Ralph Lohmeyer's Vixen S3 LVX2233/4

Last updated - 04.08.2011

 

My name is Emma Airey. I bought the above Vixen this year from Stephen Nunn (had owned the car for the previous 9 years) in Stock, Essex, UK.
I paid £1,050 for the car - found it through a Pistonheads advert on the internet and it is currently undergoing a 12+ month professional rebuild by Neil Hookway of BM Racing Services Ltd nr Southend-on-Sea Essex.
The car was in pieces when I bought it and had been for the past 3 years.
The previous owner used the car at various track days until there was a loud bang from the chassis en-route to a track-day!! The car was taken apart with the intention of repairing the chassis/rebuilding but he bought a Lotus Seven instead.
Since I purchased the car Neil has had the chassis repaired/outriggers replaced/stronger engine mounts/mountings for a full roll cage + powder coated in bright yellow. I have also had a roll cage made and this has been powder coated in yellow.
The suspension components have been stripped down/powder coated (in yellow!) with purple polyurethane bushes. They look SO SMART!! Pity no-one will ever see them....
The original engine is currently undergoing a £2,000 rebuild. The gearbox has been sent away for rebuilding and should be back in 2-3 weeks' time.
The car was originally black and had been re-painted a total of 7 times over 33 years (always black). It will be stripped right back to the gel coat and re-sprayed yellow by Phil Wood or PR Wood Motorbodies (Westcliff-on-Sea), hopefully before Christmas this year.
I am looking forward to taking delivery of my rebuilt car in the spring/early summer of 2005.
My intention is to keep this car indefinitely - to my mind it's THE most gorgeous of all TVR models ever produced (and yes, I have previously owned TVRs - a 350i E880 EBL - great car!! (TVR 21X) + 2 Chimaera 450s).

The car is now at rolling chassis stage and has gone to be trimmed. Completion of the rebuild should be mid-August 2005. If I had realised at the outset the costs involved with a professional rebuild I would not have undertaken it.
The original estimate I was given for £12,000 is nowhere near the actual cost.... it's nearer to £20-22,000.... With hindsight I should have waited 12 months - there have been a couple of very nice Vixens sold on Pistonheads for approx £10-12,000, It would have saved me a lot of worry, hassle and money!
Anyway, I am sure the car will be great fun. I'm just so impatient to take delivery of it.
If anyone has any history/photos of this car then please feel free to contact me.

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August 2011
I would like announce a change of the ownership of one registered car:
The Vixen S3 of Emma Airey has been sold to Ralph Lohmeyer.
In August 2011 he bought the car and the Vixen has been shipped to Aachen in Germany

Current Owner:

Ralph Lohmeyer

To contact the owner, please route inquiries through the registar.

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