1970 Sprint Garage find.

[Grizzly]

Hi all.

I had a bit of good fortune recently, the story goes back 20 odd years where i worked with a guy who knew i was well into Lotus's and asked me if i wouldn't mind helping him take the body of his Lotus, so of course i jumped at the chance to help a fellow Lotus enthusiast. So i arranged to get some help etc and go to the guys house where i'm greeted by a 1970 (J reg) Elan Sprint Drop head that was in not bad condition at all but the diff had started making some nasty noises and he was really struggling to remove it with the body on.

So we spent the day removing the body and putting it safely out of the way, i had a good chat with him (like you do) and it turns out he bought it new as a Kit and he assembled it himself and he had done 42,000 miles in it before it was taken off the road in 1982. To be quite honest the guy in question worked in a different department so our paths didn't really cross all that often but it seemed progress was very slow until he sort of lost interest and it sat in his garage untouched for the best part of 25 years.

So by a freak of luck i was out shopping and bumped into him, he told me that he had retired a few years ago and told me the story of the car, as i also retired fairly recently i suggested we might may inroads into getting it back going but he felt he didn't have the time or inclination to get it finished. So i suggested i buy it off him, which he jumped at.

Skipping on a bit i went to look at it last week to do the deal so to speak and its very solid, i had a good look at it and the things like the Trim is in very good order, we took the head of the engine when removing the body (the water take off on the head didn't feel nice when we tried to remove it and the body would not clear it) this gave the opportunity to give the engine/Big valve head a good looking at too even though the last time i heard it run was 25 years ago... which brings me to the Body, now i know a bit about these things and have done some reading up but that said this car is all White? it has the Gold Bumper and Sprint stripe (all looks original) but i have never seen an all white Sprint, it does look like someone has attacked it with an Aerosol can or too (i took some of the paint off to see the original colour, which was white) but there is no bad cracks or old damage and the thing i really like is the doors fit really well. So i'm really happy i have a new project

I will get some pictures up as soon as i get it all home. It was a pleasant surprise when i lifted the cover and noticed it was a Sprint because for the life of me i remembered it being a a standard S4, but then i thought it was a FHC so i guess my Memory is not what it once was

[Chancer]

Good for you and you sound very deserving.

Just goes to prove that what goes around comes around

I bet he is really happy for you to take it on as well, its very hard to part with things you have kept for years but have accepted you will never be able to complete, a good home makes the parting so much easier.

[pharriso]

A great story & welcome!

Take a look at lotuselansprint.com, you'll find lots of good info there & I'm sure that the site's author Tim Wilkes will be after your unit / vin number!

Mono color paint was an added cost option, please do post pictures.

p.s. Where are you located?

[elansprint71]

Sounds good to me. It was possible to specify a Sprint in single colour from the factory. iirc this cost an extra ?15. It was also possible to specify a single colour with the gold stripes, although I have only met one person who did this; so, qed, a white car with stripes was a factory option!

[trw99]

Here you go!

Well done on your find and yes, please do get in contact with me.

Tim

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Now that actually looks quite nice!
That's coming from an anti-striper

Cheers
John

[Grizzly]

Well been moving Boxes all day and finally undug the Chassis, Engine and allot of the boxed up bits. Tomorrow's job is weighing up how we're going to move the shell and collect the trim.

I know it doesn't look much but i'm really happy with it, it has the Original Chassis with the Numbers matching (engine and box also match the V5) there is little to no rust on the chassis and had a quick look with an Endoscope in the front Box sections and they seem really good. As you can see from this Picture he has painted the chassis and some bits with House paint but thats no problem as i would be getting it all blasted and Powder coated anyway but its kept the surface rust at bay.

Have to excuse the mess, with going back and forth its been placed in the house garage and we need to swap the +2 into the workshop for this to reside so its a bit cluttered.


BTW my Location is Cheshire, Uk.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Hey, what's wrong with "house paint"?
That old paint has probably got some lovely nasties in it that will preserve the frame better than any of the modern "health & safety" junk.
I'd put a coat of red on top of it, if you want it that colour.

Cheers
John

[Grizzly]

To be quite honest i'm a bit of a stickler for Originality (thats why i was interested in the colour as it would have gone back to "as new" finish ) i have removed a bit of the House paint and it looks like it was originally Red oxide in colour instead of the Grey that the +2 chassis came in (which is unfortunate as i have loads of that left)

I'm actually really looking forward to spending some quality time with it

[Grizzly]

This looks the same chassis colour http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWWzTf3q800 skip to 7.24 is this a standard 2 seater colour?

[Pastapesto]

Hi Grizzly

Great find & I think the colour scheme is fab!

I know you probably know this but in the picture, the rear hubs are on the wrong sides - the shock absorber tubes go to the rear!

you will be striping it all down to paint the chassis anyway but it looked a little strange to see it like that.

Good luck with the project & as we all say "keep the pictures/progress reports coming regularly". Good to have you on the forum, welcome.

All the best

[Grizzly]

I know you probably know this but in the picture, the rear hubs are on the wrong sides - the shock absorber tubes go to the rear!

Good job you pointed it out as i hadn't seen that it would have been amusing when final assembly came round (thats one for the note book thanks)

[collins_dan]

Not sure I know what you mean about shocker absorber tube goes to the rear. Shock absorber tube goes to the front and brakes are attached at the rear. ? Dan

[Quart Meg Miles]

Not sure I know what you mean about shocker absorber tube goes to the rear. Shock absorber tube goes to the front and brakes are attached at the rear. ? Dan

Absolutely, and it's not even April Fool's day. Think handbrake.

[Grizzly]

Have you ever seen anything like this.....

I have just been going through the receipts for the car and not only has it got Full Lotus Main dealer Service history to the time it came off the road its got the little QC ticket Book from the factory its self signed by the guys who made it, it has letters from Lotus suggesting where the best fuel can be obtained along with the Letter to congratulate the new owner and even the correspondence to and from lotus discussing the Purchase of the car.

I've never seen anything like it, i also have a book of hand drawn Diagrams of how things where assembled when they where removed and every nut and bolt has a tag on it with a Number o and a genuine 1972 Lotus Service manual still in the box it was sent in.





STUNNED!!