T70 barn find ?

[Johan]

these pictures were all taken in 1979 or 1980

[BenL]

[ QUOTE ]
Johan,
Pardon me, but your photos are blurry!
If you are using a point and shoot film camera, make sure you hold it steady for a longer time after you press the button. My first photos came out like some of yours, I did not allow enough time for the camera to autofocus and snap the photo before I lowered it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Also, try turning on the flash (or set it to auto mode and let the camera decide if it needs extra light). Even if the garage has enough light for you to see by, the camera might not have enough light. When using the flash, make sure you're not too close or you're at an angle to the object you're photographing so you doing get too much of a reflection.

[BenL]

[ QUOTE ]
The other two are squirrled away in a weekend holiday cabin I own. Some buddies and I carried them through the door sideways and we put one in the living room, and the other in the dining room. If my wife sees that crap she will have my a$$.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did I mention that my bed frame is an old Lotus Elan frame (turned upside down) with a sheet of plywood on top and a pair of jackstands at one end to keep it level? I couldn't just throw it out, so I decided to hide it under my bed, then I decided to turn it into my bed. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[swmbo suggested that I should post this]

[RobBeddington]

Hi Johan

This photo is the best I have seen of SL71/34 showing the original AAR colours at the 1966 Bridgehampton Can-Am.



Regarding your car also finishing 1st at USRRC at Bridgehampton earlier in 66, I think Starkey and others got that wrong - the car that came 1st in that race was a MK1, SL70/10, per the photo below. As I understand it, your car only raced in Can-Am.



There are a few decent photos in Dave Friedman's book "Lola Can-Am and endurance racers" and Pete Lyons has some from the Bridgehampton Can-Am race. Pete's email is fastlines@earthlink.net

If I dig anything else out I will let you know. Good luck.

Rob

[Johan]

Great Photos (unlike mine !), thanks for those Rob !
Good to see the color scheme.I'm trying to determine if my car had a "dashboard structure" like the number 8 Jerry grant car, or the kind with all the holes in it, sort of like the recent T70 attributed to Surtees that was for sale not long ago. I'm trying to accumulate the parts to return the car to spyder configuration. The number 8 car is obviously not the #30 car because of the different roll bar shape.
I would like to see a picture of a Lotus bed. In exchange I'll show a picture of a Lola beer cooler.

[David Pozzi]

Ah! More photos! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Johan,
My reference before to MKI wheels was just background on the different wheels you may find. The six bolt pattern is used by GT-40 and cobra, many others too including an Eagle F5000 but the centering of the Lola T-70 wheels is the wheel pilots over the axle flange.

Original Lola T-70 wheels need to be inspected very carefully. I see some being used for vintage racing but as I said before, many are afraid to use them.

The roll bar sockets are common to the MkII and MKIII tubs. I believe the MKI's didn't have them. Mine has lower mounts for the upper trailing arms to the tub, these mounts have a saddle on top of them and the roll bar sits in the curved saddle and has ears that attach to the upper link bolt.

[David Pozzi]

Rob,
My Lola ran the 1965 Bridgehampton Double 500, driven by Buck Fulp. SL-70-09

Mine has lower rear trailing links that run straight forward, the area under the engine is open with no trailing link boxes like the MKII or MKIII, it was done to reduce rear bumpsteer issues.

The MKI and MKII front suspensions are almost identical. The upper balljoint is a machined up housing with plastic cup bushings on a round balljoint, the MKII uses spherical bearings.

The MKIII has the front suspension inner pickups "squared" to the chassis centerline like the rear.

[Johan]

I'm at a total loss as to how to restore this car. Thank goodness the previous restorer painted all the magnesium parts. Items such as the wheels, uprights, etc. are pretty much all painted and it has protected them over the years. They would be fuzzy junk if they had just sat all this time.
The fluid coolers are all painted gold. What's up with that ? I can try to clean them up, but it would be easier to replace them.
I'm going to restore the port side fuel pod , then add a new fuel cell, but then what ? The Suspension is suitable for street use or track touring, but is really not capable of being race ready. I can replace it I suppose. The car has miles of wiring and accoutrements for the AC , radio, etc. and holds a huge battery over the transaxle. This whole wiring harness must go I suppose. The body is in perfect shape, with 25 year old paint that is almost perfect. A cleaning and wax would restore it's luster. It too must go because the car needs to be a spyder. The wheels are there and there are 2 sets, both shod with new vintage tires, one set of Firestones on gold wheels, and a set of Goodyears on blueish gray wheels. I can't use the tires or the wheels if I want to race.
My point is that it is a matter of a month or two of re-assembly if I leave it a coupe and just put the car back together, but a total re-do from the chassis up if I go back to a spyder. I'm leaning towards putting the car back on the road as a coupe until such a time as I've accumulated the parts to restore it to the Bardahl Special.
And to think that if the Bartz brothers had been so inclined to leave the car a spyder, my work now would be much easier !
David and Rob, thanks for the help with the car. I'll be needing plenty of that.

[Gregg]

Johan, Congratulations on the T70. I've been following this thread in silence. My 2 cents is to take the time and do the rebuild as a spyder. Thats what you appear to truly want. You seem to have plenty of other toys in which to enjoy and drive at the moment. No use in rebuilding the car twice. Enjoy the rebuild and keep the pictures coming.

[RobBeddington]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm trying to determine if my car had a "dashboard structure" like the number 8 Jerry grant car, or the kind with all the holes in it

[/ QUOTE ]

Johan - the dash has a series of horizontal holes - I'll scan and send a photo of it some time next week.

Cheers

[Johan]

The fuel cell that burst it's bubble.

[Johan]

Above can be seen the bubble, below, the top side of the cell.

[Johan]

this is a shot inside the sponson, where the cell fits. I dropped the camera down through the fuel cell access hatch. The ribs are not rusty, they are covered in some sort of dried goo.Sorry for the fingers.

[Johan]

This is the front bulkhead where the fluids have been leaking out, lifting the paint.

[Johan]

This is the bottom of the front bulkhead.

[David Briggs]

What ever it turns out to be, it is certainly cool and worth thr price of admission!

[RobBeddington]

Hi again Johan. As promised, here's the best image I can find of the dash from the 66 Bridgehampton Can Am so far. It's a lot different from the MK1:



Hope it helps!

Rob

[Johan]

Rob, that's a great picture ! Notice how different that dash is than the one on Grant's no. 8 car (a tubular structure).Now at least I know what I'm looking for.Thanks for your efforts Rob !

[Johan]

Gregg, thanks for joining in the fun and thanks also for the advice. I'm installing the fuel cell as soon as it comes, and then deciding about the spyder coupe issue.