Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hello All,

I was thinking back to the Goodwood Revival last year when I nearly got stuck in the very deep mud in the car park and wondered, if I did get stuck (or just generally broken down ), what is the best way to tow a +2? I've had a look underneath and I cannot see a good location to tie on to. The front bodywork appears too low to tie onto the front chassis beam (standard chassis, not Spyder) and unsure where else would be sensible to attach to. Anywhere that looks strong enough looks like the rope would touch the bodywork. Is there a kit available to make the car more tow-able?

Fortunately my car isn't broken down or stuck at the moment, but I guess I just want to be prepared for the inevitable!

Guy

Haven't heard of a kit. Maybe get someone to weld an eye to the cross member like on the Spyder chassis?

Years ago I was towed in my broken down +2S at low speed for a few miles through Chester city centre by a mate in his TVR 3000M (the blind leading the naked you might say!).

I looped the tow rope around the front chassis cross member on the Plus 2. Can?t remember what he attached it to on his Tiv.

Anyway, the front valance deformed a bit but it didn?t crack or get badly scuffed and returned to its original shape afterwards.

I?d say that as long as the other end of the tow rope isn?t really high up in the air (like on a tractor!) and you use a ?soft? rope then you?d be fine tying around the chassis cross member.

Best
Steve

If you just want a tug out of the mire, attaching around the lower wishbone will keep the rope away from the front valance; obviously the tug needs to set off "sensitively".

A previous keeper of my Plus 2 welded on a steel loop for towing to the front crossmember (vac tank). Seems to work well.

take care if welding as the front cross member is likely to contain petrol fumes.
I have tied my chassis (Spyder) to some mobile axle stands so I can move it about in my small garage. I used a flat strop (the sort of thing you use for tying down stuff to trailers).. I used this so I could pass it between chassis and brake pipes, so that there would be no risk of flattening the pipes..

If being stuck in mud is your main concern, I'd suggest snow socks... I've used them (in snow) for both a SEAT Alhambra and an Elise and they work very well and are much cheaper than chains, not sure how well they'd cope with deep mud/snow. Another option for short bits is to put floor mats under the wheels.

Spyder chassis have a towing loop welded to the underside of the front cross member. Welding a similar loop on the Lotus cross member would need precautions due to the fuel / air mixture inside the cross member. You could make up some brackets and bolts to clamp something to the cross member to avoid welding

Another alternative is what I have done on my Elan is make a frame to pick up the front chassis to body bolts and carry this forward to the front of the body and locate a tow loop sticking though between the grill and body. I made this frame to do a number of functions. Hold the horns and air filter so they were not bolted through the body, hold the font number plate as grill letters not allowed in Australia, hold some driving lights behind the grill plus hold the tow loop sticking though the gap between bottom of grill and body. I have seen other just bolt a tow strap to tone of he same body to chassis bolt and stick it through the gap between body and grill

On my Esprit the problem is more of a challenge as the under bumper spoiler fibreglass also contains the radiator and radiator ducting so you cant fit something through the grill as the radiator is in the way. I made a triangular shape bracket from 6 mm rod that ran under the radiator and ducting fibreglass. That mounted on bolts near the front suspension inner pivot bolts. this provide a tow point just behind and under the front spoiler that would deflect down when you hooked a tow rope on it.


lots of options

cheers
Rohan