New member, new Elan S2

[Elanintheforest]

The underbonnet area looks very good...you have the correct cam cover, painted the correct colour with the round oil cap and you have the original Marstone radiator....a replacement for the rad would have been difficult to find....only fitted to S1, S2 and the early S3.

Here's the rear end of a S2....the bumper should be silver....the steering wheel's on the wrong side too
Mark

[Pastapesto]

Greg

Thanks for showing us the extra pics

As Mark just said, you have all the right (expensive) bits in the engine bay so it's pretty correct in that aspect.

How far are you going to go down the originality road with the car?
I think to sort out the rear lights will be rather a big job and if it was me, I would sort the easier things such as seats & interior & use it for a while and wait for the time when it may need some paintwork & do it then.
Otherwise you may get bogged down in too many jobs and before you know it, you're giving it a major rebuild.

It looks really good as it is so drive it & enjoy.

All the best

Adam

[Emma-Knight]

I agree to Adam - drive it! When taking things apart, you might experience more work than expected - and you are off the road for a year. Wait until it needs fixing, like repaint for the tail lights. Lotus do not like to hang around waiting - things stop working (my brake light switch did, fuel gauge was stuck , due to corroding contacts in wire etc.)
I was thinking of replacing the nice black carpet in my car until I experienced Frog Skin - its not very comfortable to touch, will collect dust (look grey then)
and will lead any water entering in the underfelt. Then avoiding air drying...
So I go the carpet way. The woodrim steering wheel is very big in diameter and might engage with long legs. The black rim wheel looks nice.

Anna

[1964 S1]

Hello Greg, I recommend you buy the book, THE ORIGINAL LOTUS ELAN 1962 - 1973 by Paul Robinshaw and Christopher Ross. Lots of photos and explanations. Your car looks good, enjoy it. Eric

[ElanSeries2]

Hi Guys

Eric - I have tracked down and bought a copy of Robinshaw & Ross, which is proving very helpful, although not perfect. For example, I couldn't find a decent picture of the rear Lotus Elan script. I'm gradually building up a little file-full of pics of the original stuff. Thanks for that one, Mark - illustrates how the rear should look perfectly!

As for originality, that's a tough one. I've already shelled out on some TTR driveshafts, and I've got the roll cage to go in. That's going to involve some jiggery-pokery with the battery, but if I get a slim one, I might still be able to squeeze it in behind the seats. The bigger question is whether I chase stuff like the steering wheel, rear lights, and whether I continue to run a dynamo. I'm not in a mad rush to attack the bodywork (although it does offend me!), but I have it in mind at the back end of next year, maybe. In the mean time, I'll be putting some miles on it (once the interior is back in, and the driveshafts on).

Does anyone go to the regional Lotus meetings oop North?

Greg

[dougweall]

Hi Greg,

Welcome to a mine of information of all things Elan.
I am based in Darfield near Barnsley, and belong to NYLOC. North Yorkshire Lotus Owners Club.
Next meeting at the Buckles Inn on A64 Leeds - York road 27th November. We all meet the last tuesday of each month except December.
I will be there, if you can make it I will keep my eyes open for a nice looking Elan.
There are a number of Elan owners although quite a lot of Elise owners as well. But don't worry you will be in good company. During the summer at one meet we had over 90 cars in the car park.(Mainly Elise)
We will be organising to go to Classic Le Mans in July next year by various routes, so there is always something going on.
I work offshore so drop me a pm if you want to, we can rabbit on about Lotus if you like.

Doug.

[Elanintheforest]

That woodrim went for....?720

I must confess that at 6ft 4inches I use a 1960s Moto-Lita wheel...14inch diameter...otherwise, as Anna puts it rather nicely, my legs would engage with the wheel. I also prefer the feel of a thick rimmed leather wheel, rather than the rather thin and wobbly wood ones. I had to buy the woodrim just to make the car 'complete', but I didn't pay ?720 for it.

I've started to get 'originality' pictures together for the S2, as my car came in component form, so if you need any just give me a shout. I can photograph my bare-shell rear end if you want pics to see what the fibreglass under the lights looks like.

Mark

[gjz30075]

Greg, nice looking car! Can you tell me if the bottom of the car is flat or ribbed?
Thanks.

Greg Z
'72 Sprint

[garyeanderson]

Updated... engine and head number locations,

I have not seen numbers related to the unit or chassis numbers ever stamped into the gearbox, there is a tag with numbers on the Elans, but I think those are Ford numbers...

original S2 rear script, fairly stock except the body colored bumpers.

[oldokie]

Didn't some of the S2/S3 lens have a bit of amber?

[cabc26b]

Yes they did -

I like the diecast head on the motor - is it numbered to the car ?

[steveww]

Hi Guys
That's going to involve some jiggery-pokery with the battery, but if I get a slim one, I might still be able to squeeze it in behind the seats.

Greg

Go for a sealed racing type battery. I got mine from http://www.odysseyfactory.com/ I think I used a 680. The good thing about this type of battery is that you can mount it at any angle.

[ElanSeries2]

Thanks, Steve - I read a thread on the Odyssey 680, and was planning to do just that! I'll also swap to an alternator at the same time, I think - the wiring loom is crispy to say the least! Has anyone else bought a trickle charger for one of these gel-type batteries, or do you rely on the alternator/dynamo?

cabc26b - I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean? Are you talking about the cylinder head? I'm struggling to read the engine number, but it looks original to the car. The head, though, would seem to be a phase-2 with the webbing inbetween plugs 2 and 3.

Greg Z - I'll get back to you on the underneath - I've been there, but I just can't remember! It is very, very clean, though...

I'll drop a couple of PMs to you, Mark and Doug.

Thanks to all for the continued flow of info and comments - its spurring me into daily action to get the few little issues sorted! However, I am still off the road currently, with no seatbelts and very poor rotoflexes...

Greg

[Elanintheforest]

The die-cast head has the small half-moon projections on the side surrounding the spark plugs...i.e., yours! Mine also has the 'bridge' between 2 and 3, so I guess that was built into the later die-cast.

Given the originality under the bonnet, I'll bet the car hasn't been messed with at all mechanically. Do you still have the close-ratio gearbox? It will do about 40mph in first if you have....it's a very tall gear and a sod to pull off up a hill in a Lotus Cortina (which also had the C/R)...a lot heavier than the Elan.

Mark

[steveww]

I use a trickle charger from Halfords to keep the battery topped up over the winter. In the summer it gets driven often enough to keep the battery fully charged.