2020 ISSUE 1
OLD GITS on the black stuff!
BANGERS & CASH
+ HISTORY LESSON
EVENTS • CHAIRMANS O P P O S I CHAT T E L O C• NEW M A G APARTS Z I N E | 2AND 0 1 8 – REGALIA ISSUE 1 | 1
2|
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
SUNBEAM LOTUS OWNERS’ CLUB COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Honorary President: Paul White (Former Talbot Team Manager and winning co-driver on the 1980 Lombard RAC Rally) Chairman: Perry C. Antoniou 07802 600 616 chairman@sunbeamlotus.com Historian / Archivist / PR Liaison: Graeme Lawton 0771 949 0657 SLOC, PO Box 188, GOOLE, DN14 7WW historian@sunbeamlotus.com Treasurer / Membership Secretary: Dave Merlane 01933 384586 Membership Secretary 10 Roberts Street, RUSHDEN, NN10 0NG membership@sunbeamlotus.com Secretary: Doug Field 0208 295 1815 secretary@sunbeamlotus.com Regalia: regalia@sunbeamlotus.com Events Secretary: Richard Blackburn events@sunbeamlotus.com Parts Secretary: Mike Trim parts@sunbeamlotus.com ARCC Representative: Richard Blackburn pr@sunbeamlotus.com Web: Kieron Buckingham webmaster@sunbeamlotus.com Magazine: Angela Pittas editor@sunbeamlotus.com Competitions Secretary: Jez Moxon competitions@sunbeamlotus.com Social Media Secretary Alan Barnacle social@sunbeamlotus.com
18
ALAN BARNACLE
12 OLD GITS
20 &BANGERS CASH
INSIDE... 4 Chairmants Chat 6 Membership & Money Matters 8 Fuel Hose & Ethonol 12 Old Gits - On the Black Stuff 16 Events 18 Alan Barnacle - “Where Do I Start?” 20 Bangers & Cash 24 History Lesson 26 25 Years Ago 32 GL Weights & Memorabilia 35 Lights 36 PNG 200W 38 Panels & Parts 40 Regalia Parts 45 General Info
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
|3
CHAIRMAN’S
Chat
ANOTHER WARM WELCOME to another year of Sunbeam Lotus Owners Club magazines. As I write my Chairman’s Chat the weather seems to be against us. The Corona Virus seems to be coming towards us. But Brexit has finally headed away from us! The good thing about Brexit was
4|
the boredom of it all had me staying at my workshops a little later every evening working on my Sunbeam Lotus. Yes, it looks like 2020 will be the year of its reappearance! Despite the current health emergency, the club will continue to organise the events for the year and if we need to cancel, then so be it. Health comes first as we all know. By the time you get this magazine, we would have (unless it got cancelled) been
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
and done the NEC Restoration Show. A much smaller show than the one in November, but nevertheless, a good start to a year for classic car events. Following this will be Drive It Day, but with so many existing Drive It Day events at the moment, we are probably going to tag onto something existing on that day and put our efforts into a much better event for National Day. As for National Day, it seems likely that it will be the 12th or 19th September. We all know where we want to have it (we all have it on our minds and we are all pining for it), and at the moment it may be more than likely to come to fruition. One thing for sure, we can’t be at Lotus Cars, they have categorically confirmed that their ongoing building and upgrade works will prevent anyone from having an event there in 2020, but we have been guaranteed to be granted presence in 2021 as a priority once the works have finished. So, get planning, get the cars sorted and be prepared that we may be driving them hard on the infamous ‘Alpine Circuit’ once more. My teasing ended here… The Club is, as expected, in a great place. Recently asked to help with filming on the Bangers & Cash Episode with the Avon Sunbeam Lotus (or what was left of it) which
has now been aired. Within a few minutes of the program, our club Facebook pages were inundated with requests of people wanting to join. It also seems that the CAR SOS series including the Sunbeam Lotus is being reaired on some other Freeview Channels. I’ve had a mental busy spell at work since we re-opened after Christmas and been practically offline from the club, but things are now at a controllable level, so I am back to help any members with anything they need. The rest of the Committee has been busy with many projects, no doubt they have written what they are all up to at the moment. One thing not club related, but important to all of you who have Lithium Battery powered tools in their garage. You may or may not be aware of the dangers of leaving Lithium batteries on charge unattended. Unlike older Nickel Cadmium rechargeable batteries, Lithium Ion batteries can explode from minimal heat. Since Christmas, I have had three local mechanic garages burn to the ground, plus two fellow Drag Racers garages go up in flames, one taking his house with it. So please, if you have such cordless power tools, buy what is known as a LI-PO safe (about £130) to charge them in when you leave them unattended or at least a LI-PO explosive bags (about £5 each). Better safe than sorry. Last thing we want is a loss of another Sunbeam Lotus (or more) to a fire from a Lithium powered tool. So, for now, I wish you all the best of health during the current crisis and hope we all get together at a club event later in the year.
Perry C. Antoniou
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
|5
MEMBERSHIP
and Money
TO START WITH, welcome to all new members & those rejoining. I hope to see you at one of our events in 2020. You will read elsewhere about the recent Bangers & Cash TV programme, & as the main administrator on the Club’s two Facebook pages, I certainly saw the effect on our social media face! For those who are not aware, we operate two Facebook pages. One is a “closed” group (Sunbeam Lotus Owners Club) & can only be joined by fully paid-up SLOC members, we really only support this page with news, technical information, advice, cars for sale etc, & it has also become a very useful forum for members looking for parts
6|
for their cars - other members invariably have what is needed, & are happy to help. The second page is an “open” page (Talbot Sunbeam Lotus Enthusiasts) & can be joined by virtually anyone (though every request to join is vetted) We use this page to promote the Club generally, & advertise what we are up to. Members also post general questions & pictures, but mostly we simply leave other members to respond (quite a lot of full SLOC members are also on this page & they do sometimes respond) The general interest in the “open” page has been increasing significantly in recent months, & membership had grown to over 1100 (the “closed” page has been
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
fairly stable at around 140+) then the B & C programme hit the TV screens, & immediately interest in both pages exploded! I started to see anything up to 10 requests per day to join the “open” page, & membership of that page now sits at 1300+. In addition many of those requests also appeared on the “closed” page, but of course these were not from actual SLOC members (except 1) I always respond to applications to join our “closed” page, with a short polite message (after checking that they are not full SLOC members already) informing the individual of the “closed” page status, & how to easily join the club (just send the fee by PayPal – no form needed – with the
postal address details for the membership pack) then of course I decline the request. The “open” page is a lot easier to manage (there is full information on how to join the Club in the leading “announcement” on the page) & although I do check the profile of all applicants (yes ... we do get some “glamour” applications ... I’ll say no more about these!!) almost all requests are approved. No previous TV programme has produced a reaction like I have just experienced. This does of course very much indicate just how much response a programme like B & C can generate, & also just how much interest there is in the Lotus Sunbeam generally. Hopefully we can build on this in the future. On more mundane matters, thanks very much for all the recent membership renewals, but there are still a number outstanding from the January renewal group, & I sent out reminders by email at the beginning of March. If your renewal is now overdue, & you do not renew within the next few weeks, then this is the last magazine that you will receive. I will of course update the membership database at that time, & you will not be able to continue to benefit from SLOC membership, or attend any of our exclusive “members only” events. Get it done please! As always, thanks very much for your ongoing support.
