Build Diary - RCR Lola T70 Spider

Ron Earp · 06-30-06, 04:59 PM

Well the Lola arrived this morning at about 645am - mighty early! Fran from RCR hooked me up with Rich's Classic Transport to bring the Lola from Detroit to Raleigh NC. These guys are fantastic, and do nice work. I've worked with two transport companies in the past, both good, but these fellows are my favorite now. Rich and Doug Lacy are the owners, and drivers, and use enclosed trailers to move their cars around. Super nice, good to work with, and prompt as well as on time. www.rct1966.com or 402-366-1848.

We off-loaded the jacked up Lola and moved in into my driveway where I spent a couple of hours going over the car and sorting through the included pieces. The car I purchased from RCR is the Deluxe Track Spec car which essentially means it'll have everything you need to build it up, sans engine, transaxle, clutch, pressure plate, and half shafts. The Track Spec does not have some options like AC, leather seats, etc. but it is very complete. The package has wiring harness, brakes, lines (pre-bent and ready to go I might add), pedals, master cylinders, seats, steering gear, radiator, etc. You can check it out on the RCR site, basically add the big items, apply elbow grease, and go to it.

This is the first Lola that RCR has put out in the public sector. The chassis is very similar to the GT40 chassis, so it is an aluminum monocoque that is TIG welded, with all billet uprights and control arms. The chassis and suspension components are top rate, I really like the entire design and wrote about that somewhere else on the forum. Everything I've inspected looks to be assembled with high quality bits - rods ends, shocks, springs, etc. and I think it'll work out very well.

The Lola T70 Spider body is very nice. The glass is very well done, in a dark blue gel coat, and is a nice weight. It isn't too heavy, and, it isn't too light. The Track Spec bodies are a little lighter than the road versions, but I still think it is plenty stiff for whatever you want to do. I'll get some weights on the stuff at some point and put some info out there for folks.

The fit of the body is quite good, very good. RCR fitted the body to the car before shipping and it appears that all that really needs to happen is the edges need finishing and the surfaces prepped. Cut out lights, and vents, make sure the cuts are symmetric, and it should be paintable. Part lines were already ground down and came out very nicely. The complete body package is every bit as good as my old RF GT40 body with respect to glass quality, actually better, but this body needs no additions or detraction to make it fit, it fits already. I'm quite pleased with it and as a lot of you know I'm not a body man. But, I think I can get through this one since it isn't going to take a lot of "fixing" to make it work. No doubt you could sand it up, as is, paint it with a spray bomb, and it'd look as good as most Sports Racers out on the track now. Not my goal, but if someone was in a hurry they could do it and it'd look fine.

Wilwood 6 pot front, 4 pot rear, caliper sets are a nice standard feature. Good wiring harness that is complete for road use, ally radiator and supports, aluminum rear undertray, motor plate, full gauge set, and lots of other goodies round out the package. A couple of items are on back order, like the pedal assembly, windshield, and a few others but they'll be along shortly. I'm quite happy with all of the bits and pleased with the fit and finish of the starting point.

Last thing I'll mention is weight, or lack thereof. I don't know what this weighs, neither does RCR, but it isn't much at all. Doug and I were able to roll it down a steep incline to my place and I was amazed at how easy it is to handle. I will get some corner weight scales from my buddy but I think we'll be under 2000 lbs for a complete car with iron block, ally heads. Wow.

Building will probably have to wait at least a week so I can clear out a couple of projects and vacation time, but I'm anxious to get started!

Ron

Mark Charlton · 06-30-06, 05:29 PM

Congratulations Ron! Looks like you'll have a wild ride when you're done. Good luck keeping your hands off it for a whole week!

Paul W · 06-30-06, 05:58 PM

Congrats Ron - time to sit in it and make the "BRMMM, BRMMMM" noises.

Ron Earp · 07-01-06, 07:51 AM

I sat in it and made motor noises. Way cool.

My wife has dubbed the car the Batmobile yesterday morning. Not sure that is good, but at least she has a since of humor after the RF thing, and me spending money on this. Per her email last night:

"Have a nice evening.
Do you need a batman costume?

