How many S2's on the road

[ElanSeries2]

Mine is, unfortunately, not on the road yet (although it was in 2007). There were a few jobs to do, and one thing led to another... Its 5010, and we're in the frozen North (of England, that is). I'm doing/having new sill lattice work done at the moment, and then the rebuild starts in earnest. Hopefully, I'll have it ready for the summer. But I said that last year...

[Jeff@Jae]

I use my S2 quite a lot (26/5074) and so does another local here in Santa Barbara.Both red and so is the S3 Coupe that runs around here leading to some real confusion among less observant people.

[spanner]

Greetings from upstate New York, '65 S-2.... just passed (big yawn here)....40 years of ownership.

Spanner

[frearther]

Spanner,

Upstate where?

[garyeanderson]

Hi Spanner

Very nice S2, interesting that the S2 has the 691 stop and tail lamps, twist on gas cap but it doesn't appear to have the trapizoidal shaped clutch and brake pedals. It seems to be missing the rer31 reflectors too. Out of curiosity my one of my S2's 26/4020 has the trapizoidal pedals and 26/4045 does not. Is your S2 in the same range as 26/4045? I am always wondering what was original on these cars as I didn't buy them new and I must rely on others to clue me in. I also see the switches have hex nuts, I wasn't sure if they came with the round chrome nuts with the slots or the hex, now I think I know...Maybe.

Gary

[Jeff@Jae]

There are a number of Elans, like Spanners example, in the USA that we like to call Series 1 and a half cars. Full width facia panel,round tail lamps(usually with reflectors but not always),12SP front calipers. I believe these were the first Elans produced in any volume for the US market.

[spanner]

Thanks Gary,

The rear reflectors, left and right chrome letters are sitting in a box. I removed them 40 years ago along with a bolted-on 6" plastic Lotus dealer logo, two leather steering wheel covers, a blue racing stripe, the radio and antenna. The serial number is later than yours.... yup, plain vanilla Elan with hex nuts and rectangular pedals.

Neighbor Art, E-mail sent.

Spanner

[gordont]

Hi Spanner

Great looking and very original looking S2 - and 40 years of ownership something to aspire to.

My S2 26/5416 also has a full dash and rectangular pedals but was off the road for teh last 30 yeasr so unsure what was original and what was not. Mine also has teh same lights as yours at the rear BUT as 26R guards are now in place I am unsure if these are original or done at teh time of the mods.

Gordon

[gordont]

my dash as per pic

[D.W.Rhodes]

Add US 26/5091 to the list. Long time reader, first time poster. For what it's worth 5091 left the factory on or about 4 Nov. 1965. BRG, knock-offs, close ratio box. It had a variety of owners in the S.F. Bay area until I bought the car (in pieces) in 1976. The car is a daily driver for a 66 mile round trip commute. 5091 is the other Santa Barbara local car (actually Solvang) that Jeff mentioned. It hasn't been BRG for thirty years now.

Glad to be a part of the "chatter".

Dave

[gordont]

Dave

Welcome aboard and glad to see that there is another daily driver out there. Alas I only manage 15miles round trip but seem to have managed to clock up close to 10,000 miles in just under a year...

Gordon

[garyeanderson]

The picture below is of the tail lamp panel from 26/4100 (body number 3709) and show the dimensions of the tail lamp spacing for the S1 with either L551 and L539 (domestic) or L691's and the RER31 reflectors (federal). The domestic S2 Elan's would not have been drilled for the RER31 reflectors.

This is the body number 4275 from 26/4635 and you can see the molding divits that were drilled out for the S1 style tail lamps still there for the inboard lamp. By this time all S2 Elan's were using the L684 tail lamps from the Vauxhaul Victor so the spacing had changed.


I am not sure anyone really cars but I am trying to find the Change points that happened in this transition period. There were a lot of "running changes" and my guess is that Lotus didn't run out of all of the different parts that these transition Elans were built with at the same time right at 4127 as the Ross and Robinshaw book seems to indicate, other wise at 3901 there would have been the all new S2. Certain parts were in stock and they were used until they were gone and then the next run of parts that had been ordered were substituted. When someone says I've owned the car for 40 years I ask questions because no one has messed with it but you, I don't care what the numbers are other than to know what should go back on the cars that I own. Some folks have their chassis/vin numbers in there signature and others think that they are something sacred and they will be stolen if others know what they are and rituals performed over them. They are just a sequence of number to me that tells the history of the changes that occured when they were built.

Gary

[ROADRUNNER]

26/4682 is alive and well, and back on the road in SW London.

[Elanintheforest]

That looks gorgeous, and really set off with bolt-on wheels and hubcaps. More pictures please!
Mark

[frearther]

Mine is running yet and has a new owner in Troy, NY. Should be registered and ready to go soon.

Art