History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis? - Page 18

Peter Dunne · 9 Jul 2009, 07:16 (Ref:2498132)

I have been watching your progress with interest on this thread, and I must congratulate you on what has been achieved so far. The car looks mega and I hope it brings you much enjoyment.

driftwood · 9 Jul 2009, 07:45 (Ref:2498148)

it certainly need the 908 wing fins and maybe a small rear wing to finish it off the body line
paint it silver and it will look the Biz

911thillclimber · 9 Jul 2009, 11:45 (Ref:2498276)

That is the winter plan.
Sent the pics to Tony Harman (Haggispeed) who did a lot to the tub in 87 ish and he is well chuffed that it lives and I kept all his hard work intact!

I just need some gear selection control now, so some tricks needed at the gearbox end...
Mrs 911 iHillclimber is well used to a smelly monday, but that was 'climbing my hot Impreza. I think it will take to tuesday to clean thing this time round!

911thillclimber · 9 Jul 2009, 21:25 (Ref:2498640)

Thanks incidentally for all the kind words on the car. the pics flatter it and my workmanship!

So far a very engrosing project, and at times very very hard to keep going.

I hope it will pay me back as well as my hotrod 911.
I must also say that without 10/10th of all the web sites I would not have got here so quickly.
I am amaxed at the number of hits on the thread, and that is all part of the fun.

Looked so very innocent back in June 08:

And now:

911thillclimber · 12 Jul 2009, 05:32 (Ref:2499796)

First hillclimb!

Gifted a First in class too...

http://s660.photobucket.com/albums/u...bum_view_click

911thillclimber · 13 Jul 2009, 04:50 (Ref:2500525)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Smh...&feature=email
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx6Uw...&feature=email

911thillclimber · 13 Aug 2009, 05:36 (Ref:2520606)

Managed to loose the car at Loton Park hillclimb at the fastest section and after a long slide through the weeds ended up using a brick wall to stop.
No too much damage to the important bits, but the expensive body is worse for wear, so no excuses for cutting and widening it now!

So: why did it so very suddendly take off?

After a lot of searching (ignoring pilot error of course) the car was very twitchy at speed (actually got 3rd gear this time) and this trew me off without a skid mark on the track.

The rear end had 9mm of toe out on full compression and 4mm on full droop....it was simply rear wheel steering itself on undulating track surfaces.

Now all fixed, and I have a change of toe in of 20 mins through the 3'' suspension travel.

Shelsley Walsh hillclimb this weekend, so a steady drive needed to re-gain some confidence and get used to it some more.

Quite a moment, and its been years since my last serious off in the 911.

Must try harder in all areas of this car.

delta · 13 Aug 2009, 06:24 (Ref:2520616)

Good on you 911 this country needs more people like you. Have fun.

911thillclimber · 15 Aug 2009, 21:01 (Ref:2522046)

That is a very kind compliment!

Ran the Lola at Shelsley today and it was much less darty and even changed into 3rd with ease.
Had a lot of compliments about the car which is very encouraging.

The winter list of things to do/modify is getting larger, but I'm naffed-off with the webers and their popping and banging already.

Fuel injection becons!

Will squeeze the car a lot harder tomorrow, but I hope to keep out of the dreaded banks and the ravine that run along side this treacherous hill climb.

911thillclimber · 3 Sep 2009, 17:23 (Ref:2533925)

Shelsley went well except the brakes started to drag, but I actually have 4 gears on command.
I've just finished the 2009 hill season now, and the car will come apart for checking and a few tidy-ups and a few mods.

Have I ever learnt a lot, been very very frustrated at times, and over joyed at others. Been in the local news papers so my ego is sort of addressed too!

I have a good list of things to get done now till April 2010; a bit of an easy run in the winter garage for 6 months, easy compared to this time last year when I had not started the build!

I hope to continue the reporting on this little car and I hope I have not bored too many with the mini-blog.

Finish straight at Shelsley:

bob k. · 3 Sep 2009, 18:20 (Ref:2533964)

Graham, I have enjoyed following your rebuild/design of the Lola. Thanks for sharing with us and hope all goes to plan over the winter and you come out strong next season. Please continue to give us your updates and progress over the coming months.

cheers bob k.
Lola T490 HU4

911thillclimber · 3 Sep 2009, 19:28 (Ref:2534016)

I thought you had dissapeared!
Thanks for the kind words. I guess doing reports is fun, but it is great to know it makes a smile in this grey world we have today!

Now; where's the MIG welder?

Graham.

driftwood · 3 Sep 2009, 21:48 (Ref:2534104)

bob k
is it you who said they had toleman lola S2000?
i was reading either my 78 or 78 Autosports and i saw the car for sale along with 1 of the toleman teams F2 cars

bob k. · 3 Sep 2009, 22:41 (Ref:2534123)

No, my car is the ex Divina Galica, Kelly Girl sponsored car that was apparently owned by Brands Hatch or one of its branches. I am still looking for information as to where the car went in 1978, I suspect it was to "Pancho" Webb but am unable to confirm this. Any info anyone?

bob k.