Dave Merlane
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
|7
FUEL HOSE
and Ethanol BACK IN THE ISSUE 4 2016 of the Opposite Loc magazine I described my experience of the degradation of braided fuel hose bought from a large supplier of motor sport parts. I now consider that the problem was caused by the ethanol in the fuel over the approximately 5 years that I run the car. Whilst this ethanol might be good for the environment, it has a down side. Ethanol is known to corrode metal surfaces and to cause issues with rubber hoses. This ethanol, when left in contact with older fuel hose (both rubber and plastics), non-ferrous castings and fittings, it will slowly degrade the integrity of these to the point that they will fail. This premature ageing of the materials can end in catastrophic results.
8|
I was lucky that I spotted my leaking fuel hose before any damage could occur. It is STRONGLY recommended that you replace the rubber fuel hose on your SL with an ethanol proof hose like Gates Barricade. Also replacing the fuel filter and the plastic pipe from the fuel tank to the fuel pump at the same time. On a more positive note, the club has been advised by Dellorto that their carburettors do not suffer from any ethanol related problems.
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
Mike Trim Member 1687
3D Motorsport Ltd 3D TheMotorsport Grange, Ltd 3D Motorsport Ltd The Grange, Dodford, Weedon Tyn YNorthants Celwyn, Cyffliog, Dodford,NN7 Weedon 4SR Ruthin Denbeighshire, LL15 2BT Northants NN7 4SR Mob: 07968 056069 07968 Mob: 07968 056069 056069 Email:Mob: Eliot@3DMotorsport.com Email:Eliot@3DMotorsport.com eliot@3dmotorsport. Email: com
ADS ADS
If you would like to If youreceive would like to receive monthly If youour would like to our list monthly parts and parts and news letter, receive our list monthly newsdrop letter, drop us just us just an email. parts list and news letter, just drop us an anemail. email.
16 16
www.sunbeamlotus.com www.sunbeamlotus.com
OPPOSITE LOC 2016 ISSUE 4 OPPOSITE LOC 2016 ISSUE 4
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
|9
LOOMS AUTO ELECTRICS
CLASSIC CAR WIRING SPECIALIST
REPAIRS • REWIRES • DIAGNOSIS CUSTOM INSTALLATIONS FOR ROAD AND COMPETITION CARS FROM ORIGINAL LOOMS TO UPGRADED WIRING SECURITY SYSTEMS, IMMOBILISERS, KEYLESS STARTING, MSD IGNITION WIRING
TELEPHONE THE MAN WITH 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE
JOHN ‘LOOMS’ SMITH
020 8445 5253 / 07956 350 220 Based in north London, 15 minutes from M25 J23 or J24 10www.sunbeamlotus.com |OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE OPPOSITE LOC 2016 ISSUE 2
| 2020 – ISSUE 1
www.sunbeamlotus.com OPPOSITE LOC 2016 ISSUE 1
ADVERTISE IN
SLOC
NEED A DESIGNER? TRADE ADVERTS ONE EDITION TWO EDITIONS THREE EDITIONS FOUR EDITIONS
Have your
ADVERTISEMENT DESIGNED professionally from just
20
Speak to Angela:
angela@292graphics.co.uk
292GRAPHICS.co.uk
Full Page Full Page Full Page Full Page
£30 £57 £82 £99
Half Page Half Page Half Page Half Page
£20 £38 £55 £66
For legal reasons all adverts must be made in writing, no adverts will be accepted over the telephone, please contact the editor if you have any queries and for final copy dates. When following up on any adverts seen in this magazine please quote it as your source The Sunbeam Lotus Owners’ Club is Recognised by the Motor Sports Association, and is a member of the Association of Rootes Car Clubs, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs and the Association of West Midlands’ Motor Clubs. ©Copyright Sunbeam Lotus Owners’ Club Limited 2015. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without prior permission from the editor/chairman. SLOC Ltd., Registered Office: PO Box 188, GOOLE, DN14 7WW, England. Registered in England and Wales. Company no. 04504210
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 11
OLD GITS on the Black Stuff HAVING COMPETED on all the FIRC rounds (Flanders International Rally Challenge) several times over recent years we decided it was time for something different. So we decided to do a few of our Belgian favourites and then save our resources to go across the water in the opposite direction. Ireland.–
12 | O P P O S I T E
Classic stages and Guiness. Significantly more expensive and more complex logistically, we submitted an entry for Killarney Historic Rally on 30th November, and with an 06:30 start we set off to Fishgaurd on the Wednesday to catch the ferry to Rosslare. We soon found
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
Killarney Historic Rally 2019 © Ted O’Connell 2019
FIRC regulars and fellow Rootes Group competitors Dave Dockree (Sunbeam TI) and Micky Smith (Avenger) were on the same sailing and settled in for the 3 hour crossing. Also on the entry list and bringing the total number of FIRC regulars to 4 were Les Allfrey/Keith Fellowes in their mini. Meanwhile, Co Driver Rob Thompson and Service crew Steve Hodgson set off at a much more leisurely hour to catch a flight from Stansted which got them to Killarney before we docked at Rosslare. And we still had a 4 hour drive across Ireland. Still, the upside was they had a meal ready for us by the time we reached the
