Questions - Can you help?
If you know or can help, please drop me an email and we will go back to the person who raised the question.
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Dear Sirs,
I wonder if you could help me, I have a built up vehicle listed on the original logbook as an Austin Scorpion sports tourer, a petrol engined 747cc 2 seater sports car, chassis, frame or car number being SYCC 113/3144009 and an engine number of M119 167, date of 1st registration 1962.
I have been informed that it could possibly be a Colin Chapman or Brabham, any information you could give me would be much appreciated.
Kind Regards
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Could I please place a request?
I need to buy or borrow a special engine tool. Where they can be obtained etc?
It's called a VALVE SRING COTTER REPLACER [PART NO. A/E 6518 B]
They are a Ford tool for the 100 E side valve engine. There is an illustration on page 12 of the Ford Repair manual covering 1953-61 models including the Anglia, Prefect etc.
I am unable to complete the assembly of my engine and have been looking for years and now quite urgent.
Can anyone help?
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Allow me to introduce myself my late father Peter Springall was the founder of PD Springall Ltd who manufactured Steering wheels both as an OEM and aftermarket supplier under both the Springall and Springalex brands during the late 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
The Company was founded in a small workshop behind the Railway Hotel across the alleyway from the Lotus works After receiving an order to supply steering wheels for the elite and series 2 lotus 7 P D Springall Ltd continued to supply steering wheels both to Lotus cars and Lotus racing Most notably for Jim Clark’s 1965 F1 33, F2 32 and 38 Indy car. My father received one of the initialled knock off wheel nut ash trays which were engraved to commemorate the Historic F1 championship and Indy 500 winning year.
I am in the process of gathering information for a possible history of P D springall ltd and am wondering if you have any historical information on the relationship between Lotus and my Fathers company. Particularly I would be interested in speaking to any Lotus personnel who remember my Father’s business and especially where exactly his workshop was on the site. I believe that he occupied the workshop from founding the Company in 1957 until moving to a larger factory in Hitchin shortly after 1960 and the Lotus move to Cheshunt.
I have attached a photograph of the commemorative ash tray and a picture of my Father outside the Hornsey workshop the date is only approximate
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Dear Mr Duncan,
I am writing to you hoping that you may be able to point me in the right direction. I am currently trying to research my family tree and track down any documentation regarding its history. My reason for writing to you is because of my grandfather Lewis Charles Sheridan and his connection to Colin Chapman... before Lotus.
My Grandfather worked closely with Mr Chapman as my father describes it when they were working from a shed. My grandfather served his apprenticeship at The Austin Motor company between 1924-1929 and then went on to work in their road test department. He served as a mechanic/engineer and co driver in the 1929 Ulster T T Race for which I have documentation for as well as a couple of photographs. He declined to go with Mr Chapman when he was first setting up on his own in favour of financial security for his family.
I am hoping that you may be able to direct me to somewhere I might be able to find more documentation of the time he spent with Mr Chapman as this would be of extreem interest to my father especially as well as giving a fuller picture of his life for the family tree and future generations.
If you can help I would really appreciate it
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Hi Neil
I hope you don't mind me contacting you. I am a member of the Ford Classic and Consul Capri Owners Club and am trying to find out more information about 8 Ford Consul Capris that were apparently modified/converted by Colin Chapman's Lotus team in the 1960s, around 1964-5 most probably.
I have already submitted an enquiry on the main Lotus website but am not hopeful of that getting through to the right people who might know about this topic, so I was wondering if you might be able to find out any more about these cars, or point me in the right direction?
Many thanks and good luck with the museum.
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Neil,
I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking to trace a copy of the original photograph of the two Lotus Elevens finishing the Le Mans 24 Hour Race in 1957.
My Father-In-Law is in the photo and talks continually about how he travelled to the Italy on his Lambretta scooter (stopping off at the 1957 Le Mans and the European Grand Prix) with his then yet to be best man. He's now in his 70s and I'm trying to piece together as much memorabilia as I can. I've managed to obtain the July copy of Motor Sport Magazine that has a copy of this photo on its front cover (he lost his copy years ago), but the quality isn't too great. I've contacted Motor Sport Magazine, who very kindly sent me a scanned copy of the magazine front cover, but they no longer have the actual photographs. I have attached a copy of the image if it helps.
Would you have any knowledge of where I could perhaps get a copy of the original photo please? Any assistant would be greatly appreciated.
Best wishes and many thanks
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Hello Neil
I am helping research a book and wondered if you could assist me on a date.
John Cooper and Colin Chapman where involved in a incident that took place
at Fairoaks Airport in Chobham Surrey April / May 1962. My understanding
is that no-one was hurt however locally it made front page news that such
celebrity had been in a potentially tragic accident. What I require for my
research is the actual date it happened, I hope that as you have the
Muesum dedicated to Colin that you may have this information.
I look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for your
assistance
Best Regards
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Hello, I'm from Mexico city, and I'd like to require some information about a Lotus 18 that i have recently acquired, this car came with 2 dual weber 40's unlike the first series came with 38's.
Do i supose the car had 10 more horse power?
The serial number is: 18J 790 or 79 i'm not certain cause there are little scratches on the ID plate.
The engine number is: 596732F
The chasis number from Arch Motors is: 08/7/83 or 0877183, it seems that the numbers were not well stamped, so it could be, 0877183 so the diagonals and the first numbers could be a 7 and the 1.
i would be very grateful if you can give information regading the history of this vehicule.
Thanks in advance!!!
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Hello Neil,
I do appreciate you sending me the newsletter and I hope you can advance the goal of getting a site and putting up the museum. I enjoyed seeing the early pictures of the Caterham garage. A couple of nice little cars in the background too. I do have a question. I own a Lotus Elite S1 which was originally painted dark blue like the one shown on your home page (with the exception of the silver top). When I restored the car we did the best we could matching that blue and I think did a very good job - but I've always wondered if there was a name to that color. If anyone knows I would love to find out. I may have sent you a picture but I'll attach one just in case.
Thanks again,
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The paragraph in italics below is about the Bristol Aeroplane Company diversifying after WW2.
I am a member of The Bristol Aero Collection (we have a small museum on the airfield at Kemble, and our volunteers also operate the Concord museum at Filton) and are producing a booklet 'A brief history of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's activities to exploit the application of non-metallic materials' and wonder if you could send a high res picture for us to use
In 1957 a detailed design study was undertaken for an all glass composite railway coach based on a monocoque shell. At the time, it was too advanced to be pursued – it was ahead of its time. Other projects which were exploited included unitary moulded car bodies for the Lotus Elite sports car comprising several hundred units. Other applications of glass reinforced resin included racing dinghies which were manufactured in production quantities. A one-off large racing yacht was designed and built for the annual Round the Isle of Wight race which it won. Bristol also produced the bodies for the Nobel compact car.
Thanking you in anticipation
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