S1 1/2

PostPost by: bulfin » Mon Jun 19, 2017 8:49 pm

A friend asked about a 1965 "series one and a half" Elan. He thinks they are very rare. I know about the S1 1500 the 1600 S1 and S2. I also know that Lotus used parts until they were gone, so cars at the changeover could have characteristics of both. I searched the site and could not find anything, so any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob
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PostPost by: Quart Meg Miles » Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:10 pm

The S1? is not an official designation (neither is S1) but is used by many of us to describe our transitional cars as Lotus upgraded from the 1600 to S2. The Type26register lists all the differences with their approximate chassis numbers.

Virtually the only change originally was the full width dash and the badge! My car still had the small front brake pads, the earlier drive train bolt spacings, rear lamps, window lifts and other things that I can't remember. But every car from 3900 to 4300 or so may differ from the final S2 and any other S1?!
Meg

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PostPost by: Certified Lotus » Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:18 am

Bob, Does your friend have one that needs an engine? There was a guy on Craigslist looking for an engine for his early Elan that had been stored for years. It was in your area of the country.
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PostPost by: Bill » Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:38 am

Meg / Bob

I have 26/0538, tagged as a 1600, which I purchased from the factory in Dec. '63 and imported directly to Canada (eh) - mine had the smaller front brakes as well, I changed to the larger long ago but the rear drive shaft radial geometry is the larger diameter.
It has the full width dash and light vinyl (not black) interior door panels as well as individual tail lights (one each red and amber) on each side (not US style).
The evolution of the Elan was (still is) a bloody wonderment.

Bill
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PostPost by: Quart Meg Miles » Tue Jun 20, 2017 8:57 pm

Bill wrote:Meg / Bob

I have 26/0538, tagged as a 1600, which I purchased from the factory in Dec. '63 and imported directly to Canada (eh) - mine had the smaller front brakes as well, I changed to the larger long ago but the rear drive shaft radial geometry is the larger diameter.
It has the full width dash and light vinyl (not black) interior door panels as well as individual tail lights (one each red and amber) on each side (not US style).
The evolution of the Elan was (still is) a bloody wonderment.

Bill

Bill,]
A picture (your first) of your dash published here in August 2009 shows a short (S1) dash with the optional glove box filling the gap to the passenger door frame. The S2 "full-width" dash was a veneered panel door to door with the glove box lid cut out of it! So your 1600 is a pure 1600 rather than another anomaly. There were some export variations in the panel colouring, I believe, and the lights had to conform to local laws.

I too changed the front brakes and just a few years ago was lucky to buy one of the last new sets of early rear disks from Kelvedon.
Meg

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PostPost by: bulfin » Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:03 pm

Thanks to all who replied.

There is one for sale in Houston TX for around $26k - I don't know anything about the condition. My friend thought it would be worth a lot more because it was an S1.5 and was very rare. I'll let him know otherwise.

Bob
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PostPost by: Bill » Wed Jun 21, 2017 1:43 am

Meg

The 1963 sales brochure that I bought the car from was for a 1500 - when I took delivery I was surprised that the car had a dash matching door on the fiber glass glove box. It was not an optional extra at the time.

The only options available at time of order were a tonaue cover, Radiomobile radio and Dunlop SP radial tires instead of bias ply - the tires wore out, as did the radio.

Cheers - Bill
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