cottage that was to be our home for the next 6 nights. Thursday was a relatively relaxed day as recce was restricted to Friday. For this event with 5 different stages, including 23km of Molls gap, together with limited daylight, we purchased a set of pace notes which Rob spent several hours rewriting into our preferred format prior to departure. Despite the many hours spent pouring over the notes and videos of the stages, it was only driving them in our hired Fiesta that the true nature of the undulating and twisty roads came to life. We drove each stage twice and made a few amendments before heading off to scrutineering at Killarney race course. It was different but fairly relaxed and we passed without issue before heading across to signing on and then into Parc Ferme in the town centre. By now it was 7pm and all the top cars were heading into town for the ceremonial start. For us it was optional and so we opted not to, but it was quite a spectacle with all the Christmas lights up in the town centre and crowds of spectators. Saturday morning was an early start as despite starting at 103, cars were starting at 30 second intervals and so it was still dark and raining as we exited Parc Ferme (on a brand new set of Kumho TW02’s, thanks to Ears Ireland) and headed to 23km of Molls Gap. One of the issues with running lower down the field is that there are a lot of potential incidents ahead of you and so it was that there was a long queue at the stage start. When we did eventually start I was way too cautious but despite this the notes were coming thick and fast and as much as Rob was working hard to read and deliver the notes, I was struggling to take in all the information. Needless to say there are some seriously quick Escorts in the modified
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 13
Killarney Historic Rally 2019 © Ted O’Connell 2019
classes and with 30 second starts we were soon caught and passed, although the car that passed us pulled up with a mechanical issue before the finish. Stage 2 was the extremely narrow, twisty and undulating Ballaghbeama pass, which again put Robs speed reading skills to the
14 | O P P O S I T E
test (and still saw us caught and passed). By stage 3 we were more confident with the tyres in the wet conditions and in the notes and were able to up our pace a bit. It was then into service before a repeat of the same 3 stages. We were a whole minute quicker over Molls gap on our second run,
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
Killarney Historic Rally 2019
despite an incident with a stone wall which cleanly removed the rear bumper and left the car handling a bit strangely such that we thought we were about to retire. It was at the stage finish that the marshal pointed out that we had smashed the offside rear wheel, and so we were able to continue after fitting the spare. Back at service we got the tyre swapped onto another rim and once again had 4 matching tyres for the final two stages. It was on the final stage, on a committed line on a very fast right that we encountered a rock the size of a football right where it was impossible to miss. Despite a huge impact, the steering and suspension appeared undamaged and I kept a close eye on the oil pressure for the last few miles but we survived. The road section into the finish control was very busy and we were pushing on a bit only to find a huge queue waiting to go over the finish ramp so Rob walked down and booked
us in and was told we did not have to wait to go over the ramp, or go to Parc Ferme so we didn’t, we headed ‘home’ for a shower and some food before being joined by Greg and Wendy Thompson (Robs parents) for a very elite and very exclusive after rally party where several pints of the black stuff were consumed. Not our best result, but we did finish best FIRC!! On Sunday morning we drove back over Molls Gap but there was no sign of the missing rear bumper. Rob and Steve then headed off to fly home whilst Jane and I spent Monday exploring the town and doing some Christmas shopping before the long trek home, which due to the infrequent ferry times meant it was 02:00 Wednesday before we arrived back in Chard.
Bill Cook
OLD GIT, AKA - HISTORIC RALLY DRIVER
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 15
WHAT’S ON... April – June 2020 21st June SLOC AGM at RETRO Show Santa Pod Northamptonshire http://www.retroshow.co.uk Free tickets for club members – Contact Perry
F1
3rd – 5th April 17th – 19th April 1st – 3rd May 8th – 10th May 21st – 24th May 5th – 7th June 12th – 14th June 26th – 28th June
WRC
23rd – 26th April 21st – 24th May 4th – 7th June
Kwik Fit BTCC 11th – 12th April 25th – 26th April 16th – 17th May 13th – 14th June
Vietnam GP Chinese GP Dutch GP Spanish GP Monaco GP Azerbaijan GP Canadian GP French GP
Hanoi Circuit (postponed) Zandvoort Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya Monaco Baku City Circuit Circuit Gilles – Villeneuve Circuit Paul Ricard
Rally Argentina Rally de Portugal Rally de Sardinia
Brands Hatch (Indy circuit) Silverstone (National circuit) Thruxton Oulton Park
British Rally Championship 25th – 26th April 25th – 27th June
Rally Tendring & Clacton http://corbeauseatsrally.co.uk Ypres Rally (Belgium) https://www.ypresrally.com/en
Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship 11th April 15th – 16th May 30th May
16 | O P P O S I T E
Rallynuts Tour of Epynt http://rallynutsrally.co.uk Manx National https://manxautosport.org Jim Clark Rally https://www.jimclarkrally.org
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
HRCR Premier Rally Championship 25th April co.uk 29th – 30th May 6th June
Pirelli Forest Rally Kielder Forest
http://www.pirelliinternationalrally.
Jim Clark Rally Scottish Rally
https://www.jimclarkrally.org http://www.scottishrally.co.uk
HRCR Stage Masters Challenge 11th April 3rd May 14th June
Rallynuts Tour of Epynt Dixies Historic Challenge Red Kite Stages
HRCR Clubmans Rally Championship 19th April 17th May 30th May 20th June
Ilkley Jubilee Historic Rally White Rose Classic Rally Hughes Historic Rally East Anglian Classic
http://rallynutsrally.co.uk https://www.dixieschallenge.com http://www.redkitestages.co.uk
http://www.jubilee-rally.org http://www.maltonmc.co.uk http://www.hughesrally.co.uk http://www.chelmsfordmc.co.uk
HRCR Old Stager Historic Rally Championship 3rd May 14th June co.uk
Dixies Historic Challenge Flying Fortress Stages
https://www.dixieschallenge.com http://www.dukeries-motorclub.
