Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

The front suspension arms are Spyder and probably were done at the same time as the chassis. The rears are harder to tell. Sometime in the 80 Spyder changed to using oval tubes in its rear A frames compared to the oriingal round lotus tubing so they could be early Spyder or orignal Lotus or some other fabricator. Given they are the same colour as the fronts it suggests they are Spyder and were done at the same time as the frorts and the chassis.

The real issue is the V5 which appears to make claims very different from what the car itself suggests. A close up of the ID plate riveted to the body and details of engine and head numbers would help to tell if its original or a replacement to match the V5 claims. If constructing a V5 ID for a 130/5 you would have thought you would learn enough to pick a correct Vin number - but who knows what was going on and when all this confused identity occurred as it could have been any time in the last 35 years from the data presented so far.

But as I said before all this is interesting detective work but does not really matter - rebuild it in a style you like and drive it...... as that is what a Lotus is all about. -- matching numbers is for cars in museums that are no longer fun to drive.

cheers
Rohan

I am with u make it drive and drive it,

The last car I beloved did not get driven enough in my 10 years of ownership about 1000 miles.
I am not a purest but will be Curtiss to the style.

Last car sadly missed

When I bought my Elan in the early 70's I also looked at 2002tii as an alternative but could not afford it.

cheers
Rohan

[qquote="rgh0"]The front suspension arms are Spyder and probably were done at the same time as the chassis. The rears are harder to tell. Sometime in the 80 Spyder changed to using oval tubes in its rear A frames compared to the oriingal round lotus tubing so they could be early Spyder or orignal Lotus or some other fabricator. Given they are the same colour as the fronts it suggests they are Spyder and were done at the same time as the frorts and the chassis.

The real issue is the V5 which appears to make claims very different from what the car itself suggests. A close up of the ID plate riveted to the body and details of engine and head numbers would help to tell if its original or a replacement to match the V5 claims. If constructing a V5 ID for a 130/5 you would have thought you would learn enough to pick a correct Vin number - but who knows what was going on and when all this confused identity occurred as it could have been any time in the last 35 years from the data presented so far.

But as I said before all this is interesting detective work but does not really matter - rebuild it in a style you like and drive it...... as that is what a Lotus is all about. -- matching numbers is for cars in museums that are no longer fun to drive.

cheers
Rohan[/quote]

Engine number on v5. Is F. 21923. I thought the car was 5 speed but maybe I am wrong. I will have a little tester with the gear stick next time in the car. Even if 5 speed it could of just been a upgrade at some point in its life.

We're abouts would the id plate be riveted to the changed spider or fibreglass shell =what location usually ?

It's usually in the engine bay attached to the body roughly in the area of the n/s wheel arch.

Regards

Peter

Peter +2 wrote:It's usually in the engine bay attached to the body roughly in the area of the n/s wheel arch.

Regards

Peter

Thanks

Fyi the spyder chassis number should be on a painted tag on the front cross member/tank. In the center, on the top, near our under the brake lines. (Or it is on mine)

Might be worth finding it and see it it matches any of the other numbers.

theelanman wrote:If you have a 5 speed 130s then your vin should not be start with 50/*****.......should be 73*******

Are you referring to the numbering scheme introduced in January 1970 in which the VIN started with the year of manufacture? If a +2 was delivered new from Norwich with a five speed gearbox the first two digits might be 73, 74 or 75. By 1974 the Lotus five speed gearbox was also available as a conversion kit for either the Elan or the +2 and the presence of this gearbox in any given +2 does not necessarily set expectations for the VIN.

CBUEB1771 wrote:

theelanman wrote:If you have a 5 speed 130s then your vin should not be start with 50/*****.......should be 73*******

Are you referring to the numbering scheme introduced in January 1970 in which the VIN started with the year of manufacture? If a +2 was delivered new from Norwich with a five speed gearbox the first two digits might be 73, 74 or 75. By 1974 the Lotus five speed gearbox was also available as a conversion kit for either the Elan or the +2 and the presence of this gearbox in any given +2 does not necessarily set expectations for the VIN.

Yes sort of.....I wasn't using the gearbox as the denominator.....I was going off the fact it was the s130.......and was only using 73 as an example