Returned to the fold

[daverubberduck]

Hello All. This is a great website, everybody seems very friendly and helpful. About me, I bought my first Lotus in 1981. I was in Manchester at the time and used to drive down to Christopher Neil in Northwich and look at the cars. It was a great time. CN were in a kind of old warehouse with creaky wooden floors, and walking about look at Elans and Europas was very exciting. Then one day I traded my Fiesta for an Elan Sprint FHC. Had it for some years, then bought a Dino 246. Then a +2S/130 which I loved. Then Esprit Turbo. Then 308 GTB. Then stopped owning sports cars in 1995 ...until now. I've returned to the fold and bought a 1969 +2 which is in the process of being totally renovated, not by me though. I am an electronics engineer living in a lovely little town on the Essex coast. Quite preoccupied at the moment with trying to source parts and make decisions such as colour, alternator or dynamo, donuts or CVs etc etc. You all know how it is. At the moment I'm looking for a signed +2 steering wheel. I have got a 14" signed wheel from a baby Elan. If anyone has the larger signed wheel that they want to sell or trade for the 14" one then please get in touch. I realise I should probably put that last request in a different section of the forum, so I will do that. Cheers, Dave

[trw99]

Hi Dave and welcome.

I'm in Burnham most weekends racing; wondered if that is where you are? Also interested to know any details about your Sprint (see my web site below).

Glad you have come back to Elans.

Tim

[Elanintheforest]

Welcome, Dave. It must have ben hard to give up a 246, unless it needed a body restoration of course!

If you're into originality, the 130S didn't have the Chapman signed wheel...they were used, on the Plus 2, on earlier cars.

Your wheel would originally have been the 4 hole satin black spoke wheel, much like the one in the picture below.

And if you are considering colours, here's one you probably haven't seen on a Plus 2...the rarest of them all...Laurel Green. Some like it, some don't. OK, most don't But it is different!!

Mark

[KevJ+2]

Hi Dave, now I understand why you need the book
I have also returned to the flock after years in the wilderness.
Good luck with the car and look forward to hearing your progress.
All the best, Kev.

[daverubberduck]

Hi Tim, I'm in Brightlingsea. Only been here 2 years. I will try to get to Burnham to see the racing. My sprint was a fixed head, pistachio green over white. Reg JYE 336K. Loved it. Very small by modern standards. You didn't so much sit in it as wear it. Lovely slick gear change I remember. Really fun to drive.

Hi Mark, the 246 was dark blue and I loved it. I bought it from Northern Ireland and it had the plate VIA 246. But it was a shed, I mean it drove nicely but it needed everything doing, total renovation, and I didn't have the funds to do it. The +2 I had in the late 80s was an S/130 but this one is an early +2 so would have had the signed steering wheel. The one it has now is totally non standard, looks like an Esprit one. Interestingly it has a 1972 engine block, the 701M type used in the big valve. I don't know if it's a big valve engine. Cam cover is not a big valve cam cover. That is a nice colour. My +2 was green when it was bought in 1982 by a previous owner. He said it was not BRG and not pistachio, so it could have been that colour. I have never heard of laurel green before but it is very nice. For my car I was thinking of BRG, but have now found that the original colour was red so may stick with that. But we are considering tartan red instead of carnival red. Not totally original for Elans but was used on other 60s sports cars.

Thanks again Kev, I look forward to getting the manual.

Dave

[stugilmour]

Welcome back Dave. Love my Plus 2; hope you set it up for reliable driving!

Mark, first time I have seen Laurel Green! Very striking & unique, agree you aren't going to see that very often.

Can you provide more info (Lotus paint code, years and models it might have been used on)? It looks like a colour that was 'revealed' during body stripping of my Federal car 50/2181; would that be even possible?. As I couldn't find a reference we dismissed green as a colour choice. The green on my car may have been a primer layer; unfortunately I can't find a pic of the stripping process to check. At any rate, I don't think that Laurel Green is included in the paint code listing at lotus-europa.com. Unfortunately Andy did not have a stock colour reference for my car, so we went with a non-stock red.

Edit: I see Mark has posted this colour before. Here are some other pics. Mark, do I have it right that Laurel Green is slightly metallic? IIRC paint layer on my car was; that's why I didn't think it was primer.

lotuselan-plus2-f51/nice-video-t19356.html

lotus-chassis-f36/unknown-small-button-the-dash-t15571-15.html

My Colour Selection Committee will be fascinated.

Cheers!

[trw99]

Stu

Laurel Green is one of those handful of Lotus colours that has no reference. Furthermore it was only used on a very few late S/130s. See my table by following the 'here' link in paragraph 2: http://www.lotuselansprint.com/index.asp?pageid=41827

Tim

[trw99]

[quote="daverubberduck"]Hi Tim, I'm in Brightlingsea. Only been here 2 years. I will try to get to Burnham to see the racing. My sprint was a fixed head, pistachio green over white. Reg JYE 336K. Loved it. Very small by modern standards. You didn't so much sit in it as wear it. Lovely slick gear change I remember. Really fun to drive. Dave[/quote]

Dave

Your old Sprint is still around, although it has now been re-sprayed red over white.

Tim

[daverubberduck]

Hi Tim, you're kidding!!! I'm so pleased about that. I did a DVLA check which said the car had not been taxed since 1992 so I assumed it had got scrapped. I would love to see it again, do you know the owner? Maybe he would like some old photos of it. Dave

[tcsoar]

Hi Dave,

I finished my +2S this time last year and have really enjoyed the last 12 months driving it.

I am just outside Romford but have a van near Maldon and spend most weekends, well the warmer ones mostly, up there. If you need a little encouragement next year I could pop over to see you, any excuse to go for a drive really .

Chris.

[daverubberduck]

Hi Chris, sounds good. I'll let you know when the car is done. I like Maldon. Went to a car show near there not long ago at the museum of power.
Dave

[KevJ+2]

Dave, the manual should be with you tomorrow (Wednesday) but will need signing for.
Had a bit of an argument at the Post Office! The cheapest way to send it because of the weight (2.2kg) was by Parcel force at ?12.90 if it was by Royal Mail it would have been ?13.35 - Second Class!
All the best, Kev.

[daverubberduck]

Thanks a lot Kev. I'll send you ?2:90 for the extra postage. Regards Dave

[Jason1]

Welcome Dave.

There are a few +2 around your way. I am in Colchester so not far and I know of one in Coggeshall and another in Clacton.

Jason

[KevJ+2]

Thanks a lot Kev. I'll send you ?2:90 for the extra postage. Regards Dave

Don't worry Dave it was my fault. Next time I'm down your way to check out your +2 you can buy me a plnt
Kev.