mmy599c aka sks261

[alan d bell]

some of you may remember the post which showed the period gts as found in 2011, just for info see below then progress to the car as it is today. just a few jobs to go, tyres on the alloys, scrutiny for app k and mot. one thing I must say is that the 26r style body is original the wings are not later additions.

[Europatc]

Nice job Alan
well done
Stuart

[elansprint71]

Looking good, thanks for keeping us up to date- do continue!
I must say that I prefer the look of your "as found" roof to the "oh gawd, not another 26/R clone" one. I've never seen another roof with the rear quarter-lights fitted, have you any history for it?

[theelanman]

I've never seen another roof with the rear quarter-lights fitted, have you any history for it?

erm....on the after shots the rear quarter light glass/windows seem to have gone.......or did you find another roof?

[alan d bell]

one of three removed

[alan d bell]

2 of 3 duplicates removed

[alan d bell]

unfortunately the original hard top was very heavy, too much so for a competitive weight to be achieved hence the change. the few in period pictures of the car racing that I have show it competing as an open car so I assume the problem was recognised back then. I have not been able to find how a 26r body left the factory with a standard chassis but it did as the unit number is original and is confirmed by crayon scrawled on the inside of the rear bulkhead and by the plaque on the engine bay. in the circumstances our only option was to fit a new lightweight hard top. weight, reliability and cost explains the Chinese headlights. the body is not a clone.

[Robinjohnston]

I bought this car as second owner somewhere around 1967. It was a fairly high state of tune for the times, with an 11 to 1 compression and running on Castrol R. The previous owner had used it for competition, and I suspect the attractive quarter lights were to aid visibility. I always liked them. The bodywork had been professionally modified with flared wheel arches to suit the 15 1/2 rims. The car was originally white, with a dark grey removable hardtop, but having seen a Lamborgini Muira bodyshell in an art exhibition in San Marino in egg yolk yellow, I had my Elan resprayed in the same colour. This was a much deeper yellow than subsequent resprays.
My competition use was mainly in hill climbs. I fitted a competition ZF limited slip to deal with wheelspin on hairpin corners. Big mistake. It ruined the near perfect road handling and I removed it eventually.

[Robinjohnston]

For the avoidance of doubt, I wouldn't have know whether the flared arches were factory or post delivery. It must be remembered that at the time this was regarded simply as a fast Elan, which it was. All the detailed research came later.
Can I dispose of another old chestnut, namely the incident of the parachute? This was simply a joke, at a sprint at Crimond airfield. These parachutes were popular at the time in the misguided belief that they would pull a skier uphill! I had it hidden in the passenger footwell and at the end of a practice run chucked it overboard.
Young and daft. I think that there was a class win that day.

[alan d bell]

the question raised by the wings has been resolved by the man who prepped the car for painting. he has worked with fibre glass all his life, both on cars and boats. the front off side wing was full of repairs but the others were intact. during prep he could not find any sign of the wings being post manufacture either on the outer skin with old paint removed or under the arches. I do not claim that the car is a 26r only that this is the body as it left the factory. but one thing is sure it was an in period race car. when robin owned the car that hard top was dark grey and the body white reg mmy599c, we also found what appeared to be a scrutineers ticket which looked like an old luggage ticket but was wooden and bore the number 26. any info on the car pre 67 or on the the ticket would be very welcome.
ps can anyone help me look less stupid by removing two of the copies of the triplicated post above.

[types26/36]

ps can anyone help me by removing two of the copies of the triplicated post above.

Only you or the administrator can delete/change your post.
Go to your post,
At the top click "edit"
You can delete the content and just type in "Deleted" or Edited or whatever you want to leave, then "submit" but you cannot completely remove a post if someone has posted after you, if no one had posted after you then you can completely delete your post.

[alan d bell]

brian thanks. done

[elansprint71]

Alan,
If you tell us what the numbers on the VIN plate/crayon mark are someone on here might be able to help you with history. Does your car have a plenum grille between the wipers?
I believe that 26/R bodyshells were available separately (they got crashed at week-ends!), so your car could either have been supplied that way as a kit, or built that way at the factory.
Presumably you are aware that the 26/R came with three types of headlight during "production"? Pop-ups, the perspex ones you have fitted and the smaller, almost round perspex ones (requiring different wings and usually called chinese-eye).
Period photos show at least two styles of wheel-arch flares from the factory plus various owner-modified ones.
The period FIA homologation papers are suitably vague and it seems that back in the day one could simply get away with stuff, e.g. the SMART roof, the IWR moulded-in front bumper and vented rear wheel-arches, etc.

Robin,
Have you got any period photos, info on the first owner or info on the roof- it must have been quite an undertaking to make a one-off).

[trw99]

Pete, in a previous post a few years ago we were told this is 26/4222. Unfortunately I do not have a sales sheet for cars covering this VIN. Andy Graham at Lotus may have more detail, including the dealer and first owner.

You are also correct as I too recall that the factory would sell anyone who wanted one a 26R body, complete, at that time.

Tim

[elansprint71]

Pete, in a previous post a few years ago ....

Tim

Tim,
D'ye know, I kind of thought that we had some sort of discussion on this car previously but could I find anything with the "search" function?

3285 does not sound like a 26/R body number to me but it seems the more I learn the less I know.