Snow flies and the Elva needs to go to rest - maybe one more blast this weekend and then down stairs to the lower garage.

What needs to be done
  Clutch  - I did not sleeve either the master or the slave on the clutch as I had on the brakes
  My bad it is the only thing that makes the car difficult to get out of 4th and into third in spirited driving

Details - well we won some and we came in third on some - details need to be addressed for wire and    hydraulic routing - simple things  - firewall grommets  and a little nick to the upholstery.

If a Swallow Doretti  can be on the Lawn at Pebble Beach  - I think we can push the Courier that far
the only lagging piece is that so many remain as vintage race cars  where the  Doretti had none

Lots of people on the blog and no comments -

The new book (see another blog)  should have brought the cognescotti out of the woodwork

Race Cars on the Road vs. Road Cars that went Racing

This post will be finished over several days - But a few weeks ago  I put forth an interesting conundrum to a few auto journalists I ran into while displaying a pair of BMW Isetta's in Carmel.

Why are cars that were built for racing - the Elva Courier of this blog being an example
that are used on the road  vs   cars built for the road but factory modified to be used for racing   -- perceived differently.         - The dividing line is small or is it

Driving one  on the road is in one case is shear lunacy and the other case - way too cool (AMG, M, STI, Evo and RS and S)  Maybe we like our excitement tolerable and in a prescribed dose

On the latter example you have the  M  model  -   the race version of the road car - take your pick Austin Healey or BMW

  I digress should Austin Healey sue BMW for trademark infringement or does BMW own the Austin Healey trademark  - or is placing the M before or after the number significant -  both cars represent a similar presentation of the road car gone mongrel .

On the other hand - Lotus Elise / Exige  - yes you can get the track suspension  - but the inevitable question around a party at your house that has migrated to the garage  -  'You don't actually drive that to work - do you"

I started thinking of a dog breeding example  - so you take two Westminster Kennel Club winners and breed them and then and use the offspring for companion dogs - and don't they look good doing it  -
vs.  the pound dog becoming the best frisbee catching dog ever - - but look at him leap


The concessions made by both parties are relatively small - but priced differently

Race Car to road - we need lights - a place to hang a license and turn signals

Road Car to race - a new or uprated springs shocks, and engine (all special but ordered by a factory with some purchase clout)   to build the uber road car  and we will charge doublw - ok 1.75 - but the body must stay the same - Ok new fenders

Yes in the mass market automotive world  -  approachable distictness  - better known as  all too common

I see the mentioned Loti very seldom - and they leave a memory   -   The other - just another car model with a lot of hype that makes  you feel special but not that memorable.

Everybody remembers driving around in the Elva

I own a former and a latter  - the former is more fun  period,  the latter is more fun than the car it was based on.

You be the judge  - most of us won't stray too far from the herd

How to Improve the performance of your B series engine - Elva Courier

Colin Chapman was right - to improve performance - handling and power

 "Just add Lightness"

So yes -  if you are searching for the ultimate performance from your B series  - you can go go to a large bore - use a reputable shop  -  You can supercharge - take your pick

Or you can do what Colin Chapman said  - you can add lightness  (I believe this may be the most expensive option)

The Elva Courier notched into a market just barely above a Lotus Seven Series 1 (BMC A Series)  but well below the the Lotus Elite and cut the latter's price by a factor of two but providing similar performance to the more expensive car.

It was clever - Elva threatened Lotus at the time for the specialist sports racing car market - they leaked that the Jaguar Engine would be used and then maybe the Coventry Climax     The press was titillated, the competition anxious  - Archie Scott Brown hung around the Elva guys even after he finished racing in the Listers.    What were the guys in Bexhill up to - cheeky &^%$#$#

The final solution was brilliant - no need to compete with Lotus - the Elite was a money loser -  but how to build a car that could give equivalent performance for 1/2 the price- More $ than a MGA - less than a Austin Healey - How could it be done  -  superior engineering  ie.  the ability to make a superior product for a reasonable cost.

