The Golden Gate Lotus Club

PO Box 117303 Burlingame, CA 94011

January

17 GGLC meeting - Burlingame

August

18-20 LOG 20 Ottawa, Canada by Lotus Limited

September

16,17 California Melee’

September 27-October 1

WCLM2000, Lotus track day, vintage races, concours, banquet, tours, ralleyes, seminars, at the gateway to California’s fabulous wine country

This is to remind everyone that we did in fact vote in favor of increasing the membership dues to $25 dollars per year. This is only a $5 increase over the old dues and in my totally unbiased opinion, it’s completely worth it! In all seriousness, as I stated in the October CR, it’s been a long time since we raised the dues, and this will help us out with the cost of printing and mailing the CR each month. To ease everyone into it, we’ll make the offer to extend your membership one year at the old price of $20 if you send your check in before January 1, 2000. If you haven’t added to, or subtracted from your stable, and you don’t have any other changes to your listing in the GGLC membership roster, you can simply send in your check with a small note indicating no changes. For any new members, or for anyone wishing to make changes to their listing in the roster, you can print a copy of the membership application from the GGLC website at www.gglotus.org and send that in with your check.

Please mail your checks to:

Golden Gate Lotus Club

P.O. Box 117303

Burlingame, CA 94011

The President’s Column

All right everyone, your worst fears have been realized, I’ve been elected to a second term as GGLC President! That means several things, one of which is that you will have to endure another year of my monthly articles. I have to say I had a great time this year and I’m going to make it a point to try to fill next year’s calendar with fun events as well. The only problem for me is, since I’m doing it a second time, it should be easier and more organized next year, right? Well don’t bank on it!

If your CR arrived a little late this month, there’s a good chance it’s because our co-editor John Zender was waiting for my article to complete this month’s copy. Well, sorry about that folks but I’ve been running around trying to finalize the details of the annual GGLC Christmas Party, along with doing all the other things that one would normally be doing at this time of year. But, I’m actually glad that I’m late because I can fill you all in on what a great time we had.

We ALWAYS have great Christmas parties and so I was a little nervous…..well okay, very nervous about how things were going to turn out. I arrived at the restaurant early to check out the room and unload the door prizes and I was glad to see everything in order and ready for the party. It didn’t take long before people started to arrive and I was particularly glad to see some new faces! We had a total of 44 people this year and my only regret of the evening was that I didn’t get a chance to chat with each person and thank them for coming.

I won’t go into all the details of the party, but the highlight of the evening had to be the White Elephant Gift Exchange. Each year more and more people participate and this year I think we set a record. I have to say, except for a few genuinely good gifts, I was very pleased to see that this year most of the items were exceptionally useless, in other words- PERFECT! We had a bad crank, some rods, a modified heat shield, and a wire wheel, to name just a few. Some of the other items I would have a hard time describing, let alone describing their purpose, so in my opinion they made great gifts. Our unlucky co-editor Daren Stone was the victim of the dreaded "boomerang effect", and saw one of the four gifts he brought come back to him. But, most walked away that night with a totally new useless item which I am sure will adorn their garages for a year and find its way back to next year’s party!

Judging by the responses I received from people as they said goodbye, I think everyone had a great time. I’d like to thank everyone for coming, and I’d especially like to thank Tom Carney and Barry Spencer for being our hosts for the evening, and also Kiyoshi Hamai for gathering up the door prizes, their help was deeply appreciated!

After the dinner I couldn’t help but think back at this last year and all the fun events we had. They were fun because we have a great club with enthusiastic people who make them fun. Having said that, I’d like to thank everyone who has helped out this year by hosting an event, helping to run an event, hosting a monthly meeting, or by simply taking part in an event. In addition, I would also like to thank the many people who go unnoticed because they are behind the scenes making things happen like the Chapman Report and the GGLC website. Thanks for a great year, Happy Holidays to everyone, and I’ll see you at the next meeting!

Scott

Ok, it’s the last CR of this millennium, so I figure I better write another column. It’s funny, but when I fist started this job (as editor) I was very motivated and I also received lots of material from the club. By the end of the first year my enthusiasm was waning and submissions were down. I think the last column I wrote was probably December ‘98. Daren came on board in ‘99 to share the editorship every other month which sure makes life a lot easier. Scott Hogben also deserves a bunch of thanks for submitting his column every month for 2 years! Many others have told me they’d give me articles on a regular basis, but that normally ends after the second month.