THERE ARE MANY CLASSIC CAR EVENTS AND SHOWS FROM EASTER TO END OF SEPTEMBER TO FIND OUT WHATS ON NEAR YOU http://www.classicshowsuk.co.uk/classic-car-shows-this-year
IF YOU’RE THINKING OF GOING TO AN EVENT,
LET OTHER CLUB MEMBERS KNOW EITHER ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE OR THE ONLINE FORUM
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 17
Where do I
START? I FIRST SAW KKV444Y back in the year 2000 when my dad (Alan Barnacle Sr, signwriter on all the works cars) was asked by the then owner Paul Peters to sign-write the car to make it into the rally replica you see today. I remember it was a wet Saturday and Paul drove up and my dad started the painting in my mate’s single garage! I think the wet weather hindered the effort so a week or so later my parent drove to Watford to see Paul and finish off the signwriting. I believe Graeme Lawton and Paul had many discussions on the correct wording and design!! Fast forward to February 2017, I was still getting over my dad passing away and
18 | O P P O S I T E
sorting through his stuff and I received a text from a good friend at work called Kev Smith sending me some sort of link telling to look on eBay. There it was - KKV444Y was for sale and my dad’s name was mentioned in the sales pitch! I called the seller straight away and we chatted for a bit and I just had to arrange to view the car. He asked for my name Alan Barnacle and the phone went silent. I explained to Mike (the seller) it was my dad who wrote the car and had passed away, etc, etc. I called on the expertise of an old family friend Will Malkin (Colin Malkin’s nephew) and off we went to Wrexham to view the car. Will went through the car with a fine-tooth comb, noticed a few bits
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
that needed doing and a deal was done. KKV444Y was mine. There were a few bits of bodywork that needed attention so a list was drafted up and the car was off to Malkin Motorsport near Llangolen for its work. Many phone calls followed, lots of pictures, heaps of debating and more jobs than we had originally planned. I’m sure all this gave Will a headache and was going to be a pain-inthe-arse job. The car took its time being restored (I was in no rush!) but in November 2018 the car was back in my garage. She was home again. Will came down and trailered the old girl back. I cannot thank Will and Sam at Malkin Motorsport enough for all the help and time spent getting the car solid again. So, now what do I do with a Sunbeam Lotus in my garage that was naked? By naked I mean the vehicle had been completely de-stickered and de-striped. It did not look right at all. A few emails and calls to the ever-helpful Mr Historian himself and a plan was hatched how I would like the car to look again. I wanted a more subtle rally look to pay homage to the original idea of the rally replica dad was involved in. The monochrome idea was the way forward in my opinion. Full rally decals but in a subtle way. Graeme to the rescue. He spent many
hours designing and cutting out the decals for the car and even spared time for a trip to help put the black stripe on. I can honestly say Graeme has a lot more patience than I when it came to it as it was not the easiest of tasks! Anyway, the car is now up and running and starting to get to events. Took her to our first show, which was Coventry Motofest. I took my eldest daughter along for the short trip. A great event with hundreds of cars on display that I can highly recommend for a future club stand. Then in June at Santa Pod’s AGM, KKV444Y returned to the SLOC line up for the first time in appoaching 15 years! With my confidence ever growing in the old girl and knowing I have the help and support of SLOC and its members I will get out to a few more shows and events with you again. #teamsloc Thanks to Graeme Lawton, Will Malkin and finally my dad for making the Sunbeam Lotus ownership possible!!
Alan Barnacle
SOCIAL MEDIA COMMITTEE MEMBER
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 19
BANGERS
and Cash AS EVER WITH THESE STORIES, it started with a text from Perry. “Can you give Ali Beever a call?” It was a Friday, it seemed urgent, so I rang Ali. She is Assistant Producer for Air TV, who make a show called Bangers & Cash for the Yesterday TV channel. Ali told me all about this Avon that had been removed from a farm to go to auction at Mathewsons in Thornton le Dale, North Yorkshire. (It’s near Pickering, if that helps you locate it.) The show follows the family-run auctioneers and they would like to film a running Sunbeam Lotus and to pick our brains about the cars. Perry told them that I would be the “anorak” to speak to. Our initial discussion was to find an Avon that they could film and talk to its owner.
20 | O P P O S I T E
So we spoke to a club member with such a car, not many on the road these days and only one anywhere near Yorkshire. With availabilities of car and owner noted, and contingency plans for Dave to drive the car in the owner’s absence, we spoke again to Ali on the Monday. Oh, slight change of plan, her producer had found another Sunbeam owner over the weekend! Fair enough; I sent over our information pack of brochures, vehicle history and so on, giving them all the facts on the cars. Then we had another call from Ali that afternoon. “Er, can you come up this week and do some filming talking about the car?” Being self-employed, I am lucky enough to be able to accommodate such requests, so the answer was “yes”. “What
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
car shall we look out for you turning up in”, I was asked. “Oh, a Lotus of some description, but doubtful a Sunbeam” I told them. With one Sunbeam needing a new wheel bearing and the other with instrument failure, I would have to take another model. But I then remembered something that Fred Gallagher said when I visited him a few years ago: “I am disappointed you are not in a Lotus Sunbeam” was his greeting. He was quite correct, too; I am the Sunbeam Lotus Historian, I should turn up in one! So I have made a point of doing so since, whenever possible. Having checked my schedule for work deadlines, I decided that I could spend an afternoon trying to fix the instruments on my
blue car. Unused since ‘failing to proceed’ a few months earlier, I had already diagnosed the problem to be the electrics behind the dashboard. I had begun to realise just how related several problems were, with the indicator tell-tale not flashing, the high beam blue light not working, and ultimately the alternator not charging the battery! All as a result of failing connections onto the PCB film at the back of the instrument cluster. I managed to make temporary repairs to the connector blocks on each end of the cluster, sufficient to get most things working, but would revisit this a couple of weeks later for a better repair. So, I was able to go to the ball in a Sunbeam. On the day, the road into the village was closed so I had to go into Pickering but just as I hit a queue of traffic, the phone rang. I was able to pull over into a layby and spoke to Charlie at the production office; she was checking on my progress. They were going to meet me in the local car park, but when asked what I was driving and being told the Sunbeam, she said “oh, in that case, the camera man wants a word”. So I had a quick chat with him (Chris Bryant), who suggested filming me arriving. Not quite what I was expecting! I managed to park right outside the production office, which handily is just next door to Mathewsons (rented especially). Ali came out to introduce herself and to take a photo or two “for social media” (posted that day – you might have seen them), then I met Charlie and Chris, had a brew and discussed the plan for the day. This involved arriving all over again, of course, for the camera. Not a problem, although a second take was required to get the positioning of the car just right when parked. I then walked over the road
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 21
