Spyder +2 zetec owners on elan.net?
Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:07 pmAs one of the more vocal owners of a +2 with Spyder zetec conversion I'm often sent private messages from other owners or prospective owners for my opinion or help on technical issues.
Unfortunately in the past the mere mention of replacing the hallowed Lotus twin cam with a lesser modern item has been treated with derision on here when frankly it should be embraced as an interesting subject that assists in preserving the cars that would otherwise be lost due to parts robbing most likely to be used on an Elan.
The silhouette of the +2 is an extremely elegant design and it's no wonder that there are a reasonably large group of individuals who get the Lotus heritage but don't want to be held to ransom of the extremely short service intervals inherent with classic car ownership especially of this niche hand built car.
The Spyder converted cars are far from perfect, but they are better than a non converted car in key areas if you want to use one daily or on a very regular basis and don't want to roll your sleeves up and fettle every weekend, I know that there are going to be howls of derision at that statement and that at least 3 of the thousands of +2 owners will have proof that their car has been extremely reliable only requiring fortnightly services and daily oil top ups, but please respect the needs of a new band of enthusiasts who want the classic looks without the need to swallow and memorise the workshop manual as well as try to use the dreaded search function on these otherwise excellent forums.
Therefore the reason for this post is to flush out the lurkers who either own a converted car or perhaps are attracted to the idea of a converted car, I will certainly make you welcome and there are others on here who will do the same.
Over the next few weeks I will start topics on certain aspects of Spyder converted cars, some are gripes that need solutions such as heavy steering or ride height issues, others relate to braking or engine management. Some issues have already been solved such as gear lever sizzle on the MT75 box, but it appears I'm the only owner to know about that one, there are a few solutions for brakes one of which I'm working on with another member on here via PM's.
My old mate John Pelly loved the engineering challenge of converting an Elan to run a zetec engine, he didn't manage to perfect it but had a whole load of fun doing it. When I first posted on here he said it was like a breath of fresh air to have an ally who wasn't afraid to change things and somebody he could bounce ideas off, and boy did he have some wacky ideas!
So all you zetec +2 or even zetec Elan owners, please make yourself known and let's start a proper discussion about our cars.
kindest regards
Alan Thomas ( +2 zetec and Duratec S4 Elan... Still unique... Who will join me?)
Unfortunately in the past the mere mention of replacing the hallowed Lotus twin cam with a lesser modern item has been treated with derision on here when frankly it should be embraced as an interesting subject that assists in preserving the cars that would otherwise be lost due to parts robbing most likely to be used on an Elan.
The silhouette of the +2 is an extremely elegant design and it's no wonder that there are a reasonably large group of individuals who get the Lotus heritage but don't want to be held to ransom of the extremely short service intervals inherent with classic car ownership especially of this niche hand built car.
The Spyder converted cars are far from perfect, but they are better than a non converted car in key areas if you want to use one daily or on a very regular basis and don't want to roll your sleeves up and fettle every weekend, I know that there are going to be howls of derision at that statement and that at least 3 of the thousands of +2 owners will have proof that their car has been extremely reliable only requiring fortnightly services and daily oil top ups, but please respect the needs of a new band of enthusiasts who want the classic looks without the need to swallow and memorise the workshop manual as well as try to use the dreaded search function on these otherwise excellent forums.
Therefore the reason for this post is to flush out the lurkers who either own a converted car or perhaps are attracted to the idea of a converted car, I will certainly make you welcome and there are others on here who will do the same.
Over the next few weeks I will start topics on certain aspects of Spyder converted cars, some are gripes that need solutions such as heavy steering or ride height issues, others relate to braking or engine management. Some issues have already been solved such as gear lever sizzle on the MT75 box, but it appears I'm the only owner to know about that one, there are a few solutions for brakes one of which I'm working on with another member on here via PM's.
My old mate John Pelly loved the engineering challenge of converting an Elan to run a zetec engine, he didn't manage to perfect it but had a whole load of fun doing it. When I first posted on here he said it was like a breath of fresh air to have an ally who wasn't afraid to change things and somebody he could bounce ideas off, and boy did he have some wacky ideas!
So all you zetec +2 or even zetec Elan owners, please make yourself known and let's start a proper discussion about our cars.
kindest regards
Alan Thomas ( +2 zetec and Duratec S4 Elan... Still unique... Who will join me?)
Bodgers Lad in the Zetec Elan. 
The thread and projects are still active but moving slowly at present. I'll try to bring mine up to date soon. I haven't chimed in here since there's not a Spyder part on the car.