Spotted: 1966 series 2 FHC pretending to be a series 4 DHC

[Lotusian]

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1810316

[trw99]

This car was advertised back in September 2020 by Thorn Falcon Classics. This is their description of the car:

"Lotus Elan drophead re-built to Sprint specification. This car was registered in 1966 and was originally a fixed head coupe. A previous owner had the car rebuilt with a spider chassis and at the same time had a series four drophead body fitted as the original was very tired and cracking. The mechanics were all rebuilt including a new Tony Thompson 1.6 engine and big valve head with twin 40 DCOE Weber carbs and tuned exhaust manifolds. The car had the correct 2000E gearbox fitted at the same time. This is a very taught and lively Elan with a comprehensive history and the Lotus factory dating certificate. Finished In dark blue over white it's a rather attractive car, sporting a brand-new hood and Sprint decals.. The interior is in very good order, the dash is [not - trw99] original and the car still retains the signed Colin Chapman steering wheel."

The car was invoiced by Lotus in November 1965, before the move to Hethel, so it should have a Cheshunt VIN. Having said that, at least both this description and that by the seller in the current advert make clear that the car is not a Sprint or Series 4. But, considering it was originally a S2 Coupe, likely pre-airflow, I rather feel the asking price is a little rich for what is now a bitsa. If it was still original, it might well be worth closer to what is being asked. It is actually a rather difficult car to value!

Tim

[Spyder fan]

I know that the description is not your own Tim, but were there FHC Series 2 Elans? Methinks that would be a type 36 which they didn’t produce until series 3 or maybe 2.5? Happy to be educated to the contrary

[512BB]

Something, anything, is only worth what someone will pay for it, and I agree the asking price is to high.

Not only was the original car a fixed head and now it is a drophead, the series in terms of which model body is wrong. This car will have to be VERY reasonably priced, circa £22k to sell, in my opinion. And to someone who is not bovered about period correctness, but just wants to own and drive an Elan.

Leslie

Edited to spell bothered correctly

[elans3]

I think that I've seen this car advertised at least 3 times over the past decade, and I always thought it was a real bitza.
I think that it was a pre-airflow S3 originally, and now it has an S4 body, S4 dash, S4 rear lamps, 'S3 inner & outer door handles, 66 plate, it's all wrong to the purist.
Probably, as Leslie says, a decent car for someone who isn't fussed by the originality, if it were at a sensible price.

[richardcox_lotus]

I know that the description is not your own Tim, but were there FHC Series 2 Elans? Methinks that would be a type 36 which they didn’t produce until series 3 or maybe 2.5? Happy to be educated to the contrary

You are right there Alan. AFAIK, the type 36 was the introduction of the FHC. So no Series 1/2 were ever a FHC. The type 36 prototype - originally presented with chrome wheels / bumpers was owned by one of our North Kent members many many moons ago.

Regards
Richard

[Spyder fan]

Thanks Richard, nice to hear from you. Hope to see you again locally at club night or early next year.

[512BB]

'Probably, as Leslie says, a decent car for someone who isn't fussed by the originality, at a sensible price.'

Only problem is that it is not at a sensible price..........yet.

Leslie

[Quart Meg Miles]

The type 36 Elan was originally sold as a S2 FHC. Once the Type 45 S3 DHC was introduced it incorporated the FHC body changes, like the rear body and boot lid, and the FHC was renamed S3. I don't know if there were any changes to it at the same time but the Air-flow vents were a much later change.

It is curious that the major S4 changes did not alter the type numbers.

[trw99]

More accurately, the Type 36 was first sold as the 'Elan Coupe' The term FHC and DHC were not adopted until the launch of the Series 3.

Tim

[Peter +2]

Regardless of the description, I wonder if this one may be a Christopher Neil Sprint Kit. The kits came with a new dash but with LR chassis?

Items do get changed over the years.

Just a thought.

[elansprint71]

The VIN shown in the advert is: 36/5076. Checking the Jim Boone Unibrain Elan Registry there is only one other car with a chassis number starting with five zero, that is 36/5057, described as a 1966 S3FHC pre-airflow, owned by "Ilya" in Castro Valley, California.

Several questions arise: If the VIN on the advertised car is correct, surely any mention of S2 is irrelevant? The VIN plate seems to be in a remarkable state of preservation for something which will allegedly be 59 years old in a couple of weeks.

Why are there no other cars listed with chassis numbers beginning five zero?


Is the Registry still maintained on a regular basis? I'm afraid I lost track of that some while back.

[trw99]

Pete,

In my full Elan register I have factory data against all the 50## Elans and additional data on at least 20 of those cars. The majority of that series were invoiced by the Cheshunt in Oct and Nov 1965

The VIN plate of the car in the advert is incorrectly scribed and incorrectly a Hethel plate; clearly a more recent addition by a PO, probably the same one who had all the work outlined in the 2020 advert (my post above).

The Series 3 was introduced in May 1966.

Tim

[The Veg]

Something, anything, is only worth what someone will pay for it, and I agree the asking price is to high.

Too high for knowledgeable types like this online community, but you never know- some punter may come along who really likes it, has no prior experience and has no idea what a sensible price really is.

[Quart Meg Miles]

[quote="elansprint71"]The VIN shown in the advert is: 36/5076. Checking the Jim Boone Unibrain Elan Registry there is only one other car with a chassis number starting with five zero, that is 36/5057, described as a 1966 S3FHC pre-airflow, owned by "Ilya" in Castro Valley, California.

Why are there no other cars listed with chassis numbers beginning five zero?]

There have been two on the forum:

Coupé 36/5033 LHD registered in France December 1965 and bought by nono17120 in September 2015 (still in France).
Coupé 36/5096 bought by atthelimit of Leicester after many resprays and looking like a Sprint! He intended to convert it back to S3 wings and its original Medici Blue colour.