Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi guys, does anyone know anything about this S4?

Looks very nice and different with normal steel wheels.
The only info is:
first reg 20 Jan 1969 Blue.
MOT on 1st June 2017 with 68,863 miles.
MOT run out on 20th June 2018.
But i'm sure you already have this info from dvla data base
Alan

Looks like a nice original standard spec late 1968 manufactured car very similar to my Elan 36/8555. They came with bolt on wheels and standard 105 hp Weber engine but with Stromberg Bonnet bulge as the Stromberg carb cars had been introduced in the US at that time. It should also have chrome trim rims on the wheels in addition to the hub caps they dont appear to be present.

cheers
Rohan

Looks like it disappeared off of eBay. ...did you buy it Daleb?

Rohan
Just because I want to know, not to be picky....didn't the chrome "rimbellishers" only appear on Elans when they were fitted to SE spec & Sprint cars? Think they were also on +2s but not sure which spec....The "S" & "S130" cars normally came with the rim outer section chromed -very nice looking wheel IMHO.
All the best

Adam

Pastapesto wrote:Looks like it disappeared off of eBay. ...did you buy it Daleb?

Rohan
Just because I want to know, not to be picky....didn't the chrome "rimbellishers" only appear on Elans when they were fitted to SE spec & Sprint cars? Think they were also on +2s but not sure which spec....The "S" & "S130" cars normally came with the rim outer section chromed -very nice looking wheel IMHO.
All the best

Adam

My standard 68 Elan with bolt on wheels came with the "rimbellishers" from new and i have always assumed they came on the standard cars as "standard". Maybe my car was an exception, but standard S4's versus the SE cars are rare so hard to identify what in fact was "standard" and Lotus and their dealers at that time did whatever felt good and would sell a car anyhow so hard to tell

cheers
Rohan

From what i believe +2 no "rimbellishers" painted silver.
+2S no "rimbellishers" but painted black with the Rim of the Wheel chromed.
+2S130 no "rimbellishers" but painted black with Rim of Wheel chromed or most had the Lotus alloy Wheels.
Alan

I would think that as standard, the S4 didn't have rimbellishers, as they are identified as a feature of the S/E car. But of course when a dealer ordered a batch of cars he could have specified them as 'extras' on a non-S/E to give them more appeal in the showroom, and I'm sure they wouldn't have cost too much in the day.

Likewise, a customer could order them from new, or have them added along with other dealer-fit items when he went to pick up his new Elan.

Thanks for the comments chaps, to be honest I can't remember seeing a S4 with hub caps and rimbellishers but then I'm not sure I can remember seeing an S4 with bolt on wheels. I know that k/o wheels were an option on basic Elan but standard on the SE I believe. All interesting stuff and as you guy's have said I think anything was possible back in the day

Rohan
This car has a Stromberg head but earlier S4 features like boot handle and bonnet release under the dash?

Thanks Dale.

Did you enquire after it or even buy it? It appears to have disappeared off of eBay.

If you didn't buy it, there is what seems to be a relatively nice S4/Sprint in yellow for sale at around 28K, being sold by Guy Munday. It looks nice in the pics and would appear cheap-ish to me for an Elan in this specification & condition.

All the best

A

Pastapesto wrote:Did you enquire after it or even buy it? It appears to have disappeared off of eBay.

If you didn't buy it, there is what seems to be a relatively nice S4/Sprint in yellow for sale at around 28K, being sold by Guy Munday. It looks nice in the pics and would appear cheap-ish to me for an Elan in this specification & condition.

All the best

A

Thank you for the heads up on the yellow one but yes the blue one is coming my way.

daleb wrote:Thanks for the comments chaps, to be honest I can't remember seeing a S4 with hub caps and rimbellishers but then I'm not sure I can remember seeing an S4 with bolt on wheels. I know that k/o wheels were an option on basic Elan but standard on the SE I believe. All interesting stuff and as you guy's have said I think anything was possible back in the day

Rohan
This car has a Stromberg head but earlier S4 features like boot handle and bonnet release under the dash?

Thanks Dale.

What is its unit number ? I thought the UK 1968 S4 cars were all Weber and only US cars Stromberg, but maybe some Stromberg headed engines ended up in UK cars for some reason. UK Stromberg cars were not made until later in 1969 I had believed. Maybe its had an engine change at sometime in its life?

Rohan, the Elan the first Stromberg heads were engine type G, fitted to Federal Elans from Jun 68 to Feb 72.

The first Domestic Stromberg heads were engine type K, fitted to Standard Series 4 Elans from Dec 68 to Mar 71.

The Series 4 SE Elan had Stromberg engine type L fitted from Jan 69 to Mar 71.

Domestic +2s were fitted with either the type M from Apr 68, or with the type L from Apr 69 until the BV engine came along for them in Feb 71.

The Federal +2 had Stromberg engine type L also, but fitted from Nov 68, with the type I introduced from Mar 69.

The dates are taken from the factory records date of invoice, being the most accurate dating mechanism we have available at the moment. For further detail, please see the attached article I wrote for the Club Lotus News magazine in 2016.

Tim

trw99 wrote:Rohan, the Elan the first Stromberg heads were engine type G, fitted to Federal Elans from Jun 68 to Feb 72.

The first Domestic Stromberg heads were engine type K, fitted to Standard Series 4 Elans from Dec 68 to Mar 71.

The Series 4 SE Elan had Stromberg engine type L fitted from Jan 69 to Mar 71.

Domestic +2s were fitted with either the type M from Apr 68, or with the type L from Apr 69 until the BV engine came along for them in Feb 71.

The Federal +2 had Stromberg engine type L also, but fitted from Nov 68, with the type I introduced from Mar 69.

The dates are taken from the factory records date of invoice, being the most accurate dating mechanism we have available at the moment. For further detail, please see the attached article I wrote for the Club Lotus News magazine in 2016.

Tim

Thanks for the info Tim.

trw99 wrote:Rohan, the Elan the first Stromberg heads were engine type G, fitted to Federal Elans from Jun 68 to Feb 72.

The first Domestic Stromberg heads were engine type K, fitted to Standard Series 4 Elans from Dec 68 to Mar 71.

The Series 4 SE Elan had Stromberg engine type L fitted from Jan 69 to Mar 71.

Domestic +2s were fitted with either the type M from Apr 68, or with the type L from Apr 69 until the BV engine came along for them in Feb 71.

The Federal +2 had Stromberg engine type L also, but fitted from Nov 68, with the type I introduced from Mar 69.

The dates are taken from the factory records date of invoice, being the most accurate dating mechanism we have available at the moment. For further detail, please see the attached article I wrote for the Club Lotus News magazine in 2016.

Tim

Thanks Tim - The UK Stromberg engines were fitted to cars earlier than I thought

cheers
Rohan

Very happy to say that this Royal Blue S4 FHC 36/8670 is now tucked up in my garage along side my S4 DHC
Its been a long day but feeling elated and very lucky to be able to own two lovey Elan's.
Thanks again for all your comments and info, it's very much appreciated.

Dale.