and through the garage, being filmed from several angles. Once inside the garage, I spotted the Avon in the top corner of the outside compound but resisted the temptation to look further; Chris and I agreed that we should capture my reaction when I walked up to the car for the first time. So that’s what we did. (If you have seen the show, you will notice Chris listed as “Camera Director”, which means that he was not only operating the camera but also taking care of sound and all direction of what he wanted to film, where I was to stand, asking me questions that he had prepared and also allowing me to ramble on when appropriate; he was great, and made me feel very comfortable with the camera pointing at me.) I went round the whole body of the Avon, pointing out good and bad points (mainly the latter, of course) but also the differences between an Avon and a regular Moonstone car. I then did similar with the bodyshell, noting all the differences that made this Lotus-specific. None of that was used in the actual programme, unfortunately. I gave my opinion of what the car and body might fetch at the auction, and again when Derek Mathewson asked the same question while filming with him, but neither shot made the cut. (I was pretty much bang on, I am glad to say.) All this took a good three hours or so. I did a lot of talking! Plus re-doing various shots from differing angles, or close ups of me pointing out features of the car or bodyshell. Time for some lunch, then we headed out to find a nice road for a bit more filming. Finding the road took longer than planned, but we ended up on the closed road mentioned earlier, with a handy layby. A few goes at a drive-by of the camera (including in-car), plus some static filming of the car and lots of detail including the interior (none of which
22 | O P P O S I T E
made the cut). Plus some more filming of me talking about Sunbeams, but this time more generally about owning one and the model’s history. This bit of footage was the first they used of me, albeit only briefly, and I think I spouted some cracking lines about the car that were not used. So that was filming done. It had been a lovely day and a real pleasure to not only help, but to be part of the process and made to feel so welcome. It was only a couple of weeks before the auction on August 17th; I was due to be working that weekend but a last-minute cancellation of the works meant that I could attend after all. Ian Gerrard was already lined up to go, and since he would be passing my way I suggested we went together. This time I did take a non-Sunbeam, and we enjoyed our drive up – it’s not that far from me. Well, Thornton le Dale was absolutely packed - people everywhere! The auction takes place in the village hall, which is directly opposite Mathewsons, so folk were crossing backwards and forwards, in and out of shops, and all over the areas where auction cars were parked – inside the garage, out the back, on the forecourt, in the driveway opposite and up the side and behind the hall. Crikey! Ian and I had a good nosey around while waiting for the memorabilia section to complete and the cars to come under the hammer. We looked at the Avon and listened
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
to what other people had to say when they saw it. Then we headed over to the hall and found a spot outside by an open window, from where we could hear everything. Of course, the car had already been the subject of discussion on our social media. I had posted that I had a lot of photos from my first visit, and had been duly contacted by a member who was interested. I had sent him my thoughts on the condition of car and bodyshell as well as detailed pictures. He was keen, and had told me what he would bid up to. I checked in with him by text message while we were waiting on the lot to come up. He was all set. It all went rather quickly, and the bidding reached £13,500. Less than the estimate, would it be accepted? I had a good idea that it was our man with the highest bid. I checked with him, and it was, though he didn’t know if he had been successful. Just at that moment, Chris was heading past our way with camera on his shoulder. Having said our hellos, I mentioned that the car had just gone through the auction so he became interested in what it fetched. He would have a word with his producer to see if they wanted to film any more, as I said that we could get the buyer on the phone. A short while later, while chatting with a former SLOC member we bumped into, we saw Chris and Charlie again and we
were asked to go back to the car for some filming. I was then told that the offer had been accepted, at which point our member (Robert) rang me and I was able to pass on the good news. We then met the current owner Simon and started chatting with the camera rolling just as Robert rang again, so we got some nice footage of the three of us on the phone, which went on for far longer than the clip used on the show! Chris filmed me talking some more about Robert and my thoughts on the sale, and then we were done. Time for lunch again. The day had turned into something quite unexpected. Lucky I had put my club badge on my jacket! Seven months on, and the programme aired only a couple of weeks ago. Bangers & Cash is a lovely show about family, cars, auctions and people. And this episode included our very own beloved Sunbeam Lotus, and a decent mention for the club (though I don’t know why they called me the Chairman, or my car an Avon). Thanks and well done to all involved in its making. Robert is on with restoring the car into its new bodyshell, and I am sure we will see his story (and that of the Avon) in these pages before too long. Good luck with it, sir!
GraemeLawton HISTORIAN
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 23
HISTORY Lesson AFTER BEING ENCOURAGED by our chairman then reading about the preproduction cars in the 2019 issue 3 SLOC magazine, I decided to see what I could reveal about my cars previous history. I already knew it had a chequered past as I am the 15th owner, the other 14 sharing ownership within the first 23 years! On the pre-production list in the mag two registration numbers started with “JRU”. This sparked an interest as my cars reg is JRU 263V. What was also interesting was that our historian pointed out that along with two others on the list, the JRU cars were
24 | O P P O S I T E
“unlikely to be the original registrations.” I decided to contact Graeme to enquire about starting the process regarding a production certificate. He emailed back to say that none of the info matched his records and JRU 263V had definitely been re-registered at some point. Interesting... I have x2 large files full of invoices, receipts and old MOT certificates for my car, but nothing before 1988. The car seemed to have spent a lot of its life in the south west/ Cornwall area. One owner even taking it from Penzance up to Skip Brown cars for a rolling road tune up! Graeme had suggested that I fill out a V888 form and send it to the DVLA. This would provide any previous history for the
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
car as long as they still had it on file. I printed out the V888 form and filled in OPTION A. This this stated that there was no fee as I was requesting information as a “current or previous keeper”. I read it though and sent it convinced this was all correct....Four weeks later I got a letter from the DVLA saying my request had been rejected as “I had not enclosed the appropriate fee...!”. I wrote straight back asking for an explanation. The fee was £5 and not really an issue. I just didn’t want to send any money and then get a letter back saying that there was no information held. After all the car is 40 years old! A different person replied saying that I needed to pay in order to get the information required as it was before I owned the vehicle. I felt this was not made clear on the form but sent the £5 and hoped for the best. Surely the processing of the original form, plus the two reply letters from the DVLA cost more than £5! Bit of a joke? Just under two weeks later I got the reply
in the form of a VQ7 letter. RESULT! My car was registered on the 18/10/1979 (not the 16/10/1979 as on the V5?) as JAC 595V. This had been changed on 26/2/1985 to VWV 6, no doubt someone’s private reg. This was removed on 30/8/1986 and JRU 263V was registered to the car. Armed with this info I have now applied for a production certificate and will be applying for FREE tax. Maybe a few letters to previous owners is next?...
