Lola RCR T70 Spider Pictures

[Ron Earp]

Fran was kind enough to send a few camera phone pictures over to me of the Lola taking shape. Should be shipping out at the end of the week This car was ordered a couple of months ago, and although quicker to put together than a 40 for RCR it is still quite quick.

Looks very nice and I'm excited about getting on with putting it together. I'll start a build thread once we get moving on it.

Fran, I know you want to get cars out the door and all and we appreciate that. But there are laws against using child labor you know!

[Fran Hall RCR]

Ron,
I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but I do know that you dont screw the guy that runs the best resource for our kind of toys on the Web....but I guess there is one knife in the drawer less sharp than me...ouch

But seriously the spider is a far easier/faster build from our perspective and I hope more people take a shine to it as its a great looking car.....

I told my son Aidan what you said and he said "wheres my paycheck then".....they start early .....jeez

We have another new guy starting at RCR tomorrow , he worked on the first three Ford GT's built and also did some proto cars...he is joining us from Saleen...so I am looking forward to having his insight at RCR

[Wheels331]

Fran,I would think you could put the steering wheel on the correct side after living in the states for so long.PS, looks great Ron!

[Ron Earp]

I think they are great looking cars too. Mark Donahue thought it was the best looking car he ever drove, and he drove 40s, 917s, and a lot of other fantastic machines. Horses for courses I suppose, but I like the looks of the little thing!

I think they will catch on Fran. Probably never approach GT40 volume, but, maybe if some folks see one running around and drive it in comparison to a 40 it might gather some momentum. Weight is going to be mighty low.......

I've got to start making some room in the garage and clearing projects out as best I can. Got to get the Lotus motor back together and in the Jensen, Ford motor together, transaxle mated up to the Ford, and my mill lathe downstairs to make some more room. My work area is sort of trashy at the moment with all of these things lying around.

[Pete.]

Hey Wheels the steering wheel is on the correct side!! Ron/Fran it looks terrific, what a pity I am out of garage space.

[Peter D]

Hey Ron, that car is looking mighty, mighty good ! If they had been available a few years ago, I probably would gone that way instead of a '40.

Now, if only I had the same garage clearance problems as you !! I probably have as much "stuff" (cubic metres), but nowhere near the same quality !! Clearing out my junk will earn brownie points, but filling it again with a T70 Spider might just get me killed !

BTW, I have re-established contact with an old friend who used to work for Eric Broadly at Lola - Henry Nehribecki. He runs a very professional outfit looking after Lambos & Lotus (Lotii), but also does lots of nice work on "specials", so I will be getting him to install the "dropped floor" option on the '40 (so that my kids don't call me "Flat-head Ford" when I get back from a drive !!). Henry reckons that the Lola T70 Spyder was the best car that he ever worked on (apart from the SR series of sports/racers he designed & built for Frank Matich back in the 60's). Now here's a twist - one of my daughters is going out with Frank Matich's grandson !!!

I am bright green with envy !!

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

[Keith Hardy]

Originally Posted by delaneyp

Now here's a twist - one of my daughters is going out with Frank Matich's grandson !!!

I am bright green with envy !!

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

Why Pete? Did you want to go out with him?

[Peter D]

Thanks for that Keith !!

That will teach me to proof-read posts more carefully - content was fine, context was not !

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

[Ron Earp]

Originally Posted by delaneyp

Hey Ron, that car is looking mighty, mighty good ! If they had been available a few years ago, I probably would gone that way instead of a '40.

I'd wanted to do one too, but I thought it'd be AFTER the GT40. Well, we know how that went....

But this car looks like it'll be a blast. We'll be going stone cold simple on all systems so there is little, if anything, that can break and foul up. We'll have lights and signals for road use and Fran includes a harness that provides that capability - but that will be it for frills.

Tempted to clean the body up, slap a motor in it, and drive it! Don't need no stinkin paint.....

R

[Pete K.]

Ron, the child labor laws specifically exclude family members.

Fran, tell Aidan to get back to work or no gruel for him tonight!

[Ron Earp]

Originally Posted by petek

Ron, the child labor laws specifically exclude family members.

Fran, tell Aidan to get back to work or no gruel for him tonight!

Hey, I think you are right!!!

[Mesa]

Looks great Ron,
Funny I was just fixin' to write Fran a PM and one of the questions was/is how is your spyder coming and are there any pictures of it yet!

(Hmmm what is that purple/red colored thing in the background? another spyder?)

I will be very interested in seeing it with the vintage wheels and tires in place. What wheels/width are you using? You mention possibly using it on the street, what do you have in mind for a windshield and what are your local laws on such? I have been a fan of the spyder since seeing the 'heritage' and the red Lola spyder years ago (Fran had at the very same red one at the shop recently).

Rob

[Ron Earp]

Hey Rob,

you won't see vintage tires on there. I am afraid I'm not that keen to run on Blue Streaks or similar, so I've sent Fran some Hooiser DOT race tires to put on some 15" wheels.

In NC the car must have a windshield wiper IF it has a windsheild. This has no windsheild so should not be a worry. Lights, signals, etc. it will have so that should be a non-issue. Self assembled cars don't have emissions requirements so we should be okay there. So far, I don't think we'll have any issues on getting it road legal, and, probably won't have any trouble getting it a log book for wheel to wheel racing if we wish to do it.

Ron

[Mesa]

Sorry Ron, I should have said "interested to see how it looks with the standard issue RCR BRM wheels and the tires there in the pic"

Then I further should have asked "are you using the standard issue BRM wheels and if so what size?"

I'll get it right :-)

thanks
Rob

[Ron Earp]

Ah!

I hope it'll look good. I think it will, although the tires might have a little too low of a profile for that period correct look, it won't look as off (to me, MHO) as putting 17"s on there with low profile tires. I know the 15s with Hoosiers will stick good, that is for sure.

Lola wheels aren't cast as replicas, as far as I'm aware, and Fran looked into doing it too with not much luck. You'd think some Lola original owners would be interested in a set, but maybe not. At any rate, the BRMs are about as close as it gets and a few race cars were seen wearing BRMs (and some other wheels, some not attractive!), so not a huge stretch.

Maybe if more folks jump on the Lola band wagon the numbers will justify having some wheels made.

R

[Fran Hall RCR]

Lola wheels are available for original cars but that does not mean they will work with a replica.....they are six pin drive which is not a major issue but they are also Magnesium....and very very expensive.....

I have looked many times at making patterns and casting wheel centers but the cost for a good pattern and wheel manufacturer is in the stratosphere....then there is the liabilty issue way down the road.....TUV approval and all that jazz......

Besides the quality of Vintage Wheels product is second to none and I am very happy to have Bob Lacey as my supplier

[Mesa]

I have a couple of pics saved of the Penske T70 Can-Am with Halibrand wheels on it front and back, so those would be sort of 'authentic' :-). I like the BRM's a little better 'cause they show off the brakes....... but then, I'm wierd.....

Rob

[Ron Earp]

Hey, shoot some of those pics over, would like to see that and I have access to some Halibrands.

I like Bob's wheels and have seen them at Fran's, really nice pieces. They will be good on the car I think, quite good.

I didn't know they even made those things at all anymore Fran. But Mg wheels can't be cheap at all, I'm sure. No, need something affordable, if we ever race it we'll need more than a set of wheels, in fact, probably three sets to comfortably pull off something. That won't happen with some high dollar Mg wheels, at least not for me!

Ron

[Fran Hall RCR]

Gents dont forget that you have the choice of BRM or Halibrands from RCR as a standard option...........