Unusual Plus 2 Colour - Calling 'DUKE'

[Wrighty]

Good afternoon everyone.
I'm new to LotusElan.net but not to Lotus Elans and Lotus cars in general.
I now have a Plus 2 that is undergoing a complete restoration. It's been standing in a garage for 27 years and is very original. According to Lotus records it's within the last 120 built and is a 4 speed version.
It's a very unusual colour, which is it's genuine original colour. I fully intend to have it repainted the same I just don't know what colour green it is.
So here's the question can anyone confirm which Lotus Green this is? Mint is my own bet! Pic attached (I hope)

Colour confirmation?

Thanks for any help and interestingly following on from a previous thread, I to can't find a new dashboard supplier.

Wrighty

[Europatc]

Welcome Wrightly, It is an unusual colour. Have you had the car for the 27 years or have you just acquired it. Happy hunting for the dash board
all the best
Stuart

[Wrighty]

Hi Stuart,
I've had the car for three months. Seems totally original but hadn't run for the 27 years that it was stored in a garage.
We're working through it but there's loads to do, the threads on this forum site have already proved to be helpful.
Body comes off the chassis in a couple of weeks and then the rebuild can begin rather than stripping down.
Looking forward to the first drive, hopefully next summer sometime.

Thanks for responding,

Wrighty

[john.p.clegg]

Wrighty
Do you have the old dashboard....if it's beyond restoration,use it as a pattern...it's not that difficult.

John

[DavidLB]

is it a mettallic paint, when i was a lotus dealer back in the 70s we did sell a mettallic green S 130/5 i may have a colour chart somewhere

[trw99]

Welcome Wrighty.

I think the colour you have there is Bitter Green (also sometimes called Canadian Green), which was available on the Plus 2 only from October 1973. Lotus Part No A050B6229V; Pinchin, Johnson Ref PJ 6170X2097 and ICI Ref P0309501.

Tim

[elan66]

Hi Wrighty,
welcome,
the dash is something i will have to do myself and to be honest i was thinking of just re-veneering the one i have or as John said make a new one;I dont know where you are in the country but if you are in the south give us a shout if you want a hand lifting the body off
regards
Paul

[Gray]

I do recall seeing one at SGT in that green in the last year or so of production.

[john.p.clegg]

Paul

Wrighty
New-tral

Posts: 2
Joined: 10 Nov 2014
Location: North West

John

[stugilmour]

Welcome Wrighty. Best of luck with the restoration.

This page has a reference picture (about half way down or search on L22). The colour looks quite a bit darker than yours. Codes are as Tim provided.

http://www.lotus-europa.com/colors.html

I thought from previous threads that Paul Matty supplies new dash panels? He lists them in various Plus 2 versions on page 3 of his on line catalog. Ask if the new dash includes all of the lettering properly installed and covered with urethane; I believe there were other suppliers doing dashboards without lettering.

I got my dash from a popular US based supplier. The rare bit with the Plus 2 dash is the glove box hinges; I had to send my hinges to the dash manufacturer for mounting.

HTH

Stu

[elan66]

thanks John
i am new to this but the thought was there,
regards
Paul

[Wrighty]

Thanks Paul for the offer of help but as John has indicated I'm based in the North West. We're actually looking to support the body and then jack the chassis down from it in order to separate the two, we'll see how that goes.

Thanks to everyone for the colour 'guess' support. I did however see within a thread that 'DUKE' has the same aged car in the same colour, so 'DUKE' if you're still online with this forum, could you confirm the colour and paint that you used? I tried to PM you but it didn't seem to work?

I'm making progress with the dashboard, now looking to get the old one re-lacquered and labeled.

I'll keep you posted as we make progress.

Wrighty

[trw99]

Wrighty

At the time your Plus 2 was made, Bitter Green was the only non metallic green colour available. If your assumption that the car still wears it's original paintwork is correct, then that is the only colour code it can be. The previous Plus 2 green had been Renault Mid Green, a metallic finish, which was available from Mar 73 to Oct 73. There was a very rare metallic green (so rare it had no Lotus Part No.), Laurel Green, applied to very few late Plus 2s, but again that's not your colour.

You say your car is between Unit no. 1893L and the final one, 2013L, all of which came off the production line between Dec 73 and Feb 74. That again points to Bitter Green being the only option for the colour. For a link to a page with all the Elan & +2 colours, go to http://www.lotuselansprint.com/index.asp?pageid=41827

Tim

[theelanman]

Thanks Paul for the offer of help but as John has indicated I'm based in the North West. We're actually looking to support the body and then jack the chassis down from it in order to separate the two, we'll see how that goes.

Wrighty
when I did mine I jacked the body off the chassis....the only thing Im going to say is you'll be surprised how high you have to have the body to clear the chassis....its the uprights that cause the problem.....
cheers
G

[Wrighty]

Hi Tim,
Ref the colour. The chassis number is 1847 Manufactured in Dec 73. I'm pretty sure that Bitter Green is too dark for my car. Mine is definatley the same colour as DUKEs on this forum, sorry I just don't how how to put the link in this note?
I think it's Mint Green L29 Lotus No. A075B6116V ICI: P030DC27. I know this isn't a recognised Plus 2 colour but it does seem to be the same as DUKEs. I got the paint info from http://www.lotus-europa.com/colors.html
I'm sure this is rare for Plus 2s it's definatley the original colour, we have all the interior out and the chassis numbers are written over the internal doors sides and roof which are all the same green colour.
I'll obviously get some colour cards made up with the colours for both Bitter Green and Mint Green and I'll let you know the result.

Thanks for your help, it's good to have all the advice.

Wrighty