How many?

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

My chassis number was stamped into the Right Hand frame member between
the engine mount and the shock tower. I found it while removing the
tar-like rust-proofing stuff. I was pleasantly surpised to find it is
still visible after the chassis was powdercoated. I have a picture if
that would help you locate yours. I understand the replacement chassis
have it on the Left Hand frame member.

I'll have to check the head for the engine number. I assumed it was lost
when the block was changed.

My body number was on the right side of the firewall, and on the doors
and boot lid. I haven't been able to find it on the bonnet but I assume
it was covered over when the DPO put the scoop in.

Robert D. LaMoreaux
BT Electronics LLC
459 E. cady
Northville, MI 48167
Phone:(248)-449-8284
Fax:(248)-449-2577
Email:[email protected]
Alternate Email:[email protected]

[ElanCpe at xxx.xxx]

Reply to several -
It seems that we have opened a real kettle-of-fish.
Jeff - I would contribute to your Owner's Registration list if there is
something to do.
George - My cars all have the chassis number stamped on the right front
chassis just ahead of the right chassis motor mount. (Looking from the
drivers seat) The chassis number is listed as the "Unit No. 5572" etched on
the aluminum Lotus identification plate. Also found on this
chassis/identifacation plate is the "Engine NO. LP5554 LBA" and the "Chassis
No: 36/5572".
My car information came in correspondence with Michael J. Pomfret,
Customer Relations Administrator, Lotus Cars Ltd, Hethel. As pointed out,
Michael would be inundated with requests if we all requested individual
information. As suggested, maybe Jeff or someone should contact Hethel with
one request the make the data available to all when he receives it.
The information was photocopies of hand written ledger sheets listing
Unit No, Engine No, Invoice No, Date, and "Name sold to." I was only
interested in my own cars so my list starts with a number stamped 5399 (which
is crossed off). Below is unit no. 5536 (which is blank). Next is unit no.
5537, Engine no. LP5184 LBA, Invoice ECS 1128 dated 7-3-66 to Mr. C. K. H.
Wessely. It should be noted that unit no's run in sequence (5537 to 5615),
but Engine no, Invoice no, and Dates are not in sequence. The following unit
on the list may have been invoiced 2 moths later. There is no type numbers
listed so 26's and 36's are intermingled. Two unit numbers are without any
other data so they must not have been completed. One unit sold to a Mr. L.
Barry, is complete except for the numbers for the engine are missing. The
"sold to" information is "Dutchess Auto" for my Elans. Though one was
originally delivered in Vancouver BC and the others in Seattle, WA.
You can deduct from just my record 2 pages that there are a number of
discrepancies. I doubt if we can determine the actual number of S2's and
S3's that were manufactured.
My S2 was invoiced (or made) 39 units after my S3. They share almost all
the same parts except the body. The S2 has the typical trunk (boot) lid that
is around the top of the boot space. There is a shallow space behind the
seats and the door lines are more squared. The S3 trunk lid wraps over the
rear area (with chrome "LOTUS" letters), the doors more rounded near the top
and of course the area behind the seats is much larger (back shelf to match
the top backlight). Lotus had only one Fiberglas shell when they finally
discontinued the S2. Just cut the top off for the S4 roadster.
The earlier delivered S2/3882 had different radiator, suspension, brake,
half shaft parts but that's another story.
Another question asked was the head number. On the twin-cam heads that
I've had it was metal stamped on the rear of the head (facing the firewall).
The numbers seem to have similar letters and numbers as the block.
My service parts list was published in March 1971 and purchased in
London. It also gives 36-45/7895 as the last listed number. This list looks
like it is meant to have additional numbers.
Anyhow, enough for now.
Cheers, Bill
26/3882
26/5611
36/5572

["Normile , Jim M.&qu]

Some added comments on Elan build information. My car is an "Elan
Coupe" 36/5781 built (at least the seats) in May 1966. During rebuilding
(rolled fixed head coupe to drop head coupe) I found a tag inside the
drivers seat listing the car's chassis number and manufacturing date. I'm
not sure if this date is for car or just the seats.

Here is something I haven't heard discussions about - any
comments? The rear spring perches on my car are NOT FULL CIRCLE but are
"cut" flat to the outside of the strut. By inspection, the cut was not done
by the previous owner - too smooth, it looks very much like an "as
manufactured' part. The trouble is, when I wrote Lotus way back in '79,
they told me all Elans had full circular spring perches. Has anybody else
seen this type of spring perch? It was great for autocrossing, no cutting
to fit a 185/60-13 tire.

