26r identities and other info

[vstibbard]

Hi Dave,

If the car your looking at is being sold as an original 26R and you are paying 26r price then my advice is before you buy check the provenance of the car with Tony Thompson who is the Elan 26r HLR registrar as there are many more replica's or GTS cars running around now than originally sold!

I took ages to find mine, 26-S2-40 its been worth the wait as I've just finished its rebuild and soon out for first drive in anger after some shake down trips around the block!!

Regards

Vaughan

[elansprint71]

Does anyone have info on who now owns this car:

http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1060850

[nedsram10]

The original log book for 7599VC, which I still have, gives the chassis number as 26 00 31. Does this signify it is a 26r model?

[Famous Frank]

Vaughn, it looks outstanding. Congratulations!

Frank

[vstibbard]

Thanks Frank, sadly i had a massive accident after hitting oil at the end of the main straight at Sydney Motorsport Park late last year at it 3rd event after a very long restoration, no oil flags being waved as i lifted at turn in point at ~210kph, car span and i hit the flag marshal point at end of pit wall thankfully backwards at somthing like ~160-180kph a millisecond later it seemed!
Terrific roll cage, seat etc meant i walked away with only bad whiplash and an ongoing issue with my eye due to the impact forces. Rear of car is as soft as cloth now, passenger rear suspension damaged, new shell required as sill reinforcing buckled where rod over rear guard transfered force through the sill structure, chassis bent under diff...... The custom made full roll cage was brilliant, its ket all pick upnpoint in place, not sprung at all, the chap who made it prepares modern rally and Dakar vehicles.
After impact my only thought was fire and told the first marshal to the car that id be responsible for any action when i asked if there was fuel leaking....
For those of you who maybe thinking of an alloy tank, buy Andy's, the one fitted to my car took a huge hit, all out of shape and yet it only had a minor crack and slight weep! Ive already advised Andy im buying another!
Essentially new shell, chassis, rear corner lots of time and $ and it will be back in business. Im less interested in racing at the moment which was music to my wifes ears.
Cheers V

[bill308]

Hi vstibbard.

I hope you fully recover soon.

Can you share which specification of Andy's tank was fitted?

Your experience appears to be a ringing endorsement of a tank for my 26r street clone.

Cheers,
Bill

[vstibbard]

Hi Bill
I purchased it a long while ago now, it was a FIA tank with internal filler and foam fill, it had no fuel gauge sender. We fitted breather line and non return valve in the rebuild.

My car is a series 2 26R with big inner guards, tank mounted in boot on RHS, has standard boot floor and fixings and I use small exhaust tunnel.

I will be buying another from Andy, this time with fuel sender for the main tank. I will be letting Andy know that I've had a friend make a unit adjust the resistance and thus allow the VDO sender to the used with the Smiths fuel gauge. My next tank will again be foam filled, fuel sender with full filler in the boot as it will dose road rallies. The boot fuel filler is being used as I'm also asking Andy to remake a copy of the long range tank fitted to the car from factory (with foam) as the car was used in the Surfers Paradise 12 hour races and will be doing some long distance races in the future.

Regards

Vaughan

[Famous Frank]

Vaughn,

Very sorry to read about your accident. Glad you'll be okay. Scary thought, especially about your eye. There have been a number of Nascar guys that have given up racing for the same reason. One I think was Ernie Ervin, although I believe his was much worse.

I have the remains of a wrecked 26R myself. Twenty three years ago I purchased 9,000 lbs of used Lotus parts from a fellow in Alabama. He didn't know what they were for. He was given them by a guy that owed him money and was moving to Philadelphia. He couldn't pay him so he gave him all these crated parts and said, "Here, sell these and you'll be able to get back the money I owe you". Well, one thing led to another and I purchased all 9,000 lbs. In the first crate I opened were the four magnesium wheels. The two right side wheels were bent. When I found the head, the carbs were broken off along with the intake runners on the head. got most of the parts to put it back together. It needs a new body shell. I don't plan on racing it, so I'll restore it as the 26R's left the factory.

Keep healing my friend, If I can ever help, please let me know.

Frank

[pharriso]

I have the remains of a wrecked 26R myself.........

Another of George Washington's Axe heads appears.. Congrats Frank!

[bigvalvehead]

Hi frank
Do you have a chassis no?
Is it an s1 or S2 26R?
Dave

[elansprint71]

Vaughan, sorry to hear about your bad luck, glad you are OK. Folks matter old cars don't.
Keep us posted with your plans.

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Some info here about another 26/R: http://forums.autosport.com/topic/19783 ... g-history/

[Purplespirit68]

Hi,
I am Lisa Brand, Peter Brand's daughter in law and it is nice to see his name mentioned here. Peter had a fantastic knowledge of the subject and he kept many archives. I am sure that whatever you find regarding knowledge and archives validated by Peter would indeed be correct. He sadly passed in 2008. If anyone needs any information regarding the Lotus 7 I may still have access to some archives. I will help if I can.

[Mazzini]

Welcome to the forum.

[elanfan1]

Rob did you notice Lisa?s post was 3 years ago?

[nmauduit]

Rob did you notice Lisa?s post was 3 years ago?

Welcome Steve !