Lotus Club Queensland
Dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Lotus experience
Login
Register
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Membership
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
  • Motorsport
    • Lakeside DTC Timed Laps
    • LAKESIDE DTC RESULTS
  • Magazine
  • For Sale
    • Merchandise
    • Classifieds
  • Posts
  • Galleries
  • Directory
    • Suppliers & Parts
    • Advertisers
  • Archives
IMG_0161

My 1969 Lotus 61 Formula Ford

Story and photos by Greg Bray.

This article is a little late after the event, but last September at the final historic event of 2017 at Lakeside my Formula Ford blew its engine.

It happened in the second race on the Sunday, half way down the main straight. I had never done a historic race meeting there before, and did not realise that my car would be under geared for that track.

All my previous events had been at Morgan Park, Warwick, which is ideally geared for my Formula Ford, but at Lakeside coming down the main straight flat out, I was over revving at only half way along it. All too much, and the engine just went BANG. Back in the pits, I found that l had a hole in the dry sump as oil and coolant was leaking out.

Back home in my workshop it was engine out, and I knew I was in for a big and expensive job. Sump off, finding the crankshaft had broken first at the rear, then it had bent two rear con-rods, smashed No.4 piston, bent two rear valves, broke the camshaft, ripped No.4 main bearing cap from the block, put a large crack all up No.4 cylinder wall, and a crack all around rear of block.

That’s what you get if the crank breaks when you’re flat out, not much engine left. My crank would have been the original, so it finally gave up with old age and fatigue.

After lots of new parts and work it was all rebuilt for 2018, and now going well. Pleased to say I won my class in the car at in the first historic meeting held at Morgan Park in May.

Meeting at Tint-A-Car A Tale of Two Tail Pipes

Related Posts

mp-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Morgan Park Sprints R4

duratec-banner

Articles, Homepage, Technical

Duratec Elise – better late than never

gold-rush-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022

Random images

122_2237_IMG Evan wolseley pair-of-elans 14-Lunch-at-Sirocco-3 3-Arrival-at-Birches-2 P6210143 IMG_0039 IMG_6515 2-Getting-a-sense-of-direction IMG_4850 IMG_7132 IMG_7071 image_007 lot_023 lot_006 IMG_6559 _MG_9161 as Smart Object-1 07252021-copy2 IMG_3222 Greg-Chris-Craig-Rob IMG_2471 Liam ahead of Martin IMG_9973 gw_Scrutineering Tony - Just Doing It 20131005_181346 Chris in party mode Carol, Karen & Vyvyan John B in his 7 Kens Tyres Jake with Mal Clive trying to get a grip Johan and Don IMG_5146 IMG_0744 F1000013 F1000002 Guest-driver-Frank-from-Westfield-Club main-11 IMGP2257 Ploughman's Lunch main-13 main-9 main-4 main-7 122_2258_IMG img_1126 IMG_6305 DSC03856 Armstrong_Siddely_Dashboard 119_1968_IMG IMG_5220 16e DSC_1531 DSC05019 IMG_7925a IMG_2599 IMG_8013 P1060263 197_197 Club_Lotus_Dec_08_028 P1050440 IMGP7363 IMG_8025 IMG_8021 Steve-Lennox-Europa-S-2 The-Gathering_gw Beechworth - Here we come The-Europas Big-public-interest-in-the-beautiful-Elevens Heading for Mt Alford 2_gw front-cover-and-new-pulley cols-elan 20181021_104824 410-Sport Looking-for-a-knock got 50 years on these boys Sam getting scruted Mike-Goodfellow-heading-out-with-the-clubbies-by-Bridie-Moran img_2045 IMG_6154 20200815_075743 IMG_0058 Peter-Drane-tries-the-English-Wheel-by-Craig-Wilson 20200816_133713 _MG_9711 as Smart Object-1 Slicks Off Zaid - Post Scrutineering IMG_6144 Joe Rd 1 Presentations-Jason,Garry & Joe aston-martin-1 joe's-1947-alfa-6 Transport-Museum-EType-2 the-field Men in black IMAG5949 181111 Cover main-106

Recent Articles

  • Morgan Park Sprints R4
  • Kev’s Big Day Out
  • Duratec Elise – better late than never
  • Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022
  • Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022
  • Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane
  • Leyburn 2022
  • August 2022 DTC

Latest Gallery Images

20220220_093834 20220220_093818 20220220_093827 20220220_093743 20220220_093812 20220220_093730

Search articles by category

Archived articles

Lotus Club Queensland
© Lotus Club Queensland   |   Site by Black Eye Studios