Banks S2 Race Car

[andy harwood]

 
Amazing Lotus story!! Looking forward to reading your posts.
I have some fleeting/hazy memories of a trip from NC to Miami FL, in the back of my parents Austin Healey 3000. Think I was 3 at the time. But from birth? Lotus and you are part and parcel!

[Chuck Nukem]

 

Love the look on your passenger's face in that first set of pics!

[JR73]

Well noticed Chuck! - if pictures only had sound too...! It’s pretty loud in there, even with decent helmets on but that’s my Mrs and she was making more noise than the car! - so much that it was making me laugh and slowing me down.....!

[dakazman]

  JR73,

Wonderful story and a great pictures. You definitely have a true connection with your cars.
Dakazman

[jbcollier]

Fortunately someone managed to record her comments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8gmqZu6z8s

(must say that Riccardo's wife is a great sport about it in the end)

[JR73]

Love that video!
The Bmw M3 one around the Nurburgring is also a close rendition of my own personal experience!!
I’m now armed with a GoPro to record any future reactions!! - it will happen at some point...

[StrawberryCheesecake]

Great story - not boring at all. Welcome

Maybe you  could consider a move back into the Europa biz. Richard probably needs some help, and a successor!

[JR73]

My days of working on other people's cars are pretty much done now, after Banks I went self employed for 8 years building and prepping race cars (mainly Lotus based) - got to a point were I didn't have the time to even touch my own cars, never mind actually drive them and an opportunity to work in the composites industry was too good to refuse...

A few more pics that I found from different angles, most of the conversion back to road has been done now (no decent pics as it's trapped in the garage by another project that has to take priority...), just the handbrake left to connect, passenger seat to finish and the springs to swap so my retinas don't detach!!

[JR73]

Whilst digging through all the paperwork earlier I found some things that I thought might be of interest to a few of you. Needless to say, my car is 0159P. Supplied new as a kit.

Firstly the build tags relating to the various stages that the car passed through at the factory and through to delivery, each stage is dated and signed off (painted stage has the wrong year, easily done on 4th Jan I suppose!);

[JR73]

Next up is the original warranty certificate followed by the invoices, note that the engine, gearbox, front and rear suspension, exhaust, battery, wheels and tyres where supplied by Racing Engines Ltd - which as you can see was Lotus Cars from the address. This, I'm led to believe, was part of the set up to avoid having to pay purchase tax on what would have otherwise been classed as a complete car from one source (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong though?!).
Also, the Renault delivery note can be seen detailing the engine and gearbox as supplied to Lotus.

[LotusJoe]

WOW! nice documentation.

[andy harwood]

Very nice! A paper trail is nice to have.

[JR73]

Found this picture taken by my Dad in Scotland when my car was brand new (easy to tell because he added a wing mirror not too soon afterwards!) whilst touring all around Scotland - full camping equipment on board too!

[JR73]

After far too many years of saying that I'd convert my Europa back to being road legal I'm made up to say that it is finally MOT'd, Insured and Taxed for use on the road!

Needless to say that the trip to the MOT was in absolutely torrential rain (what better conditions for the first drive of what is still a race car on the public highway?!) which made it all the more interesting for sure... no issues on the test, home again and off to the post office for a full years free road tax (the amount I spend on the other cars made it feel all the sweeter!).
Eventually the rain stopped and the roads dried out enough to fine tune the ride height and tweak the dampers so that my eyeballs get chance to focus and I don't need to book a weekly visit with the dentist to rebuild shattered teeth! Having driven many other Europas on the road it feels quite strange to finally be driving my own, stranger still to drive it in a reserved manner in order to stay within the speed limits (!) as opposed to maximum attack on track for the last 20 years...!

There are a couple of further jobs that I want to do, mainly cosmetic tbh, before I venture out further afield with the Mrs and take some scenic pictures (of the car, not her!) but for now here are a few pics of it wearing its number plates once again and 'road legal'!

Jon

[BDA]

Congratulations on your (or your car's) MOT! Hopefully you'll get many happy road miles on it now. She looks beautiful!

Maybe you can give us some more particulars about your car? For example:
What size tires and wheels
What spring rates
Which shocks and what setting
Alignment
What modifications
Motor details

I'm sure a lot of us would like some insights that your racing experience and your experience with Richard gave you.