on 12/11/01 11:12 AM, john donohoe at gt6driver@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> I am also fascinated by the racing history of the
> early cars like yours, Brett. So what else have we got
> here?
>
Okay, seeing my name in print always inspires me. I have a 1957 Lotus
Eleven, #275, ex-works Sebring 1957 (also ran there in 58 & 59 and at Spa in
1957). I bought it in the Golden Age of the Cheap Sports Car -- 1971, while
a junior in high school. It ran for the first time under my ownership in
1997 and has run every now and then since -- Mid-Ohio and IRP last year.
I rebuilt a couple of wrecked Renault powered Europas in the mid-1970s, when
there were a lot of wrecked Europas. A Lotus guy once told me that there
were two kinds of Lotus: ones that were wrecked and ones that were going to
be wrecked.
I also bought a 7 America (BMC A-block) in 1973 (?) for $1000. Brought it
home in a U-Haul. I don't remember the chassis number. Painted it orange,
then red. I sold it while attending Kings College University of London, in
part to pay for the new nose, tail and cowl for the Eleven made by Len
Pritchard in early 1976 -- wait for it all three pieces totalled under
$1500.
I bought a new Caterham 7 in 1980 with a twincam. It has around 4500 (yes,
4500) miles on it and the engine is currently out and apart -- third time!!!
It is Hemi Orange and doesn't seem to have a chassis number. It was titled
as an "Assembled Vehicle," which in Indiana means it didn't have meet safety
or emissions standards -- pretty spiffy.
I'm on the list because of the above and there really didn't seem to be any
other place to be, except the vintage race list. I'm also on the Friends of
Triumph list and 356 Porsche list, but that would require additional verbage
to explain.
Brett Johnson
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