Hi only just came across your video! I was one of the engine builders for this fabulous car i was very lucky to have been able to get a track and road licence to be able to drive one and most of the lotus cars great times until lots of us got made redundant!!!.
As a young kid in the mid 90s in the back of my dads rover, coming back along the M62 from manchester airport towards leeds, I still remember a Lotus carlton absolutly blasting it past us. Been in awe since.
If you know that neck of the woods there was one parked up left to rust for years in bacup in lancashire. As a school kid I was in awe of it every time our school bus went past
Back when these were new, I remember going to a car auction with my late father, who was in the motor trade, saw two of these side by side being prepped for sale, as much a legend then as they are still
52:years young here, had the extreme pleasure of having the use of a rhd model as a company car for a few weeks. 5 seats with that performance unheard of at that time. The M45, with a top speed run proved its undoing:( Still epic:)
The original owner of 40RA has just recently bought another and put the plate back on it. Back history on the original is definitely worth a Google. Looking forward to see how this goes 👌
Saw a Lotus Carlton in a scrap yard in West London years ago. Had been in a smash with four fellas in it and about 6ft long. All occupants died instantly. No one allowed near it and been used as a getaway car. Good luck with the build guys. Awesome motors.
If people died in it years ago would of been recorded as cat A, which I recall needed crushing and not even allowed to remove any parts (such as a cat B breaker) I think as mark of respect. Had to have license also to have cat A and Bs.
Not completely correct There no law regarding if people have died it can't be used, although most insurance companies do use the category A for that purpose! Category A , the structural strength of the chassis or frame has been damaged to a extent that it can not be safely repaired and no part of the vehicle can be reused! Category B the chassis or frame has been damaged to an extent that it can not be safely repaired, but none structural parts can be reused! Category C (now s) the chassis or frame has been damaged but can be professionally repaired and upon inspection returned to the road! Category D (now N) the chassis or frame are undamaged, but the vehicle would be uneconomical to repair! No inspection required! There used to be a catE but this is unused now and was when a stolen car was found but the insurance has already paid out. Nowadays the car just becomes the property of the insurance company and generally they just put them to auction with no insurance registration
@@leepeat3966 there wasn't any parts usable. 150mph or more it hit something like a truck. Was pretty gruesome tbh. Footwells filled with congealed blood sadly 😥
I'm 52 years young! Had the pleasure, back in the day, of driving 2 of these mental taxis 😂 I genuinely hit 160 with plenty of room for more, chased & stayed with a Honda Fireblade! Remember, the only speed cameras back then were plod with hairdryers or patrol cars. I tried, tested the brakes on crossing their paths 😆 If I recall correctly, it had oval pistons in that 3.6 twin turbo beast of an engine. They also enjoyed destroying the standards clutches around 7 to 8 k lol . My mate who bought & sold performance cars back then had a modded remap 1 once, mental 😂
Thanks for getting back to me ,i also used to have the Auto Magazine with the the speedo showing on the front cover of a 175 mph if you write to them they may send you a copy of the magazine ,when i think nowerdays that.copy could also be worth a bob or to ,also mabee get in contact with Vauxhall to try and get the brochure printed at the time now that would be interesting reading👍
this project will get famous and get millions of views if you actually crack on and do the work with no excuses, not saying you will or anything i wish you the best lads
Oh My God! I couldnt be more excited! As kids, we used to bike miles just to go & gaze at a Lotus Carlton in thru the window of a dealership on the South Coast .. it was such a spectacle - so muscle-bound & serious looking .. there hadn't been anything like it before - a serious motor for serious men! We couldn't get enough!
I worked at a Vauxhall dealer in Birmingham during mid 90s, had a couple in for new door locks and ignition. I remember going out in one after it was repaired, what a beast.
I'd be tempted to just park it in my garage in its current state with that plate on it and keep it as a sort of joke for when friends visit. Be a great conversation piece.
In the middle of the 90s I organized the sale of one of these for a good friend of mine over here in Germany. After he'd driven it about a week we did a longer trip in it down towards Switzerland ,we got it to about 310 kmh 192 mph on the autobahn a couple of times. What a blast and what a memory that was 👍
@@CarCartel we took it for a MOT ( TÜV) over here after it got it for 2 year's we even did a kat delete.This took the car too a new dimension, response was brilliant and we could give the Porsche,s a real good run for there money.😉 To be honest they didn't stand a chance 😎
@@CarCartel I'm pretty sure Tony . Mannock aka Mr Turbosystems in S-O-T tuned these..worth a check and let's face it if he says it's right and tuned it up its worth a few quid more plus extra desirable haha yak yak yak 👍
As someone who restores these - Good luck. As for the story of the original 40RA: We know the owner, it was dragged out of a canal. The owner retained the number plate which he fairly recently transferred to another LC which is on the road now.
