Elan Identity ...

[FOREIGNER]

Hi everyone ...
I'm a newbie here ...and I 'm searching for some details about a S1 or S2 Elan
Found as a "puzzle" with a non original chassis ...and no numbers nowhere ...but in one place ..
On the back of the dashboard , there is a number stamped " 1745" ...
Is there someone here knowing about 1745 ???
Could it be his original chassis number ?

Thanks to you all

[garyeanderson]

Any pictures?

Gary

[bilcoh]

Is it correct that if you had the original engine, you might be able to back into the chassis number that way? Tim, are you able to look up a chassis based on engine number? Just a thought.

Dave

[trw99]

Yes, an engine no on it's own would give an indication, provided of course it came out of an Elan in the first place. On an S1 or 2 the number you have Jonny may be either a unit no or a body no

Tim

[Lotus14S2]

It would be odd if the instrument panel would be "stamped" with a number that related to the chassis.
Most of the cars I've seen, S1 or S2, that had any numbers were marked with something like a grease pencil, or paint, and would be found inside doors, or under the floor material, and other places about the body.
The number 1745 doesn't seem to match up with a chassis number, which would more likely be a 3XXX number, unless it was one of the first 70 or so cars, and then the numbers were either one to three digits.
There is also the possibility of the car being one of the Bourne bodies (one of the first 300 to 400 cars), which can be recognized, even without plates, as the gel coat color was grey. You also might look on the firewall very near the hood opening for any small holes where a Bourne plate was attached.
Seeing the number is stamped, i would guess it was a vendor number of some kind.
The number on your instrument panel, also doesn't seem tho match any engine number on the register.
On my Series 1 Bourne car, there was a number painted in white on the chassis underneath the rear differential. If there is a layer of paint on the chassis, other than the original red, you might carefully it sand off and find a number.
My I.D. plate has a Chassis Number of 260269; the plate is also scribed with the number 3235, which is the Lotus serial number for the car, but at the time there was no place to put it so it is just scribed vertically on one side of the plate.
I mention this as either of these numbers might be found on your car.
Hope this helps.
Tim...also '63 Elan S1

[FOREIGNER]

[garyeanderson]

On the back of the dashboard , there is a number stamped " 1745"

how about LH 45-1 or LH 4531 on this one but it is not from that Elan chassis or unit number.

Please look on the engine bay firewall near where the solenoid was mounted and see if you can find a body number if so take a "good photo of it and post it.

Gary

[Lotus14S2]

Hello Tim
If the Lotus Serial Number is 4531, then check your engine number to see if it is LP3101.
If so, your car was built 5 July 1965.
I don't know what the "LH" might be; "Left Hand" maybe, or part of a lotus part number..
On the early cars there was a unit number, chassis number, body number, and engine number. Most of the early cars had an "LP" prefix to the engine number.
If your number is actually the engine number "LP4531, then your Lotus Serial Number is 5137, and that car was built 8 February 1966. Both the above cars would be Series 2 cars, and the bodies would have been made by Lotus as opposed to Bourne.

Hope this helps.

[batfish]

Hi

This body looks very much like the one I sold from my car when I commenced the rebuild with a new body approx 7 long years ago. It has the same enlarged cut out to the radiator air intake, the same extended wheel arches and stickers on the windscreen.

Regards

Andy

[batfish]

Hi Again

Looking at the photos again I can say that it is definately the old body from my car. The rear number plate was stuck on with double sided tape the remains of which are visible in your photo and other photos I have.

regards

Andy

[elanfan1]

OP - looks as though you have happened upon a discarded bodyshell. The identity of the car appears to belong to batfish and you will not be able to build the bodyshell up into a car under that identity (as the chassis plate/chassis no., engine no. as well as the registration number are known to the DVLA).

If this is to be a project for you I could only suggest you maybe use it to build up another crashed or abandoned car using that as an identity or apply for a new registration number once the car is ready for an MOT. If it is to be built up as a GTS car or similar I'm sure this blip will make little difference to the eventual value.