Kiyoshi, Jon Rosner, and Jim McClure have also been doing a lot for our monthly rag, so give ‘em a thanks when you see ‘em.

The Flamer Europa saw a bunch of track sessions this year with the GGLC, NASA, and Green Flag. I was the most thrilled with my last NASA session when I entered the Chariot class race. This is a special race class designed for any type of race or street car that’s in nice condition. The idea is that you can go out there and race head to head with other guys who are trying not to wreck their cars. At each event there are qualifying sessions to determine grid position, followed by one or two race sessions. They run vintage-like rules in that passing is allowed everywhere, but aggressive driving or body contact will disqualify you. And, as in most vintage events, the first few guys take off and have a real battle, while the rest of the field is out there just driving fast and having a good time.

Competing in the Chariot class is a lot like going to a club track session or driving school, except that you get lap times, and can pass anywhere it’s safe. I’m planning on running a bunch of events in 2000 and it would be fun to have more Lotus’ out there. I’ll be publishing dates for the NASA events in the future.

Fortunately for Twin Cam owners, British ingenuity has given us a water pump which dies an unbelievably premature death at about the same time as the timing chain which is easy to replace with the front cover removed, and the wise mechanic replaces both. If some strange quirk of fate (common among Lotus owners) has resulted in your Twin Cam having a good pump and an undesirable chain, here is a relatively easy method of replacing the chain only.

The primary ingredient is a GOOD replacement chain, which is GOOD because it has a master link via which it can be connected to the old chain. So, here we go...

Remove bonnet (hood). Blow away sand and dirt from the spark plugs, remove them, and cover the holes with some old socks to prevent entry of undesirable objects. Note position of #1 plug wire on distributor, mark it, and remove cap. Remove cam cover and incidental paraphernalia. Turn the engine over a whole bunch of times and see if the existing chain has a master link. If it doesn’t, set the crank at TDC with distributor rotor at #1, at which point the timing marks on the cam sprockets should also line up... Split the chain midway between the cams, using a die grinder to remove the heads of the two rivets which hold the outer link together. Of course, a loving Lotus owner will use large quantities of rags or paper to cover all exposed engine areas and shelter them from the resulting airborne grit, and a smart one will wire the chain to both cam sprockets so that the ends cannot escape when the chain comes apart.

So...place an old T-shirt over the timing chest so that if you are clumsy and drop a piece of chain link during disassembly it will not fall into the innards. If it does, don’t worry about it, it’s too big to pass the oil pump strainer. Back the chain tensioner off all the way. Next, unbolt both cams and lift them just far enough so that all valves are closed.

Step back for a couple of minutes and meditate on the fact that when an end of the chain is not in your secure grip, it must be wired onto something. Via that wonderful master, link connect the new chain to the exhaust cam end of the old chain. Now you need a fellow Lotus victim to turn the engine over and over while you feed in the new chain and pull out the old until approximately equal lengths of new chain are in each hand, then wire them down, and re-bolt, (re-nut actually) the camshafts, with the timing marks in approximately correct position.

Although you are dumb enough to own a Lotus, you can probably figure out what to do from now on, however, several minor points must be noted.

1. When you connect the chain ends, place the old T-shirt over the timing chest opening so that, should the spring clip of the master link attempt to escape, it cannot vanish into the deep innards from whence it will have to be retrieved.

2. If the distributor is not at #1 when the chain lengths are correct at TDC, don’t fret, unbolt the distributor, lift it out and re-insert it with the rotor in the des ired position.

3. This method requires assistance from a reasonably competent individual. If, by a stroke of good fortune or brilliant intelligence, you are a loner; or if you happen to live in a place where everybody hates you because you insist that sodomy and beastiality are weird and un-clean, then you will be forced to use a modified method; The Rasputin Variation.

The Rasputin Variation

Properly utilized, this method will not only replace the chain but can yield enormous social benefits. If you have nosey neighbors who like to waste your precious time with mindless chit-chat, this will fix them real good. If you have neighbors who politely ignore you, after this they will cross the street when they see you coming.

