Long and winding road, best taken in an Elan

[gearbox]

Hello all;

Not a new poster but a new Elan owner. But wanted to officially introduce myself. Sports and race car restoration has been my life long passion. check out my web site at http://www.TheLolaRegistry.com and look under "Project cars" and see all the nonsense I get into. With 20 cars and counting, the last thing I need was another car. But it is a sickness as I cannot help myself looking down every driveway and back yard for that tarp covered basket case. While I was known as the British car guy in High school, owning MG's, Triumph's, Jaguar's, and Healy's, I eventually found Porsche and never looked back. Something about not having to remove major components to access the simplist of jobs, reliability, and electronics that worked had a certain appeal to me. However, I still have my beloved E-type and a gaggle of Lola Race Cars. Having owned and restored an Esprit and Europa, and having dyed in the wool Lotus friends, I still did not get the attraction. At 6' tall, they were too small, too fragile, and way too fussy. But that has all changed. Out of the blue, I had a dream about seeing a delapidated red Elan driving by. I chased the car and spoke with the owner. A few exchanges later, I bought the car for $3K. I woke up with a big smile on my face and was happy, stupid happy all day. So the search began. I was working in China so I called all my Lotus friends and poured over the internet yeilding 7 cars to look at. Finally back in the states, I started my road trips.

First one was a 69 SE with an interesting story. The car was originally purchased by a US Air Force Pilot based in London. The car was a basket case. But it was all original and it was all there, unmolested except for time. Everything was crunchy to the touch. Rust had claimed the car, top of the gas tank completely rusted away, rear A arms pulled from the frame, and dash was peeling away in plys. But it was all there. I am calling the car "Eagle". The car was transferred back to Alabama with the owner, and then parked at his apartment complex sometime in 1972. This is where it sat for 30 some odd years. The owner had disappeared and it was rescued by a Virginian resident who later sold it intact to a New York resident whom I purchased it from. I initially passed on the car as it had no title, but a few days later I decided to buy it and go through th onerious task of getting a title. It was just too original for me to pass up. And yes, the asking price was $3K, so it was destiny. I told myself not to start on the restoration until I get the title sorted out, but that didn't last too long. Stripped out the doors and started on the engine in preparation for a body lift. Surprisingly, it was not all that bad. Enigne internals looked good and door parts were usable. Window lift motors were shot, but found that they were the same as a 1969 Mustang wiper motor, so that was easy to restore. So the games begin.

[trw99]

Well done! Nice find.

Originally registered in Norwich between Aug 1968 and Jul 1969.

Even looks like an original Dunlop tyre on the front offside! Good luck with the resto.

Tim

[gearbox]

While I was completely content with Eagle, I had to hedge my bets just in case the title issue could not be resolved. Looked at several more, and due to car issues or owner issues, they didn't work out. Then I saw a Baby Blue one sell on ebay for $20K. I was discussing the car with a Lotus friend and saying if it wasn't for the color, I would have bid on it, and he immediately tells me that I knew the owner, a guy who wrenched for me when I was running Formula 2000 cars. Well I called him just to talk about his sold car to see what I missed, and he tells me the winner bidder just renegged on the sale. Jumped into the Cayman and drove out to see him and the car. He had the car since 1992 and he restored it for his girl friend who wanted a Pink or Turquoise car. I guess with those choices, Turquoise isn't so bad. He had painted the car a Studebaker turquoise, which to me looked like a 1960's Holiday Inn pool, or a Disney Flume ride. Not a settling color to the eyes, noticable yes, settling no. He ground out every crack and glassed thm over and painted the car in 2006. Outside of two faint cracks on the spring loaded trunk hinge, none have yet appeared to date. He moded the car with several things to make the car more livable, like a Mazda electric motor for the head lights, deleted all the detents and hood releases for fear of causing cracks, hood is now held on with hood pins (need to chnge that) and new half shafts that are half dounuts and half U joints. Engine was rebuilt with 40 over Hi Comp pistons. Yadd yadda yadda. Got into the car and took it out, immediately noticing that my size 11's hit the throttle and brakes simutainiously. Quickly figured out using the side of my foot was the only option. A few minutes later, I was comfortable and started to pick up speed. We drove up the mountain side on a small two lane with dramatic elevation changes and every turn and crest was a blind one. Billy was whispering instructions in my ear, hard left, easy right, and speed up or slow down. By no time we were at 70 mph. And I have to say, my heart was pounding and palms sweating. You almost only needed to "will" the car around the turns. The faster I went, the more it liked it, without a tire sqeal, drift or slide. As we desended the mountain, I saw a stop sign up ahead. Tap on the brakes and nothing. Step on them a bit harder and still nothing. Firmly pushing my back into th seat, I stomped the brakes and the car finally came to a stop. OMG, it all came back to me in a rush of memories. This thing was a Formula Ford for the Street. So now I have one to restore and one to drive. This car is titled as a 1970 and is only 124 numbers off of Eagle. I assume both were manufacturered in 1969 and Baby Blue sold in the states in 1970 and titled accordingly for that time.

[gearbox]

While taking the doors off of Eagle, I noticed the strikers were in terrible shape. They looked simple enough to make so I lasered out some blanks in 14 ga. The screw holes had these stamped counter sunk holes so I had a machined block with the right size hole and used my vise to squeeze the counter sunk screw into the metal. The screw made a nice impression exactly like the original.A quick pass with a counter sink bit and we are good to go.

