Visit to Spyder

[elansprint71]

I was fortunate enough to visit the Spyder chassis factory earlier this week (before the snow blew through from Russia and stranded some folks on the Motorway for 24 hrs). Vic took me on a guided tour and showed me the latest cahssis, the Zetec +2's that he had finished and some in build (there were about five of these). I also saw the first Sprint fitted with a Zetec engine and five speed box which was nearing completion. This installation looks like it was designed that way, it is so good. They told me that then can supply a complete brand new Zetec engine for less than the price of a new QED head- makes you think?
I also saw the twin wishbone rear suspension with Sierra diff and drive shafts, this looked really well engineered and was coupled up to a Scorpio 5 speed box and Zetec. No doubt some of this lot will be on show at Donnington in March.
They took the trouble to spend about twenty minutes showing me round and even dismantled part of the workshop wall to find a part number for a pressurised water expansion bottle from a Rover cooling system (more of this in a few weeks when I build my system) which is fitted to the Zetec conversion.

No doubt this will set off a hue and cry from the traditionalists but to those of you not stuck in the sixties all I can say is... far out, man.

Pete

[DABARTH]

And from what I've read in the September issue of Thoroughbred & Classic
Cars Magazine... "...and it's been given the Club Lotus seal of approval
by chairman Graham Arnold, a former Lotus director."

This is a great article with wonderful pics (I'm a bit biased because it
look almost exactly like my own custom painted '68 +2).

Aaron Courteau
'68 +2
St. Paul, MN. USA

-----Original Message-----
From: Elan Sprint 71 [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 2:07 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Visit to Spyder

I was fortunate enough to visit the Spyder chassis factory earlier this
week (before the snow blew through from Russia and stranded some folks
on the Motorway for 24 hrs). Vic took me on a guided tour and showed me
the latest cahssis, the Zetec +2's that he had finished and some in
build (there were about five of these). I also saw the first Sprint
fitted with a Zetec engine and five speed box which was nearing
completion. This installation looks like it was designed that way, it is
so good. They told me that then can supply a complete brand new Zetec
engine for less than the price of a new QED head- makes you think?
I also saw the twin wishbone rear suspension with Sierra diff and drive
shafts, this looked really well engineered and was coupled up to a
Scorpio 5 speed box and Zetec. No doubt some of this lot will be on show
at Donnington in March.
They took the trouble to spend about twenty minutes showing me round and
even dismantled part of the workshop wall to find a part number for a
pressurised water expansion bottle from a Rover cooling system (more of
this in a few weeks when I build my system) which is fitted to the Zetec
conversion.

No doubt this will set off a hue and cry from the traditionalists but to
those of you not stuck in the sixties all I can say is... far out, man.

Pete







.
CopyrightC 1999, 2000, 2001 LotusElan.net and the
email author, all rights reserved.

[Brian Walton]

Have no objection to what Spyder are doing to their +2. Obviously time
has helped them with the engineering involved with the project and it
reads very well from this side of the world.

To still call the Sypder creation a Lotus.....no I'm sorry that is as bad as
calling the Westfield Eleven a Lotus. The body is the only item that
was retained by Westfield (as seems the case with Spyder) and
Westfield had the good sense to call their beautiful creation a Westfield
Eleven. It stands on its own merit then!

Brian

[DABARTH]

And they call theirs the Spyder Lotus Elan Plus 2. You really should
read the article. Much more of the car is "original" and more
importantly - true to form - than you suggest.

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Walton [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 3:30 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Visit to Spyder

Have no objection to what Spyder are doing to their +2. Obviously time
has helped them with the engineering involved with the project and it
reads very well from this side of the world.

To still call the Sypder creation a Lotus.....no I'm sorry that is as
bad as
calling the Westfield Eleven a Lotus. The body is the only item that
was retained by Westfield (as seems the case with Spyder) and
Westfield had the good sense to call their beautiful creation a
Westfield
Eleven. It stands on its own merit then!

Brian




.
CopyrightC 1999, 2000, 2001 LotusElan.net and the
email author, all rights reserved.

[ardee_selby]

--- In ***@***.***, "Brian Walton" <info@d...> wrote:






Imitation....the sincerest form of flattery? or something else?

Richard

[ardee_selby]

--- In ***@***.***, "Elan Sprint 71"
<elansprint71@b...> wrote:

How much do you want for your old twink and Emma Peel posters?

Richard

[jeff jackson]

Pete,
Did you find out what Rover the steering rack came from?
I posted this query last week, strangely no-one replied.
Is this because no-one knows the answer, except Spyder?
Curious Jeff 72+2
----- Original Message -----
From: Elan Sprint 71
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 8:07 PM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Visit to Spyder


I was fortunate enough to visit the Spyder chassis factory earlier this week (before the snow blew through from Russia and stranded some folks on the Motorway for 24 hrs). Vic took me on a guided tour and showed me the latest cahssis, the Zetec +2's that he had finished and some in build (there were about five of these). I also saw the first Sprint fitted with a Zetec engine and five speed box which was nearing completion. This installation looks like it was designed that way, it is so good. They told me that then cansupply a complete brand new Zetec engine for less than the price of a new QED head- makes you think?
I also saw the twin wishbone rear suspension with Sierra diff and drive shafts, this looked really well engineered and was coupled up to a Scorpio 5speed box and Zetec. No doubt some of this lot will be on show at Donnington in March.
They took the trouble to spend about twenty minutes showing me round and even dismantled part of the workshop wall to find a part number for a pressurised water expansion bottle from a Rover cooling system (more of this in a few weeks when I build my system) which is fitted to the Zetec conversion.