Jim Normile
[email protected]

[khamai]

Jim,
Factory only supplied rear perches with lip all the way around the spring
perch. Cutting off or bending the lip flat is a popular mod to gain
clearance between perch & tire.

Kiyoshi Hamai

-----Original Message-----
From: Normile , Jim M. [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 1999 2:07 PM
To: '[email protected]'
Subject: [LotusElan.net] RE: Chassis/body numbers 26 and 26 coupes


From: "Normile , Jim M." <[email protected]>

Some added comments on Elan build information. My car is an "Elan
Coupe" 36/5781 built (at least the seats) in May 1966. During rebuilding
(rolled fixed head coupe to drop head coupe) I found a tag inside the
drivers seat listing the car's chassis number and manufacturing date. I'm
not sure if this date is for car or just the seats.

Here is something I haven't heard discussions about - any
comments? The rear spring perches on my car are NOT FULL CIRCLE but are
"cut" flat to the outside of the strut. By inspection, the cut was not done
by the previous owner - too smooth, it looks very much like an "as
manufactured' part. The trouble is, when I wrote Lotus way back in '79,
they told me all Elans had full circular spring perches. Has anybody else
seen this type of spring perch? It was great for autocrossing, no cutting
to fit a 185/60-13 tire.

Jim Normile
[email protected]


http://LotusElan.net

[Brian Walton]

I wouldn't muck around........go to the top and the nice chap at
Lotus called Mr. Michael J. Pomfret may let the entire production
figures be copied and placed on this site. I have two pages of the
details that he very kindly sent me with relation to my Rally Elan.
There are 39 Elans on each page giving chassis number/ LP number/EK
number?/RK number? date of manufacture and who it went to. Lets say
there are about 10,000 units.....divided by 39.....equals 256 pages.
After all it may save him some work in the future answering all your
questions.

Brian

[Brian Walton]

Jeff
I have no idea what type of online database you use but all the
production details plus a decent search engine would be very powerful
and useful tool. I can download the first two pages.......only 254
to go.

[Brian Walton]

concerning your Elan chassis 36/5522. The earliest factory records I
have are for 5857 which was dated 10.8.66. I would imagine yours
would have been Feb/Mar 66.

[gobw2]

Brian - 6058 to 6096! Mine is 6078 anything you can share? Thank you
George [email protected]

On Wed, 1 Dec 1999 06:26:36 -0800 "Brian Walton" <[email protected]>
writes:

[gobw2]

Thanks. Any idea what LBA ECS 1494 means?

On Tue, 30 Nov 1999 21:57:54 -0800 "Brian Walton" <[email protected]>
writes:

[Brian Walton]

6078 LP 6561 LBA ECS 1494 23.8.66 Lotus East

[nigelrbfurness]

On Wed, 1 Dec 1999, Brian Walton wrote:


as having the best cyclinder wall thickness until the advent of the 'L'
block. Least, that how I've always understood it.

Nigel Furness

[jcocking]

I believe the LBA was reference to the engine grading. The first two refer
to the block grading. The LB had a minimum cylinder wall thickness could
not be bored out to a bigger engine, where a LA in engine had a larger wall
thickness could be bored out to a larger engine. The third letter was the
piston type. The options were type A or C. I have never seen this directly
address, but this is my interpetation from multiple sources.

jeff

[Brian Walton]

sorry off my list. For the record I have two pages and the first is
from 5857 to 5895 and the second is from 6058 to 6096.

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

The Letter I received from Lotus documenting my car says:

Lotus Invoice number ECS 4903

So the ECS 1494 is the invoice number your car was shipped under.

Speaking of identification, the only thing stamped on the rear of my
cylinder head is CQ88 anyone know what this means?

I find it interesting that the engine number jumps from LP 6561 at
chassis 6078 to G19576 on my chassis numbered 9185 (shipped 16th June
1969). They sure must have been making a lot of Cortinas, +2s and such
those years to have produced about 10,000 engines not used in just 2
Elans.

Thanks,

Robert D. LaMoreaux
BT Electronics LLC
459 E. cady
Northville, MI 48167
Phone:(248)-449-8284
Fax:(248)-449-2577
Email:[email protected]
Alternate Email:[email protected]

[Brian Walton]

6078 LP 6561 LBA ECS 1494 23.8.66 Lotus East