Len Street Chelsea

[gjz30075]

Jeff, not boring at all. Thanks for your memories.

[JimE]

Thanks for that Jeff. Brilliant. I must have come across you as I was a regular at the Parts Dept especially on a Saturday morning. Here's a pic of a poster you use to keep on the wall in your bit. Remember it? I'd love to get hold of an original but I think they were just made available to dealers so most will have gone missing now. Jim

[Jeff Bridger]

Hi Jim,
Yes, I do remember that poster and was asked many times if it was for sale, but no.
I presume the last Parts Manager out of Len Streets got it !
I only bought back to NZ a few Sales Brochures etc but they were on the later Elite, Eclat and Espirit models.

I have seen "Wheeler Dealer" and "Car SOS" shows on TV where they have worked on Elans and it is good to see that the Parts seem to be readily available. In particular the lower alloy housing for the rear Chapman strut was not available from the Factory, for my last year because they had gone to the Foundry that had made them originally and it was now a Supermarket and the "old fella" who owned the Foundry, had died years ago and all his moulds had been dumped !
Well, that was Lotus' story anyway.
Someone must have re-moulded them.
Also, the rear "Doughnut Drive System" has a great looking alternative with a Constant Velocity System available. In my time, there was a Sliding Shaft, with metal Universal Joints System being worked on.

Unfortunately, I don't have room in my garage for another car (already have two) so have resorted to a motorbike and do Adventure Rides with a mate. My 'bike is a Yamaha TTR250 and there is a specialist in Devon who have loads of Parts and have made some "modification" Parts. I visited them on our 2015 trip and will do so again next year. If only to drink some of the local brews with the lads.

All the very best
Jeff

[512BB]

I have been meaning to post my memories of Len Street for some time and your post Jeff has prompted me to get on with it.

I used to work in the City, we are talking circa 1980, and a couple came in to buy some wedding rings. The guy was quite tall if I recall, and we got talking. Turns out he worked at Len Street as a mechanic and I was looking in earnest for my first Sprint. What a turn up!

We got on like a Lotus on fire and said guy offered to come with me to view any cars that I short listed, which he did. From memory, he held my hand looking at two Sprints, but they were not for me. One was BRG over white, which I was tempted by, but never bit.

I keep calling him 'guy' because I do not remember his name and I lost my little black book, literally, several years ago, in a cafe in Sarf London. The name Jeff does ring a bell, but a Kiwi does not. Any of this sound familliar to you? or can you name a few of the mechanics that were there back then. Now this really would be a small world.

Leslie

[Jeff Bridger]

Hi Leslie,

Sorry no.
There were no other "Jeffs" ( or even our cuzzies the "Geoffs" ) at Len Street during our time, from what I can remember.
We headed home late in 1979 so maybe he was a new recruit.

I see that you are having a great Summer this year and it is being compared with the record-setting one in 1976.
We arrived in September 1976 so only caught the end of that one but everyone was raving about the "Great 1976 UK Summer."
The Pubs had run out of cold beer - whaaaat ??!!
We had a great Summer from December to March so maybe it is the same one doing the circuit.

Cheers and thanks for your post
Jeff

[The Veg]

I *MUST* have that poster!

[Jeff Bridger]

Hi The Veg,
Sorry, I'm not your source but I wonder, with all the Computer Trickery that can be done these days, if someone could do something with Jim's photo of the poster.
I've seen some pretty amazing things done with old family photos so why not a poster.
I'm sure there would be a market for a copy of it among the UK Owners and there are probably other overseas Owner's Clubs who tap into this Forum.
There could be coin to be made on it or at least cover the costs.

Jeez, you can take the boy out of Len Street's but not Len Street's out of the boy !
I use the term "boy" very loosely as I'm 66 years old !!

Cheers
Jeff

[The Veg]

Indeed! Or if one is known somewhere, it can be reproduced.

[fridge]

@NedK

I'd be interested in obtaining a reproduction sticker of the London Sports Car Centre if you have one spare or an image of the original.

I am 2 years into restoring a Lotus Esprit S1 which Lotus Cars tell me was delivered to Fordbeck Motor Services Ltd. in Mountsorrel (Leicestershire), but later transferred in May 1978 to Len Street and sold to a Mr David Nickel of London.

Love the thread.

Regards,

David.

