Elan S4

[Steve Bearden <sbeard]

Greetings fellow Lotus Elan enthusiasts!

I recall seeing fiberglass hardtops for many other
British sports cars, but not for the Elan. Does
anyone know if they exist or if they are still
available? My soft top has shrunk enough that it has
popped out at the windshield and I need to leave the
car outside temporarily while I do some work on
another closer to running car. Maybe I just need a
new soft top.

I have two heads for my S4, the Weber head received
from the PO and a Stromberg head I purchased later
(expecting to need it to pass smog testing). Since
the PO included a can of 100+ octane booster in the
boot, I have to assume that the Weber head has been
milled (skimmed). For sure the Stromberg head has
been milled. Does anyone know how to determine how
much has been removed from a twin cam head? Any
suggestions on what I can do to lower (yes, lower)
the compression ratio so it will run on Californina
premium unleaded gasoline?

Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom.

Steve Bearden
1969 Lotus Elan S4 (no where near running)

[dan.morrison at xxxxxxxx.]

Hi Steve,

As I recall, the Lotus head thickness varied. If the Stromberg head had not
been milled, the thickness measured at the front of the head (between valve
cover mating surface and bottom side) would have been (from memory) 4.62 or
4.64 inches. The Weber head in stock form would have been 4.6" I believe. I
pulled a Stromberg head off one of my Europas and it had never been milled.
That is where I got the measurement above. I think there is a limit to the
amount being milled off before valve clearances and as you mention,
compression becomes a problem.

Good luck,

Dan Morrison

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Bearden [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: July 23, 1999 2:10 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [lotuselan] Elan S4

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[types26/36]

Lotus made a separate hardtop for the S1 and S2 Elan only. I don't believe
there was ever an aftermarket HT for the S3 and S4. Soft tops are readily
available. Perhaps your shrunken top could be adjusted by a professional,
at least as a temporary measure.

Randall

[Everett Stephens <ever]

Randall wrote:
From: Randall Fehr <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Elan S4 top

.... Soft tops are readily available. ... Randall

Everett questions:
Who might you recommend? What material might you recommend for an
S4 DHC? At LOG, I saw a really nice top and boot cover in black
canvas-type material... Since my top is stretched, and plastic is
past yellow, I was quite jealous...

Also, my fasteners on my body do not match my top or boot cover...
should I match new covers to existing body, or vice versa? I don't
have much fiberglass experience, and the chances to match my paint are
nil.

Everett
70 S4 SE DHC
Louisville KY

[types26/36]

Check with Lotus parts suppliers if you want to install it yourself. For
professional installation, the shop will obtain the top through their usual
supplier. I believe the only domestic maker of Elan tops is Robbins, but
have not checked recently. Quality is good, material is original vinyl.
Lotus never made them from cloth/canvas.

New tops come with fasteners not installed (no holes punched). The top is
fit to the car and fasteners installed where they will mate to the existing
studs on the body. I highly recommend taking the job to a professional for
a good fit. Also, if the pro makes a mistake, he pays for another top. If
you make a mistake, you pay. Good top installation makes all the difference
for appearance and weather seal, and it is unlikely that your first attempt
would be satisfactory.

Randall
Randall Fehr Restorations, Seattle

[rodbean]

Randall Fehr wrote:


Yes, I agree with this. I've dealt with Robbins a number of times, the most
recent being when they installed a top with a glass rear window on our Miata
after we'd had new plastic ones done a couple of times.

I have a new Elan S1-2 top from them which is good quality. They can supply
tops for Elans in original UK material or a number of other materials.
They're in Santa Monica, California and their phone number is (310) 450-7044.

I wouldn't try to install it yourself unless you're already an accomplished
upholsterer.

Rod

[ervsch]

In response to the thread about soft tops a couple of days ago...

I just installed a soft top on my S4. I had no prior experience, and I
think it turned out great. So go ahead and give it a shot - I'm no rocket
scientist (well, ok at one point in my career I was, but that's another
story...) or great mechanic/upholsterer but I was able to pull it off.

By the way, mine was purchased through Dave Bean as a Christmas present from
my wife a couple of years ago. It hung in the attic for two years because I
was too much of a chicken to give it a try... In the end it only took me
about half a day to install it.

If you have any questions, e-mail me direct.


Erv Schweiger - [email protected]

[Stevie-Heathie]

I successfully installed a replacement vinyl hood on my Midget last
year, and found it an easy-ish job for two people in one summer's
afternoon.

The difficulty I found was in attaining the correct tension in the hood
before you glue it around the rails.

It is a MUCH MUCH MUCH easier job if you lay the new hood out in the sun
for a couple of hours before you get going. This makes the material a
lot more workable and you're less likely to crack the clear bits.
Unfortunately, you may need to wait some time for a sunny weekend .

I suggest doing the job yourself. Having said that, my hood came from
the MG Owners Club and had all the fasteners already attached in the
correct places, which does make things considerably easier.

Best of luck

Steve
1970 Plus 2S

[jcocking]

This was sent to me. Wanted to forward to the list.

Would anyone like to share their "Tire Experiences" specific to S4 Elan
mounted on 5.0 X 13" Panasport wheels or 4.5" stock steel wheels. I haven't
heard of a specific Sticky/ Well Handling stock size tire (155 or 165-13)
sold in the USA. Are there any unbiased views on Yokohama A032R, A008RS,
AVS Intermediates for street use (have tried A008R-bald w/in 7K miles:-)? I
have a 3.77 diff. and wondered if the RPM's in the Twin Cam will be
drastically changed via the proposed tire sizes - 155/13, 165/13, 165/70-13,
175/70-13, 175/60-13, 185/60-13.

Many Thanks

Bradley Dea,
[email protected]

[types26/36]

Best all-around and performance tire for the Elan, in my experience, is the
Michelin XAS available from Coker Tire in 155 R13, also I believe in 145
R13 and 165 R13. Very close to original rolling radius so speedo stays
accurate.

Randall