This method requires additional hardware:

1. A large incense burner.

2. A large and ornate chalice.

3. A deity. This can be anybody you like, however, brass Budhas and plastic Barbies are the most popular.

4. Eight or ten square shop rags.

5. Roll of masking tape.

As in war and racing engines, timing is critical. The optimum would be when the subject neighbor has his/her boss’s family over for lunch. The Elan must be on level pavement because you will be turning the engine over by pushing the car to the rear while it is in reverse gear.

After removing the bonnet erect the top of you Elan and securely tape to it, the incense burner, nicely filled wand smoking profusely, the chalice half full of water, and the Deity. Prostrate yourself before the Deity, and then proceed with the previously enumerated Plebian Method. When you get to the place where the engine must be turned over, tape four or five layers of shop rags to the knees of your pants and place the gearbox in reverse. Kneel in front of your Elan and lean forward, grasping the chain ends. Now inch forward on your knees and push your Elan with your tummy. If your car has donuts, the engine might turn in a series of jerks; this is a golden opportunity to test your reflexes and improve your manual dexterity. When the pain becomes u unbearable (this method wakes up muscles you never knew you had) or every four or five seconds, raise your head and gaze at the sky, and chant as loud and plaintively as you can: "Ooohm Chaaaahp-mmaaaaahn". If you run out of pavement before the chain is all the way in, shift into neutral, push forward, prostrate before the Deity, and continue. When the job is finished prostrate three times, unfasten chalice, and sprinkle water over car and pavement, cover incense burner and ceremoniously carry the Deity back into your residence. Relax and relish the nectar of solitude.

For nearly 40 years Julia Child has been on TV teaching the American public the best in the French cuisine. Martin Yan has been doing the same for Chinese foods for nearly 15 years. There are numerous food magazines, thousands of cookbooks and none have REALLY made an impact upon popular American cuisine. Why?

Yeah, why?

Okay, I tell you why… You knew I would…

REAL American food must fit the following criteria…

1. Can be held in one hand.
2. Requires little after meal clean up – only a napkin.
3. Must be able to be wrapped and portable.

What sort of foods fit the above?

Hamburgers

Hot dogs

Burritos

Sandwiches

Tacos

Egg rolls

Doughnuts

Bagels

Muffins

Cookies

Fruits – Bananas, Apples, Pears

Twinkies

Candy bars

Ho-ho’s

Potato & Corn chips

Ice cream bars

Crackers

As you can see this list of foods is the list of the top American foods… These foods did not get to this level of popularity without good reason. They all have ONE real underlying common factor and are derived from ONE single everyday act… DRIVING!!! ALL of these foods can be eaten while driving!!!

Well finally, after way too many years, business called for me to take a day to stop in Las Vegas the first week in November. So what’s impressive about that you ask? SEMA! The Specialty Equipment Manufacturer’s Association, or all the automotive aftermarket guys that bring you everything from headers, cams and ECM chips to fuzzy dice. Or, think of it as acres and acres of the world’s largest PEP Boys store!!! Over 5000 booths, and aisles full of fancy cars, buxom babes, and the promise that "my" new fangled whatcha-giget will boost horsepower by umpteen percent and dramatically reduce emissions.

What took me to SEMA was to investigate new business channels for the company I’m with. At least that’s what I told my boss… You believe me, right?!? Anyway in recent years the major car makers have begun using the SEMA show.

So, I’m here to share with you a few highlights and low lights…

TIRES

Tires are supposed to be round, soft and black… right? Not any more… The latest trend in tire-dom is colors! Take the BFG Scorcher with red, blue, yellow, green or purple striped tread!! Yokohama, Toyo and Kumho had their color tread tires too… but BFG was the ONLY tire maker with a entirely green tire! I’m not sure what the point of a colored tire is… white walls are virtually gone, and one would have thought having red walls, or blue walls, or purple walls would be more appealing. In my humble opinion any guy that brings home a colored tire will likely end up returning them because the significant other will find that they clash with their new Nordstrom’s outfit!

SHOW CARS

I’m not sure what’s happening at GM, but I didn’t find much of interest there. Some new V6 powered Tracker 4x4 and a souped up Pontiac, but not much else. The Chrysler stand was another matter. Chrysler brought out the new PT Cruiser. It’s based on a Neon platform, but has a sort of blend between SUV/wagon/39 Ford body. Actually, I thought it was kinda of cool. Also on hand was the 300M with a hotted up engine and video rearview mirrors. Where once were exterior mirrors, were tiny video cameras.And on the inside at the base of the A-pillar were 3 inch LCD video screens.

