History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[Clive Brown]

I am a little puzzled by this talk of engine numbers, as I would have thought that new cars were supplied as rollers only so that the customer could fit an S2000 motor from his or her chosen tuner. The better-heeled teams did tend to carry spare motors with them, so engine numbers might in any case be swapped from meeting-to-meeting. Furthermore, did most tuners not build motors from parts? If so, would the block even have an engine number?

Perhaps the motor that Owen installed in the car was not the same one with which it came to Paul; it could be that Paul still has that original Pinto, rather than the one with which he sold it to Dennis.

[911thillclimber]

From my Lola list of 490/492's, only 27 of the 101 cars were rollers. all had gearboxes.

The engine that came with the dark red Lola to Paul is in the barn. The engine that went in the Lola re-build by Owen for Paul was another Pinto.

I (dangerously) assume the barn engine is the factory engine.
If so, then that will be Bingo as i can trace it to it's HU number.

I'm surprised the car was so beaten-up.
When Paul got it it must have been in 1983 or 4 so maybe just 3 years old.

I am in Paul's hands now.

I need to go down to his place (have the address) and get the front shell and see/buy the engine for the number.

To come back with the Spec sheet would be so good esp if the engine number matches the HUXX on the spec sheet.
I'm working on Mrs Hillclimber to go next Saturday.

Tied-up this weekend or I would be going now.

So very close to a conclusion.

There were 9 'Red' Lola's sold with large tube frames.
All but 2 went to HAAS.

One to Sweden, one to Holland.

Red usually means 'post-office-red' to me not Dark Red, so I think it was sprayed Dark red.

The Caribbean graphics must mean something.

[paulSenna]

Some S2000 races in 1981 were sponsored by Caribbean Airways I seem to remember.

[911thillclimber]

Thank you for your pm.

Paul has found on picture of some S2000's fighting it out and there are several cars from 1980 with 'Caribbean Airways' large stickers on the bodywork.

So this all exists.
Need to research those races and entry lists!

One 492 is red (not dark) more the tone of my current bodywork run by Bell & Colvill and driven by Peter Hall.

In 1980 this car was almost new, yet the car Paul had and was restored (my car) was "tatty" and needed a full re-build. This was before 1985 when it was sold to Len & Dennis.

Paul said the previous owner of the car had been killed racing or testing an Austin Healey. Does this ring bells?

[Dan Rear]

Royal Caribbean is a cruise line still operating, I'm sure.

Caribbean Airways, I don't think is. However I've got a prog from Mallory 28-3-82, the meeting was the "Caribbean Airways Race Day". They specifically backed the
S2000 race, The Caribbean Airways Trophy, the trophy taking the form of a model DC10 (not a crashed one I hope!!). According to notes in the prog this was 'one of four meetings at MCD circuits this year, I guess 1 at each of Brands, Mallory, Snett and Oulton. The race was won by Fulmar Taylor's Royale from John Morrison's March.

There were 4 T492 entered as follows : Peter Newman from Redhill, Peter Hall from Bourne (Bell & Colvill), Chris Ashmore from Tipton, and John Tait from Wokingham. No colours quoted, though I recall the Hall car was red of some shade.

I hope some of this helps!

[Nordic]

I would imagine the Bell car is the same one they later used in thundersports?

That was red but I think still racing when 911's car was sitting in a barn. i think I saw a picture of it a while back somewhere on this thread. I doubt a bell and colville car would ever be sold in such a bad state as discribed.

Odd fact, the bell and Colville car was entered in the Brands 6 hours in 1980, also in this race was Alan Humberstone!

http://www.racingsportscars.com/cove...980-03-16e.jpg

[paulSenna]

The Bell and Colvill car was first mentioned on this grand thread in post 60. Unless you've had a new roll over bar on your chassis, it's not yours. The Bell and Colvill car had additions to the bar to increase its height.

[Clive Brown]

I believe that the car went to 911thillclimber with a roll cage for a VW Karmann Ghia body fitted, so sadly, I don't think the raised roll hoop that the Bell and Colvill T492 had can offer us any clues.

[paulSenna]

Originally Posted by Clive Brown

I believe that the car went to 911thillclimber with a roll cage for a VW Karmann Ghia body fitted, so sadly, I don't think the raised roll hoop that the Bell and Colvill T492 had can offer us any clues.

Ah yes, of course. This car is still in the frame to be the one! The Caribbean Airways sticker is a big clue here now.

[911thillclimber]

The Bell car is a 'post office red, and Paul said his Lola (my lola) was with a dark red body. He changed it to Orange to match the factory front.

The dark red could have been paint over something. Bit of a boring colour to paint a race car? Lola only did a 'red'.

The Caribbean airways is good because it shows the car was in England in 1982 and good enough to race in a good condition (it obviously passed scrutineers)

I think it was crashed. Either in the racing of 1982 or just after.
This would give the car 'time' to go downhill enough to need a full rebuild.

Paul said Owen fitted new side pods and the front body shell was obviously too far gone to repair, hence buying the new front end from the factory.

My car came to me from Mike Inglis with a new roll hoop middle and front ('dashboard') commissioned by Mike to Lola spec size, the Ghia body and hoop all scrapped just after he had it. Shame in many ways, because the front hoop sometimes were stamped with the chassis number !!!

Tony and John Sch must have removed them for the Ghia custom cage.

I have emailed Paul but no answers so far, will call him tomorrow (don't want to be a pest), but i think i need to go down to his place, get the old front body and get the engine back too or at least read the engine number.
Be nice to get the original engine for sure.(might end up with it in the car!)

