Who knows about streched Lola T204 FF?

[Chuck Gillis]

I have a Lola T204 FF that has had the frame modified to make a longer wheelbase car. As the "legend" goes a few (6-10) of the later cars were modified by the importer to increase the wheel base and make it more suitable for the US tracks. I have seen other cars with the suspension points relocated but my car has had the frame cut behind the driver and stretched (about 6 inches). Attached is a photo that shows the added section. I guess the car was also hit in that area because of the square reinforcement patch on the left side. It appears that right is undamaged showing a diagonal cut and an overlapping brazed joint. Any information would be helpful.
Also I am in the market for any body work pieces anyone has too offer. The center section piece and body are not original to the car so I need to cut and stretch them so if you have damaged pieces I'm interested. I know I can get new from the UK, but they will still need to be modified.

[provamo]

interesting "spacer"

had a 204 that rode like a Caddy compared to my Alexis

[Earley Motorsports]

Maybe it was to put a baby seat back there

[tstrong]

There was a stretched Lola that ran here on the west coast (VARA, HSR-W) probably 10-15 years ago. Not sure if this is the same car. I believe the owner was a guy named Larry Couture but may be confusing names. I was under the impression that is was a one off mod, not a factory or importer type of change but again i have forgotten a lot of thing between then and now. Good luck with your search.

[provamo]

cannot image Haas having this done to a newly imported car

[Paddy O'Brien]

My Lola T202 was ex-Tony Kester and had a longer wheelbase than stock because the front suspension pick up points were moved forward about 6 inches, the frame was not lengthened.

[Angus]

I raced vintage FFs with a Nathan John (BIG_TEXAN) who drove a stretched Lola 204. He moved out of Texas but he's on the forum and as far as I know he still has the car.

[racersonly]

Many, many years ago (late 70s) Ralph Luker raced a stretched T204 with us in Midwestern Council. As I remember it, the front pick up points were moved forward. Dennis Eade of Comprep did some work on it for Ralph back then. I don't know what became of it.

[Motorsport Services]

I have original drawings for this mod (originally made by Bill Fornwalt, not Lola)
Happy to share if you'll PM me...

[koolbeans]

I have a Lola T204 FF that has had the frame modified to make a longer wheelbase car. As the "legend" goes a few (6-10) of the later cars were modified by the importer to increase the wheel base and make it more suitable for the US tracks. I have seen other cars with the suspension points relocated but my car has had the frame cut behind the driver and stretched (about 6 inches). Attached is a photo that shows the added section. I guess the car was also hit in that area because of the square reinforcement patch on the left side. It appears that right is undamaged showing a diagonal cut and an overlapping brazed joint. Any information would be helpful.
Also I am in the market for any body work pieces anyone has too offer. The center section piece and body are not original to the car so I need to cut and stretch them so if you have damaged pieces I'm interested. I know I can get new from the UK, but they will still need to be modified.

I stumbled on your Apexspeed post. Found your request startling. Back in the day when everyone was a Haas Lola dealer I was one too. Redline Engineering/Jim Harrell Racing in Tecumseh Michigan.

Had a customer by name of Dick Gregory own one while I drove a Titan then a Lola T-242. He complained all the time how fidgety the Lola was. So I suggested lengthening the wheel base by 8-10 inches.

He said do it and I did. Car was docil and fantastic to drive afterwards. Sent word to Haas who sent it to Broadley and the rest was / is history. We were the first.

[koolbeans]

I have a Lola T204 FF that has had the frame modified to make a longer wheelbase car. As the "legend" goes a few (6-10) of the later cars were modified by the importer to increase the wheel base and make it more suitable for the US tracks. I have seen other cars with the suspension points relocated but my car has had the frame cut behind the driver and stretched (about 6 inches). Attached is a photo that shows the added section. I guess the car was also hit in that area because of the square reinforcement patch on the left side. It appears that right is undamaged showing a diagonal cut and an overlapping brazed joint. Any information would be helpful.
Also I am in the market for any body work pieces anyone has too offer. The center section piece and body are not original to the car so I need to cut and stretch them so if you have damaged pieces I'm interested. I know I can get new from the UK, but they will still need to be modified.

You mentioned brazing. Back in the most of the early FF came into the country with roll bar hoops made of .095 wall tubing 11/4 in diameter. SCCA changed the regs to require .125 wall tubing and 11/2in in diameter.

We changed/retrofitted between 40+ of them. We used the same process that most all the English chassis were done by in that we used a gas/flux liquid carried in the acetylene gas and then applied a high nickel brazing rod (95000psi). (stay away from the flux coated general application brazing rod!). Up until monoque construction this was highly accepted because of the capillary of the brazing process made for a very efficient joint on BOTH sides of the joining metal at the joint, NOT on just one side. (Testimony to the strength was when Steve Lathrop barrel rolled a Titan in the infamous down hill valley at Road Atlanta. Inspection showed its superiority!!!!!)

[kea]

You mentioned brazing. Back in the most of the early FF came into the country with roll bar hoops made of .095 wall tubing 11/4 in diameter. SCCA changed the regs to require .125 wall tubing and 11/2in in diameter.

We changed/retrofitted between 40+ of them. We used the same process that most all the English chassis were done by in that we used a gas/flux liquid carried in the acetylene gas and then applied a high nickel brazing rod (95000psi). (stay away from the flux coated general application brazing rod!). Up until monoque construction this was highly accepted because of the capillary of the brazing process made for a very efficient joint on BOTH sides of the joining metal at the joint, NOT on just one side. (Testimony to the strength was when Steve Lathrop barrel rolled a Titan in the infamous down hill valley at Road Atlanta. Inspection showed its superiority!!!!!)

You changed my Titan's roll hoop for the 1971 season.

Tim Evens stretched a Lola T-200 (series) if my memory is correct. Not for the handling as much as it was for his heigth (over 6').

[Big_Texan]

Chuck and Group,

Sorry right off the bat for the title, I could not resist.

I have owned one of the lengthened Lola's for the last five years. While I have heard legends about several of these cars being built, you are the first person (other than me) that I have ever heard of actually having one. The picture you posted looks different than the frame configuration on my car, for instance I do not have a lateral bar forward of the "lengthening area" as your car does. I would be happy to answer any questions you have, and can supply pictures if that would be helpful.

Best Regards

Nathan

[Daniel Thompson]

Pardon me while I revive this one year old thread. Can anybody on here post pictures (or send me pictures and I'll post them) of Lola T200-202-204's with stretched frames or front suspension points moved forward? Thanks

[bob darcey]

Todd Strong said: "There was a stretched Lola that ran here on the west coast (VARA, HSR-W) probably 10-15 years ago. Not sure if this is the same car. I believe the owner was a guy named Larry Couture but may be confusing names."

I knew Larry pretty well back then; I know he had an orange Hawke FF, but don't recall him having a Lola. You may be thinking of Murray and Karen Chalmers--one of their Lola's was stretched.

RMVR in Colorado has had two stretched 200/202/204 Lola's that I recall; one was owned by a Bob Nikkel, and the other was, uh, ...can't recall. But the few stretched Lola's I've seen have had the front pick-up points moved forward. Motorsports Services (see Post above) has drawings for the modification.

[Daniel Thompson]

Thanks. Motorsport Services has kindly volunteered to send me a copy of the drawings for moving the front suspension points forward.

I'd still like to see examples of cars that have had the frame cut and stretched. Is it possible to end up with a great handling car with increased cockpit room?