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Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

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  • Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B


  • #2
    Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

    Great story again Brian. Imagine cruising around the streets in that thing? ;D


    cheers
    Ed N.
    Ed Nicholson - Caledon Ontario - a bit NW of Toronto
    07 Mustang GT with some stuff
    88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe 5-speed

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    • #3
      Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

      The Dart boys here in Lansing owned one, I raced it on I-96e on my
      GPz1100, he handed me my ass!!!
      It had a 427 BBC.

      Holy shit it was fast....

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      • #4
        Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

        HA! That's cool!

        Race weight was about 1700lbs, so with a healthy big block, and well geared 5-speed transaxle, the thing should have hauled LOTS of ass.

        Must have been the balls to cruise one on the street.

        Brian
        That which you manifest is before you.

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        • #5
          Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

          These were also used by George Lucas in his debut film THX-1138. ;)

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          • #6
            Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

            I took this picture of the Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3b Spyder at the Road America Vintage event last year.
            This angle shows how small these things are!

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            • #7
              Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

              My friend and co-worker Dan Hardin bought a McKee sometime around 1975 or so. The body wasn't much and he found a guy in Chicago who had pulled a plug off one of these (not a roadster). The guy cast several of the bodies and Dan got one which he fitted to the McKee, which was fitted with a SBC w/Webers. The transaxle was a reworked Muncie with some kind of diff - this resulted in no reverse. He worked the body onto the chassis and we did lots of street miles, including driving it to work - we usually rode in together as we lived a couple of blocks apart. I remember a blip of the throttle resulting in passing a 'Vette like it was off.

              He sold it to buy one of the little Lotuses that look like a tow truck - can't remember the model. It had a 215 Buick in it and Dan made a set of 180 degree headers. This resulted in LOTS of plumbing and a way cool look, as the headers rose above the engine hatch. So these pics bring back fun memories.

              Dan

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              • #8
                Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

                I really like this car. I've developed a strong affection for the Can-Am cars and this is definitely one of my favourites. It really sucks that the car got most of its parts jacked but at least the car was saved. I would love to have a Lola T70 as my daily driver, lol.

                Dan, your friend's McKee sounds like an awesome car. Driving that thing on the street must have been wild. That Lotus sounds pretty damn cool too.

                I'd like to build a tribute to the Can-Am cars with a modern twist (maybe a DOHC Ford Mod motor?). To the drawing board! ;D

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

                  Make sure it has reverse! That was a 24 carat pain in the fanny. And yes, it was a blast.

                  Dan

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

                    Originally posted by DanStokes
                    My friend and co-worker Dan Hardin bought a McKee sometime around 1975 or so. The body wasn't much and he found a guy in Chicago who had pulled a plug off one of these (not a roadster). The guy cast several of the bodies and Dan got one which he fitted to the McKee, which was fitted with a SBC w/Webers. The transaxle was a reworked Muncie with some kind of diff - this resulted in no reverse. He worked the body onto the chassis and we did lots of street miles, including driving it to work - we usually rode in together as we lived a couple of blocks apart. I remember a blip of the throttle resulting in passing a 'Vette like it was off.

                    He sold it to buy one of the little Lotuses that look like a tow truck - can't remember the model. It had a 215 Buick in it and Dan made a set of 180 degree headers. This resulted in LOTS of plumbing and a way cool look, as the headers rose above the engine hatch. So these pics bring back fun memories.

                    Dan
                    Dan was the Lotus a Europa? I'm having trouble with the tow truck refernce just viualizing.

                    Here's a Europa:

                    That which you manifest is before you.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

                      That model Lola was especially beautiful in my opinion. But then lots of those CanAm cars (and the factory prototypes as well) during that era were really good looking automobiles. Thanks for bringing back the memories of those days.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

                        Brian -
                        That's the one. Use your mind pencil and draw a boom and hook on the engine hatch - looks like a little tow truck. Notice that you didn't have any trouble identifying it from my description!

                        Both cars were a blast, with the Lotus the more usable of the two - as a DD, that is.

                        Dan

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

                          Took my camera to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and took a picture of a picture that was in the museum office.
                          The 1911 winner, Marmon Wasp


                          How about a 1964 Hussein 1/Dodge Zerex Special with a 426 Hemi. Driven by AJ Foyt




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                          • #14
                            Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

                            as a hot rodder i have owned and built several cars in the past , i love the lola t-70 coupe and i am now working in a shop that builds these cars to lola specs, and i am having a blast, i do a lot of the fab work and all of the paint work, i am in the process of building a tube chassis to fit a MK3 coupe body to, it will be a street car and i hope to enjoy it on a daily basis, the guy i work for has owned and raced several of these cars and is now building them for vintage racers around the world, if i can figure this computer out i will have some photos to look at.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Vintage Race Car of the Week: The Penske/Donohue Lola T70 Mk3B

                              BJ, thanks for joining up and taking part in the fun.

                              Photos are a must!

                              Thanks again man!

                              Brian
                              That which you manifest is before you.

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