Lola T70 Spyder Mk I replica comfort

I have a client that is looking for a car to put on the race track and to drive on the roads. Something his wife would be comfortable in while on the road. He has his eye on a Lola T70 Spyder Mk I replica.

What is this car like to drive on the road?
What is it like to race?
Is it feasible to think he could do both?
On a scale of one to ten where do you think a happy wife as a passenger rates? (Not for you personally. For her being in the passenger seat :))
 

Rick Muck- Mark IV

GT40s Sponsor
Supporter
With all due respects, the words "Lola" and "comfort" are not mutual. My wife was a 5 in my GT40s and those had A/C and a full windscreen and doors..
 
That is what I thought. He is trying to merge a lot into one car - cruising on a beautiful day through the country, happy wife by his side and wait - what is that - a race course? Honey do you mind? Just one whirl around?

I am not sure I can find a car that meets all of his requirements?)
 
Depends on the wife. I know ladies who are very happy in an open minimalistic sports car, but others who would never be happy to have their hairstyle deranged. Is she happy on a motorcycle with a helmet on? Might work for her. Some other forums would ask for picture of wife to asses:)
 
of course it can be done - road and track. T70 spiders don't have much overhang at the front end, so they are less likely to catch on road bumps, driveway openings etc. If there's a proper windscreen in place, the buffeting is manageable. But it's still an open top car with big wheels and big engine, so it's loud, hot, and somewhat rough riding. Not too different from a Cobra on the road. All depends on your tolerance for these kinds of things.
 
I am finishing a T70 ,Mk3b coupe replica. There was one thing that i told myself as far as comfort I must have. That is AC. That is blowing cold.That I garauntee .The rest still has to be tweaked a bit. Being located in south Mississippi (home of the blues) heat was not much of a concern.The duct work and the blower are installed I just dont see the need for it. I dont know about others but any parts needed for this car had to be fabricated or crossed over. Its been fun. As soon as I get my oyster boat back in the water Ill be finishing it.
I never expected it to be really comfortable. Just a car I couldnt get out of my head. Now I have it. We will see where this goes
 
I have a client that is looking for a car to put on the race track and to drive on the roads. Something his wife would be comfortable in while on the road. He has his eye on a Lola T70 Spyder Mk I replica.

What is this car like to drive on the road?
What is it like to race?
Is it feasible to think he could do both?
On a scale of one to ten where do you think a happy wife as a passenger rates? (Not for you personally. For her being in the passenger seat :))
Cargirl (which is, too often, of itself, a contradiction in terms) you are EVERYWHERE! You forgot to mention in your post that this potential customer has owned three boss-hog Super Sevens (one with Cosworth BDE and Hewland straight-cut trans, and a second with Honda S2000 drivetrain - in 1,200 lb cars!) AND a Backdraft Racing Roadster with Roush 402. Thus, I understand bees in the hair and hair in the teeth, and my wife can translate the word "babushka". Spud, I have SUV's for pulling trailers and pampering my ass. My sports cars are for SPORTING. Here's some notes on the car: It is a Mk I replica with additional steel in the frame and A-arms, so it can be driven safely on the street (weight of about 2,100 lbs vs about 1,850 for the track-only original Lola). The original Lola Mk I frame was screwed only, but the Exotics car is bonded and screwed. All body panels are factory Lola or heritage pieces that are fully interchangeable with original Lola. The car has logbooks from SVRA and HSR and meets current vintage race specs (full low cage, full fire suppression, rear head restraint, mirrors and so on). The engine is a 6 liter bowtie V8 built to the nines by Hypercision and tuned for a minimum 93 octane. It is carbed like the original Can Am Lolas with quad Weber two-barrel IDA 48's. 5 speed Getrag trans, so unlike most of the factory T70's which ran with Hewlands. Wheels are magnesium knock-off center-nuts. AP six-pot brakes and Bilstein double-adjustable coilovers. Many correct period details including Smith gauges, Montmorency wheel, Willans harnesses, tri-bar headlamps and factory taillights, the curved Lola dash. DJ, I completely get your drift, which is a powerless condition that I hope never afflicts your oyster boat. I, like you, have loved the Lola design for years. Like the XKE or the Tipo 33 Stradale, the purest essence of the sporting vehicle - the perfect admixture of yin and yang - fenders that are either two huge ball sacks or two gorgeous breasts. I don't know where this will go either, but I am betting that wherever it goes, for both of us, it will go FAST!
 

flatchat(Chris)

Supporter
Well! my missus is like a dog off a leash when it comes to sports cars - Cobras, GT40s, Porsches 991- GT2 etc , Aston MartinDB11, AMG Mercs and McLaren 650S as long as there is fuel in the tank its hard to get her out of them
However - my trump card is the RCR T70 spyder which has a fixed driver compartment that she cannot fit :) otherwise I'd never see it again and it drives loverly as a track only vehicle and although there is plenty of room for improvements it generally hangs out at the pointy end of the field
 
