This is one those 'yes and no' answers. The S&P car was built from a badly damaged tub and, for example, this is shown by the lack of curvature in the roof section. This error is reproduced by the Allora so I think it's safe to say that the tub mould was taken from the S&P car. The front and rear sections on both cars are aftermarket Italian sourced bodywork, which was all that was commercially available at the time. Did Stuart Gross buy his own or simply mould off S&P's? Probably the former.
The "hollow roof" attributed to some Corse's is actually a bit of a myth. (Can't speak for Alloras, as I have not seen any in the raw fibreglass state.)
The original Corse mould I had for a little while, which came from Hugh Carson, had a very flexible roof section.
If it was stored with something on top of it for a while then sure enough you would get a hollow roof moulding out of it.
If you turned it upside down and put a bag of sand inside it before you laid up your panel then you got a nicely rounded roof.
So I don't think in the Corse case it was 'owt to do with the car it was moulded from, more the way the moulds were stored between uses!
I'd say you were right John.Originally Posted by john
The roof on David Jowsey's Allora (which I've seen an many occasions) is very good.
Here's a photo of it:
Yes, Chris.
There are quite a few good ones about.
I first doubted what I'd been told about the Corse moulds when I saw Simon Tattersall's Corse centre tub "in the raw". It had an excellent roof shape.
Then when I retrieved the Corse moulds from Belgium I found out for myself. You could actually pop the roof mould in and out with your foot!
Leave it in when you were laying up and you were just moulding yourself a load of trouble.
More information on this subject gained at Goodwood on Saturday when we were lucky enough to be introduced to Dave Scheldt in person.
When Scheldt and Pettet bought the car they raced and hill climbed from Germany they also bought two damaged cars for knock down prices for the spares they could salvage. Dave told me that one car was bought for an intact windscreen alone!
It was one of these damaged shells that Stuart Gross took the moulds from for the Allora.
Dave told me that it had a damaged A post and roof above had reportedly been damaged by the drivers crash helmet from within. Ouch!!
Dave lives locally to Goodwood now and was interested and kind enough to allow me to take his photo next to Frederics car.
'Talking to Craig at Phil's last week, and he doubts that anything (Allora) was moulded from this tub, but probably the front:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3382/3...48a_z.jpg?zz=1
So it looks like this second S&P tub could have supplied the mould for the centre section?
Anyhow, that's a great bit of Stratos replica kit history you've found out there John. Thanks.
"Stratos at knocked down prices" That's not going to happen again, is it?!
Last edited by ProtoTipo; 17-12-2023 at 07:54.
Thanks John,
wonderful story! so we know some more about the Allora moulds.
It certainly goes a long way to explain why the Scheldt & Pettet race car has always appeared to be straight & the Allora moulds appeared to be from a damaged car.
Nice to get some actual facts to add to the history of Stratos replicas.
its a shame Stuart didn't mould that round arch rear canopy when he was in the process as that would have saved many Corse owners hours of fun converting the Stradale rear to round arch Gp4.
"You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead"
Stan Laurel
Ain't that the truth! Shows how things change over the years. That in those days you could buy a damaged car just to salvage the windscreen! A genuine chassis number plate would be worth a fortune on its own today.
Dave was a nice guy to talk to and a shame the pressures of the day did not allow me more time. He is clearly a respected figure in the Lancia world and probably a fountain of valuable knowledge on things Stratos.
I read a nice article recently written by Derek Bell talking about the restoration of his own Fulvia entrusted to Scheldt and Pettet.
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