Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Finally finally in my possession in Sydney after a very difficult slow (5 months!) journey from Pennsylvania



SE S3 36/6858

Intact except for the gear knob being nicked (damn, original wood teardrop one as well!) and the "o" off the bootlid

Full restoration will now be commenced. I'll document on a blog of some sort....anyone know a good, free one?

Robert

robertverhey wrote:I'll document on a blog of some sort....anyone know a good, free one?

Yeah. You just started it.

Pennsylvania UK?

it has a UK number plate.

Looking forward to your new blog

I love it! It's my car's long lost twin. Mine is an E reg SE coupe as well so they were registered within the same 6 months.

I like it in black, will you keep it that way or do you have other plans? Shame about the gear knob, but it's replaceable. Did it come with the SE steering wheel?

Congratulations and good luck!

Adi

I'll add my congratulations Robert, as I've just bought an Elan too; my second S4, after a gap of some 30 years. Yours endured a very long journey - which must have caused you no little anxiety!
PaulW.

Anxiety? Yes indeed, and suffice to say there's a couple of Companies who won't be getting my business again!.

Alas no steering wheel and I see these are getting top dollar at present. My partner is pushing for Colorado Orange, her favourite colour. I can live with that. The black is a little "invisible" in traffic for my liking.

Yes UK plates because it was imported from UK to US many years ago (looks like 1978 by the paperwork) by an enthusiast with a view to converting to LHD....which, fortunately for me, never happened.

Hi Robert,
Great to have another Elan in Australia and a FHC especially. I hope you plan to keep the roof and not cut it off like so many do. I figure if this trend continues the original FHC?s that remain will become desirable and expensive due to rarity. Who knows??

I?ve spent the last 8 months recommissioning my S4 FHC in Melbourne. You can see my progress here:-

elan-photos-f18/aussie-elan-recommission-t19855.html

I hope to have it ready for summer.
Best of luck with your car. Feel free to contact me if you wish to talk Elan?s and restoration, upgrades, improvements etc?...
Matt.

G'day Matt

No the roof is staying firmly attached....an S3 SE coupe has always been my nirvana in regards to Elans.

Followed your resto thread with interest. Yes I'll undoubtedly be in touch. We have very similar stables, I have 2 Mk 2 Lotus Cortinas plus an Excel and now the elan. I should open a dealership!

My fingernails are rarely if ever clean, I assure you!

Robert

Great news Robert and glad to have another in Sydney, look forward to seeing it on the road.

I am in Balmain, let me know if about and will drop by and say hello

cheers

Welcome back to the other side Robert, and well done for selecting the ultimate Elan! I swapped my Mk 2 Lotus Cortina for this S3 S/E back in the mid 70s, and it's still my favourite Elan. As you know, a Mk 2 now sits in the garage again, so I've come full circle.

I've been nattering to some web guys recently about developing a website for the Lotus Cortina definition stuff, and the recommendation is always Wordpress..... http://wordpress.org/

This started off as a simple blog website tool, but seems to have become the de-facto standard now for web design. It can be used as a simple blog, or easily developed to provide sophisticated web features with drill-down for structured detail, content management and loads of other stuff. They are loads of plug-ins available to allow, for example, embedded pdf files to be 'read' (page turning), photos to be displayed in a slide show.....and loads more. And...it's all free.

Have fun with the Elan.

Mark

WOOHOO! It runs!

Wanted to see what the state of the engine is before I start dismantling, so I set about getting it started That turned out to be quite a feat, given that (according to the paperwork that came with it), it probably hasn't run since 1978.

Many things needed freeing up, including the starter motor pinion (and ain't those starter motors fun to remove!), points in electric fuel pump, accelerator pumps in webers, and a few other things.And the ignition timing was way out

However.....here is the result http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtvQEvINKPY
Sorry for poor quality video, dinky camera.

It's ticking over pretty sweetly, but alas can't get the timing spot on because my neg earth timing light won't flash..no matter which way I connect it. Anyone stumbled across a positive earth timing light, or got around this issue?

Now to bite the bullet and start dismantling.....but after I start it just one more time....

robertverhey wrote:WOOHOO! It runs!

it probably hasn't run since 1978.

Many things needed freeing up, including the starter motor pinion (and ain't those starter motors fun to remove!),
Anyone stumbled across a positive earth timing light, or got around this issue?

but after I start it just one more time....

Hi Robert

Lots of Elans like this in the U.S. many imported when the Dollar and Pound were equal and they were rather well used when they arrived.

Starter motors I haven't done in a long time but used to do them what seemed like constantly. That was before the advent of the nippon-denso converted starters that have been developed.
The procedure went something like jack the elan up or get it up on a pair of ramps in the front to access the lower 9/16 headed 3/8 unc bolt. Disconnect the hot side of the battery, disconnect the cable from the starter solenoid at the starter. From the front right of the engine (just below the timing chain adjustment but above the water pump discharge hose) insert a 9/16 socket on a 12 inch first and then a 6 inch extension added to give the exact right length. I may have had to assemble the 4 pieces needed like I was drilling for oil, I forget. Anyway once the top was out, slide under the Elan and undo the bottom starter bolt. It then drops out right in your hand. The next time you do it put the Lucas starter on the shelf and leave it there. Buy the nippon-denso kit from someone, get an alternator from the same source and either a electric fuel pump or the squeeze bulb from the fuel tank that Anna suggested in the following thread.
elan-f14/primer-pump-t18000-15.html
Once you take care of those items along with a good battery you should be good to go any place and not worry about the bloody thing not starting.

Gary

p.s. as far as the timing light goes on a positive ground Elan, just hook up the hot (+) to the block and the Negative (-) to the starter solenoid.

Hey Robert
Welcome to the Aussie Family!! I am in Toongabbie - happy to communicate etc on any matter that I can help with. Have you joined Club Lotus Australia?

Finally some progress to report

Due to space constraints I've had to rig up a temporary "carport" in the backyard. Not ideal, but....


Decided to overhaul the brakes and clutch hydraulics so that I can move it around a bit more easily under its own power.

Most caliper pistons came out with air, but one rear needed the full hydraulic ram treatment, which worked a treat and was probably a whole lot safer



Those rear pistons and boots were a proper bugger to install, as I'm sure anyone who's done it will attest. But here's the reassembled calipers with new shiny stainless pistons ready to go back in.


In refitting I ruined the thread on one of the hollow bolts that holds the banjo onto the caliper (3/8 UNF 24). If anyone has a spare they don't need and wants to sell or swap for somthing I have surplus....