[Jeff Bridger]

Hi David,
Sorry, no London Sports Car Centre Sticker here.
We used to sell Parts to LSCC as they seemed to be on the "outer" with the Lotus Factory when I was at Len Streets.
We didn't see alot of the Used Cars at the Drayton Gardens address because of the lack of room.
We had car parking spaces in a couple of underground car parking buildings nearby and had "Car Jockeys" to bring the cars to Drayton Gardens and take them back as required. I got a few Kiwi mates temporary jobs at Len Streets doing this.
I remember one having an accident, up on the Fulham Road, where he "T Boned" a Volvo Wagon in an Espirit and we were most impressed with the strength of the Espirit because both doors could still be opened ! The Volvo was a big mess.
If I had known how much all the stuff, that was just lying around at Len Streets, would become so sort after all these years later, I would have grabbed more of it !
The big "motoring regret" of my life was that we didn't ship our 1967 Split Windscreen VW Kombi (Devon Conversion) Campervan back to New Zealand as that would be worth a fortune these days.
I could have filled it with Len Street paraphernalia !
Arrrgh !

Cheers and all the best with your resto of the Series 1 Elan.
Jeff

[trw99]

[quote="fridge"]@NedK

I'd be interested in obtaining a reproduction sticker of the London Sports Car Centre if you have one spare or an image of the original.

I am 2 years into restoring a Lotus Esprit S1 which Lotus Cars tell me was delivered to Fordbeck Motor Services Ltd. in Mountsorrel (Leicestershire), but later transferred in May 1978 to Len Street and sold to a Mr David Nickel of London.

Love the thread.

Regards,

David.[/quote]

David, welcome. Please see this link, lotus-talk-f50/london-sports-car-centre-t20648-30.html#p302631 where I have today posted an image of an original rear window sticker for the London Sports Car Centre for you to view.

Tim

[Barney]

This has brought back memories! I used to catch a "Trathens" coach from Plymouth to Gloucester Road coach station in West London, then walk down to Len Street's in Drayton Gardens, buy the parts I needed and walk back with the parts and catch the very same coach back down after the driver and stewardess had had their statutory rest. Each time I used to end up with some strange extras, a big Lotus kipper of a tie and a leather belt with a Lotus emblem buckle being two items I still have to this day!

Good memories!

[fridge]

@NedK

I'd be interested in obtaining a reproduction sticker of the London Sports Car Centre if you have one spare or an image of the original.

I am 2 years into restoring a Lotus Esprit S1 which Lotus Cars tell me was delivered to Fordbeck Motor Services Ltd. in Mountsorrel (Leicestershire), but later transferred in May 1978 to Len Street and sold to a Mr David Nickel of London.

Love the thread.

Regards,

David.

David, welcome. Please see this link, lotus-talk-f50/london-sports-car-centre-t20648-30.html#p302631 where I have today posted an image of an original rear window sticker for the London Sports Car Centre for you to view.

Tim

Thanks Tim ( @trw99 ), is your reproduced sticker available to buy? If so at what cost etc?

Regards,

David.

[Charliebr25]

Looking into the bit above about Tara Browne from RichC, I looked up some info on him and it said that apparently he worked at Len Street & that was probably why he was in a Lotus at that time. The "worked at Len Street" bit was written by him in a magazine that he contributed to at that time. I would love to know if that was true!

His girlfriend in the car, who survived unhurt was quoted as saying that Tara swerved the car to save her but unfortunately not himself. Her name was Suki Potier and she went on to be Brian Jones' girlfriend. Very sadly she was killed in a car crash along with her husband in the early 80's in Portugal, poor girl.

A

Hello I hope you do not mind me contacting you. My Father worked with Len Street before setting up his own Lotus service centre in west London in the 60’s. My father is no longer alive however I have a good pic of Tara and my Father and the story of Tara and the ‘worked at Len Street ‘ bit. It was a very interesting tale and when Paul Howard wrote his book a few years ago the memories came back and funnily enough my mother just received a letter last week searching for my father as this person owned a lotus elan that he believed was once owned by Tara and built by my father. Cheers Julian Brooks ( I was named after Tara’s son ) apparently.

[Charliebr25]

also it's just round the corner from that infamous lotus elan fatal accident of tara browne in 1966
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_Browne

the book on Tara Browne has been mentioned on the forum before now and its a very good read , if you're into that era in London

Hi there I have an interesting take to tell about Tara and his time ‘working at Len Street ‘ in the 60’s . My Father had worked with Len and set up his own Lotus service centre where he got to know Tara’s mother who sent her cars to be serviced by my dad. Oonagh guiness asked my father to give him a job as he was basically a rich playboy with not a lot to do when not partying. Tara never owned a garage but ‘worked briefly ‘ at the garage.I have a great pic of my dad and Tara and my mother tells some interesting stories of knowing him too.My father had the unfortunate task of recovering Tara’s car after the accident.
These memories came flooding back after reading Paul Howard’s book and last week my mother received a letter trying to track my father down as this person owned an old elan that he claimed was once owned by Tara and built by my father.
I’ve some great old photos of lotus cars in his garage at the time if you are interested..
Cheers
Julian ( apparently I was named after a Tara’s son)