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I'm on top of the world, Ma!


bsimon

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Bob,

 

Congrats to you (and your Seven VX)! Your car looks great in the lead photo in Peter Egan's March R&T article on LOG 27, and it's indisputable proof that we made it to the top of Independence Pass (12,095 ft. altitude, by the sign). That was a great trip!

 

Tom

 

 

 

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I wonder if this is going to get Peter back into a Lotus?

One of his current projects is the restoration of an Elan.

 

Bob's car is certainly a beauty. There are a couple more pictures of it posted here:

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=1929

 

I still haven't received my copy of the March R&T. :banghead: The February issue just showed up a week ago.

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get Peter back into a Lotus?

 

Keith,

 

Peter seemed quite enamored with your Westfield/Miata. I would not be surprised if someday he ordered one of the kits. He does have a bit of experience with Westfields having built an XI years back.

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Duh, I forgot about the Elan. He even mentions it in the article, and we talked about it before his trip.

 

I remember the Westfield build vividly, and Peter brought it up a few times. Who knows, maybe he will end up in a Westie. Or maybe it's not difficult enough and he'll buy another basket case 7 with a bent frame.

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Keith,

 

Peter seemed quite enamored with your Westfield/Miata. I would not be surprised if someday he ordered one of the kits. He does have a bit of experience with Westfields having built an XI years back.

 

A scan of that sidebar on the Westfield (bottom bar I suppose) is over on the Flyin Miata web forum:

 

http://www.westfieldmiata.com/viewtopic.php?t=236

 

http://usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/546292949_RoadAndTrackArticle.jpg

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While I must admit to a "slight" bias in favor of 7's, I still think your beautiful green and yellow car, next to all the other Lotus models, makes them all look like just so many near-misses. The Seven, tho, is perfect.

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Kitcat,

 

I hope you'll admit, though, that the blue-green and silver original Lotus Elite in that photo is exquisitely beautiful -- not as a car, but as a piece of rolling sculpture! And, as Peter Egan wrote, "a fragile ecstasy."

 

Tom Meacham

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Yes, the Elite does get my vote for prettiest, esp in the green livery shown just above. It was partially obscured in the R &T photo and painted a two tone color (Whaaaa?). So my eyes were drawn to the Seven which, while spectacular, wouldn't be my number one.

 

In fact I have no trouble casting my vote for the Elite as the most gorgeous sports car of all time.

 

Does anyone else besides me remember the article R & T did on the Elite when it went out of production (in approx 1962)? I recall a 2 page picture of a rust colored Elite sitting on a red or orange brick road. It was stunning! My memory is probably off a bit since it has been 46 or so years. But I still remember feeling a great loss that such a car would cease production before I had a chance to buy it.

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Kitcat,

 

The Lotus Elite photo and tribute you are recalling in Road & Track was June 1964, p. 52. The car was actually a cream color, on a red brick floor. This same photo is on the cover of Brooklands Books' "Lotus Elite 1957-1964."

 

Many Elites came with a light-colored roof (usually silver) over a darker body. Some believe this denominated the Super 95, Super 100, and Super 105 limited-edition models tuned by an independent UK tuner, but I'm not sure about that.

 

The biggest car-related mistake I ever made in my life was passing up a disassembled 1964 Lotus Elite in Anchorage for $10,000 in 1986. Turns out is was a Super 95 with ZF gearbox, oversized aluminum racing fuel tank and snap-top filler, and oil-cooler scoop under the nose (as well as the NACA duct in the bonnet).

I was just getting interested in them at the time, and felt I didn't know enough to take the plunge. I even visited Mike Ostrov in California to discuss it, but was too chicken (and had two kids in junior high at the time).

 

Attached are a few Elite photos from LOG 27 in Aspen last fall.

 

Tom

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1912336817_DSC_0337.JPGhttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/2019797841_DSC_0217.JPGhttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1813408570_DSC_0313.JPG

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Tom:

 

Thanks for the refresher! Sounds like you have access to that particular R & T-or a photographic memory? I have a few semi-moldy early R & T's from '63-64 still lying around but not that one.

 

An Elite in a basket truly would have been a project. Especially since it was put in a basket for a reason. But it is so pretty. Maybe you could have just reassembled it in non-running condition and just looked at it:)?

 

Mike

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I was able to get my first and so far onlya ride in an Elite at LOG 27. It was in the yellow car. Sweet. A Type 14 Elite may be our next hobby car. My list of fantasy next cars, some very much a fantasy are:

Lotus Type 14 Elite

Lotus Type 51

Ferrari Daytona

Westfield 11

Ferrari Mondial

Healy Bug Eye Sprite

Triumph TR250

some are more a fantasy than others.

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Kitcat,

 

I have subscribed to Road & Track Magazine since August 1958. I have since filled out the year 1958. I have kept every monthly issue of R&T dating from January 1958. Most of them are on a shelf 10 steps from where I am now typing.

 

So it's easy for me to "refresh" my old memory any time I need to...

 

Tom

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