Love,
Julie"

So, I think I'm married to the right woman! Maybe I will get a Batman costume......

R

JayPSC · 07-01-06, 08:13 AM

Looking sweet, bet you can't wait to get cracking on it.

Mark Worthington · 07-01-06, 08:47 AM

Awesome, Ron, simply awesome. I'm looking forward to reading this thread.

I know you already have a mill for this thing, but that that Lola just screams to me for an aluminum-block LS1.

Rick Muck- Mark IV · 07-01-06, 09:19 AM

Ron,

Did the package come with the statement: Some assembly Required?

And did they include one of those cheesy little wrenches that come with unassembled furniture?

Looks really cool...the first race I every attended was the 1967 Watkins Glen USRRC and I watched Mark Donahue wheel a T70 around the track...WAY COOL!!

Here's hoping all goes well and "part A" DOES fit into "Part B"

Rick

Ron Earp · 07-01-06, 09:22 AM

Hi Mark,

Now you are a Ford guy, can't be putting Chebbies in there! You are right though, most Lola's were raced with Chevy's. Not that many were raced with Ford motors (we even found one raced with the Rover/Buick 215 motor), but, one famous car was done with a Ford motor, Dan Gurney's car. I'll go for a loose interpretation of that car in one of its many iterations. Basically, we'll take the best parts we like from whatever it looked like on that particular race day and make an interpretation.

This should be a lot of fun and I'm looking foward to getting started with it. And, I might be able to get a Batman costume in nomex.....

Malcolm · 07-01-06, 03:08 PM

Ron,

And Julie will need her Latex catwoman suit to match yours....

Jac Mac · 07-01-06, 06:39 PM

Gurney,s 1967 Lola Can-Am motors were 375 cu in. 4" bore x 3.75" stroke and based on an HD 302 block. Ran Tecalimit Jackson injection. Id love to know what the rod length was.along with pin height.

The Lola T 70 is another of those cars that I would like to have. Good luck with the build Ron, has the Jenson been put on the back burner yet?

Jac Mac

I LOVE GT40- Paolo · 07-01-06, 07:20 PM

think Ron probably need some mooooooooooooore time to finish the car then...

Paolo

Ron Earp · 07-01-06, 07:34 PM

Jac, the JH motor is going for rebuild. The rod/cap were oblong and not repairable, at least from the standpoint of doing the motor on the cheap and without tear down. Everything looked okay, naturally, but with the tools came out to measure things were not so pretty. Soooooooooo, both projects will happen at the same time. The garage will be a mess.

Paolo, that will cost a lot of time for finishing the car, a lot of time!

Sandy · 07-01-06, 10:30 PM

Ron -

Congrats on the new toy! Look forward to the quick build up as well

Sandy

Richard O'Clery · 07-02-06, 09:22 AM

Congratulations, Ron.

I can't wait to see the progress of your build. The T-70 MkIII is my favourite car of all, but the spider is not far behind.

How can you stand to be away for a week?

All the best.

Howard Jones · 07-02-06, 04:20 PM

Ron,You've got No balls if you don't go out a get a batman suit, batwoman suit, and a nice bottle of wine. Maybe have a little batnick out in the batcave?

Tell her we made you do it.

Tim Kay · 07-03-06, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Ron,You've got No balls if you don't go out a get a batman suit, batwoman suit, and a nice bottle of wine. Maybe have a little batnick out in the batcave?

We want pictures

Ron Earp · 07-08-06, 04:49 PM

RCR isn't the only company/entity using some child labor. Here's Sydney dressed for painting on the guide coats after the Lola panels were dewaxed and prepped. And, panels after most of them are sprayed.

Hopefully tonight we'll get some sanding in, as well as getting the motor plate/adapter onto the engine while we're waiting for the clutch, pressure plate, and throwout bearing from Kennedy.

Chris Coote · 07-08-06, 07:15 PM

Ron,
If you do not have already you may be interested in the above titled book.Author is Dave Friedman and published by MBI Publishing Coy.It was released in 1999 so still should be around.Cheers.

chuck smith · 07-08-06, 09:59 PM

sounds like you are having fun Ron. I love the Lolas,maybe we can switch cars for an hour or two when you are done. chuck