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https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Replic...9c~CNg&vxp=mtr
CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Real Eunos with Lotus Kit for sale in Arizona. It's a 1 of 1 here in the US! $12,000.00
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Wb8AA...Ng/s-l1600.jpg
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/AQYAA...tP/s-l1600.jpg
[img]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/xioAAOSwfsJc~BtX/s-l1600.jpg[img]
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/e~MAA...uK/s-l1600.jpg
I moved your post into its own thread.
Judging by the low mileage and all the dust im guessing this was a barnyard find?!?!
This thing is wicked!
Very rare find in the USA. ART International made that body kit. It's called the WATARU-01 ("What are you?" Eunos Roadster or Lotus Elite? Get it?) They were the sole distributor for Weber carburetors in Japan during that time and were responsible for a lot of the Eunos Roadsters running around Japan with carburetors during those early days of the Roadster tuning scene. ART have always been into British cars in a big way and their business is mostly based on Lotus cars, which explains the stylistic choice for this body kit that was clearly inspired by the Lotus Elite.
Webiste: https://art.artweb.gr.jp/
Company History: https://art.artweb.gr.jp/pdf/artprofile.pdf
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Real Lotus Elite for reference:
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The yellow wataru was damaged in the up and the rear is still floating around
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1960-lotus-elite-s1/
Sure beats the price (and likely the reliability) of the real-deal! The link above is a $101,000 S1 Elite on Bring a Trailer recently.
-Matt
L O T U S = Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious-- That is unfortunately probably accurate.
A neighbor of mine had a nice early Elan, it burned up a garage fire.
The above yellow one is a different car. Not the one in the UK.
It is interesting guys as with what I think you guys call the 25 year rule it probably means more Japanese imports like this will turn up in the USA and not find there way to UK shores.
Like the red pitcrew I helped build here in the UK that is now in the USA it probably means more will follow.
Thank You Very Much for moving this! It's looks GRRRRRRRREAT!!!
I FOUND ANOTHER ONE, NOT A LOTUS BUT....It will knock your sock's off!!!
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/390338591
Thanks for that little bit of history Freedomgli.
Wonder how many of these kits were made. Was also curious if the hardtop would fit a normal Miata.
The hardtop fits and looks incredible. Might even top my list above the Mazdaspeed...
https://cdn.snsimg.carview.co.jp/car...r/83594/p5.jpg
The damaged yellow one was my car, different car to the one shown above as James said. There's a thread on here about it already somewhere ... and probably some pics in my main thread. 42 made as far as I'm aware, 2 in the UK although the front of mine was beyond repair, so it's only the rear that was saved.
Think this is the same car when it first came in
https://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?p=8501287
Love the comments about how much weight it would save by being a fibreglass body! Sadly, the fibreglass body was very heavy, and it was bonded onto the original metalwork at the rear, so it was probably around 80 to 100kg heavier than a standard car
Russell
Thanks for the post, really interesting reading....not the Japanese of course!
I was crazy about a pitcrew front back about 2009. I almost spent way to much on one, and then the Blue Potato started getting around and passed thru some hands. I held off and just drool now.
Once again, thanks for the read!