26r identities and other info

[elansprint71]

.....Attached is a photo from the first article of one Gordon Ramsay in 1965, which I thought of interest.

Tim

That effing cook! If he was driving Elans in 65 it's no wonder he is so effing wrinkly.

[bigvalvehead]

Hi Tim
Tony used the ex Les Arnold Surbiton Motors sister car to copy for his roof reconstruction.

These were the only two cars to run with the rear windows on the side.

[trw99]

Thanks Dave

So of the ten Shapecraft fastback Elans produced - if I'm correct with that number, only the two Surbiton Motors Elans had the additional windows? Because not all Shapecraft fastbacks were 26Rs I believe?

Also Dave, can you kindly explain about the 26R magnesium wheels, some of which (the earlier ones?) are fully enclosed, whilst others have what I had always thought were the factory issued mags with four cut outs?

Thanks

Tim

[elancoupe]

It's generally accepted that the solid mag wheels were on S1 cars, the vented ones on S2.

[bigvalvehead]

Hi Tim

The only 26R's that had Shapecraft roofs fitted were 26-R-4 and 26-R-20. These were the team Surbiton Motors cars of Les Arnold and Barry Wood.

It is generally agreed that approx 10 or 12 Shapecrafts were built in total. The car raced by Malcolm Ricketts is a very early Bourne bodied S1 which was converted early on and at one time had the Kam tail spoiler fitted by a previous owner.

Ian who recently joined the Forum has the first Shapecraft built and has kindly sent me info on it. No doubt he will post pics if he wishes.

The solid mag wheels were fitted to the early S1 26R's and were later replaced by the cut out style to aid cooling. The time or chassis no when this change was made is not known by me. The red Shapecraft still has its original solid wheels.

Cheers

[trw99]

Thank you for that info Dave.

I read that a Peter Westbury took delivery of 26-R-1 on 20 March 1964 in the Tony Dron article I mention above.

Tim

[bigvalvehead]

Hi Tim
The 1st 26R to leave the factory was 26-R-2 which left on 25th Feb 64.

[garyeanderson]

So Dave which was R1/Elan derived from unit # 3376 or R1/Elan spawn from Unit # 3396 was first out the door?

Gary

[trw99]

Hi Tim
The 1st 26R to leave the factory was 26-R-2 which left on 25th Feb 64.

Thank you, Dave.

Tim

[cabc26b]

This got interesting ... we are entering very dangerous territory attempting to establish "build" data for the S1 26R.

I suspect we are going to press on regardless , so , in that case.......

Gary, it is commonly accepted that the 395 and 396 were transposed in the book. It was new years eve after all and well know in the community that only TEAM LOTUS were working late that afternoon when they pulled 395 off the line and send it over to become one of the first 26R's - as a side note, being a superstitious lot lotus decided to make the 7th body ( lucky no 7 ) produced at lotus thinner than normal expressly for racing purposes . Early race history is still being researched but 395 appears in the possession of "little" John Archer in 64/65 , who was know to receive race cars in lieu of wages from Lotus SW ( as he did with Shelby Cobra CSX2011, the first customer Shelby Cobra BTW) .... It appears that little John lost interest in the lotus and it sat languishing in Texas until a couple of years ago when a Porsche collector from California with the aid of a couple lotus fanatics secured the car for his vast collection -

That's my understanding and I'm sticking to it......

[twincamman]

s Appears to be a web site to a 1963 26R number 26/ 0042 sponsored by a Refrigeration company over in Britain ----0043 ?? SEEMS A NEW WRINKLE TO THE NUMBER SYSTEM e

[bigvalvehead]

Hi Ed
this is the car you refer to

http://www.xlrefrigerators.com/lotus.elan.26R.htm

Car is to 26R specification but not a 26R. David has never claimed it to be a 26R.

[twincamman]

yep thats it and this may also the proper point to determine exactly -- WHAT IS A 26r????? because right now we are like a committee designing a horse --it looks like a giraffe ----ed

[elansprint71]

I don't think I've posted this one here before; these two were always good value, usually not more than a fag-paper between them.

Also look at the fire truck; like a war-horse: ready to dart into the fray (or was that a brewery-horse: ready to fart into the dray?).



These Austin Champs were so difficult to start that the marshals often left the engine ticking over all day.

[trw99]

Who are the drivers, Pete?

Wasn't the Champ the jeep that had a sealed Royce engine?

Tim