Now to put it in the "To be Chromed" pile. Didn't think of seeing if these were available from the usual suppliers, but just having fun.

I was also able to find a good used frame from one of the owners on my search list. Vin number showed it as a S3 frame. Owner had replaced it with a Spider chassis as it had some minor issues. Outside of the standard motor mount crack and jacking damage which was easily hammered out, the only real problem was the diff cross member which had rusted through. Since I had the laser fired up, I made a replacement section from 14 ga. steel and bent down the edges by 1/2". Holes are perfectly alinged so all I have to do is to cut out th rotted section and weld them in.

[elansprint71]

Great stories- keep us updated. Can't help with the London Area sticker but the Langley one might refer to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Base_Langley%E2%80%93Eustis can you read what it says around the crest?

Cheers,
Pete.

[nebogipfel]

Can't help with the London Area sticker but the Langley one might refer to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Base_Langley%E2%80%93Eustis can you read what it says around the crest?
Cheers,
Pete.

It actually says Langley AFB on the sticker. Isn't there a London in neighbouring Connecticut?

Nice neat fabrication gearbox

[Bud English]

Yeah, that's Langley AFB in Virginia. (Should have read the whole post before responding, sorry )

[cabc26b]

That would be "New London" and its a Submarine Base - short ride from where the boats are made ....

I'm glad the elan found you gearbox , can't help but like your work and taste on the lola's The 492 is one of my favorite S2's that and the Chevron B52 - cause they look like a T212/B19 (without the high initial and running costs).

George

[gearbox]

Now you got me thinking. While the story was told to me by the PO, not sure how accurate it was and if it was antedotal based on what he found on the car. What I know is that the bumper sticker is actually three seperate stickers. The "London Area" sticker has a white star with a red dot symbolizing the US Air Force during the 60's, and it is on a red half tube with white on the inside that may look like a vapor trail. There is also a white cresent moon surrounding the star. The closest US base in to London England would be Lakenheath, about 70 miles away. Lakenheath is home to the 15th Fighter Squadron, but I think it was used by the Strategic Air Command during the cold war in the 60's. The sticker with the eagle and sheild has written around it "Department of the Air Force" on top and "United States of America" below and with a serial number. The Third sticker is the Langley AFB. All the stickers look approximately th same in terms of age and material. The Langley sticker maybe applied over the bottom of the Ameican seal sticker, but removing it would prove fruitless, just too old. Also, there is no "London" named locations anywhere near Langley AFB or in the state of Virginia, and the sub base in New London is over 400 or so miles away. Finally the UK number registration of "LCL 451G" which TRW99 says was registered in Norwich between Aug 68 and Jul 69. It looks like Norwich is pretty close to Lakenheath. Any way of finding the name of the orginal owner from Lotus archives? I doubt the USAF would be of any help. Well there you have it, something to ponder, or not.

[trw99]

Gearbox

Write to Andy Graham, the archivist at Lotus, with the VIN details of your car. He may have the data you seek.

Tim

[gearbox]

Gearbox

Write to Andy Graham, the archivist at Lotus, with the VIN details of your car. He may have the data you seek.

Tim

How do I get in contact with Andy? Email? Thanks Allan

[garyeanderson]

business-listings-f3/lotus-historian-andy-graham-t25734.html

Gary

[gearbox]

Battling the 98 degree heat, I had to get my fully detailed 1971 Porsche 911S engine back in the car and continue the strip down of Eagle. The doors have been completely stripped, parts cleaned and sorted and packed away for chroming and reassembly. The dash was is bad shape, and the screws frozen in place. I didn't know what the dash screws were attached to, so I didn't want to crank away and break a bung out of the fiberglass. But the dash was so delaminated, I just started to peel it away, layer by layer, until it was all gone, then giving me a clear shot at the screws. Good news was the dash removed easily, bad news was that I no longet had a template to make a new one.

[stugilmour]

Allan

If you want to purchase a replacement dash consider Randy Keller at Prestige Autowood & Trim.

http://www.prestigeautowood.com/index.htm

His web site doesn't seem to show the Lotus dashes right now, but he has templates for several Lotus models and is very aware of the variations. You have to send him your glove box hinges and latch before he does the job. Dash comes fully lettered, glove box door mounted, and ready to go. A bit spendy but excellent quality.

This Plus 2 that recently sold on BAT has a few photos of one of his dashes to give you an idea.

http://bringatrailer.com/2012/02/15/bat ... -elan-2-s/

HTH Looking good!

[gearbox]

Stu;

Thanks for the lead, always happy to find someone who does the job right. You got me when you said he wanted the orginal glove box hinges, some one who actually takes the time and effort for these little details has my attention. Hopefully he will be in my budget of $500-600 when I am ready for th dash. Thanks again, and do you have an upholstery guy? Need seat covers and door panels, and carpets. I've stripped off my seat covers and now debating whether to remove the head rests which hits my shoulder blades. All it is a thin metal plate welded on the seat frame, and mine is very rusty, could almost tear it off. Could make a new piece, but thinking the low back looks better. Plus Eagle will be a Sprint Clone , Red/White/Gold, Weber head, and maybe a spyder chassis with Minilites. Well at least that's the plan. My first restoration outside of pure OEM, but it doesn't seem to matter with Elans, well at least that is what I am told lol.