about the 26rs that you owned. Lots of folks have looked at them but few here have owned and lived with them. I look forward to hearing more.
Gary





