Elan Sprint dashboard ash tray

PostPost by: Grizzly » Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:07 pm

Mark, i believe the original Austin/Triumph ash tray was painted flat black but Lotus vinyl covered them for their cars (yours might have been replaced at some point)

I can understand people painting them because it's a dam sight easier than recovering with Vinyl. think this subject has been covered before.... i will have a look when i get five.
Chris
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PostPost by: MarkDa » Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:54 am

I'm not going to argue.
Mine might have been replaced or tarted up before I got the car.
Crackle finish like the windscren vents looks good to me though and much easier than sticky back plastic!
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PostPost by: bloodknock » Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:16 am

Hello Chaps
For what its worth......Ive had my car, a FHC Sprint, from around 1 year old, one of the only photos I have of it from that time is of the interior. The ash tray front appears to be crackle black finish.
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PostPost by: MarkDa » Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:30 am

The bigger problem is getting one first!
How much do you want to spend?

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOTUS-ELAN-2-2 ... SwCU1YzvH~
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PostPost by: Grizzly » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:26 pm

bloodknock wrote:Hello Chaps
For what its worth......Ive had my car, a FHC Sprint, from around 1 year old, one of the only photos I have of it from that time is of the interior. The ash tray front appears to be crackle black finish.
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Bob

TBH i've still not got my head round why your car has an S4 exhaust on it (seems to be very rare for a production line Sprint)

Thing is regarding Ash trays, i'm sure it's not quite the same thing but i used to work for a main dealer and a trick that was quite common was to fit a new Ash tray if it had been used (cars pre-owned by a smokers), were talking about sub 3 year old cars and it seemed to be quite a big thing in the 80's 90's even though there was many more smokers than there are today........ Go figure......
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PostPost by: JonB » Thu Jan 11, 2018 2:16 pm

MarkDa wrote:The bigger problem is getting one first!
How much do you want to spend?

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOTUS-ELAN-2-2 ... SwCU1YzvH~


I don't get it. These ashtrays must have been taken from some other manufacturer's parts bin. They must be easy to find and cheaper too.. somewhere.

Now, FWIW, I have two ashtrays in my late S130/5, they are in the doors and vinyl covered to match the door trim (oatmeal). When my 15 year old daughter first saw them, she asked me what they were for. :lol:

Fortunately they do not appear to have been much used (fag lighter too) as I see no burn marks on the carpet or nearby trim (carpet may have been replaced, granted, but you'd think not if you saw the state of it).
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PostPost by: MarkDa » Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:03 pm

Jon
They came from 50/60s A55 etc according to Buckland so even those clubs will be running short unless the have remanufactured.
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PostPost by: knockoffnut » Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:42 pm

Hi folks,
I have a few NEW OLD STOCK ashtrays for Lotus Elan and +2 on my shelf, both the earlier style and the later style with the built in lamp. These are from the stock of a retired Lotus dealer. Interested parties please feel free to PM me.
1963 Unicorn
1964 S1
1965 S2
1967 S3 SE DHC
Frankentwincam 26R
Seven S2 A
Seven S2 F
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PostPost by: MarkDa » Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:14 pm

That's great.
You'll have see the discussion so we've got to ask - are they painted or vinyl?
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PostPost by: knockoffnut » Mon Jan 29, 2018 6:22 pm

In my pile of NOS ashtrays I have BOTH styles, some with painted crackle finish covers and some with vinyl covered ashtray covers. Some have a lamp in the ashtray and some do not. I have a few used ashtrays and some NOS ashtrays, all from the stocks of a Lotus parts dealer who was operating for many, many years.
1963 Unicorn
1964 S1
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1967 S3 SE DHC
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Seven S2 F
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PostPost by: bloodknock » Mon Jan 29, 2018 6:24 pm

[*]So,
The jury returns a verdict of crackle finish.
No longer reliant upon circumstantial evidence, the prosecution has the smoking gun :wink:
Lotus Elan S4 / Sprint ashtray Original.
Attachments
ash-tray-3.jpg and
Ash tray assembly
ash-tray-2.jpg and
Front face inside
ash-tray.jpg and
Front face outside
I've got a deadline, at 73, I want to finish it before I die!
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PostPost by: MarkDa » Mon Jan 29, 2018 6:46 pm

I think that's the best finish it goes well with windscreen vents.
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PostPost by: pereirac » Tue Jan 30, 2018 2:17 pm

I think the +2 ashtrays are vinyl covered, the Elan one's (at least in the Sprint) are black wrinkle painted.. p.s. It's easy to take the ashtray apart and remove the vinyl :-)
Looking at the photos of the two types of ashtray, my late 72 Sprint has the earlier type, I don't think I have ever seen the smaller one?

When you drill the holes in the dashboard for the mounting screws, use a slighter larger drill to drill through the varnish and relieve the pressure when you screw in the back plate. It's a bit of a weak point on the dash and you can get cracks in the varnish originating from the screw holes to the edge of the dash especially with modern thick varnishes which tend to be brittle! :shock:
Carl

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87 Excel SE
97 Alpina B10

http://www.lotuselan.co.uk
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PostPost by: bloodknock » Wed Jan 31, 2018 1:43 pm

Excellent advice from Carl, Ive noticed how brittle the varnish is.
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