Here is the Recipe

Tube Frame Chassis with a few space frame concessions - Simple - light weight and major assemblies can be mounted and the semi completed car rolled around  (Lotus figured this out with the Elan )

Molded Fiberglass Body - wrapped around the steel  to form an integral assembly (Lotus did this as well on the Elite just to a smaller amount - roll hoop and engine front suspension)  - but only one molded assembly for trunk and hood  leaving raw fiberglass inside - the Lotus used two pieces for the hood and an internal body molding to give the engine compartment a shiny appearance - Elva painted it flat black - cheaper - lighter  effective  - ( just a note for corrosion alone wrapping steel with glass is a bad idea)

Front Suspension - they are virtually identical  - Alden and Alford uprights - Morris Minor steering
suspension arms and geometry virtually identical   - with a rear steer Ackerman geometry the  de rigour late 50's racing setup (the shocks are identical)

Rear suspension - the Elva used the lightweight rear end from a Riley 1.5 a B Series powered Morris Minor (think Sprite extended)   if your MGA powered Riley could use it - so could your new Elva (truth was that axles broke on both cars - just as they do on racing Spridgets)  - It is the cars Achilles heal

Lotus used an expensive independent design with a Sprite differential  -  Elva added a bit of sophistication in the 4 bar link and long travel coil over shocks - but appropriately simple and effective for a lightweight less expensive car -

(Side note - the body mounted differential in the Lotus does whine - not every solution is perfect again fixed with the Elan - diff mounted to the fame)

Brakes - Elva used Drums from  a Hillman Minx a relatively  big family sedan  - Lotus used Girling Disks all around  -  Elva gave an option for front disks  - it wasn't popular  - both cars had a racing pedal setup with dual masters and bias bar to adjust brake pressure front to rear.

Wheels - Borrani Alloy Wires   for the Lotus   -  Elva used Pierced Hole Morris Minor - special made but steel none the less -  Alloys were available on the Elva - but dearer than even the Borrani's   Most racers used steel - cheap and plentiful

Engine

Here is the kicker and the money saving piece  - Elva had a relationship with BMC for supplying the A Series Formula Junior engines (think Sprite)  - they bought Coventry Climax engines for sports racers - but Lotus had recently sewn up Coventry on the new Elite and gave Coventry dreams of Formula 1   -

Everybody was selling cars like hotcakes to build the English postwar economy - engine producers had their order books filled. - Good engines were in short supply

The BMC B series was the most produced English engine at that time and would be for a while  - it was cheap, it was powerful when tuned,  it was available  and in several guises
  Riley
  BMC
  Wolesley
  MG
  and Gold Seal BMC Factory Replacements

Harry Weslake's facility was right across the road perfect for  getting a tuned and prepped engine  - Weslake had developed the BMC B and A series cylinder head for BMC  - who better to extract maximum reliable power.

Bingo - an Engine and transmission combination - plentiful, easy to service - sporting pretensions - nearby expertise - and not temperamental

The Elva was 500 lbs less than an MGA and 600 lbs less than a  62 MGB  - but  a 350 lbs more than the Elite almost all in engine weight

The car is balanced 50-50 and side to side with a driver only

This package delivered near Jag XK150 performance for less than a Healey and weight under Porsche's vaunted Speedster -  Very Exciting for it's time and very competitive

Built for racing right from the showroom  - no need for modification  -   Elva's tore up the tracks across the US   - Mark Donohue was one of the hotshoes to look out for.  And hey if you blew one up - there was another engine waiting in the nearest junkyard (or in the paddock)

The Elva even solved the early MGA race engine heat problem  -they supplied  a very big copper radiator  - custom designed built for the car -

They continued building Elva Couriers in some form right up to 1965
the later ones sharing the independent rear end with TVR and
powered by MGB spec motors

The Elva Courier -  a former day MGA Outlaw

When we went looking for an E Production race car in the Eighties in order to compete with MGB's  - Elva Couriers's were the hot ticket - the same engine (or 1622 displacement and lighter weight) -  but Tube Framed glass bodied adjustable suspended BMC powered  War Horse  - John Kelly was tearing up the tracks 15 yrs after the last Elva was produced and - Craig Chima went on to win EP in 2003 - We ran out of money (tires mostly) - but we could a been a contender we were fast enough.

