Author Topic: Lotus cars? (Read 2512 times)

Uncle Ernie · « **on:** July 21, 2010, 01:51:51 PM »

My next door neighbor wanders over, yelling, "YOU DOWN THERE?!" Down there is my cave-like dwelling I like to refer to as "The Garage".

"I put numbers on a piece of paper and left it on your chair, A friend of mine's husban left town and left a couple of engines and a transmission to Lotus cars. I think he was building something. How should she sell them?"

Uhhhh... ahdunno....

So far, I have no info. Anyone interested in a couple of lumps in indeterminate condition? How SHOULD she sell them? eBay? Would some good pictures tell any Loyus guys what they are?
Any Lotus guys here?

gerhed · « **Reply #1 on:** July 21, 2010, 02:47:32 PM »

Rotus?

Duke McDukiedook · « **Reply #2 on:** July 21, 2010, 03:56:22 PM »

Ahso, Rotus- dericate Rotus petars.

333 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 21, 2010, 04:28:44 PM »

Rotus Brossom?

Uncle Ernie · « **Reply #4 on:** July 21, 2010, 07:19:04 PM »

OK. Next time I'll wear pants when I post a topic.
I'm just curious; How did you guys know?

scottly · « **Reply #5 on:** July 21, 2010, 07:29:34 PM »

Had a good friend with a Lotus. Espree??? Rotus was a clone of a Lotus 7, named when a Japanese admirer exclaimed "Nice Rotus!", or so the story goes.

azuredesign · « **Reply #6 on:** July 21, 2010, 08:19:55 PM »

Maybe post or ask here?

http://www.lotuscarclub.org/

Hasenkopf · « **Reply #7 on:** July 21, 2010, 08:35:49 PM »

lotus powered honda

dunno.... but if they are the old race engines.....

scottly · « **Reply #8 on:** July 21, 2010, 09:52:42 PM »

If I recall correctly, Chapman used four cylinder short-blocks from English Fords, and Renaults, or Fiats, and fitted his own DOHC heads. Nifty little sports cars, along the lines of a Mazda Miata. The Seven was a more extreme creation, meant more for competition.
If you get a chance to sort through the "lumps", keep your eyes open for Weber 40DCOE carbs!

754 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 21, 2010, 10:13:20 PM »

Ditto on grabbing the Webers!

Lotus powered Cortina'd had DCOE's on them...so did Renault Gordini.... the only car IU seen with 3 bolt wheels..

scottly · « **Reply #10 on:** July 21, 2010, 10:23:31 PM »

Quote from: 754 on July 21, 2010, 10:13:20 PM

Ditto on grabbing the Webers!

Hey!! I have first dibs on the Webs, Frank! How many sets do you have already?

Pure art, as far as carbs go. Don't let them go to waste, Ernie.

754 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 21, 2010, 10:32:36 PM »

2 complete sets with manifolds, (1 of those sets is going on a buddys bike)

1 more manifold, with Dellortos sitting on a display motor, plus another pair of Dellortos.

I decided to keep an 80 Suzuki 750 motor I had, to build a tracker..thinking of trying Dellortos on that..

scottly · « **Reply #12 on:** July 21, 2010, 10:48:47 PM »

Dellortos, Mikunis, Solex. Just counterfeit Webers! ;)I do suspect that the older, Italian made Webs were the best.

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #13 on:** July 22, 2010, 02:59:48 AM »

Quote from: scottly on July 21, 2010, 10:23:31 PM

Quote from: 754 on July 21, 2010, 10:13:20 PM
Ditto on grabbing the Webers!

Hey!! I have first dibs on the Webs, Frank! How many sets do you have already? Pure art, as far as carbs go. Don't let them go to waste, Ernie.

I thought you were trying to loose weight.

Sam.

754 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 22, 2010, 09:58:09 AM »

Do you refuse to run fairings or wider rims, due to extra weight...

Or will you still run things where the advantages, outweigh the disadvantages...??

That is the question..... JMO..of course..

Sam Green Racing · « **Reply #15 on:** July 22, 2010, 10:04:36 AM »

Not wanting to thread hijack Frank, it was a personal joke

But while you insist, it would depend on how light the wider rim and fairing were.

