T70 Spyder replica build

[john]

Thanks ron for the info. Gerald/moderator is going to post the pictures for me. I would like to have comments/recommendations of any changes that would further perfect the molding for the master. I already had request for body parts for members that own original cars. The cost is not yet determined but will be very reasonable to purchase. I have been aware that some companies will only sell to folks that have serial number plate. This will not be the case.

Regards JOHN

[Gerald Swan]

Pictures posted on John's behalf:

[Johan]

Ron, there were three of them and I have all three. I'm no longer sure which is which but I do have the car in your picture in one form or another. It was Dr. Bob Sparks "Heritage" car (of which there were the previously mentioned three examples) which became the basis for the Gardner Douglass car and later the Can Am Exotics car, and later still the RCR car, however the RCR car uses a different chassis and as you know the work is outstanding. I'm just down the road so I suggest you come and have a look. It may save you some time. You just need to construct an instrument pod.

[Johan]

The picture of John's body (sounds strange that) shows a MK III B Spyder body with headlights chopped into it.
It should not have headlight openings. How thick is the unmolested portion of the fiberglass?

[john]

I thought they had several styles of the MkIII. Some w/ headlight buckets some not. The Sunoco car had a different point nose. So I really don't know about the headlights... still learning. As for the thickness of the fiberglass..don't know.. body is at a different location..But I would imagine that it would be the same as the original cars fact being this is a orignal body. My Body is a little rough but will be worked out for the mold. As for the RCR body, the headlight buckets look the same as my body so I don't understand why you think it was butcherd in. I will get the thickness of the fiberglass and post it for you. It seemed that there were many different variations of the MIII body. Johan? You have vast knowlege about the MIII spyder. I plan on taking in the fender flares in or just remove them totaly. What would you recommend? The air vents on top of the front well will be removed. Other than that, the only change would be to leave or remove the headlight buckets. What would you suggest? I would have liked to have bought a body only from RCR but was informed that RCR "Fran" won't sell. Fran also wished me luck on getting a body and stated that the Folks that make the RCR mold, won't sell to no one that does not own a original serial tag. So that is why I sought out my own body and will make them available to anybody. So forgive my lack of knowlege about the specifics on the body. This is why I'm here. To learn from original owners.


Regards john

[Johan]

Gerald, I will post pictures eventually, but is it not within the capability of the website software to "flick a switch" and host them here ? I have photos on other sites that I could link to , but if the forum reader here is not registered there he can not see the photos.

[Johan]

Your nose is a T70 III B spyder nose and they never came with headlights. I would hang it on a wall or whatever but I never liked that particular nose. It looks even worse with those headlights which do not fit the contours of that nose. I would not remove the vent boxes from the fenders as they might be a clue as to what body you might have off of what car. The reason I ask about the thickness of the fiberglass is to determine if it is an
original body, which was very thin. You might have an original body but it looks in too good of condition to be original. If you can push your finger through the fender, as in poke a hole, it might be original. The paint weighed almost as the body so they did not come with paint. I have a Mark III nose that you would probably prefer as it is really the best looking nose in my opinion. I have several extra . I would leave your rear flairs alone and swap noses for a MK III or MK II nose. By the way, a III B Spyder has nothing in common with a III B coupe.
This is a III B Spyder

[Johan]

This is a T70 III B Spyder as well.

[Ron Earp]

tics car, and later still the RCR car, however the RCR car uses a different chassis and as you know the work is outstanding. I'm just down the road so I suggest you come and have a look. It may save you some time. You just need to construct an instrument pod.

Hi Johan,

Thanks much for the invite, I will take you up on that. I'll give plenty of warning though, that is for sure. I have to go to Atlanta to pick up the Jensen race motor (third one, third time has to be the charm or I'll deem it unracable!) and would combine it then. All three Heritage cars and the rest of your stable would be worth a trip in itself, for sure!

Didn't the DG car have a radical departure with a space frame chassis? I recognized that it had the Heritage shape, but I've never seen one up close and personal.

The pictures of the IIIB spyder pictures help me out considerably in understanding how they all fit into the scheme of "Lola". My wife did not get the Lola and Can Am books I'd selected on Ebay for my birthday so I'm still not as educated as I need to be.

Word is Roebling is going to be slow with the repave, let you know how that goes too if you've not already been.

Ron

[Ron Earp]

Have you found out anything about the thickness of the body? Be interesting to see from where it comes, and, what it was intended for. It has some interesting modifications to it that might be intriging to work with on a street/race car.

Ron

[john]

Ron,

[john]

Ron,

The body is in transit and should arrive this week. The thickness and details will be posted as I get them. The new body fiberglass will be the same as the Rf GT40's because Im pleased with the quality.
I had a very nice phone chat with the the owner of the Sunoco car. He brought up a few points that I did not know. One major point was that the front and rear clip had a notch added for clearence for the big tires. I looked at many original photo's and not all cars had this notch. I will add the notches becasue intend on using the big rubber. I don't plan on having a stock pile of bodies so bodies can be customized on request. Johan was correct that the head lights wells were fabed-in. M IIIB's did not have lights. I am guessing that these were added for SCCA Regs. I have so much to learn about the Lola's and wish I can own a original. It will be nice to sit in the garage and gauk at our faithfull mistresses when it is done.

Regards john

[Johan]

There were several Sunoco cars, 5 or 6.
These are clearance "notches". It would have been better to just cut slots in the fenders and indeed this was a later modification to let air out from under the fenders that builds up at high speeds.

[john]

Thanks for posting the photo. That is Patricks car. .He is the gentleman that I talked too.. Also the the air bleed vent for the brakes I will leave out. I only plan on doing auto cross and touring so I don't think cooling will be a problem. Plus I think it spoils the clean lines.

john

[Johan]

This is a proper headlight MK I nose on a MK II. It is a MK I nose because it has the removable senter section.