Talk:Lotus 12

"Queer Box" should refer to the gearbox, not the entire car
It's implied that the car "earned the nickname 'Queer Box'". But according to Innes Ireland, it was the gearbox that was the "queerbox". He describes it as being "built on motorcycle principles" -- the gear selection being done by pins between the shaft and the inside diameter of each gear. That makes them highly stressed, and Ireland says it worked fine when brand new, but when worn, it was, as he describes it, a "box full of neutrals". (This is from the "Lotus Story" video set, Part 2.)

Unfortunately I can't edit this into the article, because it says "the car had a (long-undiagnosed) oil starvation problem", and it's unclear whether that means the engine or the gearbox. If it was the engine, then it's not the cause of the moniker "Queer Box" as stated; if it was the gearbox, that would certainly contribute to wear. So I don't know how to make the correction.

Can someone provide more info on the oil starvation?

BMJ-pdx (talk) 16:35, 1 August 2017 (UTC)