The Joke

[Elan45]

David,

I tried to do this last night but somehow it didn't go through. Here goes again.

Distinctive features of Lotus Elan S3 Super Safety models:

1. Super Safety badge on flank of front wing (fender) just in front of door. This is the same bezel as the S4 Elan badge and S2 Europa.

2. Dash has rocker switches and gauges are recessed in counterbored holes so that the outer rim is flush with dash. Heater and choke control knobs are large and flatter than earlier cars and located where the earlier bonnet release cables were. Crash pad is normal late S3 with "eye level" vents. Bonnet release cable is located at bottom outer corner under the dash edge, same as S4.

3. Door interior. Handles are very similar to normal S3, except the stem of the remote actuator has been shortened and the handle now hangs out from a hole in the edge of the recessed center of the door. The chrome door pulls, which were part of the window frame are gone, replaced with pivoting plastic one from MGB in the center of the recessed area. NO FLAPPER HANDLES! Door latches are standard S3 as are the exterior door handles, IE locks are part of handle.

4. Seat are hybrid. They are low back with the centers in perforated material like all later seats, but the tracks are retained to the floor like the S4. They don't tilt forward.

5. SS models have Weber heads but everyone I've ever seen has had the bubble Bonnet like the S4 Stromberg. My friend's 45-7450 had Weber and flat bonnet. Go figure!

6. Reflectors were located at all four corners, just above the bumpers. The front bumper was early style, no flats for light or reflector.

7. Most SS I've seen including my own have had bolt-on wheels. I finally saw some of the turned in three eared KOs at the Atlanta LOG in '98.

8. Since the body is still a S3, there was no clearance for the dual Girling master cylinder. A hole was cut in the inner wing and mine was merely taped over from underneath. There is a "brake fail" light on the dash, but when rebuilding my brakes a long time ago, I could find no differential valve. The differential valve is a small "H" shaped piece with a small switch inside which would normally activate the light when pressure was lower on one side due to a leak or failure. All post '68 cars had something like this, but I couldn't find one. Several weeks later, while sitting at a traffic light, I was resting my foot on the floor under the pedals and heard a click and noticed the light had come on.

Upon closer examination, on the floor, under the carpet of the SS models there is a small micro switch, situated so that when the brake pedal strikes the floor in event of a brake failure, it will activate the switch. What a great time to have the light tell you that your brakes have failed! What a JOKE!

My car is a very early SS, 45-7380, but every other one I've seen since has also had the micro switch on the floor. If you have an SS, feel on the floor, under the carpet for the switch. Then laugh with Colin's ghost.

Roger

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

My early (June 1969) S4 doesn't have a differential switch. Instead it
has a float switch on the brake resevoir extension, so when you get low
on brake fluid the light comes on. The floor switch is good for a laugh
though.

My S4 also did not have rear side lights, just reflectors. I don't know
if it originally had bumper flats on the front since I don't have the
original bumpers,and the front was changed radically. I bought bumpers
with flats and have obtained front side lights which I will put on for
now.


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]

[Elan45]

I don't think early S4's had lights either. I think they were just the same reflectors used on the SS.

By the way, my friends Elan 45-7450, which had the Weber head and flat bonnet was NOT a Super Safety. The only SS feature it had was the different interior door pulls. It still had normal S3 interior door handles even and toggle switches and single brake circuit etc. So, not all cars produced 45-7400 to 45-7894 should be expected to be SS.

The parts book does show a # for a RHD SS dash but I can't see why they would have made any, other than to check that the components would work and clear everything in a RHD dash and car, perhaps a prototype of the S4. But that really doesn't make sense because the S4 used a different heater plenum and crash pad with the two small vents in the top. It will be interesting to see how many cars show up in the sites records during this production period that are proved to be SS and non SS. If you noticed, my car doesn't fit into the number sequence, nor Finn Jorgenson's. They're both pre 7400, but are both SS cars. Lotus has never been known for keeping good records. I've really found that to be true while researching my Lotus Formula Jr., probably a 20/22.

Roger

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

was much cheaper than without flats). Then I bought a light set from
parted out Europa, so I have the lights. I am debating whether to put
the lights or just reflectors on the flats. I'm more looking at a road
car than concourse so we will see.

It is interesting that the American Car Restoration types are SOOOO
concerned about originality that I have had a few tell me the car will
be worth less if I don't paint it the original White. I laugh and
explain to them that the only way for anyone to tell what the car had
or didn't have when new was to be the one who first owned it. I have a
good idead from the detective work I have done while dissassembling, but
I'll never be completely sure.

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]

[abstamaria]

Strange. My 1969 S4 DHC (45/8439) never had the microswitch.

It doesn't have the differential switch either, but only the float switch at
the master cylinder reservoir extension (the factory spares book has a name
for this -- "sovy device" or something similar). My extension
(metal)disintegrated many years ago. Does anyone know where I get a new
one?

Regards to all.

Andres
Manila

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

amusing. Mine 45/9185 just had the float switch.


Is it the outer portion or the inner that disintegrated. The outer looks
just like a small paint jar, and I have seen race parts catalog that
listed for sale (or something similar). If it is the internal switch
part, I've yet to see them, but some of the newer cars have low level
switches in the resevoir which might be made to work.

Good luck

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]