1982 Sunbeam (ex - Lotus) Rally car

O.K. Here we go, bit of a long story that I hope will not bore you with.

Start many years ago when I was rallying the old car with a friend. The car actually belonged to him but lived at my house. It started life as a std mark 1 lotus and took about a year to build. 500 test miles and we were ready for our 1st event. Unfortunately the Lotus engine lasted 8 stage miles and the good old oil surge issue saw us coming to the end of the first stage with a major knocking noise and DNF with engine failure.

A rebuild was going to cost a fortune so we went for reliability. A modern Vauxhall engine, dry sumped with a type 9 box.

If someone tells me how, I will post some picture before moving onto the build of the new car..

OK 1st attempt





this is the last car as a Lotus

My mate and I had different ideas on the direct we wanted to go with the rallying. He wanted to go into the Forrest and I felt I was far quicker on Tarmac and wanted to explore that avenue. I tended to crash a lot but always rebuilt it. Quite rightly it was his car and he wanted things done a certain way. No problem because he is an extremely talented mechanic but I became more and more frustrated with the restrictions. I decided to bye my own car and then we could have one car for Tarmac and one for the Forrest.



I found this car on E bay and it had to be mine. The day she came home.



That was 7 years ago........

Love these old things, good job so far ... in for the updates

I love Sunbeams but am not blind to their failings.

My love affair started when in the early 80's a friend of mine gave me a lift home in a 1.6 GLS. I loved the shape and car just clicked with me. I just needed more power. In 1985 I bought a series 1 lotus and had it for 4 years. I loved it but not the most economical car when you have a young family. It had to go unfortunately.

As I said I am not blind to the problems, LOTUS ( Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious). Great for a road car but expensive to get good reliable power. The ZF box is great but again expensive and unless highly modified it can be slow to change. Back axle is only really good for up to 200BHP and there is limited CWP options. All of these I have decided to update and modernise. Again I will be fitting a C20XE, a Quaif type 9 and a fully floating atlas axle..

I built the engine a few years ago and when I finally get to fit it and get it running I am hoping for around 250 BHP.

I bought an atlas pigs head and had thicker tubes welded on with fully floating ends from Squires in Stoke. I then brought it home to modify the rest of it for my brakes and redesigned rear suspension. The car will be turreted with upright Billy's on it. The standard top and bottom links I have sold on and designed new links with rosé joints either end (left and right hand threads).









I have a 4.6 CWP and ZF plated LSD for it but may change to a 5.1 before the build depending on wheel size.....

Before I had the car dipped I cut into the wheel tubs to fit the turret tunnels (modified Escort ones) then invested in a fantastic plasma cutter. That has made this job so much easier.

With the plasma cutter the job got so much easier. Just have to be careful not to get carried away.

I knew I wanted an internal tank and the boot floor is an awkward shape to fit a square tank. So I cut the whole lot away, back to the rails and started from scratch.



The turrets were strengthened with role cage tube between them the axle and new suspenssion layout pre-fitted.