1966 Elan S2

[trw99]

Ian, by the time your car was produced Unit and Chassis numbers were the same.

Your chassis looks to be original and as Steve wrote, a little more rust removal will probably reveal the remnants of a 9

Tim

[gjz30075]

Use a 1/4" driver and extension on the lower rear carb mounting. Much easier. A 1/2" socket
is the largest (I found) socket that will fit on a 1/4" extension

[Ianashdown]

Use a 1/4" driver and extension on the lower rear carb mounting. Much easier. A 1/2" socket
is the largest (I found) socket that will fit on a 1/4" extension

That’s exactly how I got it! I started with a 3/8” drive socket, but that seemed very tight in the space available. The 1/4” drive got it. Not the worst access problem on an Elan I’m sure, but it would have so easy to give sensible access.

Ian

[mbell]

I use this
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-35-Piec ... lsrc=aw.ds

Then reach in from the front under the first carb. Pregnant more space on the +2 thou.

[Davidb]

Take an old spanner/wrench and cut the one end off so the tool is short enough to clear the bodywork-then as mbell says just reach under from the front-it really is easy.

[alan.barker]

For the bottom Nuts on Carbs i use 1/4" drive extension and 13mm Socket.
Carbs off in 15 minutes.
Alan

[Ianashdown]

Is this what is known as a painted nose badge?

Has a nice patina!

So . . Restore or use as is?

Ian

[Ianashdown]

Progress felt significant today, even though it really wasn’t that much.

I decided I wanted to start cleaning things to life a little more pleasant when working on the car. I intended to just pressure wash the engine bay, but ended up doing the cockpit too. I use a lot of Simple Green, let it soak for a while, and then pressure wash.

A few unpleasant surprises were revealed, like a pretty big and very bad fiberglass repair to the front valance that will have to be re-done properly, but mostly things cleaned up quite nicely! I have still to do the trunk and back end of the car, I’m just very limited with being able to move the car due to my sloping driveway.

A few shots.

The ‘repair’ in the nose.

This feels like progress!

Ian

[ajwheels]

Is this what is known as a painted nose badge?

F65F9BB5-4BBA-4EB8-9904-EE4499A78950.jpeg

Has a nice patina!

So . . Restore or use as is?

Ian

I'd use the badge as is.....imagine the rest of the car nicely restored, and then this badge as a link back; a bit of the history retained as found.....but hey, that's just me.....

[Ianashdown]

Is this what is known as a painted nose badge?

F65F9BB5-4BBA-4EB8-9904-EE4499A78950.jpeg

Has a nice patina!

So . . Restore or use as is?

Ian

I'd use the badge as is.....imagine the rest of the car nicely restored, and then this badge as a link back; a bit of the history retained as found.....but hey, that's just me.....

I think I’m with you! So much of this car will need to be re-finished that I feel something to say this is a 58 year old car is appropriate.

Ian

[Andy8421]

A few unpleasant surprises were revealed, like a pretty big and very bad fiberglass repair to the front valance that will have to be re-done properly, but mostly things cleaned up quite nicely!

Ian

Ian,

There aren't many Elans that are completely free from body repair. Even factory fresh bodies were 'rectified' with filler before spraying. The cars were designed for a 'spirited drive' and suffered the consequences. Impact along the front valence area is common, particularly in the US where parking seems to involve driving forward until the front wheels hit the kerb - or in the case of the Elan, the valence hits the kerb. If that's the worst you find, you will be fortunate.

A word of caution, I am facing the task of replacing the lattice frames around the doors as they have corroded and split the body along the bottom of the sill. I have a convertible and although it has been kept dry since the mid 80s, the rot must have set in before. I believe you still have the side covers mounted along the frames. I would take them off and make sure all is dry in there after your pressure washing efforts. The frames aren't going to rust in a couple of days, but water can leach into the space between the frame and the glass fibre and continue the rusting process unseen. The layup around my frames is pretty ropey, and the water pockets formed must have contributed to the rust.

Andy.

[Ianashdown]

Hi Andy,

I appreciate your advice. Yes, both lattice frames will be replaced sometime soon. I’m really not sure if mine have split the bodywork as I haven’t really looked yet, I keep forgetting to do that, I’ll be stunned if they haven’t as the rust on this car is pretty bad. It been a challenge so far with nuts literally half rusted away so a spinner or socket doesn’t work, or seized on so hard the bolt/stud breaks etc.

So far the damage in the nose seems to be the worst damage to the body. There are a few normal cracks and splits, but I don’t see and evidence of large body sections being replaced etc. I think I got lucky!

It’s been a long time since I had to deal with rust on this scale living in Southern California, but the Essex boy in me still remembers!

One of the advantages of living in the desert is that things dry out very quickly and completely. The door trim on the RHS will be gone today, yesterdays pressure wash was only supposed to be engine bay, but I got carried away!

I have some advice for you now, just in case you hadn’t thought of it already. Before you remove the lattice frames make a brace to keep the door opening from moving. I’m leaving my body and chassis complete until after the repair is done for this reason also. I’m going to make a brace that goes from the door latch to the side screen frame mount. It’ll have a turn-buckle so I can tension the brace. I hope this keeps the door opening correct.

Big job ahead for both of us!

Ian

[Ianashdown]

Some reasonable progress was made today for only working about 3 hours. I managed to get the gear lever free so I have options when removing the engine and gearbox.

The major achievement was getting the dash removed. What a pain! Did no body think to use captive nuts?

It’s a mess under there but soon it all be out of there!

Ian

[Ianashdown]

I was just poking about at the back of the cylinder head with my borescope to see if I could find the head number. There’s not much room there so I couldn’t see the whole number in a single shot but I was able to confirm the the head is the original head! LP3858. This is the last piece in the puzzle that now confirms that chassis, body, engine block, head, both doors, hood and trunk are all the original parts. It’s just very cool to me that after almost 58 years all these parts are still together.

I have the cam cover off and while I was poking around at the back of the cylinder head, I noticed this:

C. F. Mueller. Easton, PA. 10/71

That’s a little bit intriguing! I wonder who he was/is. Does anyone know this name? I wonder if he was the owner, or maybe a tuner.

Isn’t history fun!

Ian

[gjz30075]

Ian, (and others) my S3 and S4 have threaded bobbins in the fiberglass for holding the dashboard. Is it not the
same for earlier cars?