1978 Lola T492 Sports 2000

History

The Lola T490  and Lola T492 series of Sports 2000 racing cars dominated the early years of Sports 2000 racing. These late 1970’s Sports 2000 Lolas were based on the highly successful layout and design of Lola’s iconic T290 FIA 2 liter sports racing car from the early 1970’s. The T490 series of Sports 2000 Lolas would go on to claim their own sports racing championship winning history.

The car offered here is one of the T492 cars. It is the ex-Rupert Bragg-Smith and Maurizio Brandhoff Lola T492. This Lola competed in SCCA Southern California races starting in the late 1970’s. The Lola later  raced with NASA, and then in historic racing with such groups as CSRG and SVRA. The car was raced at tracks up and down the U.S. West Coast. Both SCCA and NASA logbooks will come with the car along with receipts and service records.

The Lola has raced only three times since its full rebuild in 2022, winning two out of three, and finishing 3rd in the other.

Description

In 2020, the Lola’s entire chassis was gone through. This work included, but was not limited to, disassembly, crack testing, media blasting, chassis stiffening, and painting of the entire frame. Other chassis components were nickel plated. The front crash box and front and rear support frames were also replaced. New wiring was installed along with a new fuse box and the mounting of new switches. New Koni adjustable shocks were installed at all four corners fitted with Eibach springs. The entire bodywork was also refinished. 

The Lola runs on 13X7″ front and 13X9” rear Revolution alloy wheels. Stopping power is provided by disc brakes with alloy calipers. The brakes are outboard at the front and inboard at the rear. 

The Lola is powered by a 2 liter “Pinto” Sports 2000 engine built by Picks Racing Engines in 2019 in Santa Ana, California. The engine is based on a Burton YB 200 aluminum block with a Farndon steel crank and Carrillo rods. A Burton cylinder head sits atop the engine with a Kent Cams camshaft and Jenvey intake manifold. Fuel is supplied through a Carter fuel pump and is fed through the engine’s twin Weber 48 DCOE carburetors. The oil is circulated through an OPI dry sump system with a custom fabricated dry sump tank, Setrab oil cooler, and AN12 fittings all around. The exhaust is stainless steel. 

The engine’s power is driven through a Hewland Mk5, 5 speed transaxle with a Tilton clutch and Quaife limited slip differential built by Gear Daddies in 2020. The rear axles are fitted with CV joints. The cockpit houses a MOMO steering wheel along with an Auto Meter tach and Racetech oil pressure and temp gauges. 

Since the rebuild the Lola was wrapped in the blue livery depicted in the photos. 

To be race-ready the car needs a fire system recharge and should receive new tires to be at its competitive best. Spares include a couple of boxes of miscellaneous parts, an extra set of wheels and a complete set of unpainted bodywork.  

All vehicle descriptions are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Corrections, and supplemental information, are always welcome. Buyers are responsible for confirming vehicle histories, condition, and authenticity to their own satisfaction prior to purchase. Motorsports Market is not the owner of the vehicle and assumes no liability for errors and omissions.

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