Saving Old Seagulls

John

Just a quick thumbs-up and note of thanks for all you do for us on this forum and with SOS.

We owe you a pint - or two!

Tim

I would go for the smaller, neater, lighter and handier Featherweight.

I have a 1967 Forty Minus bought new for my Mirror by my generous father. It always happily got me home when the wind failed (sailing out of Itchenor, Vic).

Since then I have used it on a 2.4m inflatable. I now sail out of ...

It's the credit crunch, Charles. The City boys are getting out of Ferraris and Porsches and piling into Seagulls. It's all the rage!

Good question!

I have one Seagull, a Forty Minus SJM 2121 D7 bought new in the summer holidays of 1967. My father bought it for me for passing an exam!

I kept it in the bottom of my Mirror dinghy, spending many happy hours sailing around Chichester Harbour out of Itchenor as a boy. When I needed ...

Essex Branch alive and well I see

John

The trouble with theory 2 in this day and age is that your letting several shillings worth of petroleum spirit spill away. I rather like the idea of an highly polished brass bucket swinging below the carb, though!

Tim

Yep. Too much smoke!

Charles

This brings to mind the case of the missing 3000 Lotus Elans, though admittedly from a different era, the 1960s. Serial numbers had been running consecutively quite happily, when there was a huge jump and an apparent extra 3000 cars had been manufactured over a matter of months. At the time ...

I still have two British Seagull tiller extensions, bought new with my Minus in 1967.

They are simple affairs, but effective, much as you would expect. One is some three feet long, the other half that length. They are black plastic tubing, quite thick and sufficient to be stuck snugly into the ...

British Seagull made a light alloy (?) carry handle at one time. Their advert had some skinny looking young gal hauling up her father's Seagull with consumate ease, presumably without the aid of any Woodbines or Watneys Red Barrel!

Tim

Charles

I agree, the Series 1 VII is a great car. By the way, the Sprint is more than just a "pretty" car!

Since you spend so long with your 'Gulls, any chance of buying your Seven off you?!

Tim
With only a '67 Forty Minus to keep me company in the garage - oh, and a Sprint of course

I remember that Mayfair!

It is the Elan Sprint I have researched. And you are right, primary research is the key, though it is useful to speak to people who were at the factory as well as past and current owners, dealers, service garages.

Well, I wish you luck and good foraging!

Tim

Charles

Sounds terrific and well done! I have just finished putting together an history of a specific Lotus car and decided in the end to publish it as a web site. This is because Lotus' paperwork and sense of history were both in short supply in the early 1970s! So I am hoping additional ...

charlesp wrote:We mustn't turn this into a 'lets tease the Australians' thread. If that happened someone would probably mention Rugby...

I'm sorry - did someone mention rugby? 12-10 I think!

(Well, it got my interest!)

Tim

Charles

Any progress on this fascinating challenge? Did you scare him off?

Tim