Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I researched old posts about gearbox color and see that there have been discussions about them being either green or black for early cars.

The gearbox for my S2 was without question dark green, but it look as if the bell housing may have been black. My question is: Should it be all one color, or is dark green with a black bell housing correct too?

Also... any clues on what color of dark green? Would like to get a good match if possible.

Thanks!

P.S. We have snow in Dayton, Ohio... lots of it. Waiting on my final order of parts so I can start putting the gearbox back together. Once things warm up here I can get the driveline back in the frame. Bodyshop says the body will be painted this Spring too... getting closer!

I mentioned in a previous thread that the gearbox and bell housing on my 67 ss were hammerite green also the same on my 72+2 s130.
Greg

Gents

I own 2 roadsters, '63 elan S1 - #26/0538 since new and '65 Elan S2 # 26/4185

The gearboxes / bell housings on both are painted in machine grey, the S1 Gbox has an "X" brush painted in white on the starboard side.

BOTH are factory origional!!

I suspect that a DPO repainted your bits to his liking ( or his stock of spray bombs)!

Check your chassie numbers if you are being purist here - otherwise paint it scarlet red.

Keep your stick on the ice!!

Bill

Bill... that's convincing evidence. My elan is 26/3985. I love the idea that your gearboxes are grey because my instinct was telling me the same thing. However, it seems that there is also evidence that some gear boxes were painted dark green too.

I'm sure it's possible that a DPO painted this gearbox green. However, it just doesn't appear to be the case here. There just wasn't enough paint left on it to make a positive conclusion. There was still a remaining "X" painted on the left side too.

Is there any documented proof telling us what color this should be? I know it may seem silly to some, but I believe this is important. Details like this are what make the difference between a good job and a great job! I've just rebuilt this entire gearbox and I don't want to get it all wrong in the end by painting it incorrectly.

P.S. Went to see the body yesterday. Once the temperature here starts to improve he will be ready to start painting. A fresh coat of French Blue for Spring time!

Hi
I have a '63 Elan #260148 which I bought in 1964 in Palo Alto, CA. from Prince William of Gloucester. It had about 2000 very rough miles on it at the time but had never been disassembled. The gearbox was and still is a light grey color.

Hi Ian

This is my opinion and may not be factual. I think the Grey that Bill mentions as the standard color was indeed the way Lotus first produced the Elan. His early Vin number and the fact that he bought it new leads me to believe this. In any event with Lotus buying most of the drive train from Ford of England and wanting to make it not look too common they started painting the various components. As time went on and production ramped up, there was less time for this and the standard Ford green was left on various components. Besides it cost money to send the lad down for paint and then pay him to change colors. I don't think either color is wrong and no one really knows but the lad that did the painting. These cars will never win Pebble Beach, so paint it the color you want and get it together and go for a drive and enjoy the car the for what it was made for.
Like I said just my opinion.

Gary

Thanks everyone for the great input. I will be painting this gearbox grey!

John... very interesting for me to learn about your former Prince William of Gloucester Elan. Were you aware he owned a very early Sunbeam Harrington LeMans with registration number 626 DLO? It was painted a special metallic blue and had some unique features. Would love to track this car down.

That's very interesting, AI. When I bought the Elan from the Prince, he had just finished attending graduate classes at Stanford and was scheduled to tour through Mexico by car with several friends. He therefore needed a car with more than two seats so, I've been told, he bought, of all things, a Mercury Comet. I'll bet he would certainly rather have had the Sunbeam although maybe reliability was an issue.
Thanks for the picture. He looks as I remember him except he wore T-shirts and Levis then.

John... brother of Jason King?

No.
Who he?

There was a british tv-series between "The Avengers" and "The Persuaders" (Curtiss and Moore, Ferrari Dino and Aston Martin DBS).
It was called "Department "S". They used quite a few nice cars, and the main character was Jason King, an author for criminal novells. He always was contacted by MI6 and CIA for the complicated cases...

His car was a Bentley, I think an S2 Continental. (others will know better)
They also made heavy use on Lotus Elan +2 in red.

Anna

Hi Ian, like you, I just went for the same grey as the engine.
At least that way the engine and gearbox match.

Sounds like I am just a bit ahead of you.
Mine is painted, chassis 90% done (just rear wheel bearings to do), gearbox done - so now the engine and the rest of the trim.

Aiming to have mine ready by June - fingers crossed
Bruce

King buys Elan from Prince!

I suppose that you know he was killed in an air race about 1972?

Alpine Ian- Prince W appears on the thread next to an Alpine! Wow!

Pete.

"I suppose that you know he was killed in an air race about 1972? "

Yes I know. I think I still have a newspaper article about that filed away somewhere. I don't remember it talking about a race, though. I thought it was classified as a "light plane accident" which, I suppose, could involve a race.