Over-restored cars ?

[terryp]

I found this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1969-LOTUS-EL ... 2a19891b17 and its quite similar to ours, well its white and its 1969 and its an S4.
Anyway after a look through the pictures I realised that I didn't like the car much and I didn't really know why - perhaps over restored?

Whilst writing what is the correct finish for the engine compartment and under the bonnet?

Terry
PS Its cold here -7C

[nebogipfel]

The only thing I don't like is the price.

.....and I'd rather it had standard wheels and Webers. The black does look a bit glossy.

[hatman]

It is, to all intents and purposes, a brand new Elan so, taking current new-car prices as a guide, it seems to me that this is priced exactly right.Whether or not you'd want to pay that much for it is another matter though.

[terryp]

I think I am just jealous that ours will never look like that ......but then we would have spent a lot less than half that amount
I think the engine bay is a bit glossy? I was going to do ours matt black? (To match our bumpers!)

[tynemead]

The black under the bonnet is the correct satin black.. The price reflects the amount of work done on the car and the cost of projects as a starting vehicle.

It's not on webers as it a s4 SE so on the correct carbs, and drives better than most I have driven on webers or Delort's and that's quite a few cars.

Your comment on over restored car, would you prefer to see a car that has had a rebuilt chassis, and all mechanicals done then have the star cracked or faded body put back on? Or a fresh painted car with ripped seat?

It very difficult you either rebuild a car correctly as close to when it left the factory as possible (car came with bolt on hubs and alloy wheels the std hubs and wheels are no longer available new and at the time there where no steel wheels or hubs on the used market so you can only fit what you can get or have.) or you just tart it up for a quick sale, what ever you do it's always wrong to someone.

As they say you can never win..

[terryp]

I think you are completely right and it is so very difficult to get the balance right.
You have a beautiful car there and you could do nothing less as the people who would buy at that price would want nothing less , they would even want possibly more!

I suppose I am trying to capture in the car I have just bought the look and feel of the +2 I had. It was restored in the late 90's and needed a refresh, but it always kept a car wide feel that it was still an old car rather than a new old car, perhaps its something that's only in my head.

Terry

[nebogipfel]

....I was going to do ours matt black? (To match our bumpers!)

Don't use matt Terry, You'll end up with a blackboard, it'll show every mark Use "Low Gloss" or Satin black

[nebogipfel]

As they say you can never win..

Please don't misunderstand me it's a lovely car.

I prefer webers and standard wheels but if I needed an Elan and had the money I'd be looking at it

[alan.barker]

imho,
it should satin black in the engine bay for sure.
it should have a teak dash.
it should not have a spyder chassis but what do i know with a 1972 Elan Sprint fhc that has a galvanised Lotus chassis
Alan B

[jono]

I don't really buy this over restored argument myself. I would certainly want my car to be better than the poor finish and build quality turned out by Lotus. I have always thought of Lotus cars as a brilliant design poorly executed.

After all these were to be blunt a poorly built, limited life, plastic parts bin 'special', churned out as I understand it, as a cash cow to fund Chapman's other ambitions. The true beauty, at least to my mind, is in the ingenuity of Chapman and the purity of the engineering design which went into them. I also love the era to which they belong which I think they evoke superbly.

They are not and never will be a Bugatti or other rare and special marque so, IMHO, go for it and improve what you can and make the paint as shiny and perfect as you like! Lotus would have done this were it not for cost and it will only make the car more beautiful.

It is great that the average Joe can afford to buy and tinker with what is quite and exotic thing and put their own take on it, make them nice and not be too bothered about value to worry about the car being 'correct'.

After all a well restored Elan is only the same price as a sanitised modern Audi, BMW et al and infinitely more special.

...all strictly IMO of course

Jon

[bast0n]

Please don't misunderstand me it's a lovely car.

as Nebog said -

but a 1969 Elan it certainly is not. This takes the Hammer head/handle story a bridge too far in my view.

David

Anarchy Elan S?

[nebogipfel]

Please don't misunderstand me it's a lovely car.

as Nebog said -

but a 1969 Elan it certainly is not. This takes the Hammer head/handle story a bridge too far in my view.

David

Anarchy Elan S?

That may well be so and the same can be said of mine.......but given the choice between a beautifully restored car which looks and drives as an Elan should and a knackered, tatty, worn out old dog, I know which I'd prefer

This whole business about a restored car losing it's authenticity is a lot of old nonsense anyway. There are so few mint, original, time capsule cars around that very few of us would have the opportunity to own one.

Give me a well restored car every time, I don't care how many times the head and handle have been changed

PS.

Cracked split and faded bodywork, rusted chassis', Split seats and door trims, crazed dashboards, black corroded wiring and knackered mechanical bits are just so desirable

[hatman]

This takes the Hammer head/handle story a bridge too far in my view.

But weren't those old British horror films great?

[nebogipfel]

But weren't those old British horror films great?

They were indeed.

My favourite was "The Day the Eath Caught Fire" (leans towards SciFi) but a great film, starred Edward Judd, Leo McKern and the lovely Janet Munro who sadly died very young.

[hatman]

My favourite was "The Day the Eath Caught Fire"

It was filmed up Ampstead way wasn't it?