26R

[redcarandco]

[attachment=0]DSCF0111.JPG New on lotus elan .net and english not being my mother language please be cool with me...and I must add not very efficient with P.C. so I am almost sure to do many stupidities in this forum...So...let's go folks...I have some questions ....(my mother tought me to ask before doing a stupidity)
1) does this chassis plate speaks to somebody
2) does this photo speaks to anoher one
Chassis plate is a little bit in relief (+/-0.3mm) and seems to have been sandblast...and seems to have been shortened
The car in background is the one of chassis plate
many thanks for any information
Roger

[vstibbard]

Hi Roger, The plate is a Series 1 26R chassis number, not sure of the engine number sequence but I would expect it to be a BRM engine number as the series ones were supplied from the factory with BRM engines.

Are you restoring the car?

I own a late Series 2 26R here is Australia. Drop me an email at [email protected], I'd love to know more of its history, and I have original documents form the factory which I will share with you.

Regards

V

[elansprint71]

The chassis plate looks period but... now that these cars are worth serious money the fakers are getting more clever.
The photo looks somehow familiar (although memory is not my best subject) no doubt the Aus guys can name the location. Dave Hughes will be able to help you with car ID.

BRM engine numbers seem to be all over the place and, back then, racing guys would mix Cosworth/BRM top and bottom ends at will.

Good luck.

Welcome to the forum.

[kmoist]

Welcome, here is a link to specs
http://www.lotusmarques.com/info/techni ... ifications

[redcarandco]

Gentlemen many thanks to have replied to my post...As new incomer I do not know rules of this forum but I promise to learn...If you have time I can tell you The "known" story of this car...It has been bought by Lotus belgian importer of period ... a garage of Bruxelles aera named J and P WAUTERS,probably a Ford dealer too.The car was fitted with wobbly wheels and BRG painted and RHD with std body but I do not know date of delivery...We have some people (famous belgian drivers of that times)who tell me the car was raced by J Wauters in Montlhery ,Zandvoort(probably the photo) nurburgring and francorchamps The car was (always attested by co driver of J Wauters) badly crashed in Montlhery (do not know when)...And that is the moment a friend and I we decided to buy an Elan for slalom sprint and hill climb and we bought (in 1968/1969 not sure of date so far away)a very badly repaired car which was undriveable (I now know why)Very badly deceived by the car we stock it in an garage and than sold it for 1000 us dollars(we did not know what 26r14 means at that time) to another ford dealer (in 1975)and during that time we raced my friend and I (with succes)mini cooper S... Two years ago I was contacted by a second hand car seller who told me he own my car from the ford dealer (dead) we sold it and I bought it without knowing it was such a car (because in the sixties we really do not care of what was a 26 R( It was just an undriveable thing) Can I add that the car is registered for road with Bureau veritas papers with VIN 26-R-14 That almost all folks just add I am rebuilding the car as new That's another story longer than this post........Roger

[vstibbard]

Iv'e checked and 26-R-14 was not delivered to Australia.

The photo is familiar, from the title its suggests Zandvoort, anyone got the James Hunt film as that maybe how the Caltex sign looks famliar!

V

[Higs]

A quick search on Google throws up this photo below. From 1962 Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The Caltex sign is correct and the slanted black post in the left of the picture at the top of this post is the frame of the Bloksma sign.

So Zandvoort it is....

Here is the link to other photos:

[url]https://revs-lib.stanford.edu/?f[event_ssi][]=Dutch+Grand+Prix&f[pub_year_isim][]=1962&f[venue_ssi][]=Zandvoort&page=2&per_page=20&view=detailed[/url]

R

[el-saturn]

hi roger - welcome to the forum. do you want to trade this project for an equivalent car which is in perfect condition (lhd) and RUNNING? i ran out of work on my car and i could take another challenge . my engine has more hp than a reg BRM - you don?t have to take the above TOO seriously! cheers sandy - had my last ride on the 24th of december: snowing now: MERRY XMAS sandy 36/4982 (a DHC)

[redcarandco]

Many thanks to all for the interest you show to my questions . I still have a lot(us) to ask but it will be for an other day because as every retired I wonder how I could do when I worked ??As to El-saturn proposal...Sorry but I will manage to do it myself (it will be my fourth rebuilding )but first 26 R As to value of the machine I must recognize it is a plus but the goal is to really race it as I am doing with my present GTS 10 (FIA) elan...A last question before I disappear till passed new year...I am obliged to fit a new bodyshell because original one was so many times ""concrete""repaired that it was impossible to salvage and it weighted far too much (almost 100kg) wihout doors and bonnets The question is which bodyshell to fit??? 1) std as it had 2)wide as all race elan or wide with chinese eyes ?I cannot make up my mind (not sure this is correct english....)Give me your feelings ...Happy new year to every one and see you just after
Roger

[elj221c]

If it was mine I think I would have it as your opening picture although all the headlight arrangements are valid as people have put their own mods on over the years. Definitely wide....
I would however, ditch the wobbly webs. They weren't terribly strong even when they were new.
Nice project.
Lots of potentially jealous people .........

[LCRJ]

Hi Roger,
I?m very interested in the chassis plate. How many type of chassis plate was there for 26R?
From the engine number, It?s COSWORTH MK15 engine #16 dated Jun.1964.
Hope this help.
Hiro

[redcarandco]

dear Hiro,I am absolutely delighted to hear that from you...You are right with engine number interpretation.A former engineer of Holbay race engine told me exactly the same thing some years ago..As to chassis plate for 26R,I do not know many things about that subject. All I can say is that s1 26R seem to have the sort of plate as mine but black enameled(mine has been unhappily sandblasted ) and s2 26R have Cheshunt type plate but shortened as mine is But I am really not certain of that at 100%..Very best regards Roger

[twincamman]

redcaranco type ?26r? in the upper right beside the magnifying glass ??lots of discussion there from the past ?take great care here . First my request to Lotus re 26R cars resulted in a letter that stated ?.,? we have no records of what cars went where nor how they were equipped??this from the factory ?. ?you will find ?experts? here who have seen one race [?I worked on one so they must all be like that one ] to records have fallen into my hands that were kept by an enthusiast to records found in an amphora jar in a pyramid ?.THE NAY SAYERS HAVE ALREADY STARTED in your case ?? so I wish you good luck and take care .,?ed

[redcarandco]

Dear twincamman,I have not understood all (english is difficult for a french speaking person) but I think I have an idea of what you try to tell me..Many thanks for warning me but you know I am not searching an authenticity recognition for the car because it has already...A friend of mine showed me record of lotus (the real hand writen clerk book)with all the details about the car...the person to whom we(my friend and I)bought the car first time in 1968/1969 was the importer himself...The chief mecanic who maintain it in period in the garage of owner attested of car being the good one ...The car is road registered and in my country it is impossible to register a second hand car without a governamental technical scrutineering stronger than FIA and where all papers of car must be presented (bill of first buyer for instance)I have all period drivers (some very famous in period )of this car attesting it the car with which they..... ...etc ...etc... etc.. etc ...You know my problem is not in authenticity my problem is to collect advises not to make a stupidity in restoring the car...But anyway many thanks to try to warn me
Very best regards
Roger

[elansprint71]

Apologies for dragging in Australia... I thought that Caltex was an Australian product... I had no idea that it was also in Europe!

Roger, it seems that you already have the history of your 26/R and do not need to invent it. Congratulations on getting it back.