New Color scheme for the S2

[cabc26b]

Decided to paint between tornados this weekend .....

[RotoFlexible]

Gorgeous. That is very close to what I'd like to paint my S2 when the time comes - just a very slightly darker silver. I am hoping that my hard top - unused for three decades at least - will fit over the roll bar.

[cabc26b]

Hi Andrew -

I used the next shade darker on the S1 1/2 - don't know if you can see it but - it reads more grey -

[1964 S1]

Does your S1 and 1/2 have the proper S2 badging?
Eric

[elancoupe]

[cabc26b]

Wait I think that horse is still moving !

The blue body was drilled for the elan 1600 up front and lotus elan 1600 on the back -

If I had to venture a guess, on the ebay car, the people who fixed it could not come up with the s2 lens here in the US -

The red car was a nice elan - not a show winner but not a beater either - I hope the guy gets 30K for it, that would make sense given what the cost of making one nice is. like I mentioned on the other thread - go drive a nice expensive 1964 Porsche 356 - be prepared for a let down.... The shocking thing about an elan is that it drives like something made in this century -

[garyeanderson]

George

Your Elan looks wonderful. That was the color on all of the crossover S2's I have. I've sanded off so much of it I used to hate that color. All of my crossover S2 Elans (26/4020, 26/4045 and the original shell from 26/4100) were that color from Lotus. I want to get Don Tingle's race car shell painted that shade when I get the big nasty looking wheel archs finished. All three early shells had the 691 red talil lamps and the rer31 reflectors just like the U.S. delivered S1's.

Eric

can you explain the difference to me of a late S1 elan with with the full width dash and an early S2 with all of the S1's early feature except the dashboard. I guess there is the Elan 1600 badge on one and the Elan S2 on the other. Painted black guages bezels vs chrome may be another other. I sure there may be exceptions to anything Lotus made during that time period.

[cabc26b]

What is it with that blue paint ? makes me wonder if lotus came across a pile of it and used it on all the cars headed our way ?????

Both S1's ( from hence forth I drop the 1/2 nomer....) and now I see it on my S2 were painted the light/medium blue - BTW the S2 was also painted red over the blue and I am back dateing to the red, I use to think it was a rare color ....

[1964 S1]

Hello Gary, my limited knowledge on the S1 is as follows.
Black gauge bezels
Teardrop/petite shift knob with yellow and green badge
Black horn button
2/3rd teak dash with (optional) glove box. The heater was an option as well.
Titled either 1963 or 1964.
Badging exceptions seem to abound, some from the factory, some from forty five years of modification opportunities.
I've got a modest Lotus Library, fifty books or so and there are many that document the nuances of the Elan. The Brookland Series of reproduced road tests when the Elan was new and the Robinshaw and Ross authored book, The Original Lotus Elan, are all necessary when splitting these Elan hairs. There are many more excellent books out there on Lotus Elans, I bought most of mine second hand on eBay.
Eric

[Elanintheforest]

A couple of other detail differences:

S1 has the wider brake / clutch pedals compared to all other series

Window lifter is bent (sharp!) metal on S1, cast rounded 'finger and thumb' handle on S2

Internal door handles different

Window lock lever on S2

Woodrim steering wheel studded (on early S1 only?)

Rear lamp guards (in trunk) different S1 to S2.

I'm fairly new to the S1 / S2 cars, having had S3 / S4 for 30 years. In fact it was you guys that re-enthused me enough to go buy one. In searching for as much of the original stuff as possible to rebuild my S2 I've got to know folks who are totally dedicated to these early cars, so have learnt a bit more from them. But it takes time and a lot of talking for some of these guys to part with their information. The books don't have all the detail, even Brian Buckland's great work is a bit thin on the early stuff.

The more we talk, the more we learn. Something else I've learnt is to take the emotion out of originality. To describe something as 'right' or wrong' gets folks back up. How about describing something as 'original' or 'non-original' , and in many cases, putting the word 'probably' in front.

I'm now trying to find out about early colours. I've recently learnt that there are at least 3 yellows...a Primrose that was used on the S1, the Lotus Yellow (L07) we all know on the later S2 (and S3 / S4), and something inbetween for mid / late S1 and early / mid S2...a bit more pale that Lotus Yellow.

Am I now a very sad case??

Mark

[robcall]

Primrose yellow is really pale.
Would the other one be Sunburst yellow(both type 14 colours)

[Elanintheforest]

It may well be. Here are the 3 colours. The pictures show the difference, but don't take them too literally. The middle one was taken at Donnington last week with a flash, the S4 when overcast, and coupled with the difference in monitors...an impression only!
Mark

[robcall]

I'm pretty sure this is Sunburst(agreed-photos are difficult to interpret colour-wise)

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I am a bit worried about you Mark.
What does the doctor say
John

[Elanintheforest]

I?m worried as well!! I think in extreme it?s called compulsive / obsessive behaviour, but I have a little way to go yet compared to a couple of lads I met at Donnington. The heads of bolts don?t excite me?.yet.

Nigel, the Elite looks like the colour I?ve been calling Primrose, and that would make sense as it was only on early S1 cars. Still leaves this bloomin? mid yellow colour?.Hmmmm.

Mark