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Re: Lotus 23 Review

To: "Tony Clark" <lotus.tony@airmail.net>
Subject: Re: Lotus 23 Review
From: "Andres Sta. Maria" <atocha@globe.com.ph>
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 20:36:56 +0800
Tony, you wrote:


>Have you been able to turn up the 26R article?  I enjoyed the Mk VIII
>copy you sent.
>The dash continues around toward the floor on my 23 . . .Do you think
>that this is a 23B feature?


I will mail you the 26R article on Monday (we're 12 hours ahead of New York,
so this is Halloween for us in Manila).  You will enjoy that article, which
I hope encourages you to complete your 26R.

I gather from Don Schaeffer that the bottom of the dash panel on the early
cars is straight, and certainly I now notice this in early pictures of 23s
in books.  This means that the perforated bulkhead is visible.  Most of the
23s that I've seen however have the dash panel extend down the sides,
covering the bulkhead up to the door sill.  Mine has the short dash panel,
supposedly copied from the original, so I I have  an "early" 23.  The change
might have occurred at your chassis number (very close to mine), or perhaps
your panel was ugraded like so many others.  I do not think the full dash is
an exclusive 23B feature, but may be wrong here.

It was Don Schaeffer (although he might not remember, since this was when I
met him at Lime Rock two years ago, when I was surveying 23s)  who pointed
out the telltale reinforcing bars on either side of the cockpit that tell a
23B (or a chassis upgraded to 23B spec) apart from the standard 23.  Mine is
a 23 chassis, but I understand also from Don that the "regular" chassis was
produced to the end of the run, depending on the engine originally
installed.

I have copied Don Schaeffer and Bill Steagall with this note, since all my
knowledge is pure hearsay!

Regards,

Andres


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