Elan starts after hibernation
Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:24 amJust a short note to announce that my Elan (#8439) started this weekend after a four-year hibernation.
I last used (and started) my Elan in 2002 at a vintage race - its last one - and over the succeeding years brought it back to road spec once again. Carpet underlay back in, new wool carpet in, roll bar removed, wide four-point harness replaced with narrower Willans harnesses, and the dampers and springs replaced with new road versions (rear top-adjustable Konis retained). The work didn't take that long, but a house move and the demands of other cars in the garage delayed the big day.
Fuel leaked profusely at the carbs when first filled. Undoing the wing-nut cap and the brass cap over the carb fuel-inlet filter (I have Webers) and spraying with carb cleaner slowed the leak down to very little. I hope it will stop all together as soon as the varnish melts away and the float needles seat properly.
The new aluminum muffler, which we built around a Ducati 748 silencer, sounds good, and surprisingly the rose jointed suspension didn't seem harsh, at least on this first trip around the block. I even forgot I had them on!
Have also been watching The Avengers on DVD - great to see the Elan on film (Mrs Peel uses a very early Elan in the first episodes, changes over to what seems to be an S3 eventually). Very period, silly sometimes, and great fun!
Andres
Manila
I last used (and started) my Elan in 2002 at a vintage race - its last one - and over the succeeding years brought it back to road spec once again. Carpet underlay back in, new wool carpet in, roll bar removed, wide four-point harness replaced with narrower Willans harnesses, and the dampers and springs replaced with new road versions (rear top-adjustable Konis retained). The work didn't take that long, but a house move and the demands of other cars in the garage delayed the big day.
Fuel leaked profusely at the carbs when first filled. Undoing the wing-nut cap and the brass cap over the carb fuel-inlet filter (I have Webers) and spraying with carb cleaner slowed the leak down to very little. I hope it will stop all together as soon as the varnish melts away and the float needles seat properly.
The new aluminum muffler, which we built around a Ducati 748 silencer, sounds good, and surprisingly the rose jointed suspension didn't seem harsh, at least on this first trip around the block. I even forgot I had them on!
Have also been watching The Avengers on DVD - great to see the Elan on film (Mrs Peel uses a very early Elan in the first episodes, changes over to what seems to be an S3 eventually). Very period, silly sometimes, and great fun!
Andres
Manila