You want more performance from that B Series lump in your car -  Less is More

the Elva Courier is not a bad way to go

Given a set of ear plugs I would drive all day, alone and unsupported  -

Something only a very rare Lotus Elite owner would attempt

Mostly due to my reliable MG heart

Portland All British Field meet

The Elva wasl  at the Portland All British Field Meet



We too home a First - this year

Next year we will enter in MG "Other"

After complaining about the short shift the "other guys Non-Marque British Cars got in previous years"  hardly anyone showed up to get their trophies - sad


For the MG guys look out - we are coming your way  

The Elva Book

Well - in the works from the Mid 1980's  the Elva Book finally reached the press

It tells an accurate and winding story of a successful car company, that was a household name in racing in the US in the late 50's and Early 60's and faded into memory to only vintage race enthusiasts and car owners.

It will be nice in that there will be a reference book to go to and eliminate the - here say - prevalent among even the most knowledgable experts about Elva's  and particular to this blog,  Elva Courier's

The book shows early development COurier mules being driven around with sandbags to get the weight distribution correct, the early factory photos  and  a very good story about the Courier LeMans effort.  - Think "Worlds Fastest Indian" mix in a few american servicemen in France, a group of Technical college engine guys and a subscription to pay for the entry fee -

New automotive stories are hard to come by - this one is fresh - it includes

Racing - Famous names - how the British helped BMW and Porsche

I hope I stirred a little intrigue  - David Bull Publishing Click Here if you are interested has the book

Worth a Read 

Owners

Elva Courier Owners

Some of us  have owned these cars for a long time  - I have had mine for 30 years.  Lon McKinistry has owned this Courier from new in 1960 and it was actively vintage raced  -  this picture looks recent  so it may be back on the road - Lon races an Elva  100 Formula Junior.  I know him only as he appears on the Owner Club roster from the mid 1980's but we have never met personally.

 




I met several Courier owners in the US - maybe 25 out of the 100 that seem to still have these cars
- most of them on the track. 

The Hollyberry color and the white top look good on Lon's car   - one day i hope to see it in person

Every Courier - a Factory Racer Special

I have to admit bias  - I have and have had for quite some time an Elva Courier that I use on the street

and while it has spent time on the track driven at 8 tenths    -   it is not the norm for Couriers

A frequent comment on the car is that I should put numbers on and vintage race the car - in some ways I agree - but I have had poor eyesight for as long as I can remember - it would not be a good idea

Every Courier was built to race  -    now there are Elva Courier Spyders and Elva Courier Sebrings
as the extremely rare factory specials  -  but these are the same car with reduced weight for the most part

Most Couriers came with a tuned Engine  by Ryetune in England (Weslake guys  - Gurney Weslake or the guy who holds the patent on the Heart shaped Combustion Chamber)

It is the same block but a lot of machining and detail work

The suspension is fully adjustable,for spring and shock from the factory

Factory race pedal box

The minimal trim and windshields easily removed.

My car is a well driven show car

This week in a car show,  I lost to a Healey 100M  - a factory M car (aren't they all,  consisting of a few bolt on parts)  The Healey 100M had a few parts added for racing - it was the hard core Healey - you hear this when they talk about the car, and you hear it quite a bit .    It is the later day Porsche GT3   -  A race car for the street - gasp

But there must be a fine line   - every Courier was a hard core racing special just road worthy enough to get you to the track

After the show  - I blasted down one of the most famous sports car roads in the world  - restating in my mind  that while the Courier is a nice car to look at  -  its virtues lie in the driven world













    

The Ecumenical British Sports Car

The Elva Courier  represents the best of british sports car design and contains parts from every major manufacturer.


From MG we get the Engine and Transmission  - and We are official NAMGAR Members (North American MGA Register)
The Front Hubs axles and Steering Rack are MG Midget or more specifically Morris Minor
The Ring and pinion are MG Midget or Morris Minor as well - Lots of factory ratios (3.5 to 5.12)
The steering wheel is TD or TF

The MG guys are uncertain of the mongrel heritage and keep a safe distance



From Triumph we get the front suspension uprights (herald), the steering universal, the heater assembly and a lot of bushings for the Elva designed rear suspension.

