Regrettably, I must sell my Lotus Challenge project. My company is transferring me to the west coast and I cannot take it with me. I am offering a great deal only to a GRMer who will finish the project and run it in the Challenge. Challenge veterans preferred. If no GRMer wants it, I can sell the rust free Lotus chassis alone on eBay for more than a grand.
I am offering the car for exactly what I would have to claim on the build budget right now. The car has been stripped down to body and chassis. A lot of bits, interior and such, have been sold off to recover budget. The build plan was to use a Mazda RX-7 rotary engine and transmission to keep the car feather light. Two people can carry the fiberglass body. The bare backbone chassis weights 140lbs. Size wise, this front-engined / rear-drive 1976 Lotus Elite is almost the same width, height, wheelbase, track, and length as a C4 Corvette but half the weight! Plenty of room inside for larger drivers, unlike most Lotus'.
It is a rolling chassis ready for your powertrain of choice and race interior. The car was originally designed for the Rover V8 so almost any powerplant will fit. I also have the Lotus 5-speed for $150 if you would want that. The mesh wheels are 15x8.5 which are the largest that can be fit to the car.
Unlike most '70s Lotus', this car has a rust free chassis so it is a perfect base for the project. There is lots of info about these cars online. It will make a fast and unique Challenge car and not that difficult of a project.
If you are interested, send me a message and we can talk.
JoeyM
Mod Squad
10/27/13 2:37 p.m.
It looks like a good project, but I'm not close enough.
SVreX
MegaDork
10/27/13 3:48 p.m.
Another $20XX Lotus Challenger bites the dust.... 
Hope a Challenger picks it up.
If not, I guess it's back on me. 
Do want. How long do you have before it needs to be gone?
Does it have inboard brakes?
Woody wrote:
Does it have inboard brakes?
Rear brakes are inboard drums. We were converting to inboard rear discs.
JFX001
UltraDork
10/27/13 7:54 p.m.
Would this siren of automotive coolness happen to have a Title, or is it just for track duty?
I thought they had a 4 banger in them? Good deal tho
If it were closer, hot dayum
In reply to Jaxmadine:
Happy Birthday Jax- Yes they came with a Lotus 4 cyl twincam. They dropped the V8 before production started. I do have the block, crank, and pistons but not much else from the original engine.
JFX001 wrote:
Would this siren of automotive coolness happen to have a Title, or is it just for track duty?
No title. This came from the back of a tow yard. Serial numbers match and it is old enough to title on a bill of sale in some states. Not much left here for a street car though...
mndsm
UltimaDork
10/27/13 8:46 p.m.
Argo1 wrote:
JFX001 wrote:
Would this siren of automotive coolness happen to have a Title, or is it just for track duty?
No title. This came from the back of a tow yard. Serial numbers match and it is old enough to title on a bill of sale in some states. Not much left here for a street car though...
I'd bet it could be titled as a kit at this point with the VIN assigned to the rx7 you had for it.
mndsm wrote:
Argo1 wrote:
JFX001 wrote:
Would this siren of automotive coolness happen to have a Title, or is it just for track duty?
No title. This came from the back of a tow yard. Serial numbers match and it is old enough to title on a bill of sale in some states. Not much left here for a street car though...
I'd bet it could be titled as a kit at this point with the VIN assigned to the rx7 you had for it.
That would most likely work for any donor car. Lotus were often sold as kits overseas.
mndsm
UltimaDork
10/27/13 8:55 p.m.
I was just thinking of the parts you had with it. Shell only- it'd be cake to title it as a rebody or something along those lines, at least up here. I wish I had the means, my friend. Hopefully this job thing is good in the long run.
One of the early thoughts with this car was to pull off the body shell and drop it down over a C4 Corvette chassis suitably trimmed and cut down. The cars are the same size. Now we have a very light and capable V8 car. 200mph for $20XX possible? Maybe. That method still leaves a nice Lotus chassis unused. Saved for maybe a Locost, or something cool, or sold? Possibilities....
This is what the chassis and suspension look like. (Not the actual chassis - note right hand drive in this picture)
Argo1 wrote:
One of the early thoughts with this car was to pull off the body shell and drop it down over a C4 Corvette chassis suitably trimmed and cut down. The cars are the same size. Now we have a very light and capable V8 car. 200mph for $20XX possible? Maybe. That method still leaves a nice Lotus chassis unused. Saved for maybe a Locost, or something cool, or sold? Possibilities....
that would be an awesome build
Last call for interest from the GRM family before I have to go to "plan B".
SVreX?
Argo1 wrote:
Last call for interest from the GRM family before I have to go to "plan B".
SVreX?
I wish I could help out, but I'm too far away :(
I wish I wasn't broke/ had too many projects.
Would totally do it if I had a place to store it and work on it.