No doubt this will set off a hue and cry from the traditionalists but to those of you not stuck in the sixties all I can say is... far out, man.

Pete









.

[elansprint71]

If a head is worth ?3000 bare, the other bits must be worth about ?1000so that's 4k.
Mrs Peel bare? Priceless.

Are you goint to Donnington fair?
Old exhausts are held on with twine
Remember me, I have some white hair
It's because of that wife of mine.

PJT, The carpenter, plumber and 3.5 cyl Elan driver (today).
----- Original Message -----
From: ardee_selby <***@***.***>
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2003 1:31 AM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Re: Visit to Spyder


--- In ***@***.***, "Elan Sprint 71"
<elansprint71@b...> wrote:

How much do you want for your old twink and Emma Peel posters?

Richard

[elansprint71]

Jeff,
They didn't mention the rack. Why not ring up and ask, they seem nice guys.

Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2003 8:57 AM
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Visit to Spyder


Pete,
Did you find out what Rover the steering rack came from?
I posted this query last week, strangely no-one replied.
Is this because no-one knows the answer, except Spyder?
Curious Jeff 72+2
----- Original Message -----
From: Elan Sprint 71
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 8:07 PM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Visit to Spyder


I was fortunate enough to visit the Spyder chassis factory earlier thisweek (before the snow blew through from Russia and stranded some folks on the Motorway for 24 hrs). Vic took me on a guided tour and showed me the latest cahssis, the Zetec +2's that he had finished and some in build (there were about five of these). I also saw the first Sprint fitted with a Zetec engine and five speed box which was nearing completion. This installation looks like it was designed that way, it is so good. They told me that then can supply a complete brand new Zetec engine for less than the price of a new QED head- makes you think?
I also saw the twin wishbone rear suspension with Sierra diff and driveshafts, this looked really well engineered and was coupled up to a Scorpio5 speed box and Zetec. No doubt some of this lot will be on show at Donnington in March.
They took the trouble to spend about twenty minutes showing me round and even dismantled part of the workshop wall to find a part number for a pressurised water expansion bottle from a Rover cooling system (more of this in a few weeks when I build my system) which is fitted to the Zetec conversion.

No doubt this will set off a hue and cry from the traditionalists but to those of you not stuck in the sixties all I can say is... far out, man.

Pete









.










.

[Brian Walton]

I think it may be a Rover 200 rack?

Brian

[simonknee]

Hmm,

Is my S3 a Spyder because I've fitted their shocks and springs?
Will it be one when I fit their CV joints?
What if I go for the uprated brake system?
Tubular wishbones?
No I didn't think so, it's still a Lotus.

Now if the chassis goes and I replace with one from Peterbough then it's
definitely not a Lotus anymore, right?
Oh, lots of people have done that and it's still a Lotus. OK.

So if I swap the gearbox for one that's five speed and get a modern gearbox
whilst I'm at it?
That'd be OK, unusual maybe but lots of people would love a fifth and LSDs
get fitted to go racing.

So the Twink, ah that little beauty. Is that what makes an elan a Lotus?
It's not the real thing without the real powerplant?
Hmmmm, but it will still handle the same. i.e. the best handling car there
is.
It might go faster! hmmm like a tuned twink say?

I wonder what Lotus would do if you gave them an Elan to improve?
They fitted a Fiat Twin in a Skoda recently remember!

I'm not sure... I suspect it doesn't matter. Except it's the only new Lotus
we look like having for a while!!!

Simon
Incey Wincey S3 (well I did find a spider in the visor last week!)

[Brian Walton]

Then you just paint the creation red.....and call it a red backed spyder!

(deadly little bugger found in Australia).

Brian

[TimMullen]

Simon Knee wrote:

Kind of reminds me of the story of "Great Grandfather's Ax"...

The handle has been replaced 3 times, and the head twice, but it's still the exact same ax my great grandfather used to chop wood with...

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint - mostly original...

[Brian Walton]

and the great grandfather's axes name was called "hot rod".

Brian

[Elan45]

But Brian,

The Westfield doesn't "retain the Eleven body". It is a body styled to be similar, but I would think most Eleven owners could spot the fake from several hundred feet away. I know I can. The only thing many Westfields share w/many real Elevens is that they both use the BMC 'A' series gearbox and diff.

Roger


has helped them with the engineering involved with the project and it
reads very well from this side of the world.

To still call the Sypder creation a Lotus.....no I'm sorry that is as bad as
calling the Westfield Eleven a Lotus. The body is the only item that
was retained by Westfield (as seems the case with Spyder) and
Westfield had the good sense to call their beautiful creation a Westfield Eleven. It stands on its own merit then!

Brian










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