From: "William F. Steagall, Sr." <steagall99@...>
Reply-To: L23Registry@...
To: L23Registry@...
Subject: [L23Registry] Australian Lotus 23 # 23 S 23
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 04:55:57 -0000


Many of you will have read in the old newsletters of the controversy
over Lotus 23 S 23 and its division among several owners.

There are (or were) three such claimants in the USA and Canada, and
one in Australia. It now seems that the one in Australia is not
another car number 23 S 23 but a car with a chassis marked 23/23. Or
maybe something else. The origin of the chassis is not now known.
Shall we ever know for sure?

Regards to all

Bill Steagall
Moderator/Registrar

Hello Bill,
Who is this chap who claims to have such a car in
Australia. Would love to
meet with him.
A contact would be appreciated.
Rgds
Sonny
PS: I have not as yet recieved the questionaire re:
listing of my car.

From: "William F. Steagall, Sr."

<steagall99@...>

Reply-To: L23Registry@...
To: L23Registry@...
Subject: [L23Registry] Australian Lotus 23 # 23 S

23

Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 04:55:57 -0000


Many of you will have read in the old newsletters

of the controversy

over Lotus 23 S 23 and its division among several

owners.

There are (or were) three such claimants in the USA

and Canada, and

one in Australia. It now seems that the one in

Australia is not

another car number 23 S 23 but a car with a chassis

marked 23/23. Or

maybe something else. The origin of the chassis is

not now known.

Shall we ever know for sure?

Regards to all

Bill Steagall
Moderator/Registrar

Hello Bill,
Who is this chap who claims to have such a car in Australia. Would love to
meet with him.
A contact would be appreciated.
Rgds
Sonny
PS: I have not as yet recieved the questionaire re: listing of my car.


>From: "William F. Steagall, Sr."
>Reply-To: L23Registry@...
>To: L23Registry@...
>Subject: [L23Registry] Australian? Lotus 23 # 23 S 23
>Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 04:55:57 -0000
>
>
>Many of you will have read in the old newsletters of the controversy
>over Lotus 23 S 23 and its division among several owners.
>
>There are (or were) three such claimants in the USA and Canada, and
>one in Australia.? It now seems that the one in Australia is not
>another car number 23 S 23 but a car with a chassis marked 23/23.? Or
>maybe something else.? The origin of the chassis is not now known.
>Shall we ever know for sure?
>
>Regards to all
>
>Bill Steagall
>Moderator/Registrar
>
>
>

Bill:

I've been a 23 owner/racer for the past five years and a member of this
discussion group since its inception. Compared to a couple of other car
related discussion groups I'm part of, the L23Registry is a pretty quiet
bunch. Maybe once or twice every month, a message will appear then its
quiet again for weeks before another message appears. I for one would like
to see more email activity.

The Triumph discussion group I participate in is small, about 125 members
worldwide and there are always five to a dozen messages covering various
topics, EVERY DAY. There is the usual technical Q & A, parts swapping,
vintage race reviews, recommendations for parts suppliers, post televised
F1-IRL-INDY Car-SCCA race reviews and just general car talk. Its a lot of
fun, can be very informative and a great source for technical tips from
folks who have been dealing with Triumphs for years.

I'd like to see the L23 Registry do something similar. To start, perhaps
participants would be willing to submit a picture(s) of their car; provide a
summary of the car's history; chat about their racing adventures etc. to get
the ball rolliing and once we realize there actually is a community of
owners online, the group can become more active. Any one else feel the
same?

Gary
Northern California
1964 23B

----- Original Message -----

From: William Steagall

To: L23Registry@...

Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 3:22 PM

Subject: RE: [L23Registry] Australian Lotus 23 # 23 S 23

Gary, and all other Lotus 23 owners:-

?

Perhaps I missed some things, but I thought we had a fairly active discussion of many topics specifically related to the Lotus 23.? I recall, for example some discussion of the suspension recently.?

?

I suppose too that part of the reason for minimal email is that almost everyone knows where to get parts to restore or repair a Lotus 23.? It is not as it was in the early '80s when I began to restore mine.? Don Schaefer, various others and I made parts, contracted with suppliers to make parts, and parts were readily available to restore a Lotus 23. And, lamentably,?one can?create one from scratch.? Chassis,? body, engine, windscreen, suspension, brakes -- you name it and it is available.?

?

Furthermore, in those early '80s most owners did their own restoration work. Now, I do believe, most Lotus 23s are maintained professionally.? That is in keeping with the change in vintage racing from a 'run what you brung and lets have fun with old cars' game to 'bring a museum piece and we'll see it it is good enough for us' game. Then too, the engines are now almost a one race per rebuild thing.? And at $25,000 a copy, too.

?

And Gary, the discussion of that Lotus 23, the one in Australia has been going on for at least a decade.?See the file of newsletters beginning with number 22.?Lotus 23S23 was delivered in the early '60s to Al Pease, who drove it with some success until he crashed it.? The car was then rebuilt, sold and wound up in Canada where it fissioned into two cars.? Then Al began to restore some rescued parts he had, buying whatever he needed to complement the dash plaque and chassis parts he had saved.? This was debated in the newsletters with the final result that Richard Fewster reported that a Lotus 23 with that number had been in Australia since new.? That car turns out to have the ID 23/23.? Go figure.

?

And I find it interesting that no one (few?) seems to have a plain Lotus 23.? All seem to be Lotus 23Bs.? Yet the factory made many Lotus 23s.. Plain 23s.? And of course, they made kits available for updating the chassis.?

