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View Full Version : Elfin Monocoque Type 100 - 1966 Mk2C Mono



SJ Lambert
13th Feb 2019, 01:42 PM
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This Australian National Formula 1 1/2 Elfin Mono has recently received the birthday of all birthdays!!

My Dad was a member of the original build team back in 1966 - we’ve managed to refurbish almost everything - new set of tyres, rings and spark plugs & we’re Good to Go!!

waxen
13th Feb 2019, 05:38 PM
Aircraft riveting, hmm very nice

Chris Parks
13th Feb 2019, 06:26 PM
Gee they were pretty racing cars unlike the monstrosities foisted on us today by F1. What motor and box is in it and are you going to race this in the historics meetings?

SJ Lambert
13th Feb 2019, 10:02 PM
The tub is sealed with aerospace fuselage/tank sealant as the avgas sits between the inner & outer skins.

It has a Mk16 Cosworth motor (a 1.5 litre Lotus Ford Twin Cam) with a Hewland Mk5 gearbox - the same units that were fitted from new.

SJ Lambert
13th Feb 2019, 10:13 PM
It’s next race meeting is currently slated to be at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix - a four day display and parade laps on Sunday morning at 10 am as warm up for the big boys.

Last year at the Grand Prix

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Chris Parks
13th Feb 2019, 10:42 PM
It is great to see these old cars being used as they should be.

wheelinround
20th Feb 2019, 10:57 AM
[emoji1786][emoji24][emoji24][emoji847][emoji849][emoji14] now to wipe the drool off the screen. A young boys dream back then having seen them on the track at Warwick Farm and ay various auto shows of the day. If I'd joined the then Christian Racing club in Sydney in 69 70 they had two if I recall.

Ropetangler
20th Feb 2019, 09:03 PM
Very nice work from an outfit that cut its teeth on building bodies on Morris LD cab chassis to make postal vans fro the P.M.G. so I am led to believe. A fair bit quicker too I would imagine.:)

SJ Lambert
26th Mar 2019, 04:34 PM
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Sunday morning at the 2018 AGP

China
27th Mar 2019, 10:51 PM
I used to live a short walk from the factory, they never seemed to mind letting me watch the magic happen

SJ Lambert
14th May 2019, 08:20 AM
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Peter Knights took this pic at the recent Mallala ANZAC Historics

Hunch
16th May 2019, 09:23 AM
Interesting construction, seems there was a bit of a spaceframe hangover still. A friend is currently rebuilding yet another South Australian racing car product, a Birrana, which hasn't run since the 70s. Other than the millions of clecos, the contrast of just 3 bulkheads compared to the Elfin is funny.

There's another mate attempting his first monocoque nearby, which would be a contemporary of the Elfin. It's not historically eligible, but the remains of a very pretty Mclaren that had a monumental in up in qld in the late 60s forms the basis.

SJ Lambert
18th May 2019, 11:22 AM
Interesting construction, seems there was a bit of a spaceframe hangover still. A friend is currently rebuilding yet another South Australian racing car product, a Birrana, which hasn't run since the 70s. Other than the millions of clecos, the contrast of just 3 bulkheads compared to the Elfin is funny.

There's another mate attempting his first monocoque nearby, which would be a contemporary of the Elfin. It's not historically eligible, but the remains of a very pretty Mclaren that had a monumental in up in qld in the late 60s forms the basis.


There’s a fair connection between Elfin & Birrana - Dad was invited to leave Elfins and go to Birrana when they were setting up, it didn’t happen - he went back to Tassie & Heavy Industry instead

Hunch
19th May 2019, 08:58 AM
There’s a fair connection between Elfin & Birrana - Dad was invited to leave Elfins and go to Birrana when they were setting up, it didn’t happen - he went back to Tassie & Heavy Industry instead

Ha, really all very incestuous that period when you talk to people. Quite naive for all these various micro companies to build pure racing cars for a tiny market back then too, your old man undoubtedly made the correct choice!

SJ Lambert
13th Jan 2020, 02:08 AM
Team Ecurie Lambert got Walter the indexing table out today for some flywheel fun!

SJ Lambert
13th Jan 2020, 02:09 AM
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Michael G
13th Jan 2020, 07:33 AM
... Quite naive for all these various micro companies to build pure racing cars for a tiny market back then too...

Not necessarily - back then there were high tariffs and transport from the UK or US was relatively expensive (containers were just coming onto the scene I think), so local manufacture made sense. We also had companies who didn't mind chasing dreams as there were not all those 'management specialists' intent on maximising profit at the expense of all else.

Just my view.

Michael

Hunch
14th Jan 2020, 08:33 AM
Not necessarily - back then there were high tariffs and transport from the UK or US was relatively expensive (containers were just coming onto the scene I think), so local manufacture made sense. We also had companies who didn't mind chasing dreams as there were not all those 'management specialists' intent on maximising profit at the expense of all else.

Just my view.

Michael

A fair few overseas cars ended up here via dodgy means and abuses of the carnet system....and bits of junk shipped back to the UK, couple of the major constructors could be classed as crims on some of their later more extreme exploits too. Even in the heyday of open wheel in the 60s and early 70s, there's still only a handful of sales yearly, most of these companies struggled to have double digit sales over their entire existence, a triumph of hope over reality, even without the extra costs, most people on a few quid a week would never be able to afford a local factory built car.

The tariffs did give us a lot of special builders, with some near lethal as boat trailers. :D Only really long term "success" stories would be Ron Tauranac, who had to go offshore and Bob Britton, who is still going now for his own pleasure.

Walter looks hefty, luxury, a crane!

SJ Lambert
25th May 2023, 11:45 AM
A couple of pics from recent forays to Rob Roy hill climb events

morrisman
25th May 2023, 02:13 PM
A late friend of mine worked at Repco Research in the late 1950s , they built a special race car with a hotted up Holden grey motor in it, my friend did the porting jobs on the special REPCO heads. The prototype Repco car was used at the filming of ON THE BEACH down at Phillip Island where Fred Astaire was driving . My friend told me he was a scrutineer at the race track filming and Fred Astaire was a very nice bloke.

SJ Lambert
26th May 2023, 11:15 AM
This thread on the Lotus forum has a fair amount of detail showing Dad & I taking the skins off for a freshen up.


https://lotuselan.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=30312

SJ Lambert
4th Aug 2023, 12:12 AM
Bryant Park Club Comp last month

SJ Lambert
8th Sep 2023, 10:37 PM
The drawing at TAFE didn’t have the Elfin emblem, but I like it!

racingtadpole
8th Oct 2023, 09:13 PM
Random question.. realising the picture is four years old.
Where did you buy the zinc chromate primer?