26r identities and other info

[elanfan1]

Seems I am not alone in my thoughts such that someone has set up a username "Vote Ed off the Forum" (and before you suggest it No it isn't me in disguise). I have received PM of support too.


Edit: Just to make things clear - when I posted the above I was unaware of the Poll that had been started in Things In Common and had only seen the new poster's name a few posts before in this very thread. Whilst I might agree with the sentiments because I am 'involved' in the latest contretemps I will actually refrain from voting on it.

....and for those that think that the 'voteedoff' is my nom de plume at the time that was created and the poll set up I was sat in the Volvo garage in Cardiff booking the V50 for a clutch and other faults.

[bonsaichris]

I have posted some details about Shapecraft Elans on the topic regarding them. Just having read through this thread I will try to rectify a couple of errors in this topic.
All the Shapecraft tops were alluminium, the original that Barry raced was a one off, hand built and included a special alloy nose section

This car was sold late 1963. At this time Shapecraft had made a plywood mould on which to make the production Shapecraft tops. One of the first was at the Racing Car Show end of 63 - beginning of 64, this car was sold to Peter Sellers as a engagement present to Brit Eckland.
At or near the time of the show the 26R cars were announced by Lotus, Barry and Les ordered the 2 cars that would become the Surbiton Motors Cars. These were built with the modified tops with the extra quarter lights and the roof vents. A similar third top was fitted to a 26R owned by Dick Crossfield who had raced a Daimeler SP250. Les wrote his car off at Zandvort and was unable to afford to repair it. Barry and Surbiton Motors got into financial problems at the end of 1964 and I would assume that his car was repossesed by the finance companies whose money he had misappropreated. The picture below is off both the SM cars exiting Druids at Brands Hatch in 64

Shapecraft was a small business specialising in parts for the aero industry, whilst there was nothing to stop them producing more tops after Barrys demise they had few contacts in the motor trade and had no knowledge of the fitting, trimming and finishing of the tops. They did however own the mould.
There was a reference to the side scoop at the rear of some of the early 26R `s and also pics of them running with the boots partially open. We had serious problems with overheating diffs, we used to use a veg based oil, but I remember destroying a diff at Snetterton in an afternoons private testing. At the time coolers and pumps were not an option.

The S1 pic was courtesy of Valerie Lilley Studios, the 26R pic courtesy of Evan Selwyn - Smith

[elansprint71]

Superb photos- any more? Please post them.

wrt The alloy nose on the prototype, how did it open? I can't see any panel gaps; did the whole thing flip up?

[bonsaichris]

No - it was joined to the fibreglass in the same way as the top then filled and sprayed. It was a very similar unit to one being fitted to an elan by Shapecraft when they were doing Barrys. That one had an alloy top but not full length, its in my mind thaat it was for David Ogle or Stirling Moss but I honestly cannot be sure

[elansprint71]

No - it was joined to the fibreglass in the same way as the top then filled and sprayed. It was a very similar unit to one being fitted to an elan by Shapecraft when they were doing Barrys. That one had an alloy top but not full length, its in my mind thaat it was for David Ogle or Stirling Moss but I honestly cannot be sure

So just an ordinary Elan bonnet?
Were the clear plastic headlamp covers original? Surely these did not appear until the 26/R had been in production for some time? Any idea when this photo was taken?
Being a photographer I'm curious about Valerie Lilley Studios connection; is she the Irish actress of that name?
Apologies for all the daft questions.

[bonsaichris]

The bonnet was standard, I cant remember where we got the light covers from or what light we used inside the housing. I must have fitted them but it is many years ago. The car is now owned by board member Ian Burt who contacted me recently. I know the nose is still on the car but it has obviously been repaired several times and is now mainly fibreglass.
The details on the photographer are as follows
Valerie Lilley Studios
8. Claremont Road,
Surbiton
I believe that Ian has been in touch with them, but they have nothing now going back that far. It is one from a set - I have 2 of them - done for publicity when Barry decided to market the Shapecraft Tops

[elansprint71]

The bonnet was standard, I cant remember where we got the light covers from or what light we used inside the housing. I must have fitted them but it is many years ago. The car is now owned by board member Ian Burt who contacted me recently. I know the nose is still on the car but it has obviously been repaired several times and is now mainly fibreglass.
The details on the photographer are as follows
Valerie Lilley Studios
8. Claremont Road,
Surbiton
I believe that Ian has been in touch with them, but they have nothing now going back that far. It is one from a set - I have 2 of them - done for publicity when Barry decided to market the Shapecraft Tops

Thanks for the info.

