Lola Tub Repair

Donohue/Pensky often "tarted up" their cars esp. tubs and this fits in with the lipstick red interior. The exterior remains metalflake Sunoco Blue with a touch of Pearl. When the structure is all one color you don't notice how it's put together as much which I enjoy so I went this way note restored footbox.
 

Attachments

  • 25036-Cnv0406.jpg
    25036-Cnv0406.jpg
    47.1 KB · Views: 781
What a fabulous series of photographs! The workmanship is absolutely superb.I only wish that I could be there to see it in real life. Please keep posting the pictures, it is great to see it all coming together.
Best wishes for the festive season.
 
Lola simply ran wires through this area right up against the fuel cell. We're running them through pvc.
 

Attachments

  • 28336-Cnv0570.jpg
    28336-Cnv0570.jpg
    73.5 KB · Views: 509
Wow, that's amazing that Penske/Donohue would have the wiring run like that. Jim, in the Penske spirit don't you think you ought to change that PVC out for some alloy tubing, mirror-polished and drilled for lightness?

Seriously, the car is stunning. Please keep posting those pictures...
 
GM steering column complete with tilt and wiper controls? That's a trip.

There's a bunch more footroom in there than in a GT40, isn't there?

Scott
 
The tilt makes it much easier to get in. The radio is also an in dash CD player. It's hard to see but we screened Lola emblems onto the gauge faces. We made a 240mph speedo from a 120mph unit by making a new face and changing the calibration. A bit trick. The car now uses a standard GM wiring harness which is nice.
 
Jim,

Being that this is the Penske car from 1969, would I be safe in assuming it has the 5.0 liter smallblock Chevy?

What was it like to drive compared to J6? Does it handle noticeably better on the track? Did you take it out on the street much or is the rear visibility too bad to make it worth the risk?

The IIIB was certainly a large step forward from the Mk1 and Mk II GT40s, but I’ve always wondered how it would have stacked up against the Mk IV.

Obviously dropping from the 360 to the 302 would have made it underpowered compared to a MK IV, but with the earlier 360 I suspect it would have been an interesting match-up.

Kevin McGowen
 
My car is actually a 66 that began as a Can Am Spyder even though it now has a MKIIIB coupe body. (SL71-32). It has a 360 that prob. makes about 450hp @7000. (That's a guess) It's not as fast as J6 but it's a GREAT street car. It feels almost car like as opposed to race car like. With an extra water rad. in the rt rear tail scoop it can take bumper to bumper with the ac on. Visability with the wing mirrors fine. It's a great driver.
 
So your car has the early steel and aluminum tub instead of the later all aluminum one? That explains why so much of it is painted and also why it would need regular rebuilds.

It's interesting to hear that it is a good street car. With that long, low nose and rear fender shape I would have assumed just the oposite. It certainly is a pretty car.

When you have J6, the Lola, and the P4 all runnning at the same time, it must be a wonderful problem to walk out to the garage and have to pick which one you feel like taking for a drive.
 
Back
Top