Original kit build instructions

[memnon]

Did Lotus provide any? I am at the stage where my basket case is about to stop being a basket case... I have the Workshop manual, but wondered if there were any official Lotus instructions.

I have a Sprint FHC if it makes any difference.

Thanks for any help!
Jason

[jimj]

No there weren`t. I seem to recall that to evade purchase tax it was expressly forbidden to provide instructions on the build. Instead, for example, Lotus provided the pages relating to removing the engine/gearbox from the workshop manual. The same with the rear suspension etc. you had to work backwards.
Jim

[memnon]

Ah, politics!

Good to know I can stop searching then!

[twincamman]

heres what came with my super 7 kit -----1-check all oil and fluid levels 2 treat all nuts ands bolts as being loose 3 tighten front and rear suspension as last operation -adjust track 4 do not tighten carbs 5 to prevent easy removal of steering lock tighten two special fixing bolts until heads break off ---------and the car was down to the bare chassis ----- --ed

[elansprint71]

2 treat all nuts ands bolts as being loose ed

I think that one applied to the cars built in the factory too.

[TeeJay]

Jason.

My +2 was a Kit Car and the Workshop Manual has a Section X, some 9 pages.
It covers:-
Front Suspension, Roll Bar, Engine Gearbox, Differential Unit, Rear Suspension, Handbrake Linkages, Auxiliaries in Engine Bay, Radiator, Final Assembly - this includes the various weights used to set the car prior to tightening wishbones and suspension mounting etc. And "Running In".

If this is of any interest, I could scan and email them in pdf format.

[twincamman]

THIS WAS IN 1980 TREVOR--I figured it out thanks though --ed

[john Foley]

I purchased a manual from the Lotus Owners Club that was written by the "Elanman",its got pictures of the bits and how they fit together. For me it is as good as a build manual.

[kenhug]

Probably better than anything Hethel ever bothered to throw together is a book (more of a workshop manual in a folder) titled 'The Re-Building of a Lotus Elan' by Brian Buckland ... available from Club Lotus, www.club-lotus.co.uk/more.php?id=16&pageID=1. Someone has kindly just reminded me of this book, I understand it's very good ... over the years I've read various articles in praise of it. It has been described as the best technical book that will ever be written on Elans ... the Baby / Original Elan that is Not cheap, but worth it to someone doing a re-build ?!

Ken

[saildrive2001]

When I got my S4 in 1969 what came with it was a copy of the section of the workshop manual called "Rebuild Instructions". that"s all. You got far more comprehensive instructions for a plastic model car. I don't know whther it was true or not but the story was that they weren't allowed to supply full build instructions otherwise the government would not exempt the purchase tax. I'm not sure that I ever believed that story since you got full instructions with any other type of model kit that you would buy. I also believe that close to 95% of UK Elan's were bought this way with many being illegally assembled by professional mechanics paid under the table.
It took us two days to assemble the car (far less time than it is taking me to rebuild it). If you took the car to a Lotus dealer within the first 500 miles they would do a free inspection of the vehicle for you. If you didn't do this then Lotus voided the warranty.

[Lotus14S2]

I have a '62 Elite, and a '63 Elan; both started life as kits.

The Elite has an added section to the shop manual which detail the kit assembly.

The Elan came with some foolscap size old fashioned mimeograph and carbon copies of sections, B "Introduction to the Car", C "Servicing Schedules", D "Routine Maintenance", L no title but information on refitting the distributor, and Q "Chassis Body Unit". The section "Q" was subtitled "Complete Re-Assembly Instructions", and was a step by step set of instructions to assemble the car.

In the regular shop manual, section "Q" is titled "Body equipment" and there is a section "R" which is titled "Overhaul and Rebuild Instructions" This seems to take the place of the older section "Q".

In both cases the assembly instructions specifically state that this was a procedure to replace a "Chassis Body Unit - Write-off".