Thread: Elfin Clubman

YOU BArSTewARD!!!
That is my ultimate dream vehicle...
I have drooled over clubman cars since I was a young bloke.
I was going GaGa over 4 at the Mt Gambier hillclimb and had a good yarn with one of the owners. He had hooked a motorcycle trailer to the back of his and riven it round Australia.
Lovely lovely vehicle!

Ah... sorry mate......nah not really

Great little beastie but I could not imagine driving around Australia in one

The few times I have driven on major roads I was terrified I can tell you the trucks look mighty big from down there.

Good fun on a track but

Originally Posted by Christopha

YOU BArSTewARD!!!

I'd still like to build a clubman.

Nice job Mike, do you still own it?

Unfortunately no.....traded an MGA on it, which was sold to upgrade the kitchen..........come to think of it how did I let that happen and then boats took over after that.

Oh well such is the fabric of life.

Yep sweet toy. A mate of mine here in Hobart used to have a locally made version (Lucalia) made by a local engineer, who unfortunately died of cancer but thats another story. I got to drive it both on the track (which was huge fun) and as well on the road. In a straight line it always felt pretty nervous, but around corners it was brilliant. The engine itself was a humble 1600 Galant motor with twin weber 40 DCOEs and extractors, so nothing much in that, but given the power to weight it was excellent off the lights !!

I still have my two Italian Sportscars plus others and so feel fortunate that I havnt had to sell them to finance the never ending rennos or fund boats. The best boat I have been told is someone elses

I did have a mate though who had to sell his E-Type Jaguar (3.8 fixed head coupe) to fund a new dishwasher and washing machine, to keep his wifey happy. They divorced some years later !! Dave

Lancias?

What about Lancia's ? The car I mentioned was a locally based/designed and built car called a Lucalia, the design base similar to the Elfin and of course the original, Lotus Super 7.

these kits and newer ones still available from the UK about the same vintage as the Bolwell Nigeria another dream car on the return

Like to add my bit in this discussion. I have a 1976 TVR 3000m which has been sitting in the shed for some time. Needs a bit of work on it but what a sweet car. Wishbone spaceframe chassis, double wishbine suspension front and back, vee six three litre and handles like a dream.
Heart is giving trouble and combined with age I'm slowing down a bit so I have offered it to my SIL and grandbrat. Hope they take up the offer.
Also just given my unrestored but totally complete 1926 Armstrong Siddley 14hp to a friend of forty years. Hope to see both vehicles back on the road before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

Jerry

Originally Posted by Horsecroft88

What about Lancia's ? The car I mentioned was a locally based/designed and built car called a Lucalia, the design base similar to the Elfin and of course the original, Lotus Super 7.

Well you were starting to wax lyrical about Italian sportscars. Surely not deTomaso, ferrari, or Lamborghini, so I figured it wasn't a Fiat Bambino, maybe an Alfa Guilletta, but settled on a Lancia, maybe an early HF.

So what is it?

Wheelin, I have a friend just nearby who has 2 Bolwells.

jerryc, you like your British don't you? The TVR is a handful, you must have been a bit of a tearaway.

Originally Posted by jerryc

Like to add my bit in this discussion. I have a 1976 TVR 3000m which has been sitting in the shed for some time. Needs a bit of work on it but what a sweet car. Wishbone spaceframe chassis, double wishbine suspension front and back, vee six three litre and handles like a dream.
Heart is giving trouble and combined with age I'm slowing down a bit so I have offered it to my SIL and grandbrat. Hope they take up the offer.
Also just given my unrestored but totally complete 1926 Armstrong Siddley 14hp to a friend of forty years. Hope to see both vehicles back on the road before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

Jerry

Pic's Jerry please

Originally Posted by prozac

Well you were starting to wax lyrical about Italian sportscars. Surely not deTomaso, ferrari, or Lamborghini, so I figured it wasn't a Fiat Bambino, maybe an Alfa Guilletta, but settled on a Lancia, maybe an early HF.

So what is it?

Wheelin, I have a friend just nearby who has 2 Bolwells.

jerryc, you like your British don't you? The TVR is a handful, you must have been a bit of a tearaway.

Edit located a Kit Car site


Not this one I bet

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qafSN0S9VqU"]YouTube - Nagari 2008 - Bolwell Car Company[/ame]

Prozac,

TVR, at least the 3000m, is a great handling car. Admittedly it is not one for the lead foot who can only stamp on pedals. Slight amount of oversteer which increases as you turn the wick up means that you can twitch it around a corner by gentle throttle movement. Too much and she'll spin. Can remember soon after I bought it going around Sandown. Bolwell Nagari was fast on the straight but on the corners it appeared to handle like a cow in a bog in comparison to the TVR. Maybe I was biased and I know so much is up to the driver. As the guy who taught me to drive in the UK said (he was a racing driver ) "Any one can go fast in a straight line. Cornering sorts out the driver" But equally a good suspension helps.

In my early years I drove Austin Sevens. Now there is a car to teach you what's what. Front transverse leaf spring meant axle could move from side to side. Rear quarter ellipics meant that as you cornered the inside spring shortened and the outside lenghtened. Sort of assisted turning because back axle angled . Add to that no brakes, a clutch that only moved about an inch and gear changing meant double declutching and you had a fun car. One thing it taught me was not to think brakes but always look for an escape road first. Yes I do like Pommie wagons providing they are good

Wheeling,

Car is in the shed and looks woeful at present. Never bothered with photos much in the past. However my TVR was road tested in an Australian motoring magazine back in 1976 and I have a reproduction of the front cover. I try to find it but no promises as I'm just a bit caught up with heart problems at the moment.

Interesting stuff.......Jerry sorry to hear you are parting with the toys it's hard to do.

Speaking of twitchy how about 300Kw......

http://www.elfin.com.au/elfin/2008/ no connection unfortunately