Dry Sump Register

[stephenwhyte]

1 hour ago, GJones said:

Hi guys. After 6 months I see I have a question to answer! My car (ex Trevsked) is alive and well and already on the register, 1035. It has the single middle supports  for the tail gate louvres btw.

Thanks!

Is this the one with the Tobacco brown interior?

[Lex Templar]

2 minutes ago, stephenwhyte said:

Is this the one with the Tobacco brown interior?

It is one of two current surviving white with Tobacco - am I correct in saying no rooftop stereo GJones?

[GJones]

Hi. Thats correct regarding tobacco and no roof stereo and no air con. I am uncertain how many are left but I can vouch for this one! I have got a correct roof stereo, do you know anyone that can fix them? I have the manual for it so I understand the need for amps etc. Mine crackles (off the car) but not managed any sound! Thanks 

[Lex Templar]

On 05/10/2019 at 20:11, GJones said:

Hi. Thats correct regarding tobacco and no roof stereo and no air con. I am uncertain how many are left but I can vouch for this one! I have got a correct roof stereo, do you know anyone that can fix them? I have the manual for it so I understand the need for amps etc. Mine crackles (off the car) but not managed any sound! Thanks 

 

In case you missed it GJones here is a run down of all the white/brown dry sumps.

 

5 x Monaco white/full brown leather Production Turbo Esprit for the UK  (1 with no roof top stereo)

 

#0928 white/brown – Lotus company car according to Andy Graham (1 of 3 1980) - although DVLA database had this one down as 'OPW667W' White Heat Road Test Car. not SORN since 1982 and whereabouts unknown,  white/brown, Comps, roof stereo, A/C, Full Bond Spec 

10/80 #0929 white/brown – currently in Miami Dezer collection -  Not production spec. Build records not available. 2.2 normally aspirated engine confirmed by factory records and by Andy Graham, not included in production numbers.

12/80 #0953 white/brown, Comps, roof stereo, A/C, Full Bond Spec (2 of 3 1980) under resto

12/80 #0954 white/brown – conflicting info suggesting this could also be Reg OPW 667W not SORN since 1982 (3 of 3 1980) Dry Sump register has this one as 'White Heat', whereabouts unknown,  white/brown, Comps, roof stereo, A/C, Full Bond Spec 

08/81 #0982 Registration PPK 65X originally white/brown car, now white w/red, Comps, Roof Stereo, A/C. (1 of 2 1981)

08/81 #1035 white/brown, no roof mounted stereo or AC.  (2 of 2 1981)

 

[Lex Templar]

White Heat...Motor Magazine  March 1980, white/brown

[GJones]

Great info, thanks for sharing. There are two more Monaco white dry dumps with brown (not tobacco) interiors in a private collection in the U.K. I have previously encouraged the owner of them to join this forum and share the info but so far at least they wish to remain anonymous, which I will continue to respect. One car had 4 stud hubs and comps. I previously owned the other one of them (which had five stud bbs wheels on the front, rear hubs not present) so if I can find any info on it in my records I will share that. (It was an ex Trevsked fire damaged donor vehicle which I sold on that has now been restored.)

Edited October 8, 2019 by GJones
Updated re wheels / hubs

[GJones]

I have found an old receipt that states the car I sold for restoration car was registered JIW7130 when I sold it 2014. It had half brown leather. Dvla states that it has not yet returned to the road but I have seen it at 90% restored ca 2016.  I don’t have any other details. Sorry.

Edited October 9, 2019 by GJones

[Lex Templar]

5 hours ago, GJones said:

I have found an old receipt that states the car I sold for restoration car was registered JIW7130 when I sold it 2014. It had half brown leather. Dvla states that it has not yet returned to the road but I have seen it at 90% restored ca 2016.  I don’t have any other details. Sorry.

This is great info GJones and it solves the final 1981 white/brown car which Andy confirmed below in italics and my notes in brackets ... there was one white car with half leather, which is now evident that it is your old car.

The other car you mentioned in the private collection - would have to be either #928 or #954 both from 1980, as there are no other factory white/brown cars it could be.

It would be great to know if #982 (PPK 65X) was written off, it was mentioned somewhere that this might be the case, sad if true.