@@daviddddixon7275 I know the owner at one point was in contact with the actual recovery driver who transported it and he said he did at one point have pictures. However if the owner says to you that he saw it in person after they recovered it, you tend to believe him over internet stories.
that colour appearing in your rear mirror while sat on the M25 outside lane in a sierra xr4x4i just knew too move over and watching those rear wheels disappear. fanastic car cant wait to see more
I don't usually watch this kind of shows, but restoring the legend from this condition deserves all praise! Best of luck, can't wait for more! By the way, also a story they robbed a store few hundred yards away from police station, in the very same street. "It ain't a crime if you don't get caught" xD
Thank you! We have heard so many stories, we tried looking into them, but we couldn't confirm what was true or not. We choose to believe it all though 😂
My nan lives in the town where that happened, and I've seen the distance between the station and the shops first hand. The bollocks those robbers must of had...
I still have all motorists magazines that did an article on this legend. Am still not convinced that this is truly the infamous 40RA. Reason being is that I have watched several videos on this car, and I know how easy it is to make up a pair of registrations and try to convince someone that this is what they are buying.
I’m fairly sure the LC boot floor was different from the standard Carlton. I think this was one of the quick reference checks you could carry out due to people selling fake cars, gsi as LC etc. This might affect your repair using the donor Carlton ??
Time flies boys , as did 40 RA . This car would still give the new Eurocopter a run even today with the right wheelman 🤐 Gonna follow this rebuild , bostin vid 👌
A friend of mine was seeing this girl and her dad owned one. This was the fastest car I'd ever been in when I was a teenager .Proper old skool claaaic. Look forward to seeing you rescue the old girl.
I heard a story that Vauxhall actually crushed a lot of Lotus Carltons because the press was so bad for the car & the recession in the early 90s meant they weren't selling, so they were basically a tax write off.
@@CarCartel it's such an iconic car for people of a certain vintage. There was one that had sat for a long time on a driveway in Swindon, thankfully someone managed to rescue it.
A few 90s cars had charge coolers and other manufacturers saw what they were like and avoided them for 20-30 years 😂 Celica GT-Fours have them as well and the first thing people do is convert them to FMIC because they heat soak in under an hour of driving and put intake temps through the roof. 🔥
Chased one once in my Renault Turbo. Id read about these things in the car press and about what they were supposed to be capable of so decided to find out. I can confirm nothing before or since stomped the Turbo in such a short strip of tarmac. So completely in fact the chase was over before it started. Impressive to say the least.
Hi I am a new subscriber I remember once when I lived in Blackpool I was buying a Vauxhall Astra from the local garage and I went upstairs to where all the cars were kept and mine was at the time and when I went upstairs there was sat a Lotus Carlton and I even said was that the real thing and the guy said yes it was absolutely beautiful I can't wait to see when you are finished it I am glad you are going to restore it brilliant video
it won't have been the original 40RA, that was scraped. Another youtuber (can't remember who) interviewed the original owner who had 40RA stolen from them
the original lotus carlton according to the genuine lotus repair manual which i have it came with goodyear eagle f1s all round and a space saver for a spare and the colour was called empire green which alternated depending on the light as you said
Rapid for the time perhaps or compared to similar cars in the same market. But not rapid like say the rover 220 coupe turbo of the time or calibra turbo.
And cry for...Keep WVP....3.0GSI 24V 5SPD...NO A/C...152mph..still pulling...my smile made me lift off the fun pedal.. .1999 November.. M23 headed to Brighton (uk) from Heathrow. ...ingrained in my mind
That poor Lotus Carlton, it breaks my heart seeing it in such a messed up state. With how much they're worth these days I am amazed that someone allowed it to get so @#$%ed up? Why is the interior so bad? I look forward to seeing it all back as it should be. The Lotus Carlton is one of my all time favourite cars so I am defo subscribing. I hope that when you get it back in shape you take it onto the Autobahn to check its top speed. Vauxhall quoted a top speed of 177mph but I heard recently that if you hit absolute top in 5th, then changed into 6th that over 180mph was possible (that topping out in 5th kinda unlocked its 180+mph top due to switching something in the ECU or something? Dunno but would defo be interested)
A little inside info from what I know about the LC. When at college in the early 90's we had two LC's in for testing and diagnostics education ect ect. when dyno tested one was about 390bhp and the other about 410bhp , both quite different in terms of power and if I remember the torque curves where slightly different to each other too. (bare in mind these two cars where brand new unregistered and not on the road yet and not even ran in, or never made it to registration, i'm unsure what happened to them afterwards). so yea, the 376-7bhp figure quoted is quite reserved from Vauxhall it seems or maybe thats the lowest figure quoted from Lotus to Vauxhall. I really have no idea why but thats what we saw.