The local Portland Triumph club allows us to attend social gatherings - if we bring wine along

From Jaguar we get the front suspension bushings and pedal pads for the brake and clutch XK120 for the bushings - some sedan for the pedal pads

Never really see the Jaguar car show guys, the jaguar drivers come around and share a pint



From Austin Healey - we get the generator with the rear mounted tach drive - It was a good thing in racing to know if your water pump was still turning - and this generator gives RPM and indication of a missing belt (despite the MGA Engine having a tach drive off of the camshaft)

Healey Guys like the car - and the sprite guys share parts



Rootes Group (Sunbeam, Hillman)  We get the Minx brakes and master cylinders (two)  A bias bar system

Is there a Sunbeam Club



We get the rear end assembly from the One point Five (with other parts welded on)

Again



From the Morris Minor we get a bunch of parts - Wiper motor and wipers arms, Steering assembly, switchgear, Ignition and assorted bushings.

I don't know about these guys - I want a Minor so I will have to find out



Shock front and rear are the same as the Lotus Elite (rears are slightly different utilizing a lower bushing mount)

Lotus club guys invite us to track events - very appropriate



There are more parts - but I will have to look to find them on your car

Fuel Level Sender - All Cars - General

Fuel level sending has been the providence of electrical resistance since somewhere in the 1930's when electrification of the automobile hit full stride.  The Ford Model A used a very clever sight gauge so that you actually saw a liquid representation of fuel level - neat design but expensive.

http://www.facebook.com/Fuellevel

Resistance Level worked very well and was easy to understand  -  X Ohms Full - Y Ohms Empty

Simple

And then suddenly somebody decided to add alcohol -  to fuel -

Methanol and ethanol contain soluble and insoluble contaminants.[5] Halide ions, which are soluble contaminants, such as chloride ions, have a large effect on the corrosively of alcohol fuels. Halide ions increase corrosion in two ways: they chemically attack passivating oxide films on several metals causing pitting corrosion, and they increase the conductivity of the fuel. Increased electrical conductivity promotes electrical, galvanic and ordinary corrosion in the fuel system. Soluble contaminants such as aluminum hydroxide, itself a product of corrosion by halide ions, clogs the fuel system over time. To prevent corrosion the fuel system must be made of suitable materials, electrical wires must be properly insulated and the fuel level sensor must be of pulse and hold type (or similar). In addition, high quality alcohol should have a low concentration of contaminants and have a suitable corrosion inhibitor added.

So if you turn to any car chat blog (ANY CAR CHAT BLOG)  - Issues on failed fuel level sensors are driving OBD II cars to the shoulder.

So we need Smiths (Stewart Warner, VDO, Veglia)  to make Pulse and Hold fuel senders for us  - Easy fix

But not really

I have been working on a new non-contact fuel level sensor that I have the patent rights to utilize.

We are applying the sensor to aviation (aircraft, rotorcraft) - In aviation we don't have alcohol,  but we can't put wires in the tank - something about electricity and fuel

Aviation  requires - what cars - all cars using Alcohol mixed fuel need - A non contact fuel level sensor

I have my Morris Minor Smiths Sender above  and the Aviation Sender Unit Below

We use a new concept in our sender called Magnetoresistance - certain materials change resistance in the presence of a rotating magnetic field and they can do this from as far as 3/8" away actually from the dry side of the tank.

Most of us see this everyday in the compass on our smartphone

There is no pivot or contact resistance,  so the float can be smaller and the range can be larger (fuller fulls and emptier empties)

Picture below shows the little magnet next to the pivot pin

Neat thing is that the  output of this sensor  can mimic a resistive sensor - only issue is getting vehicle power to the sensor chip.

