S1s - Were there any optional extras (besides the hard top)?

[AlfaLofa]

Before I purchased my car in 1973 it had side repeaters and a map light fitted.

Were these "optional extras"?

The first picture was taken in about 1971 when the car was owned by a friend - and he certainly didn't fit any "extras".

The second picture was taken in 1973 after I had bought the car.

[Elanintheforest]

I'm pretty sure that the repeaters would have been put on later in the 60s, once they had appeared on the late S2 S/E and S3 S/E cars.

Not sure about the glove box door...some had them and some didn't, which points to an option.

The brochure below shows the 'extras' available for the S2...pretty limited. The knock-on wheels were only available, if I remember correctly, from the start of S2 production. And lets face it, you had a heater and screen washers fitted as standard.....there's only so many gadgets a chap can fit to his car!

The S/E engine option was an advertised option on Lotus Cortinas from Jan 1964, and of course, many Elan owners wanted and got that as well from early 1964. It took a while before the S/E option was a 'standard' offering on Elans.

Mark

[1964 S1]

Howdy, I believe the glove box door and heater were options on an S1. I have the door, no heater. LHD.
Eric

[Bill]

Steve

My1600 (S1) 26/0538 started production Dec. 20,63 cost ----1148 pnds.
options ----------------------------------------tonneau------14
radio --------30
dunlop SP tyres -----10
TOTAL COST 1210 PNDS
It had a glove box door and heater by then. In mid 1964 the stage 2 engine upgrade became available (cams, carb jet change and green coloured cam covers), then the hardtop option. I purchased and fitted
both in '64.

The map and side lites had been fitted by a previous owner after purchase.

Hope this helps!

[Tahoe]

What about transmission gear ratio options, or were they offered later?

[cabc26b]

In the early workshop manual - part no 26T327 the option extras are listed as - Tonneau cover, Heater, Radio, Safty harness ( seat belts )

I have had 4 S1's the all had glovebox doors, even the bourne body 63 had a door

George

[1964 S1]

Hi Russ, I think there was only one gearbox available for S1's.
Hi George, maybe we're onto something.... they all had glovebox doors but new buyers' option fee added...?

Eric

[AlfaLofa]

I assume that the glove box door was an original fitting on my car simply because the lock uses the same key as the ignition.

The car also has a heater, original hard top and had ancient seatbelt hardware.

It looks as if the original purchaser went for everything available - and then added his own extras.

[Gearhead Schmearhead]

My Dad's '64 Elan 1600, which he purchased new at Lotus Southwest, has both a glovebox door and heater. I'm guessing that they were standard, or at least what was on offer at the time, since dad isn't one for whistles and bells; he did not get a radio. As Bill says, by that time there was a "Stage Two" engine option, which Dad had done when the car was being repaired. As he tells it, "there were two Elans in the corner of the lot, and I bought the one with the bad cylinder". The original top and tonneu cover are a grey, similar to the color of the trim on the inside of the doors.

Bill, do you have a picture of the cam cover on your car? At some point, when I was a teenager, I decided to repaint the cam cover on Dad's car. He seemed ok with it when I told him what I was doing, and my understanding was that the blue-green "hammertone" paint was "similar to the original". Years later he clarified that it actually WAS the original paint that I stripped away and replaced with rattle can FoMoCo blue. The cam cover was painted red recently, looks nice, but if I could match that original color, I'd like to return to it.

[Elanintheforest]

I think that you're right about the heater being optional, Eric. In the 'Elan 1500' brochure, it says....
'Provision is made for a very powerful fresh air type heater/demister unit to ensure maximum comfort in all climates'.

It doesn't say...there is a heater!

Mark

[paddy]

Howdy, I believe the glove box door and heater were options on an S1. I have the door, no heater. LHD.
Eric

I knew that the heater was listed as an option, but this is the first time I've heard of a car that didn't have one. Does anyone else not have a heater? Were the dash holes for the heater cable and fan switch blanked off or missing completely?

Paddy

[Bill]

Gents

Seatbelts were not an option at my time of purchase - December 1963. I added them later. I have seen an earlier 1600 (by about 200 units) than mine that did not have a glove box door,
The green I painted the valve covers at the time I installed the stage 2 upgrade is not likely factory accurate - spray bomb light forest green, not hammerlite - i couldn't find that here in 1964. S1 tail lites varied as well, mine came with 3 round Land Rover like ones each side - inside red brake, running - middle reflector only - outboard amber signal. Interestingly the HT ignition wires in the cam cover valley has a hammerlite black finished aluninum sheet metal fabbed radio noise suppression shield that snaps in to cover them. Nobody I have met has seen that before.

26/0538 will be 49 years since conception in 3 days (De. 20, 1963.

[Gearhead Schmearhead]

Interesting info about the spark plug cover and tail lights. Dad's has the reflector inboard, and the turn signal and brake lights are both red; I guess that was just what was in the parts bin that day. Also, seat belts: Dad's car came with mounting points for lap belts, which was all that the law required in 1964, and he installed military surplus four point belts which have since been upgraded.

Happy Birthday to your Elan, Bill!

[AlfaLofa]

Here's a picture of my original spark plug cover.

(Need to re-route the plug leads to make it fit!)

I've also got the aluminium screen which fits behind the head - but it is not fitted.