@bruce - My clients are stalking me :) First, if there can be Carguys I can claim Cargirl until I am dead and in the grave!
We have discussed all kinds of cars but what remains is that you desire that race car feel on the road. The Lola seems to check off all the boxes for you.
I buy and sell for collectors so I should be pushing you toward one of the cars that I am representing but the more I learn about the Lola the more it sounds like the right car for you. You are one passionate guy - at the end of the day you know exactly what you want. You may not need me at all. Glad you found this site. Nicest bunch of Carguys I have run into yet.
The question I struggle with is whether or not one car can be all things to an owner. A friend owns the only existing 1957 Maserati 350S (three were made in all and only one survives). The day we took the car out on the roads of Westchester NY was one of the most exciting days of my life. So much power in that car. The way it handled the corners, the growl of the engine. I shook from adrenaline for an hour afterwards and couldn't sleep that night. We considered taking the car on the Mille Miglia but after some thought I realized it would be impossible, at least for me, to be a passenger in that beast for ten hours a day based on the effect it had on me for just one hour. All the things that you love in a race car are not the same things you love in a road car. The question is what cars walk that fine line?
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Ron - was your Lola produced by Can Am Exotics? Was the entrepreneur who engineered and built it named John Gyann? Did your car win the 2003 Run and Gun and the 2012 Jack Lewis International Challenge at Road Atlanta? Did you sell the car to a fellow named Walt Witkowski? If so, we have much to talk about - please advise.
 
Well! my missus is like a dog off a leash when it comes to sports cars - Cobras, GT40s, Porsches 991- GT2 etc , Aston MartinDB11, AMG Mercs and McLaren 650S as long as there is fuel in the tank its hard to get her out of them
However - my trump card is the RCR T70 spyder which has a fixed driver compartment that she cannot fit :) otherwise I'd never see it again and it drives loverly as a track only vehicle and although there is plenty of room for improvements it generally hangs out at the pointy end of the field
Flatchat, that is a complete lot full of the most desirable used sports cars - are you a dealer? My wife is a passionate gal, but not regarding high performance cars. I can lure her into my Alfa 4C and my Porsche 935, but have required the assistance of a butt-shaped section of 3" memory foam to insure her participation. The Lola will present the same challenge as the Super Sevens and the Cobra. Besides the pad, and perfect weather, I will need to induce her with a favorite destination, like a great sushi joint or visiting the kids. Hey, when axiom-makers crafted the phrase "opposites attract", what they really meant was two different people can become one incredibly diverse and comprehensive couple.

The Lola I am purchasing is heavier than stock, with added steel in the frame and a-arms to soak up road abuse. It is also wider than notoriously cramped original Can-Am cockpits. Can-Am rules required a full passenger seat and a steering wheel biased to one side, but little else. The designers knew how to parse that language, and miniature passenger seats suitable for Minnie Mouse, Herve Villichaize or your daughter's doll house became standard fitment. Next, the space between the seats disappeared, and voila, you have the impossible cockpit of an original T70. My designer (John Gyann) reduced the width of the fuel pods in his T70's, and increased cockpit width by over a foot. At 14 gallons per side, still plenty of fuel, but no longer optimized for Le Mans.

I live in Shelby Twp MI, and Fran Hall's RCR is a neighboring business. He is quite the entrepreneur, and has supplied many of the cars for the Fast & Furious franchise, plus other movies. I contemplated purchase of Fran's Mk II version (mine is Mk I), but the wait is 12 months or more. Plus, getting the car prepped and accepted for vintage racing was an entirely second epoch of time. I began looking for qualified vintage racers (cars with logbooks) that I could also street on balmy days, and, to my great surprise, I found a Lola! And to my greater surprise, I am told that Fran Hall helped design and build my car while he was associated with Can-Am Exotics. I have a call in to Fran to verify this datum. Fran's current Mk II models, like your car, benefit from full aluminum monocoque construction. My Mk I replicates the original run of 15 cars, and consists of .083" steel to which aluminum panels are screwed and bonded. Eric Broadley did not have access to modern miracle adhesives, and thus his monocoques were screwed (later riveted) only. This is also the reason why original chassis often wore out in 1 to 3 years - the screws or rivets would chamfer the alum panels, and the loose chassis would start to bend under racing stresses. Your full aluminum monocoque is marginally lighter than my combo unit (about 100 pounds). Additionally, you need not worry about corrosion resulting from the proximation of dissimilar metals. I could have that problem, which confronts other boutique automakers like Caterham, but only if I run the car excessively in the rain, which I am as likely to do as pilot a Ducati in a typhoon.

Fran's cars are hellhounds on the track - you should be podiuming with that beast - what is holding you back?
 