Good to see you starting this project i own a 1993 2.0 diplomat if that cdx saloon is a 2.0 and you don't end up saving it i could do with a good radiator for mine .
I don't know what happened to 40 RA but I know the Engine, Gearbox and 1 of the Suspension legs (the others damaged) sat in a garage in Stevenage for quite sometime.
@@daviddddixon7275 absolutely and it had all the recalls done too, ie bell housing issue etc. Loved it and would love to know where it is now. Sold it in 2005 for 10k which I am kicking myself for now :-)
Is that beechys old one ? Loved the 90s calibra turbos cavy turbos,, I remeber having a 911 turbo bk on day 😄 got a puncher on a speed hump, put it on a garage and got landed on and nicked , I’m a good boy now but miss them days ,
Excellent and informative video👏 they were indeed all dark green but they did one in silver and I can't remember why a bit like the original escort rs turbo was only in white apart from the princess diana one which was black! I had one back in the day it never got nicked I had it peacefully for 2 years sold it part ex for an escort cosworth then I had to grow up and kids and mortgages and a pet dog come along and the cosworth got replaced but a mondeo estate🤨
Now we're talking gents Snapped a few steering wheels off in my younger days, Montego EFI or Maestro EFI's along with Rover Fastbacks were the worst IMO Thankfully the judicial system rehabilitated me. Sub'd.
I been in the original once upon a time, lovely lad on our estate in the south of Birmingham was in possession of it. Never knew the story at the time. Looking forward to seeing this being transformed.
@@daviddddixon7275 I do see him about now and again. He wasn’t the legal owner! There was a period around that time when you’d see the same lads doing donuts around the central reservation of our local shops. Exige, rs2 multiple bm’s to name a few. There was big story in the Birmingham mail, apparently they had over a million pounds worth cars away until they got caught.
@@michaelanderson196 if you see him any time soon or when you next see him ask him if he would have a chat with us, be wicked to hear there side of the story 🙌🏽 as you hear that many different stories of what happened and stuff 👍🏽
Its not the proper car the real one was nicked from Evesham and yes it was found in the canal and it did get scrapped the owen kept the plate so the story is very true i lived in the village it got nicked the bloke has got another lotus Carlton now with the plate now guys
Nice one mate we appreciate the support but there is 3 of us but we keep the good looking one behind the camera as his misses is insecure he’ll get to many groupies 🤣🤣🤣
Greetings from 🇧🇷, years aback did com across a lotus omega here in SP state, prob only one here in brl, shabby condition with damaged gearbox, so called owner was selling bits of of it...could be the true 40RA....
that L reg saloon is my old one,sad to see being used as a donor! the engine is high mileage but ran a1,so long as you dont muller it too much,give me a shout when you want to sell,may well be interested!
The owner of the vehicle did actually come out and say that it was found and he went to visit it in a scrap yard but it was in a state so he left it there
The lads who stole it are probably going to be about 45 to 55 years old now and still having to keep quiet about the stories it had. They are probably even reading this comment section.
@@richardstokes2209 this is the description I found, THIS EXTREMELY RARE TITLE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE BOOK TITLED'LOTUS CARLTON', A LIMITED EDITION OF WHICH ONLY 1750 WERE PRODUCED, EACH SIGNED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF LOTUS CARS & VAUXHALL CARS AND NUMBERED BY HAND. THIS SUPERB BOOK BOOK; ORIGINALLY ONLY AVAILABLE TO LOTUS CARLTON OWNERS, TELLS THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE CAR, FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS BEING BASED ON A FAMILY SALOON, C
There’s more to the story of 40 RA that hasn’t ever been told, but if told would make it an EVEN MORE legendary and infamous car than it already is. I knew the car VERY well. It was not the one that went into the canal. That was a cloned decoy. Also the helicopter chase wasn’t in Manchester, it was outrunning them heading towards the East Midlands from Birmingham and this was after the firm that was using it for ram raids had it. 40 RA still exists...somewhere ; )
Absolutely love it mate LONG LIVE 40RA, we know the one in the canal wasn’t the proper one no pics nothing just here say isn’t it the truth needs to come out really of the legend to shut all the know it all’s up 🤣🤣🤣 We went and looked at a 3 door cosie a few months back and the bloke said he’s got a hooky one tucked away 👀
@@daviddddixon7275 some of the parts on the canal find were from 40RA that’s for certain but definitely not the shell. I can’t see the full story being told anytime soon, especially after what that cars been through it would be unwise of anyone involved to disclose more than needs to be known. It would be nice if the car re-emerges in the near future but that’s a highly unlikely probability unfortunately. I saw it last, over 20 years ago now.
