my old S2 elan

PostPost by: AussieJohn » Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:19 am

I wonder if anyone knows if Richard Nissan still owns my first Elan. He bought it off me in 1970 it had flared guards and wheels by H and D. Richard lived in Sydney and I think raced it. I heard rumours that he still had it in 1980's.
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PostPost by: gordont » Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:43 am

there are a couple that meet that description in Sydney...

Rod Johns old elan was red now pale blue and owned by David Kent is one option (pic attached).
prloz (I think is his lotus elan login? Alan are you there?) has a early elan with big guards used to be owned by owen wuillemen and was in bits for years. no idea on rest of the history but I gather raced back in the day..

Bound to be others out there as there seem to be a growing number hidden in garages etc
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elan1.jpg and
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PostPost by: AussieJohn » Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:12 pm

Hi Gordon, I nearly bought Rod's car in 1971 when it was for sale minus engine [$1500] Mine wasn't Owen's car [ very sorry to lose a good friend] Mine was originally raced by Jim Quinn at Warwick Farm etc. held the marque sports car record at the time. cheers, John.
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PostPost by: Panda » Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:35 am

Hi Guys, I bought Owen's S2. Was previously owned by Rex Hodder, so is not the car you are looking for.
Richard Wilson in Canberra has a magnificent red S2 fully race prepared. Possibly yours? So good, forget looking for yours and buy his!
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PostPost by: gordont » Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:57 am

sorry Alan I got your elan.net name wrong.... but does the canberra car have big guards? there used to be another black S1 or 2 in Sydney with big guards but no idea where it went.
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PostPost by: AussieJohn » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:33 am

Rex Hodder bought the car off Owen in the first place then many years later Owen bought it back. Rod john,s car was raced by Bob Johns [same bloke or maybe his brother] It was pale blue but by 1969 was dark blue; Bob traded it on Geoghan's Lotus 56, good times!!
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PostPost by: gordont » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:59 am

Hi AussieJohn
Yes I first knew the car in the late 80's and early 90's when I raced a PRB Clubman as a member of Club Lotus. this was back when we met at the end of Abbotsford Point at the rowing club, lots of elans and sevens or clubmans and a smattering of europas and esprits. Always a good drive home....
Don Mace, Roger Morgan, John Deak, Rod Johns, Barry Duckworth were the usual crowd and all good peddlers as I remember. Back then Rod Johns elan was red and I recall an S1, I came close to buying it in the late 90's ($35K by then) alas I was married to the wrong woman who failed to understand the Lotus fascination.... sold around 2000 and now aparently the original pale blue.
Good luck finding / tracing your old car, do you know the build number and will keep an eye out. Sounds like a good car.
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PostPost by: AussieJohn » Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:14 pm

Hi Gordon, I know Don Mace well; spoke to him last week, he lives at Bluey's Beach. I think we moved in the same circles, went to a few meets at Abbotsford , I bought my S2 off Terry O'Neil [GS motor Bodies] after he had started to repair it after a fire. Bob John's car was sold by Geoghans to Mike Stack who built it for racing only, dry sump etc etc and he painted it black. From memory he sold it to Paddy Gynan. Did you know Ross Williams [my brother] who had a yellow S4 in the late 70's and early 80's? or maybe Peter Sims?
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PostPost by: robertverhey » Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:51 pm

Wow some familiar names and places from the past in this thread. Good to see Owen's name remembered, I have one of the last motors he built, in my Cortina, won't be parting with that one! GS bodies factory, is that the one on Ramsay Street Five Dock? If so it's currently being demolished after sitting derelect for many years. Is Barry Duckworth still around and in the business? He bought my +2 chassis back from the brink back in the '80s.
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PostPost by: AussieJohn » Sun Jun 12, 2011 6:53 am

GS motor bodies was in Hurstville, don't know what happened to Barry, but another bloke you might remember is Norm Smith who has moved up north, he used to live near Silverdale [very handy] David Levy was still around but had some serious health problems. I saw Owen just 3 days before he died but sadly I was back home in Yorkshire by then; he was a fountain of knowledge on engines [and old clocks] but was just a bl**dy nice bloke.
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PostPost by: gordont » Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:40 am

Aussiejohn
Good to reminiss....
Silver dale hill climb track sadly long gone, I think turn 1 where it crossed the creek washed away..
David levy, I will check but I thi k he used to own my ?lan.
Barry duckworth, what happened to him?
don mace - yes up at blueys beach now, his daughter lives at the end of my street so I am trying to catch up when he is next here
Ross williams - yes know the name but not much else.
Where you at lotus 91 in Canberra?
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PostPost by: normanjsmith » Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:36 pm

Aussiejohn

I must have almost bumped into you after all these years at Owen's place shortly before his passing. When I learnt how ill he was from Bill Wade (another name from the past) I drove to Sydney and was fortunate enough to spend half a day with him on the Tuesday.He'd been my best mate for forty years and as well as sharing an interest in Lotuses, small Fords and Peugeots we raised our families together, worked together and generally had a good time.

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PostPost by: AussieJohn » Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:47 pm

Hi Norm, sorry to have missed you, I give Dorathy a call now and then; seems to be ok. Hi Gordon, no, I sold my S4 in 1985 then had two +2s which I lost in a divorce [aint that the way] but moved to the UK in 1992. I was at the very early CLA meetings in 1973!? I now have a +2 , an Excel in bits and a tvr griffith, enough to keep me off the streets!
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PostPost by: dougweall » Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:25 pm

AussieJohn wrote: I now have a +2 , an Excel in bits and a tvr griffith, enough to keep me off the streets!


And out of the pub when it's your round !!!!!!!!

This e-mail was sent on behalf of JohnT, JohnE, Brian and me and the rest of the Nyloc crew.
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PostPost by: robertverhey » Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:39 pm

GS...I was getting mixed up with J&S, whose Five Dock premises (just near my home) became a boat / catamaran building business and then lay derelict for many years....but used to dabble in Lotus bodies if I recall correctly.
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I guess the whereabouts / fate of Barry Duckworth remains a mystery......
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