Classic cars

[trade vet 703]

12 minutes ago, metcars said:

I love an old Lotus. I’ve had loads, I used to daily drive a lotus elan +2S:/130 back in the day. Showing my age? 

PS: Lots of trouble usually serious. Not if you know what you’re doing!

I used to also love Lotus Europa’s (also known as breadvans ).When we started a pitch in 73 we sold a lot of them.They usually had cracked cylinder heads so they were cheap.The thing was we never fixed them and sold them ‘as is ‘ declaring engine problems.The type of punters who bought them didn’t mind because they never drove them but just wanted to own one and talk about them.When we worked that out,we did exceptionally well with them.....one of the best shite cars I can remember.

[metcars 397]

13 hours ago, trade vet said:

I used to also love Lotus Europa’s (also known as breadvans ).When we started a pitch in 73 we sold a lot of them.They usually had cracked cylinder heads so they were cheap.The thing was we never fixed them and sold them ‘as is ‘ declaring engine problems.The type of punters who bought them didn’t mind because they never drove them but just wanted to own one and talk about them.When we worked that out,we did exceptionally well with them.....one of the best shite cars I can remember.

Those early chapman Lotus were beautiful delicate machines that responded to a lot of constant love and attention. Just the same as any other high performance vehicle. Ferrari and Lamborghini were no less unreliable back in the ‘70s? Chapman was good at taking ‘ordinary’ components and putting them under a lot more stress, sometimes it was a thin line. And like all performance cars, eventually they attract used buyers that can only just afford the payments not the servicing and ‘love’ that they require. They are then patched up and bodged up to get through MOTuntil they are no longer roadworthy. And acquire an unfair reputation for unreliability because of that! 

My old +2S is in japan now, exported in the ‘80s. The last Elan I owned, and drove daily, was ‘71 FHC sprint in gold leaf. Tiny car, powerful, light, 30 mpg, independent suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes. Quite a thing back in the day. You’d have to work pretty hard in that E-Type to lose me on a winding road. And let’s be honest, the only E-Type that actually hit 150mph was the factory demonstrator!

[trade vet 703]

1 hour ago, metcars said:

Those early chapman Lotus were beautiful delicate machines that responded to a lot of constant love and attention. Just the same as any other high performance vehicle. Ferrari and Lamborghini were no less unreliable back in the ‘70s? Chapman was good at taking ‘ordinary’ components and putting them under a lot more stress, sometimes it was a thin line. And like all performance cars, eventually they attract used buyers that can only just afford the payments not the servicing and ‘love’ that they require. They are then patched up and bodged up to get through MOTuntil they are no longer roadworthy. And acquire an unfair reputation for unreliability because of that! 

My old +2S is in japan now, exported in the ‘80s. The last Elan I owned, and drove daily, was ‘71 FHC sprint in gold leaf. Tiny car, powerful, light, 30 mpg, independent suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes. Quite a thing back in the day. You’d have to work pretty hard in that E-Type to lose me on a winding road. And let’s be honest, the only E-Type that actually hit 150mph was the factory demonstrator!

Was Chapman not dead dodgy.Did him and De Lorean not siphon off millions of government money to Switzerland instead of using it to build Deloreans in Belfast.As I recall even Lotus Cortinas were shite back then.My idea of a good car is based on profit.I remember being given advice as a 15 year old when working on a pitch ‘ we are only here to sell them son,not effing fall in love with them ‘, advice I have followed to this day.

[petrol head 46]

18 hours ago, metcars said:

I love an old Lotus. I’ve had loads, I used to daily drive a lotus elan +2S:/130 back in the day. Showing my age? 

PS: Lots of trouble usually serious. Not if you know what you’re doing!

Elan Sprint is one of the best cars I have ever driven and I have been lucky enough to drive and own some great cars. Once you have sorted the electrics out the rest is pretty much bullitt proof, I really fancy a Europa, have seen a few, but either been out bid or they weren't good. An Elan or Europa for 1/2 the price of an Escort, as our friends across the pond say "go figure"........

[metcars 397]

23 hours ago, trade vet said:

Was Chapman not dead dodgy.Did him and De Lorean not siphon off millions of government money to Switzerland instead of using it to build Deloreans in Belfast.As I recall even Lotus Cortinas were shite back then.My idea of a good car is based on profit.I remember being given advice as a 15 year old when working on a pitch ‘ we are only here to sell them son,not effing fall in love with them ‘, advice I have followed to this day.

Well, wasnt chapman a lifelong Tory donor and when he asked for help/subsidy to build huge factory in Norfolk got fucked over by thatcher for ‘charming’ delorean instead?

not surprised chapman got his slice of the cake in the end. Was he dodgy, maybe? But you dont become a self made millionaire before you’re 40 without upsetting people.

[trade vet 703]

32 minutes ago, metcars said:

Well, wasnt chapman a lifelong Tory donor and when he asked for help/subsidy to build huge factory in Norfolk got fucked over by thatcher for ‘charming’ delorean instead?

not surprised chapman got his slice of the cake in the end. Was he dodgy, maybe? But you dont become a self made millionaire before you’re 40 without upsetting people.