Was a fabulous car, i've read a lot about it, in my country was only one for sale in 2006 or so... at price of about 12.000 euro (which was superbargain even then). BUT.. you supposely to play golf in that video, or why you're not dressed as Man's, but wearing shorties as 8yo kids?
Hi lads. Greetings from Poland. I am a great fan of this car, although I can only dream to have it. Used to drive a regular Carlton / Omega back in the days. Great thing is you want to bring it back to life. It will be however time-consuming and money-vaccuming. But I think it is worth the effort. By the way: which number is this particular one?
Want to see more of the Lotus Carlton?
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook!
Hi only just came across your video! I was one of the engine builders for this fabulous car i was very lucky to have been able to get a track and road licence to be able to drive one and most of the lotus cars great times until lots of us got made redundant!!!.
As a young kid in the mid 90s in the back of my dads rover, coming back along the M62 from manchester airport towards leeds, I still remember a Lotus carlton absolutly blasting it past us. Been in awe since.
They were rare back then, even more so now! Hopefully you catch a glimpse of ours on the road one day!
40ra?
A far cry from today’s M62 with “hidden” speed cameras every half a mile…
There's one buy my house getting work done
If you know that neck of the woods there was one parked up left to rust for years in bacup in lancashire. As a school kid I was in awe of it every time our school bus went past
Back when these were new, I remember going to a car auction with my late father, who was in the motor trade, saw two of these side by side being prepped for sale, as much a legend then as they are still
That wasn't at cma Leeds was it? as that were I worked and drive them !
5:31 watch Oscar’s Garage, he shows pictures of it recovered. So there is evidence.
52:years young here, had the extreme pleasure of having the use of a rhd model as a company car for a few weeks. 5 seats with that performance unheard of at that time. The M45, with a top speed run proved its undoing:( Still epic:)
The original owner of 40RA has just recently bought another and put the plate back on it.
Back history on the original is definitely worth a Google. Looking forward to see how this goes 👌
That explains it !!,..I checked the reg and shows it having tax and mot,....I thought this was an old vid and its up and running already !!
Does he have a instgram?
100k motor right here
Many years ago I had a Carlton 2.0 cdx auto, even to this day I consider it to have been the nicest most comfortable car I ever owned.
Wanna buy the grey one
Saw a Lotus Carlton in a scrap yard in West London years ago. Had been in a smash with four fellas in it and about 6ft long. All occupants died instantly. No one allowed near it and been used as a getaway car. Good luck with the build guys. Awesome motors.
If people died in it years ago would of been recorded as cat A, which I recall needed crushing and not even allowed to remove any parts (such as a cat B breaker) I think as mark of respect. Had to have license also to have cat A and Bs.
Not completely correct
There no law regarding if people have died it can't be used, although most insurance companies do use the category A for that purpose!
Category A , the structural strength of the chassis or frame has been damaged to a extent that it can not be safely repaired and no part of the vehicle can be reused!
Category B the chassis or frame has been damaged to an extent that it can not be safely repaired, but none structural parts can be reused!
Category C (now s) the chassis or frame has been damaged but can be professionally repaired and upon inspection returned to the road!
Category D (now N) the chassis or frame are undamaged, but the vehicle would be uneconomical to repair! No inspection required!
There used to be a catE but this is unused now and was when a stolen car was found but the insurance has already paid out. Nowadays the car just becomes the property of the insurance company and generally they just put them to auction with no insurance registration
@@leepeat3966 there wasn't any parts usable. 150mph or more it hit something like a truck. Was pretty gruesome tbh. Footwells filled with congealed blood sadly 😥
I'm 52 years young! Had the pleasure, back in the day, of driving 2 of these mental taxis 😂 I genuinely hit 160 with plenty of room for more, chased & stayed with a Honda Fireblade! Remember, the only speed cameras back then were plod with hairdryers or patrol cars. I tried, tested the brakes on crossing their paths 😆 If I recall correctly, it had oval pistons in that 3.6 twin turbo beast of an engine. They also enjoyed destroying the standards clutches around 7 to 8 k lol . My mate who bought & sold performance cars back then had a modded remap 1 once, mental 😂
Thanks for getting back to me ,i also used to have the Auto Magazine with the the speedo showing on the front cover of a 175 mph if you write to them they may send you a copy of the magazine ,when i think nowerdays that.copy could also be worth a bob or to ,also mabee get in contact with Vauxhall to try and get the brochure printed at the time now that would be interesting reading👍
this project will get famous and get millions of views if you actually crack on and do the work with no excuses, not saying you will or anything i wish you the best lads
Oh My God! I couldnt be more excited! As kids, we used to bike miles just to go & gaze at a Lotus Carlton in thru the window of a dealership on the South Coast .. it was such a spectacle - so muscle-bound & serious looking .. there hadn't been anything like it before - a serious motor for serious men! We couldn't get enough!
