How many S2's on the road

[bobweaver]

Hi guys ...I am new to the net but not new to Lotus, having owned mine for 30 years. I have an all origional 1965 S2 and am trying to find out roughly how many of them are left. I have NEVER seen another on the road, so does this mean they have all been exported ? .... any other S2 owners out there ? get backsome time ...Bob ..Dorset

[paddy]

Tim Mees at the Type 26 register would probably be able to give you an idea, and would like to hear from you to add your details to his list.

More information here:

business-listings-f3/elan-type-register-and-parts-new-website-t18931.html

I have to say I've never just happened across one in the UK "in the wild", so to speak - only at Lotus events (there were a couple in the Donington car park this year, for example) or similar venues such as Goodwood car park.

Paddy

[types26/36]

Hi Bob, welcome to the group, there are a few Type 26 cars around but they are scarce on the ground, I have a 64 S2 which I have just re-imported back to the U.K. (it was exported when it was new) I am just busy sorting out the paperwork.
I suggest you contact Tim Mees at http://www.type26register.com/ as he has a register of Type 26 cars and if you are not listed he would be interested to hear from you.

[sinkyb17]

Hi all,

I am up here in far away scotland and have an early road going S2 26/4225 registered in Dec 64. I only know of one other road car up in Scotland owned by a very nice chap over on the West coast. It would be really interesting to find out how many more cars are on the road up here or in fact anywhere in the uk. I have included a couple of recent pics taken earlier in the year.

Dave.

[paddy]

Looking really good (as is the lawn, may I say).

All it needs to finish it off are some hubcaps There are some on ebay right now:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOTUS-ELAN-WHEEL- ... 286.c0.m14

Paddy

[types26/36]

an early road going S2 26/4225 registered in Dec 64. Dave.

Hi Dave, I see your car is an early S2 (S1 tail lights etc.) as is mine (26/3944 Nov 64)..... nicknamed S1.5 they are even scarcer the normal S2.
I also see you appear to have sun visors, did you fit them as I was not aware that S1/2's had them ? I made and fitted one to mine out of some colored plastic(I thought it looked more period ......which is probably not the safest material!

[frearther]

Well mine's ALMOST on the road (My God, how many times have I said that??!!).

[bobweaver]

Art

Yup me too- the wife used the S2 daily to go to work 16 yrs ago and I could not keep up with her demands (both of them) so now I am retired/redundant (yahooo!) the time is available. So "almost" for me is 16yrs !! ...The re spray is next week in origional colour "Jaguar Carmen Red" ...Bob

ps how long you had yours

[frearther]

Bob,
I bought it in 1972 ( I think) and autocrossed it successfully for another 8 or 9 years. The choice was then to try for Solo 2 Divisionals and Nationals or send my kids to college. College won.
A few years later, I was driving down the road, turned a corner, and found myself in the wrong lane. Guess what? Rusted LF upright.
So while it was down to the (new) chassis, I found about two million other jobs to do. Mechanically, it's just fine (or better). Motor's in and headers on (whew!). Just need to hook up the rest of the stuff and give it a go.
BTW, it was running fine a couple of years ago, except that it wanted to dump the cooling system into the crankcase
Then I pulled my knee apart and lost a year's work.
Wish me luck.

[richard sprint]

Sinkyb17

Lovely car!

[gordont]

26/5416 is on the road and a daily driver.

car came to Aust early 70's with 7000 miles on it, engine problem meant a rebuild that the previous previous previous owner never finished.
originally red resprayed blue by PO and 26R guards fitted.

has been on the road 4 months now and averaging around 1000 miles per month, usual issues (leaking around doors and the dreaded lucas prince of darkness.....) but going well.

great to see some others are on the road.

[bobweaver]

Gordon

What a superb example, "26R guards fitted"...what are these? You also ssem to have flaired rear arches, as in tbe sprint. Is this the style of the 26R or just to accept the alloy wheels? I found that going from 155 to 165 tyres decreased the handling performance. I bought my 1965 S2 in 1978 for ?335 in boxes ...how much are they worth now in good order ?

Bob

[gordont]

Bob

The PO had a contact with 26R body mould for the guards and had these changed, basically involves cutting the four corners off the car (I think there was a post about this in the past).
The guards are exactly as per the 26R model and do allow extra width in width for wider tyres and in my mind do beef the car up and look the part

Value - In Australia the below is pretty much my feel for the market, the hardest thing is finding one.
Going car in A1 condition AUD$40-$50K
Going car but just okay AUD$30-$35K
All there but non goer AUD$20-$25K
basket case of bits AUD$15K (My brother has a S1 bourne bodied car complete in bit but missing the head bought for AUD$10K 1 year ago..)

I looked for 2 years before finding the right car, but ironically now know of quite a few S1-S3 in various states of disrepair, now just have to get my better half to approve me buying another as a racer....

Just my 2 cents worth

have a good night, off home in the elan, lovely late winters evening here 22 degrees... arrrrghhhhh

[LoTex]

26/4221 is on the road in Texas, albeit doing very light duty- a 20 minute drive every weekend when the weather is nice.

I bought her in England in Sept 1980 so approaching 29 years now, through thick (mostly) and thin (some). I am the 3rd owner, that I know of.


Steve

[Ross Robbins]

26-4910 is on the road in Colorado. Been driven high (14,126 feet above sea level) fast (110 mph at Talladega Motor Speedway on the 33 degree banking) but not that far at one sitting yet- only about 200 miles. I am planning a coast to coast in it or my Seven across US 50 from San Francisco, CA to Ocean City, MD in the fall of 2010. Anyone want to join me?