Matt hew Cop 792
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 25
26 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
AGO
25 YEARS
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 27
28 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 29
30 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 31
What’s in a
WEIGHT?
960kg (2116lb); the weight of a standard Sunbeam Lotus road car as stated by Chrysler at the car’s launch in Feb 1979. “About 1000kg” is what I normally say when asked about a rally car. Except, that is, on film for a TV programme when I mistakenly quote the road car weight. D’oh! So that set me on the path to discover the actual weight of a works rally car. So, let’s start with my own car. The only time I have weighed it was at the SLOC Dyno Day in 2006 (a great day out, there’s
26 | O P P O S I T E
a film of it somewhere), when every car there went onto the corner scales. Polly was 1029kg (2268lb). Unfortunately, I only have a record of weights for the other cars including driver. Perry’s car was the heaviest of the lot but taking out the average weight of a driver, the standard S1 present was about spot on for the quoted figure. Two similar S2 cars showed that they were fairly equal (their differences were in state of engine tune mainly) at about 980-990kg. Of course, fuel levels and spares kept in the boot will affect
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
these figures, and although quoted as being the same unladen weight as a 1979 car, 81MY Sunbeams had larger fuel tanks, extra sound deadening, overriders, maybe spot lamps and passenger mirror to add weight. Wheel and tyre choices can also have an effect. Tony Nash’s race car was a little over 900kg. So, is 1029kg for Polly representative of a works rally car in period? I don’t recall how much fuel I would have put in for the dyno runs, but the car was fitted with six spotlamps and nine-inch wheels (no spare, I don’t think). This car was supposedly built to lightweight trim in 1982 for the rallysprint season, and incorporates features developed by the team that year, such as no oil cooler (but the oil tank is cooled by a ventilation fan in the rear compartment) and a single-pipe exhaust system. The MRP
Robson book quotes a Group 4 rally car as being 1015kg (2238lb), but where does that figure come from? (The similar book on Chevettes lists a 1980 HSR in rally trim at 980kg, for comparison.) I have been through the club archives, and here are some findings: Competitions Dept performed a test session at Long Marston Airfield in December 1979 of Tony Pond’s RAC Rally car, EVC 444T, and the Escort RS1800 of Russell Brookes that had finished second overall in that event. I will cover performance figures in another article, but for now it is useful to note that the weights for the same cars taken prior to the RAC were 1081kg (Sunbeam, with 10 gallons of fuel + TV camera equipment) and 1090kg (Escort, with 14 gallons of fuel). It is recorded in other documents that four gallons of fuel =
Event
Weight (lb)
Weight (kg)
Fuel (gallons)
Corrected for no fuel (kg)
Ireland ‘79
2305
1046
7
1023
Monte ‘80
2426
1100
n/a
n/a
Ireland ‘80
2310
1048
13
1004
Welsh ‘80
2399
1088
10
1054
Portugal ‘81
2480
1125
10
1091
Manx ‘82
2269
1029*
4
1015
* Quoted as 1013kg!
Rallysprint ‘82
2202
999
4
986
With spare wheel.
Notes
Weighed at Whitley test lab after the event.
With spare wheel, servos, radio, 4 lamps, 5kg plumbed-in fire extinguisher.
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 27
13kg, so you can see that the two cars are pretty much the same weight (how much would camera equipment of that era have weighed, I wonder?). Each 6” Minilite wheel with an M&S tyre fitted weighed 15kg (33lb), by the way. As you can see from the table below (all info from rally spec sheets, though the kg figures are fresh calculations from lbs), weights varied from one event to another. This will be due to specification changes including number and size of spare wheels, mudflaps, auxiliary lamps, sump guards and so on.
So although my car is carrying a little extra than her lightest competitive weight (the last entry), she is spot on for a similar spec car from the Manx of 1982, and you can see that cars used for forest events were a bit heavier. Maybe in future, when asked how much a rally car weighed, I shall say “just over 1000 kg, but it depends on the event”.
Memorabilia
AT THE NEC Restoration Show last March, a gentleman came up to the stand and asked if we would like a few artefacts that had belonged to his late father, who had worked at Talbot in product development. This kind chap is called Andy Woodcock and his father was Mike, and the items in question can be seen pictured. The silver piece has some weight to it but is it an ashtray or a paperweight? No matter, it is a nice thing, and is marked on the back with the date of the launch of the Talbot brand. Huge thanks to Andy for donating these lovely items to SLOC; he has vivid recollections of being driven to Silverstone by his father in a pre-production Sunbeam Lotus that was loaned to him for a couple of weekends before the cars were on sale! Other items of note in the club archives include a WRC paperweight, Sunbeam Lotus launch clock (both pictured) and the Competitions Department timing clocks (previously featured in the mag).
Graeme Lawton Historian.
28 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
Graeme Lawton Historian.
LIGHTS
REFURBISHED S2 HEADLIGHT
AVAILABLE AGAIN
AFTER NEARLY 12 MONTHS EFFORT between Perry and the supplier, the production problems in achieving an acceptable finish on the replating of the S2 headlamp have finally been resolved. They look like new and will transform the tired and probable MOT failure headlights that all S2 cars have by now. They are sold on an exchange basis, we can tell you how to separate the glass from the shell and you can exchange your tired and rusty shells yourself. We supply clear and concise
instructions on how to dismantle the lights along with guidance as to the correct glass sealer you would need to put them together. Let’s face it, we own a lotus Sunbeam, so most of us have the capability to do the upgrade ourselves. The price for a pair is £300.00 inc postage. The price increase is required to achieve the quality to finish so let Mike Trim know if you need a pair. We need to do them in batches of at least a dozen to achieve this price. Get in touch with Mike Trim and grab yourself a pair.