Frosts in Shoreham?
Even in this condition it looks amazing 🤣 We will get it back in tip top condition though!
@@bri5428 Yeah, you know wassup! .. that's absolutely the one! x
I worked at a Vauxhall dealer in Birmingham during mid 90s, had a couple in for new door locks and ignition. I remember going out in one after it was repaired, what a beast.
I'd be tempted to just park it in my garage in its current state with that plate on it and keep it as a sort of joke for when friends visit. Be a great conversation piece.
Would much better be driven
Remember seeing two of these brand new on trailers in workshop next to work, absolutely beasts. And only ten miles from Luton 👍
In the middle of the 90s I organized the sale of one of these for a good friend of mine over here in Germany. After he'd driven it about a week we did a longer trip in it down towards Switzerland ,we got it to about 310 kmh 192 mph on the autobahn a couple of times. What a blast and what a memory that was 👍
Once completed, we're definitely going to see what its capable of!
@@CarCartel we took it for a MOT ( TÜV) over here after it got it for 2 year's we even did a kat delete.This took the car too a new dimension, response was brilliant and we could give the Porsche,s a real good run for there money.😉 To be honest they didn't stand a chance 😎
@@CarCartel I'm pretty sure Tony .
Mannock aka Mr Turbosystems in S-O-T tuned these..worth a check and let's face it if he says it's right and tuned it up its worth a few quid more plus extra desirable haha yak yak yak 👍
As someone who restores these - Good luck.
As for the story of the original 40RA: We know the owner, it was dragged out of a canal. The owner retained the number plate which he fairly recently transferred to another LC which is on the road now.
Is there any photos of it being pulled out ???
@@daviddddixon7275 I know the owner at one point was in contact with the actual recovery driver who transported it and he said he did at one point have pictures.
However if the owner says to you that he saw it in person after they recovered it, you tend to believe him over internet stories.
that colour appearing in your rear mirror while sat on the M25 outside lane in a sierra xr4x4i just knew too move over and watching those rear wheels disappear. fanastic car cant wait to see more
I don't usually watch this kind of shows, but restoring the legend from this condition deserves all praise! Best of luck, can't wait for more! By the way, also a story they robbed a store few hundred yards away from police station, in the very same street. "It ain't a crime if you don't get caught" xD
Thank you! We have heard so many stories, we tried looking into them, but we couldn't confirm what was true or not. We choose to believe it all though 😂
My nan lives in the town where that happened, and I've seen the distance between the station and the shops first hand. The bollocks those robbers must of had...
It was the shop opposite rubery police station 👍
@@leet7031 Yeah mate.
Can't wait to see the carlton up and running fair play to you lads john from Ireland 🇮🇪🇮🇪
Alright John nice to have you with us 🙌🏽
Lads! Renault 19 16v popped up on eBay!’ Keep lining them up! This channel is going to blow up. Love watching your vids 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks mate we really appreciate the suppose 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
I still have all motorists magazines that did an article on this legend. Am still not convinced that this is truly the infamous 40RA. Reason being is that I have watched several videos on this car, and I know how easy it is to make up a pair of registrations and try to convince someone that this is what they are buying.
The RA in 40 RA was Richard Austin, father of BTCC legend Rob Austin.
According to the DVLA the original owner was Robert Arnold. Sorry to disappoint you.
@@steveanderson6523 gutted.
I’m fairly sure the LC boot floor was different from the standard Carlton. I think this was one of the quick reference checks you could carry out due to people selling fake cars, gsi as LC etc. This might affect your repair using the donor Carlton ??
Wrong lads… In 2003, Mercedes W211 E55K AMG was the most powerful saloon in the world.
It was delivered with 479hp 516lb ft torque out of the box. 👍
Cracking editing 🤙🏻 the most refreshing channel I’ve seen in ages 👊🏻
Really appreciate that, there's plenty more to come and it will only get better!
@@CarCartel I’m here just to see Dave in his chair.
Time flies boys , as did 40 RA .
This car would still give the new Eurocopter a run even today with the right wheelman 🤐
Gonna follow this rebuild , bostin vid 👌
Only seeing your TH-cam now , great to see someone bringing back retro cars that isn’t a millionaire
Thanks mate it’s just love for the cars and we all work full time and I can fully confirm we are not millionaires 😂😂😂
Seen plenty of these back in the 90’s round Lea Village, crazy times 💨
A friend of mine was seeing this girl and her dad owned one. This was the fastest car I'd ever been in when I was a teenager .Proper old skool claaaic. Look forward to seeing you rescue the old girl.
