Texas S3 DHC Restoration
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 3:11 am
I'm finally getting around to posting a thread on my '66 S3 DHC project.
The car was last registered in the 1970's, with an honest 56,000 miles on it. Sold new at Lotus Southwest in Dallas and parked in a garage since about 1975. I bought it from the second owner's widow about 10 years ago. Engine was out, and badly repainted but amazingly original and unmolested inside. Came with a spare Lotus Cortina MkII engine and boxes of parts.
Lots of cool original stuff in the car like the cardboard tail light panel and Lucas wiring harness inspection tag. The car has never been in an accident, never been jacked on the body, and having spend the majority of its life in an El Paso, TX garage the frame is amazingly rust-free. You couldn't pick a nicer car to start a restoration.
Couple of goofy modifications are a rear swaybar and narrow diameter rear springs. Other than that, it's a remarkably un-messed-with car.
I'm getting lots of help from my dad (forum member GLB who just finished up restoring 26/0045 ) but I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions
Here are some photos from when we dug it out of the garage in 2010:
The car was last registered in the 1970's, with an honest 56,000 miles on it. Sold new at Lotus Southwest in Dallas and parked in a garage since about 1975. I bought it from the second owner's widow about 10 years ago. Engine was out, and badly repainted but amazingly original and unmolested inside. Came with a spare Lotus Cortina MkII engine and boxes of parts.
Lots of cool original stuff in the car like the cardboard tail light panel and Lucas wiring harness inspection tag. The car has never been in an accident, never been jacked on the body, and having spend the majority of its life in an El Paso, TX garage the frame is amazingly rust-free. You couldn't pick a nicer car to start a restoration.
Couple of goofy modifications are a rear swaybar and narrow diameter rear springs. Other than that, it's a remarkably un-messed-with car.
I'm getting lots of help from my dad (forum member GLB who just finished up restoring 26/0045 ) but I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions
Here are some photos from when we dug it out of the garage in 2010: