S3 Wheel Trim Ring Source

[Avalanche]

Hi All. New to this forum but not new to forums. I work for a local collector who has recently added this little gem to his collection...



We purchased it from the second owner who had it for over 30 years and had the body restored by Randall Fehr in 2006 ( the pictures are from his website). The interior has not been restored...



It's a stunning little car and the 20 miles we put on it a few days ago were the first driving it has seen since being restored.

The first picture will explain the thread title. We know the wheels are finished in the wrong silver color and that is something easily corrected. We do not have the trim rings. Is there a source for the correct pieces?

Thanks!

Dale

[Pastapesto]

Dale

I may be wrong but your car did not come from the factory with wheel trims, they were only used on the SE models and the Sprints (although I'm sure someone out there will say that's wrong). If it were me, I would leave it as it is.

What is wrong with the silver of the wheels, they look correct in the picture but again, what do I know? What type of silver should they be, I would like to know myself.

That early S3 coupe is a very nice car, i have seen the pictures before and it is fabulous. If you don't mind me asking, what is the chassis number of the car, I only ask because I have a very similar looking one that is probably from around the same time except that my one is RHD?

All the best

Adam

[Paul Chapman]

Hello Dale

Great looking car, I support the points that Adam has made about the chrome wheel trims only being fitted to the S/E & Sprint models, but I am not an expert either. I think that they are currently available from Paul Matty.

[Mazzini]

Hi Dale,

That's a beautiful car! I agree with Paul and Adam - wheel trims weren't usually fitted to standard cars and there may have been a correct silver (think there is a paint code listed somewhere on the forum) but even if the colour is different it doesn't detract from the car one bit.

The centre console arm rest has rolled edges, which is usually associated with S/E cars, but perhaps it was all that Lotus had to hand on that day That's the beauty of hand built low volume cars made nearly fifty years ago

Please feel free to post more photos

[Avalanche]

Thanks for all the input. We're not Lotus experts by any stretch. We've known about this car for some time now and when the opportunity arose, we purchased the car. It is, other than the wheels, quite possibly one of the finest restorations I've seen on a car.

We are not so much concerned with aesthetics as we are with correctness. Both the owner and myself are of the opinion the silver on the wheels looks like that silver paint that would rub off on your hands- much too bright. I will do some searching to see if I can track down the correct paint code.

The car is snuggled in between two other Brits in the collection right now. Next time we give it some exercise I'll try to snap some pictures...

Thanks again for all the help.

[Mazzini]

There is a Pinchin and Johnson reference for silver lacquer 6170A8020.

[Avalanche]

That looks like a bumper color. Is it possible the wheels should be the same color?

[Mazzini]

Honestly speaking... I don't know, but it's always nice if the collar and cuffs match.

[Coupe]

I do prefer the looks of the 'pre airflow' S3 to the vented version.

[Mazzini]

I do prefer the looks of the 'pre airflow' S3 to the vented version.

Seconded...but that said all Elans look great to me, except perhaps the ones with 70's ultra wide wheel arches, but the pre airflow S3 is very smooth.

[tonyabacus]

Hi Dale
If it helps the wheels were painted the same silver as the bumpers, here is another manufacturers codes
Nexa Autocolour 2999M or D513B, these codes are given in Brian Buckland's addition to the workshop manual.

The first code is for the early paints, the second is for the later spec paints, I believe the latter code came with enhancements in paint technology.
Tony

[Avalanche]

Thanks again for all the info. Much appreciated.

Is there anything special about this car. It has "Indy" badges on it.

Thanks!

[Elanintheforest]

Jim Clark won the Indianapolis 500 at the end of May '65, and shortly afterwards Lotus had the badge made up that was fixed to Elans and Cortinas for a couple of years.

You should have that on one side, and the 'World Championship' badge on the other, showing the 1963, or 1963 and 1965 World Championship victories, depending on when your car was made.

Is there anything special about your car? Of course there is...it's an Elan!

Mark

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I'm not sure what drew me to this thread & I am unable to add anything of help.
Well the bumpers & front number plate numerals/letters are painted the same colour silver as the wheels; that's a must do
Others have praised this car & agree totally with them but what really struck me was the superb quality of the photos.
I think those photos must be some of the best I've ever seen of any Elan on LotusElan.net.

To call them "snap-shots" is such an understatement.

Cheers
John

[gjz30075]

Agreed about the photos. Do you have any more from different angles? Engine compartment, too?

Greg Z