From Andy...

Your car was the 2nd out of 3 cars in Monaco White with brown leather (all with the radio in the roof). Brown leather was discontinued in the 1982 model year. Searching the UK Turbo in white with brown leather there was 3 1981 model years; 1 the same specification as your car (this is #982), 1 with full leather but with standard radio and without A/C (#1035) and 1 with half brown leather and standard radio (we now know as rego JIW7130 from GJones) .

Regards,

Andy Graham Lotus Archives

[dr_jayhart]

When I was at beaulie supercar weekend last year showing WPC229X a guy showed me a photo of a turbo in a french barn under tarpaulin. He said was from a bond movie with an OPW plate visible. Car had been sat there for a long time. Wish I’d gotten the chaps details. 

[Lex Templar]

1 hour ago, dr_jayhart said:

When I was at beaulie supercar weekend last year showing WPC229X a guy showed me a photo of a turbo in a french barn under tarpaulin. He said was from a bond movie with an OPW plate visible. Car had been sat there for a long time. Wish I’d gotten the chaps details. 

Was it white?

Interesting, I wonder if it was OPW 667W. We now know none of the white cars from FYEO are currently white. Unless it was #929 before it ended up at deezer, even though we know this car didn't appear in the movie itself.

[GJones]

34 minutes ago, Lex Templar said:

Was it white?

Interesting, I wonder if it was OPW 667W. We now know none of the white cars from FYEO are currently white. Unless it was #929 before it ended up at deezer, even though we know this car didn't appear in the movie itself.

I think we need to be cautious with partial plates. My car originally had a cherished plate so my OPW888W is sympathetic and age correct but not original. There is of course OPW 654X, I know some one who has an Eclat with a OPW xxxW plate on it that could donate it’s plate and I have seen a copper car as per photo (alongside mine) at Brands a couple of years ago....

[Lex Templar]

4 minutes ago, GJones said:

I think we need to be cautious with partial plates. My car originally had a cherished plate so my OPW888W is sympathetic and age correct but not original. There is of course OPW 654X, I know some one who has an Eclat with a OPW xxxW plate on it that could donate it’s plate and I have seen a copper car as per photo (alongside mine) at Brands a couple of years ago....

not to mention dummy plates for car shows... lots of OPW654W cars getting around on the internet!

great photo btw..

I coveted your car for some time after I saw it on the front cover of Octane Mag around 2010 in the turbo issue - with gold wheels then.

 

 

[dr_jayhart]

Yes it was white.

 

[Tocus]

On 08/10/2019 at 12:54, Lex Templar said:

 

In case you missed it GJones here is a run down of all the white/brown dry sumps.

 

5 x Monaco white/full brown leather Production Turbo Esprit for the UK  (1 with no roof top stereo)

 

#0928 white/brown – Lotus company car according to Andy Graham (1 of 3 1980) - although DVLA database had this one down as 'OPW667W' White Heat Road Test Car. not SORN since 1982 and whereabouts unknown,  white/brown, Comps, roof stereo, A/C, Full Bond Spec 

10/80 #0929 white/brown – currently in Miami Dezer collection -  Not production spec. Build records not available. 2.2 normally aspirated engine confirmed by factory records and by Andy Graham, not included in production numbers.

12/80 #0953 white/brown, Comps, roof stereo, A/C, Full Bond Spec (2 of 3 1980) under resto

12/80 #0954 white/brown – conflicting info suggesting this could also be Reg OPW 667W not SORN since 1982 (3 of 3 1980) Dry Sump register has this one as 'White Heat', whereabouts unknown,  white/brown, Comps, roof stereo, A/C, Full Bond Spec 

08/81 #0982 Registration PPK 65X originally white/brown car, now white w/red, Comps, Roof Stereo, A/C. (1 of 2 1981)

08/81 #1035 white/brown, no roof mounted stereo or AC.  (2 of 2 1981)

 

 

 

mine #951 is NOT WHITE,  but has roof stereo (body colour Silver) A/C and it has the brown Tobacco interior only one is build with this brown leather,

[Lex Templar]

On 04/01/2017 at 09:40, Bazza 907 said:

Isn't this the same one as the picture on page 2 of this thread?

