Future project cars

[tdafforn]

Hi all,
just spent a few minutes looking around my garage and thinking of my next move in things automotive..
Currently have the +2 and a '69 MG midget in the process of restoration..
Bought the +2S130 when we had kids, but my 8yo is beggining to get a bit large for the back..
So the reason for having it has begun to disappear, so what to replace it with?
First thing is to work out how much the +2 is worth?
The +2 has been pretty much rebuilt (engine, suspension etc).. Still sits on its original chassis (which is in pretty good nick)..
Bodywork is pretty tip top, paintwork has some microblisters..
So I guess I might get a reasonable sum..
Took ?8K as a starting point..
So question is what is good for ?8K..
Has to be soft top..
Can be 2 or 4 seater..
Has to be +2 sized or smaller.
has to be older than '73, and hence tax free.

thoughts...
obviously a elan +0 (Only issue with this is I have done one elan and may get bored with the rebuild)
Westfield 11 kit (sort of keeping it in the lotus family, beautiful shape..)
lotus 7 (good fun, but worried about them being ubiquitous)
TVR?
Morgan.....
Daimler SP250
Jensen CV8
TR4,5

Anyone have any other thoughts I should consider?
Cheers
Tim

[elansprint]

Tim the elan is a hard act to follow i love mine but i also have a TVR griffith 500 & a Tuscan 4 litre & performance wise they are in a different league i am only at Kettering i would be happy to give you a run out if you wanted to try them out
Ian

[twincamman]

a 7 ---no question

[Elanintheforest]

That's odd...I was about to suggest a Griff 500! I only sold mine as I couldn't trust myself in it any more. Trouble is, I still get the 'red mist', and used to have great fun chasing down big bikes...there wasn't a car on the road that would touch it. I saw the light when having a bit of fun with a lad on a Yam R2....Gloucester bypass, early Sunday morning, long sweeping corner, him with his knee down, and the back end of the Griff getting very light. Looked down at the speedo, and it was over 160. Then I saw the headlines...'Supid old tosser who should have known better kills young biker in road race'.

I did about 30k miles in that car in 2 years, and had a ball with it. Probably the most fun in the wet, when, once you got going, you could throw the steering wheel away and drive on the throttle. So much low down grunt, and 350bhp in something that weighs about the same as a Plus 2.

I'll probably get another when I grow up, but in the meantime, I'm still enjoying playing with Elans....they are a permanent fixture!

Mark

[elansprint]

Mark it always makes me smile & you get used to the power with most cars but not in these i must get the Mrs to look at your posts she moans at how many cars i have i dont know how you get away with it how many do you have?
Ian

[Elanintheforest]

Damn, just looked at Pistonheads and there are 32 Griffs for sale!

In answer to the question of how many...too many. 6 minters, 5 or 6 more roadgoing and 10 or so further projects. I'm stopping working at the end of September (yipee!) so 10 have got to go, and even then there are too many. Everybody asks how I 'get away with it', but really, Carol doesn't mind at all. The deal was, when we bought a smallholding down here, that for every sheep Carol has, I could have a car. She got into breeeding sheep, I got into breeding cars. She helped me restore my Cooper S when we were still at school, and provided the muscle for my first Elan chassis change in the late 70s!! Before the Elan came along we had a Midget, Tim...Carol liked it, but I got fed up with putting in a new gearbox every 1000 miles. Here she is looking very 1974.

So, Tim, in considering my requirement for downsizing, what I should have said is...what you need is an S4 dhc project...or a JPS Plus 2....or a very late Yellow Plus 2....or an XJR-s 6 litre V12 (choice of colours!)...or a Heinkel bubble car (choice of colours as well). Or an early Plus 2.

Some additional thoughts on the TVR option. If you're less than 5ft 8inches. forget the Griff...you won't reach the pedels or see over the dash (although a 'booster' seat was available). If you drive like a girly, forget the Griff...it will be taken off you. If you're worried about the price of rear tyres, forget the Griff, or only drive in the wet.

Mark

[alexblack13]

Cool lookin combo in that last pic Mark. Isn't it amazing how time flies eh?
Want to drop me a pm with some ???? on the heinkel's.