I heard a story that Vauxhall actually crushed a lot of Lotus Carltons because the press was so bad for the car & the recession in the early 90s meant they weren't selling, so they were basically a tax write off.
Yeah, it was a bad time for high end car manufacturing. The XJ220 met a similar fate. We will make sure this one doesn’t meet the same end!
@@CarCartel it's such an iconic car for people of a certain vintage.
There was one that had sat for a long time on a driveway in Swindon, thankfully someone managed to rescue it.
one of my dream cars, i await the day i even get to see one!
Love it! Great story behind it. just like viv graham's cosworth another famous car.
A few 90s cars had charge coolers and other manufacturers saw what they were like and avoided them for 20-30 years 😂 Celica GT-Fours have them as well and the first thing people do is convert them to FMIC because they heat soak in under an hour of driving and put intake temps through the roof. 🔥
And pulsars had them
On the top
Finally another video on TH-cam of The Legend
That bit about the steering lock is cobblers! It's a Vauxhall, you snap the steering lock with a short piece of scaffolding tube, a la snap and cap!
Morning lads, this is going to be absolutely brilliant. Can't wait for this series of videos. Keep up the great work.
Cheer, we really appreciate it, can't wait to get stuck in!
My teenage years in the early 90's was the Lotus Carlton what a car best of luck with the restoration👍👍👍
Thank you!
Chased one once in my Renault Turbo. Id read about these things in the car press and about what they were supposed to be capable of so decided to find out. I can confirm nothing before or since stomped the Turbo in such a short strip of tarmac. So completely in fact the chase was over before it started. Impressive to say the least.
Hi I am a new subscriber I remember once when I lived in Blackpool I was buying a Vauxhall Astra from the local garage and I went upstairs to where all the cars were kept and mine was at the time and when I went upstairs there was sat a Lotus Carlton and I even said was that the real thing and the guy said yes it was absolutely beautiful I can't wait to see when you are finished it I am glad you are going to restore it brilliant video
Thank you, we really appreciate it!
I've seen 40RA last year, it was smoking white like crazy.
But plates had been moved between VIN numbers since "the story".
it won't have been the original 40RA, that was scraped.
Another youtuber (can't remember who) interviewed the original owner who had 40RA stolen from them
the original lotus carlton according to the genuine lotus repair manual which i have it came with goodyear eagle f1s all round and a space saver for a spare and the colour was called empire green which alternated depending on the light as you said
Imperial Green
Sunday morning complete. . Cheers lads 👌🏻
Cracking video gents, had a carlton same colour with the boot spoiler auto 2.0ltr... it was rapid... loved it.
Rapid for the time perhaps or compared to similar cars in the same market. But not rapid like say the rover 220 coupe turbo of the time or calibra turbo.
The 206 mph Brabus EV12s came in 1996. This was fastest car in Europe.
Nice one lads. 👍 look forward to seeing the rebuild on this legend
This car is so underrated and the story it has is so good.
And cry for...Keep WVP....3.0GSI 24V 5SPD...NO A/C...152mph..still pulling...my smile made me lift off the fun pedal.. .1999 November.. M23 headed to Brighton (uk) from Heathrow. ...ingrained in my mind
Try Harry Buckland scrap yard in Gloucester, ask for Henry Buckland 😉
That poor Lotus Carlton, it breaks my heart seeing it in such a messed up state. With how much they're worth these days I am amazed that someone allowed it to get so @#$%ed up? Why is the interior so bad? I look forward to seeing it all back as it should be. The Lotus Carlton is one of my all time favourite cars so I am defo subscribing. I hope that when you get it back in shape you take it onto the Autobahn to check its top speed. Vauxhall quoted a top speed of 177mph but I heard recently that if you hit absolute top in 5th, then changed into 6th that over 180mph was possible (that topping out in 5th kinda unlocked its 180+mph top due to switching something in the ECU or something? Dunno but would defo be interested)
This is the first test mate you will all see it here if it does the 177mph +💪💪💪
@@richardstokes2209 I can't wait, good luck!
A little inside info from what I know about the LC. When at college in the early 90's we had two LC's in for testing and diagnostics education ect ect. when dyno tested one was about 390bhp and the other about 410bhp , both quite different in terms of power and if I remember the torque curves where slightly different to each other too. (bare in mind these two cars where brand new unregistered and not on the road yet and not even ran in, or never made it to registration, i'm unsure what happened to them afterwards). so yea, the 376-7bhp figure quoted is quite reserved from Vauxhall it seems or maybe thats the lowest figure quoted from Lotus to Vauxhall. I really have no idea why but thats what we saw.
also it was Imperial Green.
