9 replies to this topic

[mayesprit]

Parked up outside garages in Dawlish.

Looked nice but I'm not knowledgable to tell if it is an original or a Carlton with kit.

http://i194.photobuc...p/photo-175.jpg
http://i194.photobuc...p/photo-176.jpg

[MPx]

With the best conversions you cant tell until the bonnet is lifted Ian. Whenever I see them it upsets me because given the lack of spares anywhere we know that a real LC lost its life to give that persons ordinary carlton a facelift. Given the tiny 284 total (Vauxhall RHD) to start with....they must be getting very rare now....

When I was last at SWLC a couple of weeks back they had one there that had been in for a while being "recommissioned" having be stored for a few years. So you may have spotted where that one lives when its not garage bound!

[mdw]

Looked nice but I'm not knowledgable to tell if it is an original or a Carlton with kit.

http://i194.photobuc...p/photo-175.jpg
http://i194.photobuc...p/photo-176.jpg

Askmid says its the real deal.

[red vtec]

It's real I just looked on DVLA,

There was one at Castle Hedingham meet the other year but they would not let him in, said it was not a performance car!

[SWLC]

It is real, and it was the car that was in our garage not that long ago. Nice to see them getting used. James

[Tim Shaw]

A company in Daventry has reproduced or can source a lot of LC spares I believe (including solving the well-known clutch fork and bell housing problem) ,and can get hold of/reproduces the body kits too,so I think that a fake LC doesn't have to mean a butchered original,thank god!

I looked at owning a LC instead of an Esprit as a practical "family" performance car,but the likelihood I learned from other owners would be the car would spend a lot of time off road awaiting parts,probably more so than an Esprit.No fun in my opinion.

[MPx]

A company in Daventry has reproduced or can source a lot of LC spares I believe (including solving the well-known clutch fork and bell housing problem) ,and can get hold of/reproduces the body kits too,so I think that a fake LC doesn't have to mean a butchered original,thank god!

You're probably thinking of Joe Ellis in Daventry who built and raced an LC (called Agamemnon) from a std Carlton - the company name is BTBExhausts. He's a brill engineer and a lovely bloke and has or will make most of the mechanical parts - and the Autobahnstormers club has access to many more. Joe also has the moulds for the body kit. But sadly, noone has any of the internal fixtures fittings and finishers - so if anyone wants to make their 1.8 Carlton look like an LC on the inside they have to buy the bits from somewhere like Douglas Valley Vandals.

[Tim Shaw]

Ah yeah, of course, forgot about the interior It was Joe I was thinking of, spoken to him a few times and his knowledge of the car is phenomenal! I'd not joined ABS when I was looking for a LC, but you've kinda kindled my interest in the LC if there are even more peeps out there who will cater for them, perhaps I'll look into them again

Edited by Tim Shaw, 11 August 2012 - 03:10 PM.

[MPx]

Its certainly a great car Tim and theres a good support structure if you engage properly with them....but you are getting into custom made bits and bobs so expect delays while they're sourced/made and expense from being non-std. Eg the straw that finally prompted me to get out was rear shock failure on MOT....so car off the road for 6 weeks while Joe is commissioned to develop/make the rear shocks with their unique variable height compressor stuff. Also cost £500+ instead of whatever you'd pay for a std car - maybe £80? Joe's clutch kit sounds like a good option, but ABS also have a programme with a sorted bellhousing and hardened pin on the shelf ready for the next member to exchange their cracked one......but still at a significant cost of course. If you can live with the downsides you list, I'd certainly recommend it - fantastic car!

[Tim Shaw]

It would by no means be a daily (and only!) car,plus I'm changing jobs imminently which means I won't have to commute any more,so to look at them now would be as good a time as any! I've just downloaded the application for abs,so I shall check it out for myself