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 35
PNG 200 W
I WAS PRESENTED with my new company car at Lotus in October 1980, a Sunbeam Lotus Reg No PNG 200 W. It had been bought by the company from the “Rootes” dealer in Norwich and had, I believe been a demonstrator. It had few miles on the clock. I had returned to Lotus having been “away” at TVR. I was living in Ingleton, N. Yorks so commuted at the weekends until moving back to Norfolk in March 1981. This was not a first sighting however as I had been testing a TVR at RAF Elvington outside York on the same day a prototype Sunbeam was also present. This venue was close to Armstrong Patents, the Lotus damper (shock absorber) supplier. As we were both professional, we did not spy on our respective rivals! I remember the Sunbeam was lethal on its standard Pirelli tyres. It was like driving in the wet when it was dry and like driving on ice
36 | O P P O S I T E
when it was wet! I recall standing static in the middle of Leeds on the way home in the wet when the traffic lights changed. It just would not move forwards! On another occasion I pulled out to overtake on the A47 near Swaffham and it just slewed sideways across the road. I gave that manoeuvre up! The solution was to fit Goodyear NCT’s which as Lotus were using Goodyear meant we could get them at the “right price”. Lotus had a service department at Hethel and they looked after the machine superbly. New tyres every 5000 miles, brake pads every 10,000. The fuel consumption was pretty dire as the tank was so small. Friday evenings when still living in Yorkshire I had to reach Harrogate from Hethel to refuel before a convenient garage closed at 9:00 pm! That is about 186 miles. On one occasion I set out for Yorkshire late in the evening. Due to rather faster driving I had to refuel at Retford
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
- thats about 128 miles! I couldn’t do a return trip to London from Norfolk without a fuel stop! I believe the rally cars had a larger fuel tank. One event we both (me and the car) enjoyed was following the RAC Rally, when it was a proper one. The first time was probably 1980 or 81 and with 2 Lotus colleagues we chased the rally through Wales, Scotland and the Lake District spending at least one uncomfortable night sleeping in the car. Later years I took my wife and a friend but we had a simple rule. We must be in the bar of the overnight hotel by 6:00 pm and must have breakfast before levying for the days stage! On occasion, the Sunbeam had to go fairly quickly as we recaught the rally after watching a stage. I also remember leaving a Kielder stage after dark and successfully getting between a pair of gateposts circa 60 mph! PNG 200 W took myself, wife and my two daughters to a holiday in a Gite in France circa 1983. Upon return by ferry to Portsmouth we had to cross a speed hump placed to prevent rapid escape from the Customs inspection. Not realising how aggressive it was, and with a fully loaded car, we crashed to earth before traversing London on our way home. As I touched the brakes for the turn off the M11 for Norwich, there weren’t any! We got home very carefully with some use of the handbrake but if that had happened in London it could have been a bit serious. The massive movement of the rear axle probably over compressing the bump stops had hairline cracked a brake pipe. One Sunday, driving gently though Norfolk in a downpour, we came to a flooded river near Gressenhall. I drove gently into the torrent but unfortunately water got into the engine and “hydrauliced” it to a stop.
We emerged from the water on the starter motor and once on dry land, the engine restarted. The next morning Lotus Service changed the oil and cleaned things up and it says volumes that there was not permanent damage. Tough old birds those engines. The gearbox however was the naughty one with the tail-shaft housing casting fracturing. This was not unknown as we got the last German super engineered spare in England at the time from their Nottingham spares stores! That was its superbly reliable life for the 85,000 miles I had it. I resigned from Lotus in February 1985. The first evening I was away, the car was lent to a lady to drive home from Hethel. (Yes I know who the participants were!). She managed the first bend in the road but at the second found herself jammed between two trees. She was quickly rescued as both doors were obstructed and I understand the damage was slight. I had only left the regular road once and that was late at night up in Lancashire. I was traversing the delightfully named village of Esprick when I found I had a little too much velocity for a left hand bend. Use of the footpath allowed a better apex and we survived perfectly! In later years the car apparently stayed in Norfolk. One of my daughters tells me it was SORN in Great Yarmouth a few months ago. To have a car which could accelerate much faster than the original Motor road test - spinning its wheels up the 3rd gear if the road was damp was so exhilarating. My family have had fond memories of it. Coor, I enjoyed it!
Oliver Winterbottom
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 37
2ND HAND PANELS & PARTS 1
3 7
5
4
6 2
8 1 Black Bonnets 2 Glass Hatch S2 3 Brown Bonnet 4 Bumber 5 Doors 6 Glass Side Windows 7 Bumber End Caps 8 Steering Rack
ALL MEMBERS TO CONTACT MIKE TRIM and will be 1st come 1st served basis.
All collection from North London. 38 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
CONTACT: Mike Trim unless otherwise stated.
SLOCPARTS AMIL WHEEL CENTRE CAPS
Satin Black AMIL wheel centre caps, identical to the originals by using the “metal spinning” process Price £15 each or £50 for 4 or £60 for 5, all plus postage.
WORKS RALLY DECALS
These are available from Graeme Lawton. Please contact him directly; his details are inside the front cover.
S1 TALBOT BADGE
New bonnet badges are available for £20 including postage within UK.
SERIES 2 TALBOT BADGES
STRIPES
Please contact Mike Trim; his details are inside the front cover.
We have available a decal set to refurbish your existing badge. These are available from Graeme Lawton. Can you please contact him directly. His details are inside the front cover.
DEALER STICKERS – for your rear hatch glass How about some originality? We can now replicate all your rear window dealer stickers. We have done two so far and we can do any others depedant on demand. Let us know if you want one of the existing ones or if you would like us to do one for you that we don’t already have. Price £10 inc. UK P&P The club also has a supply of the red alloy carburettor warning plates at £3.00 each for adding that final touch to your engine bay. May not fit aftermarket air filters please check first! Order from Mike Trim: post and packing is £2.00 40 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
UNDER BONNET DECALS and CARB PLATES The club now has the following under-bonnet decals in stock @ £3.00 each.
ASHLEY
SERIES 1:
COMPETITION EXHAUSTS They offer a discount to SLOC members Ashley have produced a “works style”manifold based on a genuine works exhaust manifold. This manifold is fitted with a 2.25” outlet to suit their competition system sold separately. The road exhaust is a three box system.
Contact: Brian Ashley directly (01922 720767) PARTS (CHRYSLER/MOPAR). SCREENWASH FLUID. NB: Antifreeze decal now in stock.
AVAILABLE from SLOC
SERIES 2:
Period Tax Disc Disc
PARTS (TALBOT) SCREENWASH FLUID. The Engine Oil Level decal for the standard airbox (S1 and S2) is out of stock but please contact me if you are interested in fitting this decal.
with withwhatever whatever vehicle details detailsyou youwant. want. You Youcan caneven even choose your yourown ownpostmark! postmark! £10 £10 will get you you66discs discs (all the same) same) and andaa FREE FREE Club Tax TaxDisc DiscHolder Holder Contact Contact chairman@sunbeamlotus.com chairman@sunbeamlotus.com ororgive give Perry a call callone oneevening evening
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 41
NEW RALLY POSTER BOARDS Looking for a nice PICTURE for your STUDY OR GARAGE WALL? HOW ABOUT AN EXCLUSIVE?
