Rally Elans.

[elj221c]

While I was looking through a few CCCs for information on BRM Elans (unfruitfull!) I came accross a letter from Ian Walker in the June'71 edition. It refers to the January article that Richard posted earlier. Complete with an advert suitably placed by the publisher!

[elansprint71]

Great detective work chaps!

[ardee_selby]

While I was looking through a few CCCs for information on BRM Elans (unfruitfull!) I came accross a letter from Ian Walker in the June'71 edition. It refers to the January article that Richard posted earlier. Complete with an advert suitably placed by the publisher!

Thanks for that, Roy. An interesting link-up between the two.

Cheers - Richard

[bigvalvehead]

rally elan006.pdf

(304.74 KiB) Downloaded 990 times

Hi Guys
article on rally elan as promised chassis no 26/0027

cheers
Dave

[ardee_selby]

Hi Guys article on rally elan as promised chassis no 26/0027
cheers
Dave

Thanks Dave

?50K back then...hmmmmm....how much today?

Cheers - Richard.

BTW (http://www.lotuselan.net/publish/saggin ... saga.shtml) includes:

[elansprint71]

Between Ian Pattie and Malcolm Rickets you can put David Lamyman.
He was the one (with a little assistance from me) who turned it into a race car.

The research continues... just reading a piece in May 1985 Classic & Sportscar Magazine about Malcolm Ricketts 26/R written by Willy Green, who track-tested the car at that time:
"Malcolm Rickett's car was originally owned by Ian Walker who beefed it up for rallying, then it became a road car, and then it was converted for racing by D.Lamyman, from whom Malcolm bought it in 1980."

Before writing the piece, Green had long conversations with Graham Warner regarding how the 26/R came about; he built the car LOV1 (now Jon Fletcher's car) with the blessing of Lotus, who were too busy elsewhere, from a prototype Elan and says it was pretty crap as a track car to start with, he details all the changes they had to make to get it to be a race winner. Lessons learned went into the productionised 26/R from Lotus.
Fascinating stuff, if slightly off-topic in this thread.

[davidholroyd]

I did a lot of Tarmac Rallies in an Elan from 1995 untill I started racing again in 2008 . Of note were the previous winners of the Yrpes 24 Hours rally that I did. In their day the Elan won this rally twice. I only went once and ended up in a ditch. The Belgiums could not have been more fun and loved the Elan. To rally an Elan you need to beef up the rear of the chassis to cope with 'flying' and also make sure the drive shafts do not lock when you take off and break the diff.


1966 Belgium Hubert Saelens Lotus Elan
1967 Belgium "Herv?" Lotus Elan

In more moden times a Paul Howcroft had the fastest Rallly Elan but he died in 1993 so I never got to compete against him.
A lot of the modern Elans that rally in Ireland and in Europe are no where near FIA spec. Hence we do not see them here. I went to the Isle of Man one year and the other Elan there had vented discs.

[davidholroyd]

This is a picture of one of the winning cars of the 24 Hours Ypres

http://blogsimages.skynet.be/images_v2/ ... 0f5cd3.jpg

[elansprint71]

Thanks David, perhaps we can have a chat at Oulton?


I now have the complete history of the "works" Elan run by Ian Walker, pictured at the start of this thread, 26-S2-33 all the owners, all the dates, no gaps, thanks to the fabulous book on Ian Walker, which had just landed today.

[elansprint71]

Is Brain Walton still on this board? I don't recall him posting for ages and he does not seem to have visited since 2010.
If you are there Brian, how about an update on your car?

http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=111455&st=0#entry3722417

[Greg Cozier]

Great thread. I'm building an S2 to 26R spec for tarmac rallying and preparation info is thin on the ground. Just figuring out how to fit a sump guard is a challenge!

[elansprint71]

A slightly belated welcome aboard Greg!

I would suggest that you send a PM to Roy http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/elj221c-u33.html elj221c, as he is someone who actually worked on the IWR Rally Elan at a critical point in its life.

It's always best to seek advice from someone who was there, rather than a Jonny-come-(relatively)-lately, like wot I are.

[jimj]

Not what proper ralliers would call a proper rally but here`s a pic. with Carole looking like she really enjoys it.
Jim

[EnfoKen]

Here's a 26R in the " le 9e criterium alpin fleurs et parfum 1966.. Grasse, French Riviera.

[andyfrancis]

In response to the definition of 'slightly modified' for the 1967 Players' No6 Autocross Championship winning Elan driven by Peter Watkin. The car continued to be campaigned by owner Tim Graham in both autocross and rallycross and he rolled it into a little ball at an autocross in Essex in 1968/9? finishing up upside down on top of him. The car was rebuilt with the larger semi-circular roll bar visible in the picture of the 'Dentune' rallycross Elan, it is the same car, and I acquired it in October 1971 as a rolling chassis. At that time it had a 'Detroit Locker' LSD, not the more normal Salisbury unit, universal-joint driveshafts, apparently sourced from a Formula 2 car, rose-jointed wishbones front and rear, 'rocket' gearbox with alloy bellhousing and a 'quick' rack. How many of these items were on the car in 1967 and how many were fitted between then and when I bought it I have no idea!
i acquired the 1760cc non-crossflow pushrod engine used by George Whitehead to win the Briitish saloon car championship twice in his Anglia and fitted this to the Elan. I campaigned it throuhout 1972 until the first Wills' Embassy rallycross round in October at Lydden Hill where the car was destroyed in a rather comprehensive rollover which saw the banning of all open cars from rallycross.
The new rollbar worked as this time the car ended up back on its wheels, well the 3 that were left on the car, about 100 meters away from the start of the accident. There was no bodywork left in front of the front wheels, the entire rear section 'hinged' just in front of the bootlid, the chassis was bent at both ends, out at the right front and to the left at the rear, the right rear wheel was ripped off complete with the wishbone and strut, which was bent about 90 degrees, both doors were knocked off, and what bodywork was left was cracked in 2 lengthwise! there really wasn't enough left to rebuild and I took the remains down to the council dump which was not a very nice end for such a successful car.