Buying an S2 - points to look for ?

[stuartgb100]

Hopefully (but regrettably) selling my Sprint later this year, but have decided I want an S2 to replace it.

So I'm going to start looking for something here in the UK, and need to do my homework to find out what are the likely problems and pitfalls.

Can anyone point me to a list of those parts which are unobtainable, and those that are very difficult to find ?

I don't expect there's going to be a lot of choice in the market, so I'll need to be prepared to consider pretty much anything. That in turn means being able to correctly value what's being offered, an equally importantly being able to value what's missing.

Any help much appreciated.

Regards,
Stuart.

[trw99]

Stuart

Sorry to read your Sprint ownership is to end!

If you have Brian Buckland's book there is a comprehensive section devoted to hard to find and impossible to find articles. See also the type26register.com for other nuggets of information.

Tim

[Elanintheforest]

Hi Stuart
I was chatting to Eamonn last year and he mentioned that you may be interested in an S2...he'd got wind of me thinking of selling my project.

I think he said you were interested in one for competition work / track day fun? If that's the case there's nothing much to worry about as TTR has most of the bits you'll need.

If you're interested in originality, then the door metal guides, lifters and handles, dash top, Marstone radiator, hood frame, rear light covers and seats are the hard bits to find. Most of the dash parts, especially the heater cable, the bonnet pull cables and the instruments are also scarce.

Obviously the woodrim steering wheel, gearknob and rear lights are expensive, but do come up on ebay from time to time.

I wouldn't consider buying an incomplete project nowadays. It took me 5 years to find the rare bits that were missing / damaged on my project, and they were more readily available then.

Mark

[stuartgb100]

Thanks Tim & Mark,

Yes I'll be starting with Brian's book/'bible', but things have moved on a little since its' launch and hard to find items may well have moved onto the impossible to find list !

Is anyone actively making parts to replace these items ?
I much prefer original parts if possible but ........if there's no alternative.

Cheers,
Stuart.

[bill308]

Hi Stuart.

The type26register.com and Kelsport.net especially, offer some formerly rare items like door handles, window lifts, window guide rails, dash cover, hood frame, etc.

As Mark pointed out some items are indeed hard to find like seats, rear light assembles and heater assemblies. Seat frames can be repaired, as can the upholstery, and the external rim of the rear light assembles have been recreated. Useable pieces occasionally come up on ebay and some folks have spares tucked away that they may give up for the right price and when no longer able to store them.

Bill

[Famous Frank]

Stuart, Having been an S2 owner since 1976, it's nice to hear you have come to your senses. Took you long enough!!!

Actually, the Sprint and the S2 are IMHO the two best Elans ever produced. Many of the parts people say are hard to get, what they actually mean are expensive to buy. Dash Crash Pads have been missing for years. There have been some okay ABS or Fiberglass replicas produced but recently Charles at the TYPE 25 Register has some very nice reproductions. I just ordered two. Many parts are available but you have to pay a fair price for them. And when I say a fair price, I mean a fair price. Some owners have had their cars so long they forget how prices of everything have gone up. They remember when you could buy a decent running Elan for under $10,000. Those days are gone. Taillights can be found but you might have to pay $500 or more for a good pair. Is that a lot of money? Not when you consider if your had to buy taillights for your 2012 auto, those taillights would probably cost over $1,000.

Any way, what S2 do you want? And what are you going to use it for? The S2 SE is much more rare. The S2 SE came with a Day/Night Rear View Mirror (that is hard to find), Stainless trim along the rockers, a leather wrapped Steering Wheel, Knock On Wheels, an under body differential air scoop (that has always been torn off and is not reproduced yet although I'm about to reproduce those), Side Repeaters on the Front Wings, Carpeting, a Green Hammertone Valve Cover with 117 HP cams, different jetting in the Webers Carbs, and many also where delivered with the Factory Hard Top.

I reproduce exact Seat Covers, Center Consoles, Center Console Pads, Door Arm Rests, Window Whiskers, along with some other parts. Just buy the best one you can. Ask any questions you like. Best of luck!

Frank