10 PLUS POSTAGE
Professionally printed onto A3-sized foam board of 5mm thickness, these posters are an update to one created by Talbot during 1981; originally “Talbot Lead World Rally Championship”, we have taken it beyond the RAC Rally and produced a special version noting all of the events from that triumphant rally season. The fact that it is on foamboard means that you don’t need a frame; simply fix to the wall using your preferred hanging device. Yours for an absolute bargain of £10 plus postage.
CONTACT GRAEME TO ORDER
FIBERGLASS PARCEL SHELVES
Currently out of stock. When we have received 10 expressions of interest, we will have another batch manufactured. These parcel shelves include the hinge pins but not the support strings, see photo’s. The price is £200.00 + £22.00 carriage for a parcel shelf covered in carpet material and £350.00 + £22.00 carriage for a shelf flocked. The price difference is because the process of applying the flock covering is expensive.
42 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
SERIES 2 HEADLIGHTS * SEE SEPERATE ADVERT
TOP & BOTTOM HOSES
We have in stock top & bottom radiator hoses. These are £10 each & £6.00 p&p.
SEAT FABRIC
The club finally has a supply of the correct shark grey seat fabric for Series 1 cars. This new fabric is ONLY available to club members. The club still has a supply of the correct Piccadilly seat fabric for Series 2 cars. This new fabric is ONLY available to club members Both fabrics are durable, colourfast and fire resistant and has all the necessary approvals, unlike previously available material and is and will not fade, slip or tear. The cost for both is £220.00 + £40.00 carriage for sufficient material to re-trim both standard front and rear seats.
WINDOW RUNNERS
The window runners are made of high grade stainless steel and will last the life of the car. The cost is £80.00 plus £7.50 p & p (and that is £10.00 less than the normal price). We have a few pairs left and are not sure if we could match this price again in the future, so if you need one (and you will need one, it’s just a matter of time and we’ve never seen one in good condition come out of a Sunbeam), get in touch with Mike Trim. These runners come with the rubber seals, which will also be shot.
BREATHERS/FLAMETRAPS
They are filled with oil vapour gauze filters and can be removed, opened, cleaned and replaced. The filters can also be replaced if required. They are £90 each + £5 p&p to UK addresses. Contact Mike Trim for further information.
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 43
SLOC MERCHANDISE
If there is an item of clothing that you wish to buy with club branding, please let us know and we’ll see if we can supply it. We are continually looking for new items to produce.
5
Sunbeam Lotus £ MUGS – (SLOC1) EACH
5
Sunbeam Lotus £ MUGS – (SLOC2) EACH
Leather KEY FOBS with either club or Talbot logo.
£5
EACH
£15
Professionally printed POSTER on heavy photo paper, 42cm x 59cm.
BLANK KEYS - These are the correct type for your Sunbeam Lotus as available in period.
£5
EACH
Check availability of items on this page: regalia@sunbeamlotus.com 44 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
GENERAL INFO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS are pleased to hear from any members who need help or advice or simply want a chat, but please bear in mind that we have jobs and busy lives away from the club, are sometimes away from home and some have young families; all calls should be made before 9pm. If the person that you want is not in when you call, please ring again where possible rather than asking for a call back. If you do leave a message on an answer ‘phone remember to include your name, membership number and time/date of the call, and say what you were calling about. It will save time on the second call if the committee member knows what to expect and can be prepared for the next contact. If you are unable to contact the person by telephone, try sending an e-mail (or letter!) or try another committee member. Please ALWAYS include your name and membership number in the
subject line of any e-mail you send to the committee; failure to do so may result in the message being deleted without being read, due to problems with spam and virus e-mails. Unfortunately, genuine messages are still caught by spam filters so if you do not receive a reply within a week, please send your message again. Thank you for your co-operation. The SLOC does not necessarily agree with the opinions expressed in this magazine. The club committee members, officials of the SLOC and contributors can not be held responsible for any loss, injury or damage alleged to have been caused by following/responding to advice or advertisements in this publication (including accompanying leaflets). All advertisements are published in good faith and the club, committee members and officials of the SLOC can not be held responsible for any financial loss arising out of any subsequent transactions. The editor reserves the right to edit any letters and/or articles submitted. Copyright ownership of all text submitted shall pass to SLOC unless by alternative arrangement.
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 45
THE ROOTES ARCHIVE TRUST Preserving the past for the future Patrons: Lord Rootes, T.D. Rootes and W.B. Rootes
Trustees
The Archive of the Rootes Group Engineering department and much more…
• Gordon Jarvis • Matt Ollman • Andrew McAdam • Bob Allan • Gavin Stewart • Nick Harrison • Graham Vickery
The core of the collection is made up of 250,000 engineering drawings on drafting linen, acetate film and micro-fiche. These items include material dating from 1934 through to Peugeot ownership. In addition we have a large photographic negative collection from the late 1960s though to the early 1980s and further archive material is being added as it is made available to us.
Volunteer - Donate - Visit • We welcome volunteers from your club to assist with the sorting, cataloguing and digitisation of this extraordinary archive • Become a Friend of the trust from as little as £15 • Visit the Archive on our open days The Rootes Archive Centre Trust, Cherwell Business Village, Southam Road, Banbury, Oxon OX16 2SP Email: matthewollman@rootesarchivecentre.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/RootesArchiveCentreTrust www: www.rootesarchivecentre.org.uk
46 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
Like us on Facebook to stay up to date!
F U L LY LOA D E D CA R S WE CAN DO MORE THAN RESTORE YOUR CAR... We can rebuild them from scratch!
OUR WORK SPEAKS FOR ITSELF We can make your vehicle stand out from the crowd, or restore your pride and joy to its original former glory. From accident repairs, fleet management through to car restoration and modification, we care for your car on-site.
020 8493 0440
Unit 5A Triumph Trading Estate Tariff Road London N17 0EB sales@fullyloadedcars.com • www.fullyloadedcars.co.uk
OPPOSITE LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1
| 47
48 | O P P O S I T E
LOC MAGAZINE | 2020 – ISSUE 1