Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Black bumpers, black wheels and do the sill strips as well.

If you must have stripes make them black as well, I think it would look stunning and very different.

But it already looks Fantastic, well done!

Steve, My car was one of the factory retrofitted kits so even though it came off the production line as a S4SE it was sold as a Sprint (i have the original sales receipt)

So at the factory they removed the sill trims, filled and repainted the lower half of the car (including changing how the black on the back of the doors was masked), Fitted Sparto side repeaters, Signed steering wheel, Constructors badges on both sides, changed the engine / minor other mechanical bit's and bobs and hey presto..... I like to refer to it as a S4 Sprint.

Considering it never had any paint while on the road this is how it was delivered from new (obviously with a chassis under it ).... note it has side decals but they are faded almost white and strangely it had stripes all the way to the back so it wasn't solid gold over the rear bumper (must have been experimenting being an early car)

Spyder fan wrote:Black bumpers, black wheels and do the sill strips as well.

If you must have stripes make them black as well, I think it would look stunning and very different.

But it already looks Fantastic, well done!

I seriously contemplated going with silver decals, i thought it would not stand out so much against the white.

Chris, I know you ar in touch with the original owner so can he confirm the factory or maybe the dealership took the sill trims off? Most of the factory cars kept their trims and it would have been quite costly and a lot of work to change/remove them. I had one of these cars a FHC in royal blue and it retained the trims.

Regarding the stripes - if you wanted to be different how about reversing the colours and having the text and stripes in gold on a clear vinyl and take the twin stripes right to the back? It would almost look like it's been sign written.

Steve, I believe all the retrofitted cars had the sill trims removed. According to the guy who bought the car originally he didn't think anything of it as it arrived the same as the brochure (which ironically is also a S4 Sprint)



(note Constructors badges on both front wings and no S4 badges or sill trims)


When he took his/my elan to be inspected on completion of the kit he was told all the Kit Sprints where retrofitted S4's from the factory (he said the sales guy told him the Mod was quite involved so had to be done at the factory). Don't know how true that is as it was along time ago but there were cars retrofitted at the factory according to people that know more about it than me (fitted with N prefix Big valve heads).
http://www.lotuselansprint.com/index.asp?pageid=41810

Think i'd be a little annoyed if i had paid full price to be sold a car that had been retrofitted but Terry is a very passive guy.

I know that's not entirely true as my Sprint PPO 131K (now gone to Valhalla!) had the SE Trims left on. I'm absolutely certain I've seen others with the trims on too. Maybe other owners could chip in.

Infact

Steve- first time I've seen a photo of both of those cars together!

elansprint71 wrote:Steve- first time I've seen a photo of both of those cars together!

Your homework (should you choose to accept it) is to read Timurthys site.

elanfan1 wrote:I know that's not entirely true as my Sprint PPO 131K (now gone to Valhalla!) had the SE Trims left on. I'm absolutely certain I've seen others with the trims on too. Maybe other owners could chip in.

Infact

The attachment image.jpeg is no longer available

http://www.lotuselansprint.com/index.asp?pageid=41809
only 4 concepts were done like that according to Mr Wilkes site, do you have any pictures of the 79 Retrofitted cars with Sill trims on?

I can tell you that mine 100% did not have Sill trims on (i too have a Photo of it being unloaded brand new), i have also seen S4's with Sprint decals on too but none with N prefix heads (my guess is the cars with sill trims were dealer converted cars, but i'd be interested to be proved wrong)

Btw another thing to look out for on the S4 Sprints is the forward facing Cam cover, seems they were the only Elans to have that which is why it's rare (again only going of what more knowledgeable people than me have told me)

Excuse the oil leak, dodgy Cometic gasket.

All that said the records at Lotus for my car were destroyed so i guess i can't prove it's one of the Factory converted cars for sure.

Out of Interest did your car have the S4 badges on the quarters or had they been removed?

elanfan1 wrote:

elansprint71 wrote:Steve- first time I've seen a photo of both of those cars together!

Your homework (should you choose to accept it) is to read Timurthys site.

Yeah, clocked it some years ago but Mrs T says I have other shit to fry!

elansprint71 wrote:

elanfan1 wrote:

elansprint71 wrote:Steve- first time I've seen a photo of both of those cars together!

Your homework (should you choose to accept it) is to read Timurthys site.

Yeah, clocked it some years ago but Mrs T says I have other shit to fry!

Language Timothy!

Spyder fan wrote:Black bumpers, black wheels and do the sill strips as well.

Don't you thing Black wheels make the rims look small? i contemplated painting them black at one point but when you see pictures from the side the chrome trims makes the wheels look an inch or so smaller which it doesn't need. Just don't like it myself, i'd do it if it was original but it's not on my car which dodges a bullet for me.

Are you going to repaint the underside of the wheel arches black ?

That changes the look of the wheels as well.

Regards
Richard

richardcox_lotus wrote:Are you going to repaint the underside of the wheel arches black ?

That changes the look of the wheels as well.

Regards
Richard

I had thought about that, two reasons i didn't do it are first it's how i got the car it (was more white over spray but the arches were white, but then the sill lip was white too almost like he factory couldn't be bothered blacking it all out) second Gloss white is easier then Satin black to keep clean and believe it or not doesn't mark as easy... We have a customer with a Bahama Yellow Sprint thats immaculate but for me the grotty mat black arches let it down in my opinion.


Slight change of subject but I'm happy to see this S4/Sprint going for ?39k (not sure whats going on with the side decals though?? maybe a could of shandys at lunch that day??) https://www.graypaulclassiccars.com/veh ... nt-yellow/

Or this one at ?47500; https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/197 ... sprint-dhc at the weekend. It seems they implied that a converted S4 was worth extra.
It looked a nice car but not quite matching the hyperbole.
Jim