(Belated) Shitbox Saturday: 24 Hours of LeMons

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An over-the-top LeMons racer. Photo (C) rustyboltracing.com

What do you get when you take a track full of $500 cars with reasonable safety equipment and wacky paint schemes, a screwball driver in each car, a judging/administration team made up of some of the biggest automotive sadomasochists ever, and a LeMans-patterned endurance race on a real speedway?

You get the 24 Hours of LeMons, one of the petrolhead lifestyle’s greatest freakshows and sources of summertime enjoyment and perhaps the ultimate in four-wheeled insanity.

This is the only racing league where amateur and pro drivers duke it out on a regulation track in everything from Ford Escorts, to Mini Mokes, to Lancia Scorpions, for a dubious title and a Spam cookout in winner’s circle after the race.

Any car that the judge thinks cost more than $500 (parts and trim can be sold to get down to $500 value) gets to run one “bullshit lap” for every suspected dollar over the $500 limit, but certain judges will waive bullshit laps for certain marques or cars in certain circumstances.

The initiation rites, the rules and the whole race are as loony as can be, but there is nothing more fun to watch or to participate in.

Information on the series is at: http://24hoursoflemons.com/

Missed Opportunity: 1974 Lotus Elite

(all photos from former seller, wirewheel.com)

While this car may no longer be available, and the "wedge" Elite may be polarizing, one still cannot deny that this was a milestone car for Lotus. 

The car in question here, recently sold by wirewheel.com, was far nicer than most other Elite projects seen on the market, had unusually good paint, fiberglass and trim for the model, which could be explained by long storage, the car has factory air conditioning and has had the ghost of Joe Lucas partly exorcised with a Crane Fireball electronic ignition and MSD coil, has had dual electric cooling fans and has only 36,000 original miles. 

Unfortunately the seat upholstery was worn and it needed work from having been stored, and I don't know the sale price, but one could do a lot worse as a starting point, and these cars are great with Ford small-block or Rover V8s.

Find the sold listing for this Lotus here.