[RIB]

bonsaichris and Pete,

I think that the photographs were taken by 'Lilley's of Surbiton' in August-October 1963. I have been trying to find a record of when the car raced with number 64 but I have not found one.

The photograph in the 23 August 1963 Autosport of the car in its first race shows that it had perspex light covers then, possibly the first Elan to have them. As far as I can establish the car had the aluminium front as shown in the photograph until 1974, but it had been changed back to something more like the normal Elan shape, nearly all in fibreglass, by 1977.

One thing that I found whilst looking through the 1963 Autosports is that John Bolster was not correct about the first Elan to race in his 'Elan and Europa collectors guide' published in 1980. It was not the Graham Warner Elan on the 11th May 1963. The 19th April 1963 Autosport records that Kevin Keegan was 3rd in the up to 1600cc in his Lotus Elan race at Brands Hatch on Easter Monday (15th April). Kevin Keegan had a letter on the cost of motor racing published in the 24th May 1963 Autosport in which he refers to his Elan as an 'expensive piece of machinery' and 'the first of its kind to race in this country'. He won a race in the car at Goodwood on the 18th May 1963, but I found no more references to it. Does anyone know any more about the car or what happened to it?

Ian

[elansprint71]

There are quite a lot of things which are not correct in that Bolster book, not least the omission of any mention of a certain Mr Ron Hickman!

[1ela]

I owned 26-R-4 from 1973 to c.1996 It was UK road-registered BPE230B when I bought it. It was the ONLY ORIGINAL GENUINE survivor of the two SIDE-WINDOW SHAPECRAFT ex-Team Surbiton Motors cars.
It was Les Arnold's old car. I put in about 6000 very quick road-miles after an engine rebuild.
I bought it with a rod through the block for ?100.
I obtained the UK reg.nr 1 ELA in 1973, probably before Malcom Ricketts registered one of his Elans as ELA111.
Barry Wood had some excellent photos of R-4 and R-20 when I visited him c.25 years ago, maybe someone has them?
I was very interested to see the NON side-window Shapecraft but apparently a genuine 26R?
I have photos and some info which will appear if I can work out how to attach.
26-R-4 had (has?) a LOTUS COMPONENTS chassis plate which only occurred on thwe first 6 or 8 26R's.
I still retain 1ELA.

[trw99]

Hello and welcome.

Thanks for posting and your interesting story. BPE 230B is still active according to the DVLA and was first registered on 18 Mar 64.

Tim

[dougweall]

Hello and welcome.

Thanks for posting and your interesting story. BPE 230B is still active according to the DVLA and was first registered on 18 Mar 64.

Tim

I echo Tim's post welcome to the forum.

Myself I think it's great when people like 1ela turn up and post a view from the past, and would like to see more of the same.
Please use photobucket or a similar web site to host your photo's and then post them up on the site.

Doug.

[1ela]

Thanks for your encouragement and interest re. 26-R-4.

If anyone can explain the proceedure re. posting photos it would be a great help,
but please make it simple to understand as I am relatively new to this form of communication.

Many thanks,
MICHAEL CLARKE

[ardee_selby]

Thanks for your encouragement and interest re. 26-R-4.

If anyone can explain the proceedure re. posting photos it would be a great help,
but please make it simple to understand as I am relatively new to this form of communication.

Many thanks,
MICHAEL CLARKE

Greetings Michael,

Having posted, the option of adding files appears under the text box as shown:

Browse to where the image is stored on your PC and click on "Add the file".

Once done, the option of adding more files appears. Note: If they are sequential do them in reverse order so they appear correctly. The "Preview" button does what it says...you can have a look before you commit to an upload. Hope that makes sense.

Regards - Richard

EDIT: If you have difficulty reading an image such as the above. Right click on it and choose to open in new window, or tab, to see the detail.

[1ela]

Richard.
Thanks for that. I must go and lie down first though !
Michael