Might be interested.

Alex.... (Off on hol's for 2 weeks )

[Spyder fan]

None of the above......

You need one of these

Built by yours truly from a total basket case, 1969 Riley Elf Mk3, totally standard bodywork and luvvly jubbly chrome and leather interior, complete with total and correct Cooper S 1275S engine and running gear, brakes, suspension the lot........fantastic car in stunning Old English White over Florentine Blue.

Be brave, be different!

Regards

[Jason1]

1. 356 cos they are beautiful
2. Volvo to run the kids around in
3. Capri cos they were the dream car of my youth
4. Mini RSP cos I have had other Coopers but never quite managed the RSP (had 4 other minis)

Jason

[richardcox_lotus]

If you wanted to keep a Lotus connection, how about a sorted Jenson-Healey ?

Richard

[elansprint]

Mark i am 5ft7in have no problem with seeing out & my original set of tyres lasted 14K miles including 3 track days. Bit like Lotus really dont believe all you hear had the griff from new had a gearbox oil seal under warranty i have fitted a new battery,otter switch & just done the front discs not bad for 13 years
Ian

[Elanintheforest]

We must have different driving styles! Well, mine doesn't have much style really. I wasn't getting much more than 5000 miles from a pair of rears, but the fronts were more respectable at about 10,000. One track day totally destroyed a set of nearly new tyres and a set of pads. It was a dry day.

I didn't have any problems either, until some little sod decided to pinch the radio using a crowbar and a pair of sidecutters. ?3k later for a new dash and loom, and it did have a couple of electrical niggles for a while, but they were sorted. The car is pretty basic by modern car standards, so any issues are pretty straightforward to sort. Good old Rover V8 never seemed to give any problems. A chum bought a Cerbera after trying my Griff, thinking he'd like something just a little faster. 3 engines in 18 months put him off TVRs a little, and he'd had enough when Mr Wheeler started to blame him for them going bang. He did enjoy driving them hard, as I did, and ended up trading the car in for a Griff, which gave no problems at all. The TVR name was saved.

I've also just remembered that Carol really didn't like the Griff at all, and it was the only car I've bought that she got grumpy about. She had an M100 S2 Elan, a cracking car, but she stopped using it as her drive to work required more of a motorway cruiser. She mentioned one evening that if I wanted to sell it, to go ahead. Three months later I spotted 'my' Griff. 18 months old, 3000 miles and mint. Unfortunately Carol was overseas working, so I had to go ahead and do the deal...I thought she'd be pleased. There was no memory of saying we should sell the Elan, and worse she couldn't drive the Griff. And this is where I may be getting the height thing mixed up...she's 5ft 2 inches, and no matter what she tried, she couldn't reach the peddles or see properly over the steering wheel. Sitting on cushions didn't help. I suggested the booster seat and that seemed to make her very grumpy.

So even she has a breaking point! If anybody out there has N253SJT could I please buy it back?! So we?re back on topic now Tim?.any thoughts of an M100?

Mark

[tdafforn]

Hi all,
Just got back from a weekend surfing and you have provided a lot of food for thought..
XJS... I am guessing it won't fit in the garage (18 inches length to spare with the +2)
TVR and M100, very very very tempting, usually go for older machines & tax free!
S4 Drophead... getting closer! can you get a reasonable one for ?8-9K?
Europa.. Possible.. want a convertable really though..
Riley elf.. did think about a cooper!
capri... no!
...
Still need to think!
tim

[twincamman]

I have a Europa in my stable [Renault with a 45 Weber and headers] it is the closest thing to a formula ford or formula vee for the street available -cornering is spectacular but acceleration is only brisk [ your eyes wont bleed ] you more gain momentum and you can out run most anything in the twisty bits ---BUT when the sun is out and its 80 or 90 degrees I leave it at home as its brutal for cockpit heat . With a thorough going through they are reliable to a point and most parts are available -the motor parts are getting scarce over here --- but remember --the Guvnor liked to save threepence when he could - --ed

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Maybe one of these Ginettas G4; G12; G15 or a Davrian or an Alpine 110?