Thundersports · 3 Sep 2009, 23:18 (Ref:2534134)

Who was "Pancho Webb" to clear up one of my nagging mysterys.........

bob k. · 4 Sep 2009, 04:16 (Ref:2534187)

A google search for John Pancho Webb will show that he was an S2000 competitor in the initial 1977 season and into the mid early 80's

I have read that the "Pancho" came from his large moustache (see Pancho Villa)

911thillclimber · 4 Sep 2009, 05:53 (Ref:2534198)

It was Tony Dickinson who told me he bought the Toleman T 490 from Fred Toleman for his Skoda. (T 490 HU6).
Until Alan Humberstone called, I thought my car was this chassis, but it is written off.

Nordic · 4 Sep 2009, 06:45 (Ref:2534210)

Very much enjoyed the ongoing story or the car, keep us up to date with progress please.

Well done for getting it onto track and hoping for much success in 2010!

driftwood · 4 Sep 2009, 07:57 (Ref:2534236)

1 I did see advert for kelly girl lola as well in 78 either wendy markey or juliette slaughter raced the Divi G lola with kelly girl livery there was an article on that as well in AS I also saw Pancho webb adverts selling his Lola s2000 cant recall if it was 490 or 492 car
suggest you acquire 77 78 79 80 Autosport collection look on Ebay or i willask my book shop man if he has any left to sell

2911 lola a sfar as i am concerned yr retubbed lola 490 is still in line to be HU6 just cos it has a tub from another car doesnt mean yr hu6 lost its ID
looking at 1985 AS last night for no logical reason i saw lola T492 for sale in Herne Bay that was October 85 so it goes to show you cars ar eall over the place
what year was the Ghia rebuilt?

911thillclimber · 4 Sep 2009, 11:31 (Ref:2534335)

The Humbersone Ghia rebuild would be about 1985/6 at a guess. I've emailed Tony Harman to ask if he can recall the dates he did the work on Alan's car.

As to retaining the T 490 mark, I would love to, but Lola Heritage register will not accept this. I am happy that I told them as I would hate it for someone to have the T 490 HU6 on their car and an argument ensue. Don't have the patience for that stuff.

This is why I see this ID of the Donar car as unfinished business. I still find it strange that there is no witness mark of a chassis plate on the tub.

Graham.

driftwood · 4 Sep 2009, 12:28 (Ref:2534366)

1 reason why the tub has no witness marks is maybe it was not fitted with plate ie new tub unused or fitted to car but plate not fitted
2 Lola Heritage can be pain in the butt and its best not to tell them anything abot car

911thillclimber · 4 Sep 2009, 13:34 (Ref:2534414)

I thought the same about the tub, sort of a spare factory tub, but the general condition of the sheet metal is too 'patina'd' to say it is 'new' The underside especially looked as if it had been dragged over a 1000 garage floors, hence the need for 80 new rivits. BUT, also there is small damage to the one corner with a repair to the bulkhead ages ago, again it has new rivits placed ages ago and they were the high tensile ones that are a killer to drill out.

I hope Tony Harman will reply to my email.(soon)

As to the chassis number, I know the car's roots, and the car has little value as it stands except to me as a hillclimb special, and was so far modified it could not qualify for the S2000 historic series.

driftwood · 4 Sep 2009, 14:49 (Ref:2534456)

the fact it does not qualify as a S200 is irrelevant 1 set of wheels rear uprights mk9 pinto motor and hey presto

the tub may have been just a tub not a "car" when the Ghia was rebuilt after the crash so maybe lola T490/2 car has crashed had new tub plate fitted to that and this is the old tub repaired parked in the spares room somewhere?!?

911thillclimber · 4 Sep 2009, 16:00 (Ref:2534491)

Very plausble!

It must be something like that. The bulkhead repair ( a side panel that closes off the drivers side side pod is not a 'factory' repair, but not a bodge job either. In the top of the side pod is a home cut cover plate as if it has at some time been opened up as a store , ie for big battery/tank of some sort.
The cover is not with quick release buckles but 20 small screws.

This all must have been done when the Ghia body went on.
Here is the repair: Almost all the holes you can see are none Lola. The repair is on the extreme right.

911thillclimber · 4 Sep 2009, 16:49 (Ref:2534509)

Just gone back through zillions of emails to trace some of the conversations over the last months:

The Car was built for Alan Humberstone by Tony Harman and John Schneider in 1986. It took them 12 months.
The Ghia body was made for the car off Dr Enderby's moulds in 1986.
Alan raced the car 2 or 3 times then it was stored in an attic in Kent.after the crash.

When the car was bought it was the Ted Toleman T 490 HU6 car, raced by Tony Dickinson with 3 Skoda bodies, and Harry Humberstone bought the Lola off Tony D with a 2 litre Hart engine. Harry sold this engine for a 1600 Cossie.

Brian at Autoquip bought the CRASHED car out of storage with no engine.

Mike Ingles bought the cossie equipped car off Brian in 2006.

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