DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

I've run this little car for 10 years or so with all the ups and downs expected, so different to a road car experience.

Not in the Sell mode yet, but BAT seems to be busy and getting good prices, hence the question in the first place.

I tend to keep my favourite cars a long time, ie the 911 @ 32 years, this Lola @ 12 years, but others pass quite quickly, my hot Impreza was a mere 4 years.

If it was worth a lot, ie north of 40K then it would go and I would join Andy's camp of "100 bhp is enough".

Should feel better and be more focused when I have a few meeting under my belt hopefully kicking off in late April at Prescott, a lovely hill.

But I would certainly miss the people and these occasions:

Lightweight_911 wrote:

anglophone1 wrote:I belong to the “never sell anything you will always regret it “ camp

I'm in the opposite camp - "everything's for sale as there's always something else out there to buy/try" ...



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Ex-actly!

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Graham - I think your estimate of the Lola's potential selling price is definitely on the low side.

Why not speak to a few dealers - Paul Matty knows the hillclimb 'scene' &, although essentially a classic Lotus specialist, often has a variety of non-Lotus competition models & seems to sell a lot of cars quickly.

I know that the market for your car is small but, for someone looking for an 'unusual' historic sprint/hillclimb car, it represents an interesting option.

If/when you do decide to sell, I'd be inclined to offer the car as it is (ie with the current engine/gearbox set-up) with the option of the buyer having it minus engine/box (with a suitable reduction in price)>

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Yes, Paul does get some cars on commission I think but as he once told me many years ago all what he sells has to be of a very high standard; not sure the Lola would meet that criteria.
It has an agreed value @ £25K.
Good idea to ask him though, bound to see him this year.

A bench mark is a Pilbeam Sports racer, ex British Championship car with a mighty BMW V8 and Hewland box and truly immaculate and very fast.
Cant sell at £39.5K...

Just out of interest, what would you need to do to make it a circuit racer again? Just curious more than anything else!

911hillclimber wrote:Yes, Paul does get some cars on commission I think but as he once told me many years ago all what he sells has to be of a very high standard; not sure the Lola would meet that criteria.
It has an agreed value @ £25K.
Good idea to ask him though, bound to see him this year.

A bench mark is a Pilbeam Sports racer, ex British Championship car with a mighty BMW V8 and Hewland box and truly immaculate and very fast.
Cant sell at £39.5K...

As mentioned by someone else, I think the Porsche power unit opens up a broader market and wider appeal, which I would expect to be reflected in it’s value Graham

Graham:
To get this car ready for the Classic sports 2000 series:
Remove all suspension and replace with Lola parts (hyper rare to find)
Replace engine with series spec Pinto on single fomoco carb, dry sump, cost about the same as the 911 engine value!
Remove all brakes for Cortina cast iron calipers, good value in the brakes on it, easy re-sell so zero cost
Remove gearbox for Hewland Mk8, sell 911 box for about same cost.
Add water rads (I've got them)
Sets of bolt-on wheels, about £500 Sell Dymag March wheels for about £1000
Replace steering rack for LHD Escort (have a new one)

It is a simple car, much like your FF2000

rhd racer wrote:

911hillclimber wrote:A bench mark is a Pilbeam Sports racer, ex British Championship car with a mighty BMW V8 and Hewland box and truly immaculate and very fast.
Cant sell at £39.5K...

As mentioned by someone else, I think the Porsche power unit opens up a broader market and wider appeal, which I would expect to be reflected in it’s value Graham

I don't think the Pilbeam is any sort of benchmark for your car, Graham. Yes, it's got a beautiful, powerful BMW V8, and is quite fast, but it's not nearly as fast as its sister car with the little 4cyl 2.8 litre Hart that it was designed for.
It's a BIG car, needing a BIG trailer and lots of paraphernalia to run. It needs virtually 2 paddock spaces at most venues, it needs a lot of room back home to store the trailer, and a BIG garage to be able to take the bodywork off and fettle it in between meetings.
It isn't a neat little car like your Lola that you can just roll up at a venue, jump in, push the button and go.
As you know, a friend of mine was sharing the driving a couple of years ago, and he and I went through the thought processes about it and decided against.

Just my twopennyworth

JW

911hillclimber wrote:Graham:
To get this car ready for the Classic sports 2000 series:
Remove all suspension and replace with Lola parts (hyper rare to find)
Replace engine with series spec Pinto on single fomoco carb, dry sump, cost about the same as the 911 engine value!
Remove all brakes for Cortina cast iron calipers, good value in the brakes on it, easy re-sell so zero cost
Remove gearbox for Hewland Mk8, sell 911 box for about same cost.
Add water rads (I've got them)
Sets of bolt-on wheels, about £500 Sell Dymag March wheels for about £1000
Replace steering rack for LHD Escort (have a new one)

It is a simple car, much like your FF2000

Very interesting Graham. What suspension does it have at the moment?

Take your points Jonathan, interesting perspective.

Graham, the rear is all March F2 with one year only uprights, centre lock of course. Modern ap callipers.
Front is Lola wishbones, Ralt uprights I think, and huge Brembo endurance callipers.
Front anti roll bar is original Lola, rear is custom made.

This little car, and it is small, is a real make up of different parts befitting of its colourful existence before I added to the mix.

Interesting too that Wayne feels the Porsche bit adds to the car.

I'm by no means a historic expert, but a lot of that would work in the more liberal series surely? Yes you'd have to get it back to small brakes and pinto, but things like march uprights would be ok I would have thought.

I have no real idea, but the times (many) that I've been to watch historic meetings at SPA and Silverstone the cars seem VERY period/design correct.

In hill climbs the rules are far more relaxed, it runs in Sports Libre where the only rule is the tyres must be covered!
If this Lola reaches the market best to say Open to Offers!

I dread to think how much it has cost me over the last 12 years, over £25K for sure, but in the last 5 years just tyres (£1200 /set)and oil changes/fuel and insurance.

Really has been cheap to run the car.

If your determined to use an on line auction site.Id consider Catwiki.You wont be plagued by non paying bidders, and the lots are scrutinised by experts.They have dedicated Car Auctions.Based in Holland, so potential shipping is simplier.Ive sold a few rare car parts, and various Hi-fi.

Graham

So what’s your plan going forward after you sell the Lola? Are you retiring from hillclimbing? Are you going to return the 911to the hills? Or are you going to buy something else?

The reason I ask is if you buy a new competition car you are back in the bubble of you need to spend money to be competitive.

Good questions!
The 911 will never come back to the hills, wife says it's worth too much, though that is very debatable.
I would go back to how I started though, simply use the Boxster I have, drive it there, do it, drive it back and have a very simple weekend.
Being comparative has dissapeared, but Istill have some pride, so it hurts when it doesn't happen by a big margin.
In the class are some very fast cars and drivers, I'm well out classed.