Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

a totally pointless and theoretical question, but I was having one of those lottery-winning dreams last night and it got me thinking...

what would it cost to buy and build, from scratch, a 26R replica? ie without a donar car (although you'd need to source a twink)... I know the spec sheet could run into stratospheric heights, but it was quite a fun game building my dream car last night... just wondered what sort of ball-park figure I'd need! twenty grand? Ever since I've seen that car on the Duckhams Oil ad, it's been the only car I want!

(of course, If I won the lottery, I could prob afford a real one, but that's not the point!)

Rob, I had a chat to Tony Thompson about this at Stoneleigh last year. He was talking about ?20 - ?30 k, depending on engine / gearbox spec....quite a bit less if you can find a doner car or 2nd hand bits. Then, by coincidence, I came across a S2 that had a dash fire in 1973, taken apart and left. The owner had acquired a spare S2 shell of the same vintage that was replaced with a TTR lightweight and arched shell for racing.

Well, I had to buy it! The intention was to build a 26R replica, as the car was originally green as well, with the original card log book. As the car is a 1966 it's not eligable to run in the main race categories...they are for 65 and before. Then I found out it's one of the very last S2 cars built, with the chassis number only a couple away from the last one. So it has to be built back to original now.

But as you can see from the pics, there's a little way to go yet. And I still don't have the doner for my 26R replica!!
Mark

Building a competition twin cam from scratch with clever sourcing of the components from Ebay for those you can can get second hand and doing the assembly work yourself is a A$15000 exercise in Australia . In the UK maybe 6000 pounds in the US maybe US$12000.

Doing the new chassis and rolling gear and a new body and trim and paint all adds up to many more dollars / pounds and depends on how many new components are used.

If you did it using all new components except those not available what would it cost? My guess is around 40000 to 50000 pounds in the UK but some one should be able to do the estimate!

Put together a parts list for a 26 R, get the cost of each component if available new or second hand plus refurbishment cost if not and then add the cost of soucing all the bits and bolting it all together at a reasonable labor rate.

eg
new bare competition head 3000 pounds
new block 2500 pounds
new steel crank 1000 pounds
new competition rods etc
new forged pistons etc

new chassis etc
new suspension arms etc

new gear box casing etc
new quaiffe gears etc

etc etc etc

its a long list and comes to a lot of money

cheers
Rohan

- I did the experiment last winter...- not the estimate , but the real thing.
If you build a "reasonable" 26R replica with new engine and gearbox, the correct wheels and suspension parts, new chassis etc., it will cost you abt. 40' GBP in parts. The degree of d.i.y. may save you another 25' in labour...... It took a while to build up the courage to add it all together........

Dag

RobCapper wrote:a totally pointless and theoretical question, but I was having one of those lottery-winning dreams last night and it got me thinking...
(of course, If I won the lottery, I could prob afford a real one, but that's not the point!)

Well if I won the lottery I wouldn't want a replica.......I'd go for the real thing
http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/cla ... arno/11633

anyway why dont you see if you can do a deal with ED, he's got one and I dont think he uses it much in Canada........dont think he can get snow chains to fit on the wheels

sure make an offer ---no snow skins though [ thats colonial slang for snow tires ] --I could deliver it in Edinburgh when I go back - --ed