I don’t think you can blame Mrs T.It was a Labour government who believed that De Lorean had 30000 orders for his car before the factory was even built.As for Colin Chapman he appears to have died in mysterious circumstances after millions of the De Lorean Motor Co’s money paid to Lotus was traced by the FBI.Chapman and De Lorean both brilliant engineers but it appears like a partnership made in hell.

BTW just been watching Brightwells on line classic auction and although I know little,future classics like SL ‘s appear to be very good value but the bidding has not finished.

 

[petrol head 46]

1 hour ago, trade vet said:

I don’t think you can blame Mrs T.It was a Labour government who believed that De Lorean had 30000 orders for his car before the factory was even built.As for Colin Chapman he appears to have died in mysterious circumstances after millions of the De Lorean Motor Co’s money paid to Lotus was traced by the FBI.Chapman and De Lorean both brilliant engineers but it appears like a partnership made in hell.

BTW just been watching Brightwells on line classic auction and although I know little,future classics like SL ‘s appear to be very good value but the bidding has not finished.

 

All a bit before my time, but for John De Lorean was a chancer.

SL's don't drive great and rot like hell, prices are going up right now, but IMHO will drop again. 

[metcars 397]

On 2/18/2021 at 12:41 PM, trade vet said:

I don’t think you can blame Mrs T.It was a Labour government who believed that De Lorean had 30000 orders for his car before the factory was even built.As for Colin Chapman he appears to have died in mysterious circumstances after millions of the De Lorean Motor Co’s money paid to Lotus was traced by the FBI.Chapman and De Lorean both brilliant engineers but it appears like a partnership made in hell.

BTW just been watching Brightwells on line classic auction and although I know little,future classics like SL ‘s appear to be very good value but the bidding has not finished.

 

Chapman pulled a lot of strokes to keep his baby alive, even since the beginning in the ‘50s. Learching from one financial disaster to the next. And as recent history has shown, many other manufacturers have too (I’m looking at you VW!) and after all “let those without sin cast the first stone?”

[trade vet 703]

1 hour ago, metcars said:

Chapman pulled a lot of strokes to keep his baby alive, even since the beginning in the ‘50s. Learching from one financial disaster to the next. And as recent history has shown, many other manufacturers have too (I’m looking at you VW!) and after all “let those without sin cast the first stone?”

Watched a good BBC documentary about him on YouTube channel last night.What a character,his finance guy got 4 years and the judge said if Chapman had still been alive,he would have got 10 years.I had forgot that the Europa Breadvans were Renault powered  ( usually with limited power ) crap cars but good earners.Elan’s were good,but expensive and way over book to buy and I might have only had a couple of them.The Breadvans were far more lucrative.

[petrol head 46]

21 hours ago, trade vet said:

Watched a good BBC documentary about him on YouTube channel last night.What a character,his finance guy got 4 years and the judge said if Chapman had still been alive,he would have got 10 years.I had forgot that the Europa Breadvans were Renault powered  ( usually with limited power ) crap cars but good earners.Elan’s were good,but expensive and way over book to buy and I might have only had a couple of them.The Breadvans were far more lucrative.

Could you kindly post a link to the BBC documentary. 

[trade vet 703]

3 hours ago, petrol head said:

Could you kindly post a link to the BBC documentary. 

Link ? Posting on here and sending emails on my iPad is about the extent of my digital knowledge,I will try and get my daughter to do it.The BBC documentary is called The Secret Life of Colin Chapman and there might be one or two more mini docs about him on YouTube.

[metcars 397]

19 hours ago, petrol head said:

Could you kindly post a link to the BBC documentary. 

It’s on YouTube I think. The problem is that ‘experts’ are paid to give opinions? But for more accuracy try his official autobiography by ‘jabby’ Crombac. 

Edited February 21, 2021 by metcars

[trade vet 703]

38 minutes ago, metcars said:

It’s on YouTube I think. The problem is that ‘experts’ are paid to give opinions? But for more accuracy try his official autobiography by ‘jabby’ Crombac. 

£30 on Amazon ? The BBC documentary features his colleagues and an interview with De Lorean and includes great old footage from Jim Clark days.It will be quite accurate I think,most of the contributors liked him even though he was ‘double dodgy’ , they just regarded him as a flawed genius.

[petrol head 46]

On 2/20/2021 at 6:27 PM, trade vet said:

Link ? Posting on here and sending emails on my iPad is about the extent of my digital knowledge,I will try and get my daughter to do it.The BBC documentary is called The Secret Life of Colin Chapman and there might be one or two more mini docs about him on YouTube.

Cheers, easy to find, I was being a lazy so and so:

Edit to say I watched this last night and it was a compelling watch, I did not realize how Chapman worked, won't say anymore as I don't want to spoilt it for those who may be interested.

 

Edited February 23, 2021 by petrol head