Sam.

ryder60 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 22, 2010, 12:13:49 PM »

Wasn't the Lotus 7 a kit car. Following the war in the UK you got a tax break by buying a kit and putting it together yourself and didn't Chapman try to get into that niche?

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Uncle Ernie · « **Reply #17 on:** July 22, 2010, 01:10:29 PM »

I've had 2 experiences with Lotus;
First time wasa driving in the Dirtbag 500. A guy had a pristine Lotus (Elan?). Very small car- like driving a diamond rig. Breath-taking in it's simplicity and lovely lines.

2nd time was a couple years ago when I met with the Lotus Club touring through the BRP. At first I thought they were MR2's. Seemed like swell little cars, though...

Anyhoo- I'm trying to pin down a freaking out female who's all over the place right now. Going over to bang on a door right now ~
(It's weird how Asheville has all this cool stuff hiding in nooks and crannys)

Franken750 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 22, 2010, 01:54:01 PM »

Quote from: Dukiedook on July 21, 2010, 03:56:22 PM

Ahso, Rotus- dericate Rotus petars.

ROTUS = Rots of Troubrre Usuarry Selious

tramp · « **Reply #19 on:** July 22, 2010, 03:41:54 PM »

next door neighbor had one
"great car when it ran"

scottly · « **Reply #20 on:** July 22, 2010, 07:12:53 PM »

My friend's car was an early Elan.(ain't the internet cool?) The Lotus that resembled the MR2 was the Europa. There was one that used to park near my dad's shop on a regular basis. Funny, it doesn't look as good to me now, as it did in the early '70s.

scottly · « **Reply #21 on:** July 22, 2010, 07:17:06 PM »

Quote from: SamCB750A on July 22, 2010, 02:59:48 AM

I thought you were trying to loose weight.

Sam.

Not at the expense of the Webers! I'll starve the extra four pounds off my already skinny back-side first!!

754 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 22, 2010, 09:56:39 PM »

Ha, if only they knew!!

Even when you tell em, they dont believe you anyway..

scottly · « **Reply #23 on:** July 22, 2010, 10:13:30 PM »

Don R · « **Reply #24 on:** July 23, 2010, 03:28:18 PM »

I'd rather drive a Cadirac or a Rincon.

Tintop · « **Reply #25 on:** July 23, 2010, 04:42:23 PM »

as a Lotus guy lets get one thing straight - the Miata is an Elan copy, and the Europa pre-dated the MR2 by 15/20 years. both will still blow the doors off the later pair as far as handling and performance is concerned.

as for the 'lumps' if they are complete weber head engines - 3500 / 5000. if only the heads 1500 / 2000 if they haven't been shaved to death. you can check this by looking at the gasket face. there is a steel plug in one corner, on a new head it sits 1/8+ below the face. if facing has touched this, its toast.

best place to sell these is the Lotus Club.

this my Super 7 (now sold) on the street with a dry sump TC. I also ran a 195hp 2l 2tg setup for solo 1.

Bodi · « **Reply #26 on:** July 24, 2010, 04:44:08 PM »

Like most UK cars of the era the early Lotus cars were interesting but buggy. The electricals were a nightmare, I recall a Europa a friend had: coming up underground parking ramps the knobs fell off the switches, rain stopped it dead (and the UK has lots of rain... whet gives?), and various motors or lights would fail intermittently... usually a power window would not run whenever rain was expected.
Beautiful to drive when they worked. The classic Lotus chassis was a rigid centre tube with all the suspension and such attached and the body perched on top. This worked very well giving a go-kart like ride and even with the souped up fire pump engines used they could accelerate smartly.
Lotus got involved with Ford and the Lotus name appeared on a few Ford cars, "suspension by Lotus" was used a bit and the Lotis Cortina rally car won a lot of races in the 60's. There was a Lotus Cortina available at Ford dealers but it was not the same as the race car: much like a Subaru WRX at the dealer shares about zero parts with the actual WRC WRX.
The Seven was a kit car but could also be purchased complete, I think. Very small open wheel two seater rear drive sports car, maybe 1/2 the weight of the typical UK sports car of the day - MGB or Austin Healey 3000 - with a more similar engine.

News:

Author Topic: Lotus cars? (Read 2512 times)