Hey if you find this interesting let me know

scott.philiben@ciescorp.com

SU Carburetor Woes

British Cars with SU Carburetors are alleged to be finicky

I don't know - i went for years without touching mine until they leaked fuel and air

So I sent them out to be bushed and rebuilt them

No issues

Well then I rebuilt the engine  - Yes lots of mods

Flowed Head, Manifold and Exhaust thanks to Sean Brown www.flowspeed.com

I believe I still need work on my rocker arm geometry - Winter Project or when I am bored or tomorrow

We did a lot of revised lightening/balancing of the reciprocating assembly (crank, flywheel, rods, pistons)  - the engine has no issue running 5000 rpm for extended periods. 60 miles for example

But I bolted my rebuilt carbs to this new motor -

Rich - even with the jets adjusted full up (H4 Carbs)

So started on leaner needles AO in my case -  the MGA lean needle

Better but not great

Asked the advice of an expert - someone who does this often

Removed the dashpots - Jets not even close to the bridge - We have a culprit

So I took out all my spare (junk) carb bodies and rebuilt the jet assemblies with parts at the lowest range of size to obtain the best result - I should have taken pictures - revised a few washer thicknesses to obtain exact match between (read sanded them on a surface plate)

Anyway - better - a little more tweaking but an overall better performance - leaner less loading on the plugs still with AO needles

I am working up to the In Car Video

Somewhere West of Laramie

It has been said that - LBC's are not good cross country vehicles.

And I agree that I have enjoyed the traditional sports car pass time -

The car seemed perfectly suited to drive from small midwest town to the next  - a real thrill and a chance to recover and walk around

But just like cross country on a motorcycle - a LBC can be a stunning way to see the West (USA)

The views are amazing - the air is  fresh - and the roads clear and the vista's large

Yes it can be uncomfortable, noisy  - but if every hour, you get out and stretch - take a few pictures
it can be more than fun

it may  even turn into an adventure -

I would have have been thrilled to drive this road in my twenties when the car was new to me - and it did feel like I was 20 yr old for a few hours

I am however recovering from the thought and action

Elva Courier Walk Around Video

Elva Courier Walk Around Video

Got the car out today

Mk 1 - Mk 2 - Mk 3 - Mk 4

Like the Lotus Seven that was spanned at the same time the Elva Courier went through several configurations and model changes

The Mk 1  came about in 1958 - The cars were made for export to the US - they used the 1500 B Series BMC Block and a variety of states of tune - MGA being the preferred  - but beggers can't be choosers.

The suspension being Elva designed utilizing a variety of British components  - Triumph, Morris, Hillman

Some of the first cars carried trafficators

The car carried a ladder frame underslung at the rear (Rear Drive over the frame  and the most distinctive characteristic a split windscreen - like the Jag XK120  -  not a real issue they were removed for racing

The Dash contained an open glovebox

These were the first 50 or 60 cars

The Mk 2 carries a few improvements - first the chassis was reinforced with several additional tubes -
The dash layout was revised to move the instruments to the center and provide an enclosed glovebox
The windscreen was curved
The front indication and running lights moved beneath the bumper

Cars were now offered for domestic consumption as well as export

The Mk 2

Represents the epitome of the Elva Courier car design  as:

It was still built by the race car company - exceptional build quality
Used proprietary suspension and fully adjustable suspension
Uses the MGA 1600 engine
Engine was located amidships
Proprietary copper radiator
Car was well set up at the factory

Mk 3

The Mk 3 represents the Trojan takeover
front disc brakes standard
The frame is still ladder but built of square section tubing  - the engine was moved forward
but of a MGA 1622 size
The Triumph Herald front suspension was used complete with A arms
The car gained a hood scoop - actually pretty cool (done to accommodate the forward movement of the engine)

The parts were more off the shelf than the bespoke components or adapted components made for the Mk2

Mk 4
This is an interesting combination - some good and some bad -
The car was redesigned - Triumph Spitfire doors and MGB windscreen   wider mouth
An independent rear suspension designed by Elva -  and used and shared with TVR's
The Engine is the MGB or the Ford 1600 with a few specials leaving with Lotus twin cams

There are several on the web to see

All this being said

There was a lot of transitional cars  - Mk 3's with independent suspension  and Lotus motors
Mk 2's assembled at Trojan et al

Two hard top versions  - an anglia backed and a fastback

You see a lot of variations for racing  - most engines were put back in place  - engines usually run 1622 or 1800 B-series depending in weight carried   ---  front suspension went to Vitesse or to GT6 and then back again for vintage.

