26r identities and other info

[rgh0]

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

[jkatthehelm]

Pete
You had insufficient fan mail for this, been chuckling all day!
JK

[elansprint71]

Niagra%20Balls%202.jpg

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.

[twincamman]

We are slightly amused ----

[garyeanderson]

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

http://www.sherwoodrestorations.co.uk/p ... p_i=487929

[elansprint71]

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?

[Davidb]

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....?

[twincamman]

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

[Davidb]

Sorry ed, I have only been a brief visitor to Toronto-I lived in the UK until 1973 and Vancouver area since then.
db

[garyeanderson]

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

[gjz30075]

David, 26/S2/18 is sitting in the Barber Motorsport Musuem in Birmingham, Alabama.

[gjz30075]

More shots

[Davidb]

Thank you for that!
She was red when I owned her. I will post photos if I can figure out how.
The chassis plate is interesting: When I got the car there was no plate with it. I had the car for about six months and one day a group of guys I knew vaguely who were involved with the automotive industry walked into the Volvo dealership where I was working. A couple of them had been involved in racing long before and in conversation I told them I had the car. "Would you like the chassis plate?" one of them asked, "It has been in my tool box for the past 15 years"! He had been a mechanic on the car....

[garyeanderson]

whats with that engine number 8465(0?)35

[Davidb]

I don't know how much of the original engine was still in the car when I had it-it had Cosworth valve cover and rods I recall with steel crank of course. At one point it had been fitted with a dog type gearbox that used Hewland gears i think.

May I ask for the group opinion on this car-would it meet FIA regs. It is too expensive but:
http://chicagosportscars.com/cars/?id=232033