?

I'll close this by saying that I set up the Group on Yahoo to give all owners a place to exchange views.? So do it.

?

Bill Steagall

Registrar/Moderator
Gary Horstkorta wrote:

Bill:

I've been a 23 owner/racer for the past five years and a member of this
discussion group since its inception. Compared to a couple of other car
related discussion groups I'm part of, the L23Registry is a pretty quiet
bunch. Maybe once or twice every month, a message will appear then its
quiet again for weeks before another message appears. I for one would like
to see more email activity.

The Triumph discussion group I participate in is small, about 125 members
worldwide and there are always five to a dozen messages covering various
topics, EVERY DAY. There is the usual technical Q & A, parts swapping,
vintage race reviews, recommendations for parts suppliers, post televised
F1-IRL-INDY Car-SCCA race reviews and just general car talk. Its a lot of
fun, can be very informative and a great source for technical tips from
folks who have been dealing with Triumphs for years.

I'd like to see the L23 Registry do something similar. To start, perhaps
participants would be willing to submit a picture(s) of their car; provide a
summary of the car's history; chat about their racing adventures etc. to get
the ball rolliing and once we realize there actually is a community of
owners online, the group can become more active. Any one else feel the
same?

Gary
Northern California
1964 23B

----- Original Message -----

From: Gary Horstkorta

To: L23Registry@...

Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 5:39 PM

Subject: Re: [L23Registry] Australian Lotus 23 # 23 S 23

Jeff:

All I can say is why in the world would someone go to that extent to
engineer such an engine combination?? I know there have been many L23
chassis/engine combinations such as BMW, Ferrari, and several brands of
V-8s, but the "rotovic" is a new one on me.? You would have thought that an
Englishman with a sense of history would have know that racecars with
motorcycle engines (a la Formula III) were not the path to high placed
finishes.

Gary

A guy here bought a 23 in the last few years (forgot his name), which had a Saab 3 banger, and converted it to a FF crossflow, (I believe), and it

runs in the Historics up here, in Portland, in July.? If anyone is coming up here for the historics, drop me a line and I'll take ya out for beers.

?

Jeff

?

----- Original Message -----

From: William Steagall

To: L23Registry@...

Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 3:22 PM

Subject: RE: [L23Registry] Australian Lotus 23 # 23 S 23

Gary, and all other Lotus 23 owners:-

?

Perhaps I missed some things, but I thought we had a fairly active discussion of many topics specifically related to the Lotus 23.? I recall, for example some discussion of the suspension recently.?

?

I suppose too that part of the reason for minimal email is that almost everyone knows where to get parts to restore or repair a Lotus 23.? It is not as it was in the early '80s when I began to restore mine.? Don Schaefer, various others and I made parts, contracted with suppliers to make parts, and parts were readily available to restore a Lotus 23. And, lamentably,?one can?create one from scratch.? Chassis,? body, engine, windscreen, suspension, brakes -- you name it and it is available.?

?

Furthermore, in those early '80s most owners did their own restoration work. Now, I do believe, most Lotus 23s are maintained professionally.? That is in keeping with the change in vintage racing from a 'run what you brung and lets have fun with old cars' game to 'bring a museum piece and we'll see it it is good enough for us' game. Then too, the engines are now almost a one race per rebuild thing.? And at $25,000 a copy, too.

?

And Gary, the discussion of that Lotus 23, the one in Australia has been going on for at least a decade.?See the file of newsletters beginning with number 22.?Lotus 23S23 was delivered in the early '60s to Al Pease, who drove it with some success until he crashed it.? The car was then rebuilt, sold and wound up in Canada where it fissioned into two cars.? Then Al began to restore some rescued parts he had, buying whatever he needed to complement the dash plaque and chassis parts he had saved.? This was debated in the newsletters with the final result that Richard Fewster reported that a Lotus 23 with that number had been in Australia since new.? That car turns out to have the ID 23/23.? Go figure.

?

And I find it interesting that no one (few?) seems to have a plain Lotus 23.? All seem to be Lotus 23Bs.? Yet the factory made many Lotus 23s.. Plain 23s.? And of course, they made kits available for updating the chassis.?

?

I'll close this by saying that I set up the Group on Yahoo to give all owners a place to exchange views.? So do it.

?

Bill Steagall

Registrar/Moderator
Gary Horstkorta wrote:

Bill:

I've been a 23 owner/racer for the past five years and a member of this
discussion group since its inception. Compared to a couple of other car
related discussion groups I'm part of, the L23Registry is a pretty quiet
bunch. Maybe once or twice every month, a message will appear then its
quiet again for weeks before another message appears. I for one would like
to see more email activity.

The Triumph discussion group I participate in is small, about 125 members
worldwide and there are always five to a dozen messages covering various
topics, EVERY DAY. There is the usual technical Q & A, parts swapping,
vintage race reviews, recommendations for parts suppliers, post televised
F1-IRL-INDY Car-SCCA race reviews and just general car talk. Its a lot of
fun, can be very informative and a great source for technical tips from
folks who have been dealing with Triumphs for years.

I'd like to see the L23 Registry do something similar. To start, perhaps
participants would be willing to submit a picture(s) of their car; provide a
summary of the car's history; chat about their racing adventures etc. to get
the ball rolliing and once we realize there actually is a community of
owners online, the group can become more active. Any one else feel the
same?

Gary
Northern California
1964 23B