Strangely the vintage classes require drum brakes - this is interesting as the car was offered with Disk fronts from 1959 or so  - I suspect a vintage Porsche 356 conspiracy  -  Vee don't have disks  zo  you should not have disks eizer .  However I sold at least 5 sets of original drum brakes to bring SCCA racers down to Vintage specifications

Rear axles may have been swapped out for MGA - or reinforced with race axles and double bearing hubs like MG midgets.

The car is Lotus 7 simple with a body and ideal for vintage racing

But as road car it is not so bad either

What's it like to drive an Elva Courier

Well it is pretty fundamental experience.   It is difficult to get in, yes.  The first thing you notice is the size of the steering wheel - 50's big  and your leg has to bend slightly inboard to clear the wheel.  The pedal box is tight - Heel and Toe happens naturally - you don't have room for anything else.  The dead pedal is perfectly formed just to the right of the clutch.  The gear lever is in the plane of the steering wheel  about 3 inches to the right.    I grouse unceasingly about uncomfortable cars - but I conform to this car to drive it - go figure.  I have to hunker down to get behind the windscreen or I have look over it.   The doors are cut down so that I can easily place my hand on the pavement.  When you drive down the highway the underside of a semi trailer is definitely two feet above you.    You could make that fast and furious lane change under the semi - A mistake however would be your last.

The car is not oh my god fast but is deceptively quick - lane changes happen instantaneously the low weight and low center of gravity put you where few cars fear to tread.  The car is more than adequate to keep up with modern traffic but you are frighteningly small to everything - you are below the average mirror adjustment on any SUV.   A SUV owner on a cell phone is a life and death hazard.

Ok - off the interstate and on to 2 lane - the car comes alive - it accelerates, turns like a go cart.  When you do break it loose (the tires are 4.5" wide)  it breaks the rear tires and swings out sweetly - lifting the throttle and the car comes back to neutral behavior.  The weight balance is 50/50 front to back  and  on the track it encourages a full tail slide drift.  You never feel that the car will bite
I have spun it several times to avoid a James Dean moment  - but it takes an effort

For the midwesterners - The Courier comes alive at Road America after turn 6 into Hurry Downs, Braking hard in to 7 and full throttle through the Carousel into a full drift at the kink and carrying a tremendous momentum  down into Canada corner .

I have kept many a better car at bay in this area (not that I was racing) -  But through the horsepower consuming climb out of Canada - I might as well drum the steering wheel  until I drop back down to  turn 5.  You could see why these cars were raced

In a TSD rally - the car is a surgical knife - 45 MPH through any public road and the effort is in driving 45 MPH - No need for complex calculations to keep you on speed track  - the car will simply stay balanced and poised at any speed you request  - However staying to the course requires different skills - not yet mastered.

Light weight and balanced power make for a good car - the closest modern car to the feel is the Lotus Elise
Our Honda S2000 is a great sports car  - but the litheness and instantaneous of the Courier is missing.


More to come

2nd and 3rd - Just Missed the Trifecta

 At the Portland ABFM the Elva took home Peoples choice trophies

 Hey we won

 2nd in one Class
 3rd in  Another

While My Triumph friends all hauled in the gold

I had the other two trophies singly in two classes

Well how did that happen    -  Well classification is the short answer

These events are run by Marque clubs  in turn  - Land Rover, Triumph, MG, Austin Healey, Jaguar, Mini

Lotus get's their own section but don't usually run a field event - they are more likely to rent the track
Morgan guys are usually manning the beer tent

British Cars 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's  -  are grouped together    

We have  Rolls Royce, Jensen, Bentley, Hillman, A30, A40, Turner, Ginetta,  TVR  British Ford


It is easy to judge in the other classes  -  the other cars look alike and stay alike -  the comparatives are easy - is this MGB better than the one next to it or the one five down the line
 BJ8's or TR6's  -

 I can imagine the panty bunching when a 100/4 is added to the 100/6 pile - the Horror

 That will just not do  -  Corrections will be made

So the marque clubs are pretty focused on who won their respective class  and the "Nun of the Above" are left to chance.

