Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Mine is LHD 26/0345 manufactured in 12/23/63, and confirmed by Mr. Mike Pomfret that it was shipped to a US dealer called Lindner that year.

Hi guys

this is the correct grey colour, slightly lighter than 0202 engine bay! As you all know the colour was actually a grey pigment in the gelcoat and not a painted surface, the Bourne shells were grey all over!

Jonsered

I have a Bourne car. The Bourne car body was made with grey gel-coat. The engine compartment was not painted . My car is currently undergoing a rebuild/restoration, and I soda blasted the body and the original grey is very apparent. I covered all the markings on the body and frame before the blasting and repainting. The grey in the engine compartment has yellowed with age, chemicals and heat, but I plan to leave it as is.
Look at the Elan Registry for other diferences.

Regards,

Tim
'61 Elite 1865
'63 Elan S1 25-0269

Please post some photos of you cars

Hi, I am new to the forum, I own chassis number 281 which is Bourne body 26/0298.



Chris

Great photos! Thanks to you all for posting them.

Welcome Chris, lovely car.

I think we are up to about a dozen cars so far, there must be more out there...

David

I am still slightly confused about when the Bourne run may have ended - would chassis 26/0410 be a Bourne car? Is there a clear view about the chassis number at which things changed over?

David

Hi David,

there doesn't seem to be any clear change point from Bourne shells to Lotus ones!
Even Andy Graham has no records showing it? Of the three cars that I have,body number 205 is the latest, registered in October 63, although clearly as we have seen here there are some in the 300s, in fact a friend of mine has one in the late 300s, however it is unlikely that chassis number 26/0410 would originally have a Bourne body, but you never know?? Does that chassis number not have a bodyshell that you can view, as there are lots of small differences between the two, apart from the obvious grey gel coat!

Jonsered

Thanks - not able to view the car at the moment and assume, as you say, it is probably a later car.

Apart from the grey engine bay etc what are the other little things to look out for?

David

Take a look at http://www.type26register.com/spec_changes.html:

I still get confused reading this - to me, a 'Bourne body number 26/001 onwards' is a chassis number like 26/0202. If you follow this then 26/0410 would be a Bourne?

David

David, please read my post on page 1 of this thread, which explains the differences in Lotus terminology.

Tim

Tim

Thanks - all becoming clearer.

For my two cars I have the following:-

Car 1
Unit 3217
Chassis 26 0202
Body number 0252

Car 2
Unit 3324
Chassis 26 0339
No body number

Is it possible to track down the body number anywhere? Not sure if these were recorded?

David

Hi David,

Andy Graham has a list of some body numbers! He may have one for that chassis, if you're lucky!

Regards Jonsered