Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

There is an Elan advertised as a 1967 on the race-cars.com web site (http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/lotus ... 8905ss.htm). From what I remember the S4 Elans came with the newer style tail lights, so could the advertised year be off (just checked the registry and it looks like it would slot in as a 1968)?

I'm curious about the tail light placement as shown in the picture of the rear end. They look too slanted, but I'm not too familiar with the S4. IS that the way they're supposed to be?

It is an S3 body and I assume someone has fitted S4 lights.

It has S3 wheel-arches. Looks like the S4 light-unit bases have been fitted at an angle, they should be parallel with the rear bumper at the bottom and at an angle to the boot (trunk) rim which has a curve. It's a bit of a dog's breakfast and I think the "Indy Edition" is something they have made up.

The body is actually moulded to fit S4 tail lights but I agree that the wheel arches are S3 and the dash is S3 as well. I would guess that it's a model that was produced right at the change over.

If the wheel arches are truly S3, then I would think that the car might have sustained body damage at some point and replaced from another series (3) Elan. According to the registry and the supplied VIN, this car would definitely be a 1968 and and an S4.

Well its more then just the wheel arches, the exhaust body exit is larger on the S4 compared with the S3.

The VIN is a S3 VIN. S4 VINs started up around 78xx. So this is likely a late '67. (Sorry, I do not have my list of VINs, so cannot be more precise)

David
1968 36/7988

danielmo wrote: According to the registry and the supplied VIN, this car would definitely be a 1968 and and an S4.

S3 according to the records

I guess it depends on what registry you look at. I looked at the LotusElanregistry.org.

Definitely S3, I have the later 7867 and that's always been an S3, UK registered in June 1968 and so technically after the S4 introduction. Mine came with the later stromberg bonnet bulge as OEM, (or at least that's what I was told) and the door frames don't have the chrome handle shown there but everything else looks 66-67 S3 kit.

On that one, apart from the paint and the rear boot section to support the lights everything else looks '67 S3. Even the shorter boot handle on the image is the same as mine. Incidentally, does anyone know what that's off, I've never seen on at auto-jumbles ?

Brian

It looks like it's had the S4 rear light body mouldings grafted into the S3 rear panel but they have been fitted at the wrong angle. Otherwise it's certainly a S3 Shell.

danielmo wrote:I guess it depends on what registry you look at. I looked at the LotusElanregistry.org.

Really? They show 45/7130 and 45/7156 as 1967 S3s.

nebogipfel wrote:It looks like it's had the S4 rear light body mouldings grafted into the S3 rear panel but they have been fitted at the wrong angle. Otherwise it's certainly a S3 Shell.

Like wot I said in post #3

elansprint71 wrote:

nebogipfel wrote:It looks like it's had the S4 rear light body mouldings grafted into the S3 rear panel but they have been fitted at the wrong angle. Otherwise it's certainly a S3 Shell.

Like wot I said in post #3

So you did Pete

But I said it with so much more style and panache

It certainly makes it look odd from the rear.

Were it mine, they would have to be sorted pronto and the best way would be a nice flat panel with S3 lights

nebogipfel wrote:

elansprint71 wrote:

nebogipfel wrote:It looks like it's had the S4 rear light body mouldings grafted into the S3 rear panel but they have been fitted at the wrong angle. Otherwise it's certainly a S3 Shell.

Like wot I said in post #3

So you did Pete

But I said it with so much more style and panache

It certainly makes it look odd from the rear.

Were it mine, they would have to be sorted pronto and the best way would be a nice flat panel with S3 lights

Me too, looks dreadful..... and the S3 lights are cheaper!