I propose  a random "Nun of the above"  owner be chosen to sort stuff out - we are used to irregularity - we have to know other cars - as some of the parts on our cars originated on them.

And we can avoid - Double Dipping Trophies

-  No No the TVR 3000S is a 70's car  not a 50's car
-  Oh my god somebody put the Invicta in as a 50's car - the Cad
- The Daimler Dart entry should not go into negative numbers

Just my suggestion - I hope someone is paying attention

Elva Courier - an MGA Comparative - Sort of

“Scott would you like too buy the red Elva Courier”  a voice across the phone inquired.  I looked across my garage - I had just fitted the new body parts to my car,  newly painted assemblies waited on the floor,  but it was a long way to reach a finished state.    I replied “Yeah sure - how much” .   The red car was mine.   What a nice ride - I drove it everywhere - Trips to the vintage races at Road America, Sports Car Tours, Car Shows.    It was everything I thought it would be.   Of course I had to work nights fixing British Sports cars to pay for my sins. 

The Elva Courier is an interesting car - a product of the late 50’s produced by a company that built race cars and was convinced by the US distributer to dip a toe into the booming US Sports car market.

  The engine and transmission would be familiar to the MGA crowd -  BMC B Series, 1600 in this case, in an MGA state of tune and mating 4 speed.

  The headlights and taillights are familiar as well, but that’s where it ends.  The car differs greatly at this point.

  The front suspension uses the Triumph developed uprights Alden and Alford  - in the same manner Lotus used on the front of the Seven and Elite with adjustable Koni shocks.  The A - arms are Elva manufacture,  and so is the huge copper radiator - not a hint of overheating ever.

The steering is the Morris Minor rack found on spridgets and Formula 1 cars of the era.  The rear axle is from the Riley 1.5  B-series powered Morris Minor clone.   Imagine - BMC built a Big Block Morris Minor, hold back the insurance companies, traffic laws will be violated.

The rear end is solid, but lighter weight than the equivalent MGA but with ratios from 3.5 to 5.12  and  connected to the chassis with proprietary linkages and a very long spring Koni shock units - identical to the Lotus Elite. 

The best driving analogy I can make, is that the Elva Courier is a Lotus Seven Series 1 with a full body and a Big Block motor,  or the Elva is an open top Lotus Elite - with a steel chassis and a simpler motor  reliable and in expensive motive power.

The car weighs 500 lbs. less than the equivalent MGA 1600.   It was a tempting car for the era - 

Elva built 12 a week - most were raced.

Adolescence: 

I had not heard of Elva nor did I remember that my Scaletrix McLaren had a hyphenated name . 


 In High School I lusted after Porsche 924‘s Datsun 280Z’s and Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT’s  even the occasional VW Scirocco - Giugiaro had it right by my standards .


I dreamed of street legal McLaren M6Bs, Lola T310s, Chaparral 2Fs, Ford GT40s and Ferrari P4 s.


 I was enticed by my two sports racing car crazed uncles with race wrecked Lotus 7’s or used up Lotus 23’s without motors , none of them materializing despite my waving 100’s of testosterone fused dollars  in their face.


They forced me to make do with a Ford Custom 500  -  6 cylinder -  three on the tree -  dog dish hub caps.   A car that through my wishing it were not what it was ,  shed clutches at an astonishing rate. 


A full size Ford was not meant to be double clutch down shifted to recover a full 4 wheel drift out of a farmers field.




Noticing the frustrations of youth, car wise, my uncle Mike mentioned that he knew of an Elva Courier behind a barn.

Trojan Archives

I hit up the Trojan Museum for copy that they had on file for the Elva Courier - lots of cool watercolor pictures   --  I will start using them for illustrating the blog. 

