engine and drivetrain SOT:Barn Find

[RussTii]

While talking to an old SCCA friend recently I heard the following story:

His son-in -law found an old Lotus IX in a barn and was considering restoring it for vintage racing but it had been hacked up for an engine transplant that never happened. Son-in-law finds a Lotus expert in England who tells him he can restore it back to it's original glory. And asks him what are the chassis numbers stamped on the front suspension. Apparently there were no numbers which with other identifying features led the English expert to conclude the barn find was either Chassis #1 or 2 as brought over by Colin Chapman for an early race effort (Sebring ?). Son-in-law realizes he doesn't have the $ for an appropriate resurrection/restoration so the English restorer finds him a buyer in France who buys the car for $90K and sends it to the English restorer. Great story but it gets better.

A couple years go by and the Son-in-Law gets a phone call. The car has been restored and is now just as it was in the mid fifties. The French owner wants to run it in the LeMans classic which precedes the standard Le Mans and they need a 3rd driver. Would he be interested in driving this Lotus at Le Mans ? Son-in-law takes his SCCA license and gets the necessary FIA license and does it. And apparently has pictures to prove it. Talk about stepping in it and getting lucky !!

[PSloan]

90 k and a drive at lemans? Sounds like a good find to me.

[Delia]

Wow!

That's a great story!

I know a guy who writes for Motor Trend and also for Motor Trend Classics.

It would be great to see this story in print.

Contact me off board, and I can forward your information to him.

Cheers!

Delia

[InkaSteve]

There is a great book out about "barn finds" called The Cobra in the Barn. http://www.motorbooks.com/Store/ProductDetails_32540.ncm Has lots of stories like that. Saw it at "Barnes" and Noble.. Motorbooks.Com is one of our FAQ Affiliates.