I met the guy who owned it at Castle Coombe (probably the same day that pic was taken) and then a year or two later when he said he'd written it off. He turned up at the Ace Cafe and said that he'd bought a modern Esprit which I think was an S4 or S4S or something.

Confirmation here from earlier in the thread about #982 being written off. The 4th white with tobacco car produced.

[Lex Templar]

I found this on Lotus Esprit World.

1981 Lotus Esprit currently SORN with an Audi V8 engine.

REGISTRATION: RBU 58W

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EOtherstuff/White_S3V8.html

most likely an original dry sump car. 

[Bazza 907]

1 hour ago, Lex Templar said:

Confirmation here from earlier in the thread about #982 being written off. The 4th white with tobacco car produced.

At Castle Combe in 2008

 

[Lex Templar]

On 08/10/2019 at 23:16, GJones said:

Great info, thanks for sharing. There are two more Monaco white dry dumps with brown (not tobacco) interiors in a private collection in the U.K. I have previously encouraged the owner of them to join this forum and share the info but so far at least they wish to remain anonymous, which I will continue to respect. One car had 4 stud hubs and comps. I previously owned the other one of them (which had five stud bbs wheels on the front, rear hubs not present) so if I can find any info on it in my records I will share that. (It was an ex Trevsked fire damaged donor vehicle which I sold on that has now been restored.)

GJones just using a process of elimination, the Unknown car in the private collection with Comps would most likely not be the road test car as we know ‘white heat’ was fitted with BBS wheels is about 1981. 
 

If we could one day find out we could confirm if white heat was #928 or #954.

edit:

just having another look on the DVLA database. OPW667W was first registered in November 1980. #954 was not built until December 1980. 
 

The dry sump register has white heat OPW667W as #954

I think Lucas Reynolds once searched the DVLA a while ago when the chassis numbers were listed with registration numbers. #928 was attributed to OPW667W

[GJones]

I honestly don’t know the plate of the other car in the private collection however if it started with OPW I am certain I would have noticed, assuming it had plates fitted when I saw it that is. I will message my distant friend to see if he is willing to share any info, but I anticipate he will want to remain anonymous etc.

[Andyww]

Its possible that when 954 was built it was allocated as a press car to remain the property of Lotus and they used the reg plate OPW667W from 928.

Very naughty of course but far more dodgy things were going on at that time!

[Lex Templar]

4 minutes ago, GJones said:

I honestly don’t know the plate of the other car in the private collection however if it started with OPW I am certain I would have noticed, assuming it had plates fitted when I saw it that is. I will message my distant friend to see if he is willing to share any info, but I anticipate he will want to remain anonymous etc.

It’s unlikely #954 had an OPW plate....see how you go

[Andyww]

Just noticed something strange about OPW667W having looked again at the CAR magazine Ferrari308 comparison test. The car has the centre console with clock and cubby hole which was fitted to roof-stereo cars but it doesnt have a roof stereo!

[Lex Templar]

5 minutes ago, Andyww said:

Its possible that when 954 was built it was allocated as a press car to remain the property of Lotus and they used the reg plate OPW667W from 928.

Very naughty of course but far more dodgy things were going on at that time!

Interesting theory. It could explain why OPW 667W turned up later on with BBS wheels. We all have assumed that the car had its wheels changed to keep up with the current model for road test articles. But a rego swap I guess couldn’t be out of the question. All will be revealed eventually.

2 minutes ago, Andyww said:

Just noticed something strange about OPW667W having looked again at the CAR magazine Ferrari308 comparison test. The car has the centre console with clock and cubby hole which was fitted to roof-stereo cars but it doesnt have a roof stereo!

It does in motor mag and Autocar test!

[Andyww]

3 minutes ago, Lex Templar said:

 

It does in motor mag and Autocar test!

In the CAR test there is a clear front view of the car showing the mirror is not the glued-on-glass type which was used on roof stereo cars. Also they never mentioned the roof stereo in the review at all. Maybe we have 2 different cars here, with reg number change!

[Lex Templar]

Getting interesting...! Perhaps both cars were used (928 + 954) or the roof mounted Panasonic was added later 🧐