Road Trip to Reno

  Picking roads to travel in the Intermountain west is a challenge my car does not have much in the way of ground clearance - maybe 2 inches maybe just a bit more.   the roads we find are beautiful and scenic but sometimes .  

require a bit of travel to get to them. 

Reno stands out  - as a western destination - 8 hrs away 

the road down to Lake view Oregon is punctuated by stunning views and a few climbs up mountain ridges but nothing sustained.     There is little bit of fun right before Lakeview - but short 

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Going down through Alturas and over to Gerlach was our travel plan

The road over the mountains from Alturas to Cedarville,  CA were fun and beautiful and I wish we had friends along to share.

Cedarville CA is nice and very western - wood sidewalks - real cow people in trucks  - and a real nice place to stop.

After Cedarville,  CA 

a trip through the Surprise Valley 

and then the climb up and over the mountains into Gerlach Nevada 

After Gerlach = An early morning trip is best 

to Nixon -  beautiful and nice turns at the end of Pyramid Lake 

Go to Virginia City - What a road  - just made for a small sports car 

MG 2011 Recon for Reno

Last week I made a short trip to Reno, Nevada for a business trip
but along the way - I started to think about how to drive to the
MG 2011 Reno  event in the most appropriate manner to enjoy an older british car
we are hoping for a few spirited driving companions along the way.
I sussed out  California State Route 139 along the way -  Susanville to Alturas
Nice road especially out of Susanville north and a nice trip past Eagle Lake where there  were actually Eagles in residence.

I have tried Nevada State Route 447 which is beautiful posted 75 mph 2 lane  past Pyramid Lake to the
Black Rock Desert  - the drive out of Gerlach to Eagleville is sports car heaven - I unfortunately drove it in a Vanagon Westfalia where I reached an indicated 88 mph with a wicked tailwind - Should have taken a picture of the speedo there is a Hot springs - Hotel in Cedarville before crossing the Warner Mtns into Alturas

Oregon Coast

There is a correct perception that the distances between towns out - "West"    is too too far for little british cars

Yes to to pass over the mountains from where I live,  requires a two hour commitment

But if I take back roads when I am there  - the pacing and views are incredible  - there is now a reason to stop  and smell the

roses.   Driving an older car is interesting as it is more engaging  especially if you can reach over and touch

the road

Pilgrimage to Molsheim

One of the more interesting small automotive themed tours was a pilgrimage to Molsheim

This is the Bugatti castle and next to it is Jeans house and the remnants of the Bugatti factory

Molshiem is interesting and a few Bugatti murals.

Dorlisheim the small  community to my back in this picture

It contains the Bugatti graves and the workers that populated the factory

I recommend the Lindelaub Winery for the whole story

100-173-L Elva Courier

Elva numbering convention is interesting

First it indicates that the model was COURIER

100 Series was for the export Courier

But it was also for the Front Engine Formula Junior
and for the Mk 1 Sports racer

200 Series was for the UK Courier
300 Series for the Spyder (lightweight Factory car)




173 was the numeric car number

The -L was for Left hand drive - I don't know but an export car to New Zealand it might of been -R

Thinking that the cars would make it through a few seasons of racing.  This left a bit of a cavalier attitude to an absolute accounting of cars produced.

The Mk I (V Screen) was to car 50 or so and the Mk II was to approx s/n 173 on the export models

This car appears to be made at Trojan with a Hastings chassis and suspension.  The body rolls under the chassis and does not attach to an angle as it does on the earlier car.   I have a Trojan brochure that shows this manufacturing happening with Hastings parts.   You can see the dual master cylinders in the pictures and this is attached to a custom pedal box like the race cars.    The car being first titled in 1961 suggests manufacture by Trojan  as well.

RENO MG 2011

The Elva went to the MG 2011 gathering in Reno Nevada in June  MG Reno Event

We are members of NAMGAR (North American MGA Registry)   NAMGAR . and technically allowed admittance

The Elva is classified as a "Variant" in their terms.    Some of the MGA guys don't seem to cotton much to this, but official members we are.    My wife likes MGA Coupes - who knows what might happen

Look for us under the "DEVIANT" Banner