Good to see you starting this project i own a 1993 2.0 diplomat if that cdx saloon is a 2.0 and you don't end up saving it i could do with a good radiator for mine .
Both the estate and saloon are 2.0 auto so might have a radiator available 👍
Don't believe that's 40 RA at all
It's not 40ra had all its roof caved in shell was fooked
canalised poor girl@@Down-x4u
Even though it ent the original
That Carlton is still worth big money and is special
I don't know what happened to 40 RA but I know the Engine, Gearbox and 1 of the Suspension legs (the others damaged) sat in a garage in Stevenage for quite sometime.
Watch Oscars Garage 40RA was 100% scrapped and never saved but was replaced like for like by the insurance company
I had the pleasure of owning one, miss it dearly. Cannot wait to see this ine done
Bet you wished you’d kept it now ??
@@daviddddixon7275 absolutely and it had all the recalls done too, ie bell housing issue etc. Loved it and would love to know where it is now. Sold it in 2005 for 10k which I am kicking myself for now :-)
😂😂 The Birmingham 40 RA has absolutely nothing to do with me..... 😂😂 True story
I was lucky got to drive one of these in the 90s working for a crash repair centre.
Is that beechys old one ? Loved the 90s calibra turbos cavy turbos,, I remeber having a 911 turbo bk on day 😄 got a puncher on a speed hump, put it on a garage and got landed on and nicked , I’m a good boy now but miss them days ,
Legend of a motor. Get this beast back in shape. 🙏🏽👍👍
We will mate we will, hope you come along on the journey with us 🙌🏽
@@daviddddixon7275 🙏🏽❤️👍
Excellent and informative video👏 they were indeed all dark green but they did one in silver and I can't remember why a bit like the original escort rs turbo was only in white apart from the princess diana one which was black! I had one back in the day it never got nicked I had it peacefully for 2 years sold it part ex for an escort cosworth then I had to grow up and kids and mortgages and a pet dog come along and the cosworth got replaced but a mondeo estate🤨
Silver was vauxhall managing directors personal car
Their was a silver one made. The omega in Europe was a omega A 500 evolution which was built to race in the dtm German touring cars championship.
It would be sick to make a replica Carlton wagon
th-cam.com/video/CwNNO_PgbTQ/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=OnceDriven%2CForeverSmitten
Now we're talking gents
Snapped a few steering wheels off in my younger days, Montego EFI or Maestro EFI's along with Rover Fastbacks were the worst IMO
Thankfully the judicial system rehabilitated me.
Sub'd.
I had one back in 2001, sold it for a 500sel merc, my bad.
I been in the original once upon a time, lovely lad on our estate in the south of Birmingham was in possession of it. Never knew the story at the time. Looking forward to seeing this being transformed.
Absolute quality mate 🙌🏽 you don’t still talk to the kid do you ???
@@daviddddixon7275 I do see him about now and again. He wasn’t the legal owner! There was a period around that time when you’d see the same lads doing donuts around the central reservation of our local shops. Exige, rs2 multiple bm’s to name a few. There was big story in the Birmingham mail, apparently they had over a million pounds worth cars away until they got caught.
@@michaelanderson196 if you see him any time soon or when you next see him ask him if he would have a chat with us, be wicked to hear there side of the story 🙌🏽 as you hear that many different stories of what happened and stuff 👍🏽
Absolute legend! Dream of mine to bring one into the states
Its not the proper car the real one was nicked from Evesham and yes it was found in the canal and it did get scrapped the owen kept the plate so the story is very true i lived in the village it got nicked the bloke has got another lotus Carlton now with the plate now guys
The TOOL of all TOOLS until the rs6 pushin pandas down the road 😂😂😂
Ultimate weapon!
Just found your channel today, love you 2! top fu@king lads… proper genuine. Keep making vids boys you 2 are going to smash TH-cam! Much love.
Nice one mate we appreciate the support but there is 3 of us but we keep the good looking one behind the camera as his misses is insecure he’ll get to many groupies 🤣🤣🤣
I don't understand how anyone could let a Lotus Carlton get so bad
Weren’t the tyres on the back three postcodes wide on these beasts?
We heard it was 4! 👀
Subbed... can't wait. 👍
Crazy i never thought it would ever be back
the guy who originally owned it now back on the net with the full story, he's got the number plate back too
The story of 40ra is a bloody cool one!!!! "We simply couldn't get near the thing"
Haha I think there's a lot of rumour and speculation, but we're choosing to believe it all 😂
Buzzin for this project😉 Just did a tax and mot check on 40 RA and it says a green Vauxhall 3.6 is taxed and moted?
