BTCC Laguna - Help

[Plug550]

As a sometime poster on here, I thought you might be interested in my new purchase, and be able to offer me any help in tracking down its history.

Bought out of the Pistonheads classifieds last week, I just couldn't resist it. It's an Ex-works Renault Laguna BTCC Super Touring Car from the 1994/95 seasons. Chassis no.2, ex Alain Menu. One of only 5 known examples to survive worldwide, and the only one left in this country.

As she is today -



And as last raced in 1995 -



Since 1998, it has been a display car for DC Cook, and stripped of it's engine and gearbox.

Can anyone shed any light on it's history. Either from 1998-2005, or from it's racing days during 1994-1995. Any period pictures would help me in gathering enough information to restore to it's correct livery.

Cheers in advance.

Edited by Plug550 on Wednesday 21st January 14:53

[dpbird90]

Hmm, this could help (but not a lot)

http://www.timlaw.supanet.com/renaulthistory.htm

[SamHH]

Can't help with the history, but it's a nice car. What are you going to do with it?

[Plug550]

Thanks, and good question. You're not the first to ask it either. Should've heard what Mrs Plug had to say! First thing is to fully restore it, then probably just show it with the odd track day. I'll see where it takes me. Always wanted one, now got 'the' one.

[Plug550]

dpbird90 said:

Hmm, this could help (but not a lot)

http://www.timlaw.supanet.com/renaulthistory.htm

Thanks - More use than you might think, but as with most of these sites, where did that info come from?

[frodo_monkey]

Hi Plug,

Firstly, nice car! Hope its an easy restoration - what are you going to do in terms of engine/box?

I saw this site:

http://www.supertouringregister.com/

which may be of some help?

Frodo

[frodo_monkey]

Think this:

http://www.supertouringregister.com/register/vehic...

might be yours...;)

[Plug550]

Thanks Frodo. That site is run by a guy called Nigel, and he has been most helpful and informative in my research so far.

[rude-boy]

There was a series in which loads of the old supertourers used to race, i can't remember the name of it but i think it grew out of the old thunder saloons.

A bit of googling should bring it up and I am sure it would give you plenty of leads to call and hopefully find out some more information.

[Plug550]

frodo_monkey said:

Hi Plug,

Firstly, nice car! Hope its an easy restoration - what are you going to do in terms of engine/box

Frodo

It was run by Williams with a Sodemo built 325bhp Renault 2 litre, through a Hewland 6sp sequential box. Both are available, but at big (really big) bucks. So for the time being I'm going for Fred Flinstone drive

It's always lived indoors, so the shell is as good as the day it was built.

Edited by Plug550 on Wednesday 21st January 15:43

[Marc W]

DC Cook used to race them, The Boss's Daughter, Paula Cook was one of their Drivers (although she mostly drove a Honda Accord.) and Tommy Rustad the other. Tommy Rustad won the independents title for them, but Paula was less Succesful.

Here's a photo with Tommy Rustad racing along with some more info;

http://www.timlaw.supanet.com/indy1998.htm

Look at the current colour scheme it looks like someone else must've raced it in a club series after that.

[TimCrighton]

You want to give Tony at Touring Car Spares a call Tell him Tim from Advent sent you! He'll either know who has owned it or he'll probably be able to find out - and I'll pretty sure he'll have the bits you need to put it right as well....

[Killer2005]

Thats

[Marc W]

I've down some more digging and apparently it was last raced by Ewart Kitson in the LMA Eurosaloons series. I'm not sure which was its last season, yet but I'll try and find out.

EDIT: The car is also mentioned in this thread;

http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/archive/index.php/...

Edited by Marc W on Wednesday 21st January 19:10

[andy97]

I saw the advert and was tempted myself. I believe it has a sub frame for a Clio Cup engine and a conventional gearbox. In this trim it would be eligible to race in the CSCC's Tin Tops series (40 minute mini-enduros) and I think it is supposed to have raced in this series approx 2-3 years ago. Bring it out again, it would be a great addition to the Tin Tops grid.

[Marc W]

It looks like it probably did looking at the writing above the numbers on the doors.

[minimatt1967]

THAT is very cool, would make a great road car

[Trackside]

Marc W said:

I've down some more digging and apparently it was last raced by Ewart Kitson in the LMA Eurosaloons series.

IIRC there have been/are a few ex-BTCC Super Tourers in the LMA such as Accords, Mondeos, Primeras and Cavaliers. Would be excellent to see more of them out racing again, representing what was quite possibly the best era of BTCC racing, certainly in terms of sheer variety on the grids anyway. Get out there and race it! It's not built to be a show car after all!

[Plug550]

Thanks Marc. I bought it off Ewart, but it was unclear whether or not he actually raced it in the LMS. I think it was his intention.

It is not the ex Rustad car of 98, as that was the ex-Menu championship winning car from the previous year. This one was painted to match as a show car for the DC Cook chain of Renault showrooms. Anyone recall it? More helpful would be any under bonnet pictures and interior shots from 94/95, when Menu was running it, as the exterior is fairly well documeted.

Having recently spent 6 hours watching the 94/95 BTCC seasons, I'd forgotten just how competitive the Super Touring Cars were.

[Kinky]

Was that the Williams Renault - or was that a different car?

Got some pics of the one in the Williams museum (somewhere).

K