Rear speaker

[Stayatmine]

Hi all I was wondering if any one has an opinion on my rear parcel shelf speaker. I'm pretty sure my shelf is original and had this speaker in the middle, and either side someone had mangled 2 6" round Boston speakers either side of it. And they magnetised themselves to the fuel tank and bent the already weakened shelf! So I'm in the middle of making myself a new one, and I probably won't put a speaker back in or stereo. I just wondered if this speaker was something I should chuck away or put on a shelf at the back of the garage as it was an original speaker to the car? Thanks in advance of your wisdom. Shaun

[stugilmour]

I don?t think it is original. As far as I am aware the Plus 2 has two flush mounted speakers on the rear parcel shelf. They are oval approximately 4? x 6?. I say approximately as a modern nominally sized 4? x 6? can be force fit OK, but is slightly different from the stock grille threaded studs. Sure someone here can advise better on the actual size.

There were no front speaker(s) fitted stock.

HTH

Stu

[Sea Ranch]

Agree with Stu (as usual). Plus 2 speakers are rear mounted (mounted from below) with grills top mounted. You can see same in the parts manual online at rdent.com. Check out Body/Interior/Seats-Trim/Early. You'll see a nice pic of the parcel tray/shelf and placement of speakers and grills.

Randy

[Stayatmine]

Ah I'm now enlightened it's 70's or 80's junk I think I prefer a clean back shelf anyway I do have one more question my car obviously had a stereo at some point but at some point in its life the stereo has gone walkabout! But I do have a walnut blanking plate that seems to be matched to the dash. So does this mean when the elan plus 2 was sold even if you had a factory fit stereo they still supplied you with the blanking plate In case you needed it as part of the purchase package?
Shaun

[Sea Ranch]

Would be interested to know what year your car is.

I have seen Lotus literature that indicates a radio was standard equipment from Lotus, though I'm not sure what years this would apply to. My car, with a February 1970 build date, came with a radio from the factory.

Others on this forum could supply more info on supply of radios, and a factory original blanking plate. But I think there was never one offered.

Randy

[dgym]

I had a blanking plate come with my car that matches the dash. Don't know if it ever had a radio. (this is a 2 seater)

[Elanintheforest]

With most cars of the era the radio was a dealer fit option, even if you ordered the car with a radio. There were so many options for radios that the factory wouldn't want to get involved in sourcing and fitting the right one. And if the radio was dealer fit, the blanking panel would still be with the car, if the dealer remembered to put it back in the glovebox!

[Stayatmine]

Hi all just for a reference point my plus 2 130/5 is from April 1973. I think the point that the dealers may have fitted the stereos is very interesting as this opens up the possibility that there were lots of options on the stereo and maybe they did come with blanking plates which lots of people seem to have, when they shouldn't if they have a stereo fitted. I'm interested to know how I'm supposed to fit the blanking plate in as there are no holes in the back of the dash, where brackets would of been screwed. The only point of reference I have is the fuse board cover, which seems to have sponge round the edge, and is just friction fit wedged in there surely this is not original fit
Shaun

[Mick6186]

My January 1973 130/5 is fitted with a Phillips turnolock AM radio which I'm pretty sure is original.
The fuse cover on the dash is located by a plastic prong which protrudes from the back by a our one inch and is a loose fit,
Mick

[JimE]

With the Phillips Turnolock AM radio, which was a ?36 optional extra before added taxes and available on the +2S 130, Lotus fitted two flush speaker covers on the rear parcel shelf but the car only came with a single fitted speaker. Of course there was nothing stopping you from fitting a second speaker (which the factory did for me in 1982 when they restored my car) but obviously still a mono reception and sound. Jim

[TeeJay]

With the Phillips Turnolock AM radio, which was a ?36 optional extra before added taxes and available on the +2S 130, Lotus fitted two flush speaker covers on the rear parcel shelf but the car only came with a single fitted speaker. Of course there was nothing stopping you from fitting a second speaker (which the factory did for me in 1982 when they restored my car) but obviously still a mono reception and sound. Jim

My car, prior to fitting rear windscreen.

[Gordon Sauer]

My two seater has the blanking plate and no antennae and speakers et al. But referring again to the +2 parts manual it shows the radios that were fitted and also the antenna and the speaker arrangement. Gordon Sauer

[mikealdren]

My 130/5 had the original speakers, round and approx 8" diameter IIRC; very poor by modern standards and I definitely would not re-use them unless I was looking for a concours original car which I'm not. Car electronics have improved as much as other areas of technology over 46 years.