If I can come back with the engine number and the spec sheet tallying then i have the evidence to claim the chassis number from Lola.

Oh so close now. Can this be true?

Be just my luck that the number is on someone else's car after all this work!

We must remember that someone took the chassis plate off this car after Tony/John's reworking.

You only do that to sell the plate or to 'lose' the car's id.

Through all this history, I do not sense that the car was stolen right along the line. I have had my doubts at times but not now.

I do think my car's plate is on a race car, what a dissapointment that will be.

[911thillclimber]

And another tweak!

Could be the owner previous to Paul came from Sayers Common, Sussex.

[911thillclimber]

And yet another tweak in the form of a massive email about the possible operation of the car in 82/83 ish.

Clive: pm with you.

Need to sort all the detail before any conclusions drawn, but the Bell & Colville car is getting some attention.
This red car raced in the Caribbean series, there is the pic to prove it, just who drove it then is the question.

Off to marshal at the Club's autotest today.
Lola getting fresh slicks at the insistance of Mrs Hillclimber and the car's first shake-down is in 2 weeks time.
No replies from Paul so far for the numbers!

[paulSenna]

Martin Colvill would be the man to tell you who drove his car. Some races were two driver races at that time so Martin, Peter Hall or A.N.other could be the ones.

[Nordic]

Did bell and colvill own the car or did Pete Hall? They sure got their money worths out of it. S2000, 6 hour races and thundersports.

Hall was still entering races in a Lola as late as 83. Did he maybe buy it from them?

Sayers common is close to Brighton, and where I live. Rob creswell was running cars from that area. Don't think he ever raced sports 2000, but he may have traded it or prep'ed it for another local.

Looked thu some old programs for that era and can't see any driver in any class listed from sayers common. But I am sure I have seen one somewhere. Local drivers always stuck in my mind!

[911thillclimber]

All these addresses are in and around the Brighton larger area.
It must have been a hot-bed of racers for sure!

I hope Paul will reply to my emails soon or i will call him to arrange to go down and get the front body which should have a race number on it, hence the driver/entrant can be found, but above all the engine number and the car spec sheet with all the gear ratios etc on it must take me to the chassis the engine is from.
I have the Lola factory reference sheets with engine/box numbers to every chassis.

From the body in dark red we can find the true gel colour too.

It will be a few weeks before i can get down to the 'farm'

[XRS]

I bought a modsports sprite back in 1975 from a mushroom farmer at Henfield, but his name was Paul Burton. Don't know if this helps, I have an address and company name.

[911thillclimber]

Thanks XRS, but I know the Paul who had the farm where he sold my Lola from, just need to call/contact him to get down there without making a pest of myself and my impatience!

[Clive Brown]

It is most likely that the car was sold by Lola Cars Limited in 1978, so therefore it was around seven years old when Dennis bought it (from Paul?) in 1985. Whilst we cannot assume that the front Paul still has was that with which the car originally came from Lola, it will be interesting to see just what colour the gel coat has. Is the 'dark red' a sprayed paint finish, or is it Lola standard red?

If it's not a stock Lola colour, then surely someone on this Forum will be able to point us towards a dark red Lola in S2000/Thundersports/C2 competition.

Clearly, to take things forward Graham needs to get down to Pyecombe ASAP!

[911thillclimber]

Following a call today to Paul I now have the Chassis number off the data sheet!

Before I reveal it I need to find the owners from Paul in 85 back to the original buyer of the car now I know who it is by name.(but I know nothing about him).

Still things to search out, but quite a turning point to say the least.

Paul will let me have the front body too so i can get down to gel coat and check the colour etc.

He does not have the original engine, but did modify it and sold with the Lola to Alan Humberstone who removed it, possibly to a road car.

We are not out of these woods yet!

[SAMD]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Following a call today to Paul I now have the Chassis number off the data sheet!

Before I reveal it I need to find the owners from Paul in 85 back to the original buyer of the car now I know who it is by name.(but I know nothing about him).

Still things to search out, but quite a turning point to say the least.

Paul will let me have the front body too so i can get down to gel coat and check the colour etc.

He does not have the original engine, but did modify it and sold with the Lola to Alan Humberstone who removed it, possibly to a road car.

We are not out of these woods yet!

Why do you keep driving under the trats sign?

[911thillclimber]

Maybe it should start with a 'P' in my case.
You can see the engine 'opening' its 3 bores up....

The gearbox went AWOL about the same time too..

Will be doing the practice day weekend after this one. It will feel a bit strange starting the season and a bit apprehensive about the season lasting.

Fresh slicks, new overalls and new shoes even

[haggispeed]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Following a call today to Paul I now have the Chassis number off the data sheet!

When do we get to know Graham.....

[911thillclimber]

Tony: you have a pm!

It has been suggested an owner could be Robert Parker.
Any contacts for Robert please?

[wolfhound]

A Robert Palmer raced a T492 at the Brands Hatch 6 hours in 1980 where he finished 15th this would have needed a long range fuel tank. I have no chassis details.

[911thillclimber]

Thank you; every bit of detail counts.

I'm beginning to think this car does not have a long range tank.

It is not a bag tank, a sheet alum tank that has been made to fill the void behind the seat but not the full width of the rear bulkhead. It is short by about 300mm, the space being right behind the driver's seat.

I think there is research needed on the purchaser of the car, Preslerwear/ J. Sadler.