I have owned it for nearly 7 years, It is my 3rd Lotus Sunbeam.
1. MGH 760V I owned when I was in the RAF (1980's) and drove it to Gibraltar where it lived for 3 years. Unfortunatly Black Car Spanish heat and no AC was not the easiest thing to live with, but I loved it. No one knew what to make of it when all they usually saw was the back of it as I blasted up the coast. Brought it back to UK and kept it for another year before the cost of 1st House and 2 kids caught up with me. Almost cried when I sold it.
2. LDH 594V Didn't strictly belong to me as the Navigators name was on the log book. We built the car up from scratch into a works look-a-like with all the toys. Unfortunatly the words LOTUS stand for Load Of Trouble Usually Serious rang true. 500 prep miles but it only lasted 8 stage miles before the dredded oil surge said goodbye to the crank. With the cost of a Lotus rebuild coming in way over budget we swapped it out and fitted a C20XE engine and Quaiff type 9. What a transformation 197BHP drivable and very competative. The next desaster came when the owner took my wifes side in the devorce and with it his car. He then promptly emigrated and I found he sold it through a 3rd party, Not to me!!! I did see it again and it now lives in Scotland. The new owner has put a Lotus back in it and last I saw it did was on the RAC last year.
3. DAC 19Y Was bought just before the divorce in the sole intension of being a replacement (in my name) for LDH. From the start I new I did not want the lotus engine and could not afford the re-gear on a ZF box. So I sold the engine, box in fact almost everything apart from the shell. I actually made a £1000 profit on the parts and was left with a shell, lights, bumpers etc. I have built a new engine which is another C20XE but this time gone to town on it and guess it is in the region of £10k. Dry sump, direct to head taper throttle bodies, new rods, pistons, solid lifters, new Cams, light weight fly wheel and competition clutch and hope it will be 250bhp+. Again through a Quaiff Type 9 and then to a strengthened fully floating Atlas axle with ZF LSD and a 4.6 CWP. It is turrestted with Billies all round and bespoke linkages all Left/Right hand thred rose joints. Outlaw Billett brakes front and rear and coil over on the front. Adjustable arms and (yet to make) drag links that adjust. Top of the struts are fully adjustable with Nissan Skyline tops. Inside has carbon dash and intenal alloy foam filled tank. All in all I think so far I have spent £20k but dont tell the new WTB. Basically I have spent the last 6 year building a house and building and collecting bits and now it was time to get the shell dipped. That was the result and by god its a good shell. I was scared I was gonna get back a tea bag but its solid, really solid. I guess the purist will hate me for changing the engine but just think one less DAC car as a lotus makes theirs more valuable. I have some pics if people want to see let me know..
Kev
Yanmarman ; Thanks for the PM. Tried to reply but have not got enough Posts to my name and it wont let me...
get all those pics up when you can
Kev sounds like a real nice thing you have there, & who really gives Sh*t about the Purists
Just don't mention the word its not the original engine or its a re-shell your car do as you are !!!!!!
Last edited by Yanmarman; 30-06-2013 at 13:36.
Nice instillation that kev !
even better with the straight strut brace could never understand why they made them with take offs to the heater plenum as they only bend /buckle the heater plenum been nothing to tie into apart from a 1mm swg into open void .
struts look well if you need any of the stub axle collars I have theses . are they fitted with interference fit ? or just tack welded on to the stub?
Last edited by Yanmarman; 30-06-2013 at 14:24.
Thats a very nice shell....should be the nuts when finished. There are plenty of non standard Sunbeams about and it is up to you what you do with with your car . My car has non original seats because I like them and its the same for you. Just get it back up and running and give them Escorts a run for their money.
What sort of power are you looking at for the C20XE?
I will be happy with anything above 250BHP. Should make it ..... Interesting....
Hi I owned A515 EPC back in the 80s so its nice to see it still going strong . Hopefully here is a photo of it c 1986
Awsome piccies guys, thanks for posting, takes me back a bit(I'm 47!!).
tabs
Think I would like to start a thred on here for my Sunbeam build but how?
Go for it........its dead easy.
From the main forum choose the section you want it in, say ' Your Cars' and at the top of the page is a blue box with ' + Post New Thread' ? Click on that , put in a title in the 'title box' and then type away in the big box what you want to say. Looking forward to some more Sunbeam content.
X 2 if it's an on going project put it in projects and restorations look forward to seeing it
Old skool forever
Just don`t tell the wife
how much it really costs!
Hi could you text your mobile as I might take your glass cheers Steve
Hi! Yes we can sort you out with an engine & a box service-yanmar@hotmail.co.uk
Regards
email sent
Thanks
Bonjour,
First I would like to wish to all of you a happy new year 2014.
I would like to ask you a question about the Ektor boss model 1379 because I didn't manage to find the answer...
Is this boss double drilled (70mm PCD 6 Hole and 74mm PCD 6 Hole ) ?
Like this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Steering-W...-/310521666639
I would like to use it in my Talbot Samba for a Luisi steering wheels...
Thank you in advance for your answer.
Regards.
MB
Last edited by oeuch; 02-01-2014 at 13:57.
Hi guys, i am new to this forum, currently undergoing a sunbeam lotus resto, although not original. I am looking to install a saab turbo engine, but i am interested in the engine mounts you have used for the c20xe as its the same pattern for a saab. are the mounts something you have fabricated or can you buy them from someone?
I also have x2 complete lotus 911 engines and a complete zf s5-18 gearbox (standard lotus sunbeam) if anyone is interested then let me know.
Any help would be appreciated.
Use to own DAC66Y some time ago wish still did! is it still out there?
looking like it's alive
The vehicle details for DAC 66Y are:
Date of First Registration
01 02 1983
Year of Manufacture
1983
Cylinder Capacity (cc)
2172cc
CO₂ Emissions
Not Available
Fuel Type
PETROL
Export Marker
N
Vehicle Status
SORN in place
Vehicle Colour
BLUE
Vehicle Type Approval
Not Available
I remember a sunbeam back in the late 80s with an XE fitted, used to be rallied by a chap called JOHN TAR, very quick and competitive back then
Car still looks stunning... Enjoy the summer...
The difference between men and boys... is the price of their toys!!!!
Cheers bud, hopefully your one will be finished soon and you can enjoy it as well.
Very nice.... I had one that was breathed on by Skip Brown Cars..... Brill bit of kit
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