Flatchat, that is a complete lot full of the most desirable used sports cars - are you a dealer? My wife is a passionate gal, but not regarding high performance cars. I can lure her into my Alfa 4C and my Porsche 935, but have required the assistance of a butt-shaped section of 3" memory foam to insure her participation. The Lola will present the same challenge as the Super Sevens and the Cobra. Besides the pad, and perfect weather, I will need to induce her with a favorite destination, like a great sushi joint or visiting the kids. Hey, when axiom-makers crafted the phrase "opposites attract", what they really meant was two different people can become one incredibly diverse and comprehensive couple.

The Lola I am purchasing is heavier than stock, with added steel in the frame and a-arms to soak up road abuse. It is also wider than notoriously cramped original Can-Am cockpits. Can-Am rules required a full passenger seat and a steering wheel biased to one side, but little else. The designers knew how to parse that language, and miniature passenger seats suitable for Minnie Mouse, Herve Villichaize or your daughter's doll house became standard fitment. Next, the space between the seats disappeared, and voila, you have the impossible cockpit of an original T70. My designer (John Gyann) reduced the width of the fuel pods in his T70's, and increased cockpit width by over a foot. At 14 gallons per side, still plenty of fuel, but no longer optimized for Le Mans.

I live in Shelby Twp MI, and Fran Hall's RCR is a neighboring business. He is quite the entrepreneur, and has supplied many of the cars for the Fast & Furious franchise, plus other movies. I contemplated purchase of Fran's Mk II version (mine is Mk I), but the wait is 12 months or more. Plus, getting the car prepped and accepted for vintage racing was an entirely second epoch of time. I began looking for qualified vintage racers (cars with logbooks) that I could also street on balmy days, and, to my great surprise, I found a Lola! And to my greater surprise, I am told that Fran Hall helped design and build my car while he was associated with Can-Am Exotics. I have a call in to Fran to verify this datum. Fran's current Mk II models, like your car, benefit from full aluminum monocoque construction. My Mk I replicates the original run of 15 cars, and consists of .083" steel to which aluminum panels are screwed and bonded. Eric Broadley did not have access to modern miracle adhesives, and thus his monocoques were screwed (later riveted) only. This is also the reason why original chassis often wore out in 1 to 3 years - the screws or rivets would chamfer the alum panels, and the loose chassis would start to bend under racing stresses. Your full aluminum monocoque is marginally lighter than my combo unit (about 100 pounds). Additionally, you need not worry about corrosion resulting from the proximation of dissimilar metals. I could have that problem, which confronts other boutique automakers like Caterham, but only if I run the car excessively in the rain, which I am as likely to do as pilot a Ducati in a typhoon.

Fran's cars are hellhounds on the track - you should be podiuming with that beast - what is holding you back?

Lola used a glue on the rivet joints on the T70. It was a clear adhesive resembling polyester fiberglass resin. The T70 mk1 used .090” thick aluminum for the fuel tanks, where the Mk2 & mk3 used .032” skins for the tanks with internal fiberglass ribbing.
 
Hello, everybody. Does anyone know how to contact Ward Witkowski? He was the former owner of my ex-John Gyan MkI Lola T70 replica. I last understood him to live near Atlanta.
 

Neil

Supporter
When I was designing the car I built, I had visions of it's being a "dual-purpose" car; having begnign street manners but still capable of mild competition on a road course as well as LSR at Bonneville, El Mirage dry lakes, etc. As I went further into the design and read the various rule books, it became clear that this car had to be one or the other, a street car or a race car. It was not possible to be successful doing both. Too many compromises were required to accomplish even a modest amount of performance in each area. The resulting compromise would result in street manners that would be completely untenable and a cockpit that would not accommodate passengers larger than a small child. On the track it would be non-competitive and an embarrassing backmarker.

It would be possible to design & build a street car that only looks like it would be at home on the track but that puts one in the position of falling into the category of just a poseur.

OK, I'm ready for some heavy-duty criticism, but that's the way I see it.
 
Neil - My 935 tribute is still very capable on the track, but makes use of its license plate more often than it's track roundels. Yes, I have backed it off a bit by dropping spring rates 100 pounds per corner, revalving the JZ shocks, and running Michelin Sport 2's. I never intended to race this car - boulevardiering and track days only. And, for those purposes, she is sublime. Now, am I a poseur because I love the purposeful look, because I enjoy the ritual of 6 point belts, because the sound and vibration and endless power are stimulating? I think not - I am an enthusiast, enjoying my car while, everywhere I drive, my car pays homage to the greatest production-based racecar in history. With the Lola, I am doing the same thing. Yes, I hope to "race" with my elbows in at several vintage events, but my primary motivation is participation, not victory. Because my Lola is open and simpler, it can run truer to track form, with few performance compromises, while still remaining acceptable for the street. Remember - neither of these vehicles are designed for grand touring. They are comfortable and appropriate for short trips to shows, cruises, restaurants and the like. This is what I love about cars - they give us freedom of motion AND expression, and fun while we're utilizing both.
 
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