Happy Kamper
By Jon Rosner

There aren't very many people around who have four Lotus Elans, two of which require racing fuel to operate, one top fuel as a daily driver through San Francisco traffic. Rich Kamp is an unusual person, but then again how many people choose to specialize in the care and feeding of a particular series of cars from a marque not known for producing large quantities of product.

The British bug had not quite reached deeply into the blood stream in 1969 when an eighteen year old Rich was looking for his frist sports car. It was a toss up between a Triumph TR6 and a 914 Porch (or is it Porsche?, I can never remember which is which... so similar...)

Anyway the Happy kamper bought the TR6. The car consumed major units of tree on December 22, 1969, and was replaced by another commuter TR6 for the back and forth to Montgomery County Community College.

Gas station earnings paid for expenses such as nightly forays on the river road outside of Philadelphia. One night the hot car of a cool night ride was interrupted by smallish headlights growing prominent in the rear view mirror. A little car had caught, paced, smiled and blew by the TR6 like it was standing still. Rich heard that there was a new sports car about. He didn't know that the belonged to his best friend until he saw it for the first time three days later; it was burnt all the way back to the doors by a slight engine fire.

With the insurance money his friend bought a replacement, moving up from 1965 to a 1966 Lotus Elan. The first time Rich sat in the car he realized that he had been sitting on the TR6. This new car was like being in a spaceship. Fortunately none of the three people inside were hurt when the Elan was rolled at 90 mph in the attempt to elude the police pursuit. After a repremand from the authorities, his friend was now on his third Elan. Rich got to drive the car with reasonable frequency due to the fact that its owner could be fairly easily encouraged to inbibe just enough to turn over the keys. This was enough experience to convice Rich that, when he arrived at the college in Florida, there would be a change in choice for daily transportation.

It was now 1973. Rumors flew about that Lotus was about to take the little car out of production (which they did in September). The local florida Datsun dealer was talked into locating a shiny new red Elan. The dealer found a maroon Elan S4 in Atlanta, and after a bit more searching the desired red car in Chatanooga, Tennessee, and Elan Sprint no less.

Rich offered $5,500 for the rather rare car and proceeded to drive it home to Florida. After about 500 miles of cruising at 120 mph the bonnet chose to fly open causing the minor distraction of obstructed vision at speed. This resulted in a slightly lowered pace and some delay in the return to Florida. Almost immediately the cooling fan began to act up. The dealer couldn't fix it and Rich decided to teach himself how to correct it. Meanwhile Rich completed his Bachelor's Degree in Education, was on his way to teaching credentials, and needed a job, something about food and replacement parts... A move to San Francisco was in order for 1977.

John Arts of John's Imported Cars was a parts and service specialist to the English car enthusiast, and he had an opening. It was a gopher position, parts runner for the shop. With the Elan Sprint drophead pressed into service Rich quickly became the best runner around. Delivery work combined with full throttle runs home over Twin Peaks was bound to produce some interesting problems in the Elan. Bound to but didn't, the problem was that Rich was informed that a check valve should be installed in the intake system to prevent some questioned problem. Rich installed the valve and charging up Twin Peaks a few days later discovered the engine no longer had the services of cylinder number one. The check valve was rightly suspected. Indeed, the valve had fallen apart with the steel ball dropping down the intake, lodging inself for long enought to cause the haed gasket to blow. Rich changed the gasket overnight and this rather impressed John Arts. With that John Arts asked Rich Kamp if he wanted to bring in his tools.

By 1984 Rich was one of the best British car mechanics in the city. Ron Greenspan took the Lotus dealership in the area and John Arts was losing his interest in Lotus. With his affinity for parts collecting an orange crate had become a large shelf for purchase, sales, or trade. This on top of experience gained as later day Parts Manager cum Mechanic at Arts had prepared him for the next big step.

Between 1984 and 1986 a two car garage in the Noe Valley area of San Francisco was a four palce Lotus repair shop. As the demand for services grew, Rich took the opportunity to buy out his old boss and make the move to South San Francisco.

Why the focus on Elans and Europas? Why not do what you love to do?? Rich likes to get up, and go in, and work on the cars, idealistic cars, built in a time when compromise was not the order of the day. And he likes the self employed hours.

For Rich the most enjoyable work is the full restoration of a clapped out Elan. Great emotional reward can be found in taking a dying car and breathing new life into it. Building engines is also a favorite.

Rich has a hallmark, he can identify any part that comes from an Elan, tell you what condition it is in, how it is installed, how to tell if it is about to fail, and what to do about it. Show him a part and he will give you a history. It is doubtful that there is anyone, anywhere, who has had more experience working with the original Lotus Elan as a road car. I used to wonder whether his attention to the smallest detail was worth the time, money and effort, until I found that when I didn't listen I often had to either go back and do the job again or hire Rich to do it for me. Kampeña Motors stocks a truly extensive range of the best original Lotus parts available. Richard Kamp knows his work and does it well, he comes highly recommended.