low appetite for plus 2 - or poor appetite for mods ?

[EPC 394J]

I paid $14K for a 1966 Mk1 Cortina GT, replaced the drivetrain with something more modern while retaining the outward appearance and sold the car for $31K some 5 years later.

As for "updating" the drivetrain in a Lotus while retaining the overall appearance etc...I would do the same in a heartbeat.

I am not a purist.

Clearly not.

Why didn’t you just buy a proper kit car?

Or was it more of a hot rod?

How much did you spend on it? Maybe you might have made more of a margin by keeping it original? Presuming that’s what it was when you bought it?

On a different tack. I think it’s great that owners want to totally change these old cars. I reckon it just increases the value of the diminishing number of more original ones!

What’s not to like??

[h20hamelan]

Do you have any idea how many Mk1 Lotus Cortina's were made?

I am sure not a big fan of Toyota, the Yamaha vacuum forged parts (cylinder heads) are the good toyota stuff.
I have a schwack of honda K for a Elise and Volvo red and white if I ever get time and another Volvo 142. Though as the duratec doesnt fit height in the elan, I suppose I would need to go zetec.

[2cams70]

I believe UK Mk1 Lotus Cortina production figures were around 3,000 units. Twin cam Escort production was around 900 in the UK and 850 in Australia

[Slowtus]

I paid $14K for a 1966 Mk1 Cortina GT, replaced the drivetrain with something more modern while retaining the outward appearance and sold the car for $31K some 5 years later.

As for "updating" the drivetrain in a Lotus while retaining the overall appearance etc...I would do the same in a heartbeat.

I am not a purist.

Clearly not.

Why didn’t you just buy a proper kit car?

Or was it more of a hot rod?

How much did you spend on it? Maybe you might have made more of a margin by keeping it original? Presuming that’s what it was when you bought it?

On a different tack. I think it’s great that owners want to totally change these old cars. I reckon it just increases the value of the diminishing number of more original ones!

What’s not to like??

Proper kit car - not sure what you mean by that.

Hot Rod? don't know if it qualified as one, it certainly looked IDENTICAL to a regular Cortina GT.

Spend? I "made" about $8K when the dust settled but I wasn't looking to make money, I enjoyed the process, the profit (discounting MY labour) was just a bonus.


Before

During (I discarded the Zetec for something else, can't find those photos at the mo...)

After

And yes, it was faster than both the Prefect AND the Porsche when finished.

[Slowtus]

I believe UK Mk1 Lotus Cortina production figures were around 3,000 units. Twin cam Escort production was around 900 in the UK and 850 in Australia

I have seen as low as 2800 and as high as the 3300 mark but given they way they rusted and the way they were abused I suspect we are down to a few hundred.

The only "Lotus" of that era which I wanted but never owned was the Twin Cam Escort...yes, I know it wasn't a Lotus but...

[Bud English]

Slotus- a man after my own heart. I have never, and I mean never, owned a car that I didn't modify to make it my own. Same goes for houses, boats and motorhomes.

EPC- "On a different tack. I think it’s great that owners want to totally change these old cars. I reckon it just increases the value of the diminishing number of more original ones!

What’s not to like?? " Totally agree! See my signature block.

[Slowtus]

Slotus- a man after my own heart. I have never, and I mean never, owned a car that I didn't modify to make it my own. Same goes for houses, boats and motorhomes.

EPC- "On a different tack. I think it’s great that owners want to totally change these old cars. I reckon it just increases the value of the diminishing number of more original ones!

What’s not to like?? " Totally agree! See my signature block.

So...should I be getting a commission for destroying a few Plus 2s in my past, thereby increasing the value of the remaining Plus 2s?

Modify/don't modify - but do enjoy!

[The Veg]

If you're in this for what cars are worth, then you're in it for the wrong reason.

[h20hamelan]

i always want mine to be worth more than possible!
buy cheap, sell high. and enjoy the ride

[EPC 394J]

If you're in this for what cars are worth, then you're in it for the wrong reason.

If you have absolutely no care for what an asset/toy is worth, then you must have a lot of money and no sense. (Never mind a lack of appreciation) In which case why wouldn’t you just buy a supercar, not a Lotus?!

What’s more expensive, a Lotus twin cam with twin Webbers or a Ford Zetec with Jenveys?

I absolutely accept that each individual can build any car to their own preferences. But why start with a highly regarded classic and historic car designed by the genius that was Colin Chapman?

There are some magnificent AC Cobra kits (etc) out there. Why destroy a legend and pretend it’s a sixties car?

[The Veg]

All I meant was don't do it with investment as your goal. That ruins it for us regular guys who don't want to be priced-out.

[EPC 394J]

These are cheap cars. Especially so in the US!

Nobody will make any money out of them.

But any custodian sure can strip them of their essence.

For me, it’s akin to removing a Merlin engine from a P51 Mustang or Supermarine Spitfire and replacing it with a jet turbine. Sure it would perform better. But what are you left with??

[Slowtus]

If you're in this for what cars are worth, then you're in it for the wrong reason.

Thank You!

[Slowtus]

If you're in this for what cars are worth, then you're in it for the wrong reason.

If you have absolutely no care for what an asset/toy is worth, then you must have a lot of money and no sense. (Never mind a lack of appreciation) In which case why wouldn’t you just buy a supercar, not a Lotus?!

What’s more expensive, a Lotus twin cam with twin Webbers or a Ford Zetec with Jenveys?

I absolutely accept that each individual can build any car to their own preferences. But why start with a highly regarded classic and historic car designed by the genius that was Colin Chapman?

There are some magnificent AC Cobra kits (etc) out there. Why destroy a legend and pretend it’s a sixties car?

Colin Chapman, the genius you mention, took a modified Austin 7, (not a Lotus, you will note) modified it even further and from there went on to modify/alter/change more Austins, quietly morphing them into Lotus.

These were not Lotus cars when born, these were cars which he determined could do better if changed/modified,

So your hero did what many did...modified an EXISTING car which was doing perfectly well before he put his hands on it (and which did better after he had done so).

I have modified many cars, some of them Lotus, so I assume ACBC would approve based on HIS behaviour.

[EPC 394J]

I don’t disagree with some of that.

But if you put a zetec engine in a car, what is it that makes that car a Lotus Elan. (for example)

If you (or Spydercars) also then put a Space frame chassis in it, what makes it a 1960s car?

These are kit cars.