1965 Elan S2 engine block question

[Certified Lotus]

I recently purchased this 1965 Elan S2 (US Location) and have a question about the engine originality. The block has the following stamped on it: LP 5908LBA. The serial number of the car is US65164055. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[Elanintheforest]

Your original engine was LP2437, with LP5908 coming from an Elan built at the end of 1966. Have you checked the back of the head to see what numbers are stamped on that? If it has the half-moon projections in the plug well, it may be the original head to your car. LP5908 would have had the later head.

[trw99]

Just to add to Mark's posting, Glen, that car was invoiced by the factory in Nov 64, though clearly landed in N America a month or three later and was thus titled 1965.

Tim

[Certified Lotus]

Thanks Mark & Tim. I can always depend on the two of you for the answers! Gotta wonder why an engine replacement 2 years from new and from another Elan.......

[Certified Lotus]

Finally back to my garage. The Weber head number seems to be 26E311. Any insights which original block this was mated to?

[types26/36]

I think the 26E number is just the casting number (its cast into the head) the matching block/head number is lower down just under the small water welsh plug and is stamped although I have seen the early heads with no number stamped and only the casting number.

[Certified Lotus]

Thanks Brian. How easily I forgot where the serial number is located on the head. Found it! Yes, matches the original block number (2437) , so only the block was changed a year or two after the car was shipped to the US.

[benymazz]

Thanks Mark & Tim. I can always depend on the two of you for the answers! Gotta wonder why an engine replacement 2 years from new and from another Elan.......

I just caught this scrolling through this thread... One (or two) such cases happened to my father's 65 S2. He bought his Elan off the line in England, and had it ferried back to the US. It was stolen off of the ferry once it got back here, but was recovered a few weeks later. Apparently, the car had been abused so badly that only a couple of weeks after it was returned to my dad, when he was driving up a hill on his way home from work it threw a connecting rod. I don't know what happened to that engine, but I believed it may have been swapped immediately.

Later, around 1968, the maintenance log says "New engine - Cortina". The car had 49,450 miles on it at that point. I believe I have this engine currently, but I'm not sure -- the engine block is stamped with LP5494LBA.

I also have a head on a different engine stamped LP6215 or 6245, I can't quite read the third digit.

If anyone has any information on these, I know this isn't lotuscortina.net, but I'm curious...