At the Ford stand were a number of cars worth noting… First, an Excursion 4x4 with 4 doors and a 4 foot long pick-up bed. The Excursion is huge, but this thing can’t decide if it’s a pick-up or a SUV. Next to it was a 2000 Taurus that was supercharged and claimed to have about 300 HP on tap! Very stealthy looking. Also present was a hopped up Focus R. This new pocket rocket is turbocharged and has 225BHP. Zero to 60 is a claimed 6 flat. Big fender bubbles and wide tires. Finally, Ford presented the Mustang R. This latest ‘Stang is for off road use only.

Next to Ford was the Mazda stand and there spinning was a Monoposto Miata which claimed to be inspired by the Jag D type and Lotus Eleven! The windscreen had been chopped off and the passenger compartment fared in.

CUSTOM CARS

There were hundreds of custom cars… They came in 2 schools… 10 feet of ground clearance or slammed onto the deck. But, the most outrageous was a Cadillac Seville with TWO engines, 4 wheel drive and a combined 600 HP!! (a push me pull you). I didn’t get the point, but it was WEIRD!!!

1972 Lotus Europa Twin Cam #2553R. 51K miles (16K miles since complete restoration). Immaculate! Smog Exempt! Essentially stock with some nice upgrades. $10,500—let’s haggle. Call Stephan for the details @ (925) 229-5162 (h) or (510) 245-4523.

1969 Lotus Elan S3. Excellent orig cond, no evidence of crash repair. New front suspension bushings, steering joints, shocks, brakes, etc. Weber head, 145 psi compression, new radiator, oil and fuel pumps. A reliable, fast and very tight example with no known problems. This car is reluctantly for sale because a restoration project is finally coming home and garage space is limited. $12,500.

Felix Brunot (415) 258-9331

Elan body section, 69 coupe minus roof, nose, and tail. An aborted project desperately seeking a home - best offer. Four old Avons. 6.5x13, fantastic when warm, miserable when cold, unpredictable in-between. These are sure to awaken even the most dormant adrenalin glands. Only $100 for 4 Rasputin (415) 386-0967

1990 Lotus Esprit SE; silver paint (factory optional metallic); gray interior leather in excellent condition; 34,000 miles; new Yoko AVS front tires; 70% life left on OEM Goodyear rear tires; new Spax adjustable rear shocks; new brakes all around; Sony removable-face stereo; registration paid through April 2000; new paint on front and rear bumpers; best offer around $30K; Victor @ (650)347-4795 or e-mail @ vholtorf@investorfacts.com

Europa Parts Wanted fresh air vents that mount in the dashboard of Europa. Must be in very good or excellent condition. Also need a spring clip to hold the ashtray into the ashtray holder for Europa. John (650) 368-9105 Motofab@wenet.net

1960 Lotus 18 Formula Jr , restoration in 1996 with less than 20 hours, log book, VARA, HMSA, and SCCA, All sorts of new parts and spare magnesium wheels, includes custom trailer with tie downs and fuel bottles. E. Moles (408) 268-3239

74 Europa Special, 38k miles, original, tired, not running, 99% assembled, all smog equipment, too many cars, $7K. Tom Minnich (562) 697-0547

(925/943-619

The Chapman Report is published monthly by the Golden Gate Lotus Club, PO Box 117303, Burlingame, CA 94011. The GGLC is a non-profit incorporated car club and is not affiliated with Group Lotus, Team Lotus, or Lotus Cars USA. The GGLC's annual membership dues are $25.00.

Opinions expressed in the Chapman Report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the GGLC or its officers. Technical advise should be used at your own risk.

Submissions to the Chapman Report are accepted. Please E-mail them to motofab@wenet.net in Word Perfect or ASCII DOS text. Submissions may also be mailed to The Chapman Report at 3507 Edison Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025-1815.

2000 GGLC officers are: President: Scott Hogben, Vice President: Victor Holtorf, Secretary: Jon Rosner, Treasurer: Laura Hamai, Event Coordinator: John Zender, Membership Chairman: David Anderson Social Director: John Ridley.

Chapman Report Staff: Editors: John Zender/Daren Stone, Circulation Manager: Tom Carney, Advertising Manager: Mel Boss, .