Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi everyone,

My name is Sam and I am going to check out a 74 elan +2 on sunday. What are somethings I should be looking for to avoind buying a can of worms? I currently drive a C5 Corvette but am looking for something a little more fun to drive without necessarily having to go Mach 18 to enjoy. To be perfectly honest I really know very little about cars and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your time,

Sam

I advise getting someone who knows something, be it Brit cars or cars in general to go along with you when you view the +2. It would take paragraphs to explain what to look for if the price is a lot. If it's cheap, that's another story. There is a good book titled, Lotus Elan A Restoration Guide, by Gordon Lund. You need it. If you're in a large city, there's probably a Brit car club or even Lotus Group, maybe, contact a local imported car parts store for connections. Finally, rely on the ethics/knowledge of the seller as a guide...and get that book ASAP. Good Luck, Good Choice.

There is an overview of buying at <a href='http://www.bestelan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html' target='_blank'>http://www.bestelan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html</a>

Read this if nothing else :unsure:

Thanks for the replies. My brother has been nice enough to get some of his buddies to help, they may be able to come and see the car with me. He has a 98 Esprit and is an active member of the lotus groups here in chicago. Thanks again for the book reccomendation. I will try and shake some of them down.

Sam

Sam,
Now that you mentioned you're in Chicago with a connection to the Lotus Corps, I suggest you get the mailing list from your brother and find the few members that have an Elan or Europa and have them check it out with you.

Sunday, Mother's Day, is the 26th anniversary of my Lotus purchase. Still have it.

Greg Z.
'72 Sprint