Greetings from 🇧🇷, years aback did com across a lotus omega here in SP state, prob only one here in brl, shabby condition with damaged gearbox, so called owner was selling bits of of it...could be the true 40RA....
The engine ur gonna have a night mare with.
Was a lotus Carlton in our village back in the day some proper dodgy car dealer bloke owned it
Can remember biking round in on my bmx looking at it
that L reg saloon is my old one,sad to see being used as a donor! the engine is high mileage but ran a1,so long as you dont muller it too much,give me a shout when you want to sell,may well be interested!
Hi terry hope your good it is your old car we we are going to try and save it if we can as you know it’s a very clean car we will let you know 👍
@@richardstokes2209 thats great please do when ready to sell?
One of my uncles told me about when he tried to race the 40 RA in his blue mk3 Ford escort. He obviously miserably lost.
🤙 maybe since I'm watching this a year and a quarter after it was uploaded, a new Lotus Carlton update will be soon forthcoming. #gidder-done
The owner of the vehicle did actually come out and say that it was found and he went to visit it in a scrap yard but it was in a state so he left it there
Fair play they did own up that aint 40 ra... sort of, they knw tho
The lads who stole it are probably going to be about 45 to 55 years old now and still having to keep quiet about the stories it had. They are probably even reading this comment section.
There's one for sale on Autotrader now for just a mere £90k!
Morning lads brilliant info on car very interesting past she has I no you will do her justice! 🇬🇧👍🏻👏👏👏
My pal had one of the first brand new and boy was it quick, think it was A10 TUS, I’ve got the leather bound book that came with the car 😎
We managed to get hold of one proper green leather owners/service book
@@richardstokes2209 this is the description I found,
THIS EXTREMELY RARE TITLE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE BOOK TITLED'LOTUS CARLTON', A LIMITED EDITION OF WHICH ONLY 1750 WERE PRODUCED, EACH SIGNED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF LOTUS CARS & VAUXHALL CARS AND NUMBERED BY HAND. THIS SUPERB BOOK BOOK; ORIGINALLY ONLY AVAILABLE TO LOTUS CARLTON OWNERS, TELLS THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE CAR, FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS BEING BASED ON A FAMILY SALOON, C
We're trying to get a bit of old memorabilia together for it, got a few bits and bobs together!
There’s more to the story of 40 RA that hasn’t ever been told, but if told would make it an EVEN MORE legendary and infamous car than it already is. I knew the car VERY well. It was not the one that went into the canal. That was a cloned decoy. Also the helicopter chase wasn’t in Manchester, it was outrunning them heading towards the East Midlands from Birmingham and this was after the firm that was using it for ram raids had it. 40 RA still exists...somewhere ; )
Absolutely love it mate LONG LIVE 40RA, we know the one in the canal wasn’t the proper one no pics nothing just here say isn’t it the truth needs to come out really of the legend to shut all the know it all’s up 🤣🤣🤣
We went and looked at a 3 door cosie a few months back and the bloke said he’s got a hooky one tucked away 👀
@@daviddddixon7275 some of the parts on the canal find were from 40RA that’s for certain but definitely not the shell. I can’t see the full story being told anytime soon, especially after what that cars been through it would be unwise of anyone involved to disclose more than needs to be known. It would be nice if the car re-emerges in the near future but that’s a highly unlikely probability unfortunately. I saw it last, over 20 years ago now.
Good luck lads that will be mint they was a sick car not many left
Was a fabulous car, i've read a lot about it, in my country was only one for sale in 2006 or so... at price of about 12.000 euro (which was superbargain even then).
BUT.. you supposely to play golf in that video, or why you're not dressed as Man's, but wearing shorties as 8yo kids?
Hi lads. Greetings from Poland. I am a great fan of this car, although I can only dream to have it. Used to drive a regular Carlton / Omega back in the days. Great thing is you want to bring it back to life. It will be however time-consuming and money-vaccuming. But I think it is worth the effort. By the way: which number is this particular one?
My dream car, me dad, had a gsi when i was a kid. These are a diffrent league
Excellent information on the car. Really enjoyed this weekend episode boys keep it up looking forward too this one coming up in next few weeks 👍🏻
My friends got a carlton gsi for sale been off the road since the late 90s but has run since
Can you or him message us on Instagram? @officialcarcartel
Is this for sale please
The orginal 40ra was repaired & is on the road. The orginal owner has bought another one or has he bought the orginal one back ???
Hopefully this build will be the one to push the channel to some big numbers. Cheers mates
Thank you mate we hope and we hope out future projects bring in the subs aswell
Wow nice car 👍👍
I've never seen such an amazing car (my dream car) wasted!!!!