Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I must confess to having a Heinkel and a Trojan bubble car in the barn, complete with their mighty 8 hp 200 cc scooter engines! You have some of the best biking roads in the world on your doorstep. I still get the ebeegeebees crossing Rannoch Moor and dropping down into Glen Coe, and the islands are to die for. I also have a soft spot for the old GS...had a 1000 S in Australia for many years...loved it to bits.

Now we're way off subject!!

Mark

The bubbles sound cool. Always fancied the Messerschmitt K200 like hens teeth now. I love the bubbles.

Cool.. are the bubbles road worthy?

I do like the lammies for local use but not any distance.. I have other MUCH faster transport... which would not be hard...

still havn't said if you are going to donnie.

Ab.

I'll be at Donnington on Saturday....I'll be at the CL stand at 2ish, just to see which folks turn up!!

Is it blue and white or red and white?

Mark

Meet you there...

AB

Ah, we may be talking different eras....I'm back in the early 80s:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/289/1138/ ... S1000.aspx

mark,

I remember that one ! the Suzuki that really stuck out was the original katana - Am if memory serves right the 1000cc Suzuki were the ones challenging the Laverda for top speed claims -

There now the thread has been completely highjacked...

George

Thanks for the replies....!

I have spoken to Option 1 and Miles Wilkins and both are forthright guys who seem 'take it or leave it' types. I do not critize this as they have a tried and tested process which from good practise they know works and happy to guarentee.

Price seems to be between 5500 and 10k, the route I'm following is with a more local shop who specialise in Elans for racing and are open to working with me i.e. that I should do the preparation. I appreciate that this could cause issues in that they could always deny responsibility - however there are times when one feels confident to follow 'instinct' rather than 'guarentees'.

I am looking at this from the point of view that the car has had one respray in its life and one or two minor dings which are evident so it is an original car stored for many years without dubious history that one feels could be lurking nasty suprises - had it been any other I think I would not follow my intended route.

I have tried some test areas by soda blasting (boot lid) and returned it to the shop for their thoughts - I do not feel at all concerned about using this method.

Concerning colour I tend as a person to follow the 'original is best' mantra but sometimes its good to explore possibilities just so later you can be satisfied that you have. If I really went out on a limb I could very easily ditch what to me are really unpleasant rear light clusters - so ugly compared to the simple and eleagant series 1 round lamps.

But further on colour - what rekindled my interest in Elans from the 70's was following for about 10 miles a DHC pistachio out of Goodwood about 4 years ago - it just looked so right but as we know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and also I suppose there seem to be more yellows than any other so the rare colours are quite refreshing....

If you want rare - try Tawny.

My car was originally tawny until a PO had it painted red.

Ah ! but !....... when Sprints were in production an extra cost (was it ?45?) option was mono colour. I think nearly a third of buyers, the ones with good taste, went for this. Nowadays nearly every Sprint is 2 tone, usually Gold Leaf colours, and, appallingly to my mind, some S4s are as well. I`m no purist with a Sprint engine, Voight `box, and Miller shafts in my S3, but S4s, or even S3s in Sprint colours is just plain sad.
I had 2 Sprints in `71 and `73, both monotone (OF COURSE) whatsit blue which to my mind still looks the most elegant scheme. I`m very loyal don`t y`know, I still smoke JPS ! though my S3 is red.
I really like the Elan in both yellow and pistachio and if I were you....................you can still have gold bumpers to indicate your sprintness if that matters.
Jim
P.S. Alexblack. the forecast is good so no excuses, and no scrapping with elanintheforest

Brian

Don't know tawny sounds like an orangey/brown? if so I think I can see why you changed colour....

Jimj

As per the title 'new guy etc' did not know about mono colour!

However beauty in the eye etc I've alwys liked the contrasting white gives the car a lift and sleek look...

What's wrong with Peter Styvesant?

Richard,

Tawny (L16) is described in Lotus archives as Ford Tawny (metalic) from Oct 1972.

As all Sprints had been produced by the end of Dec 1972, there would not have been many produced in tawny. But the colour did continue on the +2.

The credit for changing the colour must go to a previous owner as it was red over white when I bought it. The question remains - would I have bought the car in tawny?

It's an acquired taste, but not many seemed to have acquired it! I think it looks excellent when the paintwork is perfect and the sun is shining, otherwise they tend to look a little drab.

This is one of the last Sprints made, a 5 speed, in Portugal.
Mark

Hi There

My Plus 2's Tawny and when the sun catches it, it can look absolutely stunning. You can see then why the original owner would have been chosen it. It does need to be kept well polished and shiny though, else it just looks brown.

I do think 2 seaters can carry a more outrageous colour though, I'd go with the pistachio

Andy

jimj wrote:Ah ! but !....... Nowadays nearly every Sprint is 2 tone, usually Gold Leaf colours, and, appallingly to my mind, some S4s are as well. I`m no purist with a Sprint engine, Voight `box, and Miller shafts in my S3, but S4s, or even S3s in Sprint colours is just plain sad.

Jim

My S4 orignally came in white and was repainted in sprint gold leaf colours after only a couple of years and its been that way for the last 35 years. I love the look and dont think I am sad

but as you say - to each their own taste - i am certainly no purist either - on my Elan I do what I can do within the limits of group Sb historic race regulations in Australia while retaining the original road car look.

cheers
Rohan