Overpriced? Sprints, & Register of Dodgy Stripes, Arches & D

[ardee_selby]

Another really dodgy set of stripes. This snap accompanied a 'Motor World' Elan test by an enthusiastic staff writer, GG

Tim

Had it been parked where road markings were being painted?

[ardee_selby]

These appear to be yellow over white. Inspiration for Sprint "colourway"?
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Racing-Dr ... 50697_.htm


Edit: Oops! Sorry, thought it said "Dodgem Stripes"!

[nebogipfel]

That's a really nice picture

[elansprint71]

A photo given to me when I bought the car. It must have been taken prior to 1990 because I also received a dated shot of it in the paint shop going back to the standard Yellow over White scheme.

Regular readers to my column(!) will notice:

It has some really dodgy stripes.
It has a hard roof (PO had it circumcised about 18 years ago).
The fit of the doors was crap even then.

[elansprint71]

Proof that even the factory did not know how to stick the stripes on.

Amazing just what is on this site.

http://www.lotuselan.net/publish/elan_sprint_brochure.shtml

[trw99]

Pete

I refer you to page 1 of this thread and my post with photo of that factory Gold Leaf car. Do keep up or I'll have to tell Mrs T....

Interestingly, that factory brochure car was the first finished in the Gold Leaf scheme, so it was their first go at putting on the gold stripes; I feel we should cut them some slack over that one. Now, who can answer me this? That car was not fitted with a Lotus Twin Cam at that time; what engine did it have in it? If you don't know, have a guess.

Packet of Smarties for the first winning reply.

Tim

[Spyder fan]

Tim,
Was it a Zetec?

Okay, serious guess for the packet of Smarties is: BDA, I really don't know.......

Other thoughts that don't count for the competition for the confectionery would be possibly a Ford Kent engine or maybe a Renault of some description, but I can't think why they would put something lesser than a twin cam in the car. Reading reports on BDA conversions by Broadspeed and others at the time it almost seems that the BDA was a bit of a lame duck in an Elan road car with slower 0-60 times recorded than standard twincams, probably due to the lack of torque at low revs, so I am probably wrong on that guess as well.

Please put me out of my misery with a PM.

Regards

[nebogipfel]

Pete

I refer you to page 1 of this thread and my post with photo of that factory Gold Leaf car. Do keep up or I'll have to tell Mrs T....

Interestingly, that factory brochure car was the first finished in the Gold Leaf scheme, so it was their first go at putting on the gold stripes; I feel we should cut them some slack over that one. Now, who can answer me this? That car was not fitted with a Lotus Twin Cam at that time; what engine did it have in it? If you don't know, have a guess.

Packet of Smarties for the first winning reply.

Tim

Probably an old 997cc 105E engine they had gathering dust

[elansprint71]

Coventry Climax from a Hillman Imp, fitted in the rear.

I thought that brochure was familiar.

[trw99]

Well that didn't last long! Well done John, bumper packet of Smarties on it's way to you.

Malcolm Ginsberg was the PR chap at Hethel at the time and is still around. I spoke with him a few years back and he told me that the development Sprint was a paint and badge job S4 and that it had to be presented to the board for approval. They had spent so much time concentrating on the bodywork that they shoved in an Anglia engine just to be able to drive the thing around the factory. It never got taken out and Malcolm's brother Warren got his hands on the car as his daily driver. As he was about 18 years old at the time the insurance premiums would have been impossible on a full Sprint. Therefore the 105E engined Sprint probably made him the coolest spotty teenager for many miles around!

Tim

[nebogipfel]

Well that didn't last long! Well done John, bumper packet of Smarties on it's way to you.
Tim

On the subject of Anglia engines and bearing in mind the discussion on the anniversary of the Twink's first run, I'm told by someone who knows someone who was present at the time (if you follow me) that the first ever running twink had an Anglia block

Never sure if I entirely trust third hand stories

[Spyder fan]

Well that didn't last long! Well done John, bumper packet of Smarties on it's way to you.
Tim

On the subject of Anglia engines and bearing in mind the discussion on the anniversary of the Twink's first run, I'm told by someone who knows someone who was present at the time (if you follow me) that the first ever running twink had an Anglia block

Never sure if I entirely trust third hand stories

I would second that. The first twincs were 1500cc anyway.

[Elanintheforest]

It may have been an Anglia 997 or a Classic 1340...either way, a 3 bearing main crank.

From my readings of all the info...here's the story.

http://www.lotuscortinainfo.com/?page_id=401

Mark

[nebogipfel]

Alan, Yes the first production engines were 1500cc but that's not what he meant.

He was referring to the first ever test run as I understand it. I'm not even sure the twink head will fit onto either the 997 or 1200 Anglia block, but I was just passing the message on.

We need someone who was there to tell us the story first hand.

Mark, If I recall correctly the 1340cc and 1500cc blocks were the same size? but I was specifically told 997cc 105E.

As I say, I remain unconvinced, but I thought it was an interesting little snippet .......more so if true

[Elanintheforest]

There may be some confusion as an early twincam ran in an Anglia which Jim Clark used for a while, and the car clocked up over 25,000 miles with that engine!

Mark