I'm confused...so BRM outsourced to Mike Spence's workshop, yet he died in 1968?

The garage carried on after his death, Rich. Have a look at page 2 of this link...I scanned in a brochure of the BRM stuff, and the 2nd page (of the brochure) explains all.

elan-racing-f12/brm-elans-t17789.html

I cancel bids from foreigners as well! After being messed about 3 times by guys from the Czech Republic and Romania, who claimed, after winning the auction, that they couldn't read English so didn't want to proceed. I would accept a French bid though. If I didn't, chances are they'd invade us again......much easier now with the tunnel.

Mark

Finished at £4600 (reserve not met) not a bad profit (£2,000)for an investment of £40 worth of fuel?

John

This reminds me of my Mini days, just by sticking some badges on and changing a few obvious bits you could fool the unwary into thinking a bog standard 998 was Mini Cooper S. Very easy to do and tripled the value escpecially if you had a V5 from a scrapped but not reported as such Cooper S.

Just sticking on the badges and changing a few bits without trying to fool anyone when it came to time to sell would actually reduce the value as it would be seen as a messed with amateur job.

I saw this so called BRM +2 on ebay and frankly dismissed it as trying to cash in on a pseudo heritage. Does it have any provenance.... no. Is it worth more than another basket case +2 ...... yes, but only for the cam cover (as pointed out by Mark).


Alan

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lotus-Elan-2-BRM_ ... 1|294%3A50

Its back!

Ended , £4,500:00 and not a nibble

John

Hi all,
On this subject I have had a search in the archives on BRM in the +2 section and can only find 7 articles most of which relate to this thread. Like most of you I am puzzled as to what is unique about this car and others like it and why the seller thinks its value is 40k (GBP) once 'fully restored'.

Mark (Elan in the forest) has delved into his picture archive and come up with the period advert for the BRM modified twincam engine for Elan & Elan +2, but that appears to be the only modification applied to this and other cars of the period. No trick suspension, brakes, driveline, gears etc etc, just a nicely sorted and tuned twin cam. I'm sure that like the rest of the car the engine is a basket case requiring a full rebuild.

Why would a BRM Elan +2 if there was ever an officially converted car be worth this kind of money for so little difference? I notice that the current Ebay advert states that restoration can be arranged, so is this some kind of UKSC talk up for the value?

Cheers

Alan

Hello guys,
The 1st plus two I had I bought from a super guy from Stirling named Chic Meldrum. Sadly he was later killed in an Elan When I looked at the car I thought nothing of his statement about the BRM head etc. I did not know any better! Sorry Chic. I never paid any more for the car because it was ''BRM''....

I owned the 1968 car for four years and did nothing but service it. It went like the wind, and I tell you I wish I had it now. I regret having sold it. A long time ago though. Anyone heard of it? Reg is (was?) 1053K. Ah well!

I used to sevice it in about 30 mins using an adapted Henley side/fork lift truck. I remember the lotus had an 'element' type oil filter which I changed every 3,000 mls. I would slacken this off from the top and lift the car. Drop the oil / filter, Oil the trunnions and check over the front. Check the gearbox next and then the diff/rotoflexes. Check rear susp'and brakes, adjust the hand brake and drop the car (Hopefully with ... the sump plug in!! Couple of times it wasnt!!) Fill the sump and change the plugs. Blow out or change the airfilter. I had it down to a fine art. Checked and adjusted the valve clearances twice from memory. It was a fine car (I have a couple of pics somewhere)

Never ever forgot the look on my boss's face when he came along to the workshop one day to find his beloved XJ6 hoisted into the air with one of our 4 ton Henley side lifts! He near on had a palourie......More commonly known as a 'hairy fit'..

The Henley did not even know the Lotus was on it.

If you know of 1053K please let me know.

Have fun!!

Alex..

Hi,
If this is the car you are talking about,
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C99507/
Its not sold I asked what he wanted for it a couple of days ago, £6000
Well price keeps going up must be getting rarer !!!
Bob

If it is any interest I own a 68 +2 or perhaps BRM Plus two? I bought the car (as a non runner and not the car referred to above) on the basis that it was just a +2, as with any Elan of 40 plus years it would have been through at least one engine rebuild, which mine has at least following a block failure and now has a later 701m block. Also being a non-runner I had a rough idea of how many pounds would fly out the door just to get it going and so far I am pleased to say that I have only exceeded my guestimate buy 100%, but its early days yet and there is plenty of opportunity to spend more......
Soon after buying the car I did contact Lotus who confirmed the car was supplied by Mike Spence and confirmed the name of the first owner which is the same as shown on the green log book which I hold. I am now the third custodian. This added weight to the claim that it was a BRM Plus 2 indicated by BRM badging on the nose (just below the Lotus badge) the badge on the cam cover and the Moto Lita steering wheel (an aledged optional extra).

I have no doubt that all this adds very little to worth of my car but it is curious all the same as untill this time was not aware that Mike Spence did produce any BRM Plus 2's.

Hopefully I will be on the road later this year BRM Plus 2 or not.

Peter

Hi Peter and welcome.

Your car sounds very interesting and we need to see some pictures! I contacted the seller of the above car who had been told by Paul Matty that there was a 'small run' of Plus 2 cars given the BRM treatment, and they were all painted a light metallic blue colour, and of course all had the Reading registration number. Is your car this colour, or has it ever been? It would be great if a couple of these cars turned up!

Does the car have the cam cover and build plate?

Getting the estimate wrong by only 100% is pretty close for most of us. Some have gone way over this and are still a long way from being finished. I learnt a long time ago to either not add up the invoices, or divide the total by 10, which brings the cost down to a 1970s equivalent. The total then sounds so much better!

Mark

Does sound interesting, I wonder do any records exist anywhere as to the chassis numbers and specs of the converted cars?




I've taken this approach with the restoration of my Seven, the invoices are stuffed in a folder hidden away in a draw in case I get brave enough in the future to add them up!!

Get off the laptop , your on holiday!
Terry

I'm telling on you!

You're supposed to be....well....NOT on the laptop!!