Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Posted: **Sat Oct 27, 2018 9:32 pm**

My son Brian and I have each purchased Lotus Elan roadster projects and plan to restore them side-by-side. I hope you'll bare with me as I ask very elementary questions. Thanks in advance.

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2018 12:51 am**

Welcome Tom! Sounds like you and your son are in for plenty of adventure!

Where in NC are you? I get up there for business a bit- in fact I'll be near Fayetteville this week.

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2018 2:20 am**

post pictures, especially BEFORE and after shots!

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2018 2:37 am**

Fantastic! Welcome Tom and Brian. You will find it a very enjoyable project.

Here are my ?twins?.

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:30 am**

Welcome Tom!

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2018 11:48 am**

Certified Lotus wrote:Fantastic! Welcome Tom and Brian. You will find it a very enjoyable project.

Here are my ?twins?.

BC6E1B69-B961-4625-8728-C9E961677E99.jpeg

Crikey! Talk about optical illusions the car on the right almost looks like a scale model of the one on the right!

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2018 4:09 pm**

You are going to have to spend less time on the road. Are we going to be able to follow along with your restorations with you and your son on Hagarty as well as here? Former owner of CSX2176

Posted: **Sun Oct 28, 2018 6:05 pm**

Tom,
Were these both barn finds? LOL

I spend my winters in Florida right off US-1 and I have 2 Elans there, one( a S3 DHC tI restored the first time in 1982-85, then again after a deer hit in 2010. The other, is a pre-airflow FHC that I'm restoring. Hopefully it will be back among the running next spring. I'm so confident this year that I'm taking engine parts along so that I can build a motor while the body is in the paint shop.

I know you travel a fair amount and I'd be honored if your woody wagon visited my driveway. My neighbor has a 41Merc woody I'm sure you would like to see (not for sale) PM me.

Roger Sieling, you'ld remember my light green Lotus Eleven

Posted: **Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:23 am**

Welcome Tom! Maybe do one at a time so you have one to look at to remind you how it goes back together!

Just a thought.

Frank

Posted: **Tue Nov 06, 2018 2:04 pm**

Welcome indeed Tom. As the custodian of your last Elan (I assume you haven't had any more in the mean time), I'll be trying to keep pace with your twins as you work on them. As you can perhaps tell, I have not been making huge progress with the S3 SE FHC though the 'History' has come together nicely in no small part due to this forum and Mark 'Elan in Forest' in particular. I need to join the dots between it going back to Lotus and arriving with you, perhaps starting with Christopher, the woodworking guy you bought the car from who thus far I've not been able to track down.
All the best and good luck!
Rob
S3 SE FHC
S2 7
22
S1 Elise

Posted: **Sun Nov 25, 2018 12:19 am**

Tom Cotter wrote:My son Brian and I have each purchased Lotus Elan roadster projects and plan to restore them side-by-side. I hope you'll bare with me as I ask very elementary questions. Thanks in advance.

November 23, 2018
We spent a little bit of time over the Thanksgiving weekend cleaning and documenting each car. I will describe each for you.

Lotus Elan #263802, Engine # 1943

I bought this car out of McPherson, Kansas, in mid-2018. It had been owned by a gentleman, and I bought it from his daughter after his passing. It had been sitting in a warehouse since the 1970s, and was covered with "warehouse filth." It is registered as a 1965 and has 43,114 miles on the odometer.

Someone had attempted to strip the paint and in some places sanded through the gel coat. It does not appear to have any body damage. The body seems solid and without cracks.

It's an early car with toggle switches. The wood dash will likely need replacing.

The engine seems complete. During my annual car party, "Tom'sWoody Party," I had five friends working on the car and they got it running in 3 hours and forty minutes!

The number plate seems to be correct, listing the engine number as #1943 and the Unit #3802. The lengthy number on the plate seems to read #US65 CHNO 26/3802

Thankfully the correct steering wheel is in still in place and in good condition!

Posted: **Sun Nov 25, 2018 12:51 am**

Tom Cotter wrote:My son Brian and I have each purchased Lotus Elan roadster projects and plan to restore them side-by-side. I hope you'll bare with me as I ask very elementary questions. Thanks in advance.

November 23, 2018

The second Elan is Unit # 7319, Engine # LP/8818. It was purchased from Lotus expert, William Taylor in Suburban Denver, Colorado. We dragged it home three years ago, where it has sat until now. I has 94,562 miles on the odometer. The car is very clean, when compared to the white Elan, but the body does need work.

The left front fender is in pretty rough condition. If anyone has a spare, please contact me at: [email protected]" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank. The headlight mechanisms also need work. My son has not totally decided to restore the car, and has considered a 26R look.

All four fender lips have been flared and are in pretty sad condition. I had tried to purchase new fender lips from Fay Curtis, who seems to be a very nice lady, but doesn't seem to want the business. If anyone has suggestions on alternative fiberglass suppliers, please let me know. Thank you.

The trunk is sound, but the rear panel and the left quarter-panel need major work or replacement. If you have one, please let me know.

The dash and gauges are in good condition, as is the steering wheel. I believe the dashboard is in good enough condition to refinish and use again.

The interior, when compared to the white car, is cherry. The seats are usable as is, but the carpeting needs replacing.

The engine is clean and complete. I tried to get it running, but even though is had sufficient fuel and spark, it didn't fire. Then I did a compression test. Front to back: 30-0-50-0. I guess that's why it never fired! A rebuild is in order.

Posted: **Sun Nov 25, 2018 12:56 am**

Talk to Ken at Dave Bean. I think he supplied some fiberglass bits to Tim Suddard , for the 'Classic
Motorsports' Elan resto.

Posted: **Sun Nov 25, 2018 4:32 am**

Tom Cotter wrote:
Tom Cotter wrote:My son Brian and I have each purchased Lotus Elan roadster projects and plan to restore them side-by-side. I hope you'll bare with me as I ask very elementary questions. Thanks in advance.

November 23, 2018

IMG_5311.JPG

The second Elan is Unit # 7319, Engine # LP/8818. It was purchased from Lotus expert, William Taylor in Suburban Denver, Colorado. We dragged it home three years ago, where it has sat until now. I has 94,562 miles on the odometer. The car is very clean, when compared to the white Elan, but the body does need work.

IMG_5312.JPG

The left front fender is in pretty rough condition. If anyone has a spare, please contact me at: [email protected]" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank. The headlight mechanisms also need work. My son has not totally decided to restore the car, and has considered a 26R look.

IMG_5314.JPG

All four fender lips have been flared and are in pretty sad condition. I had tried to purchase new fender lips from Fay Curtis, who seems to be a very nice lady, but doesn't seem to want the business. If anyone has suggestions on alternative fiberglass suppliers, please let me know. Thank you.

IMG_5315.JPG

The trunk is sound, but the rear panel and the left quarter-panel need major work or replacement. If you have one, please let me know.

IMG_5319.JPG

The dash and gauges are in good condition, as is the steering wheel. I believe the dashboard is in good enough condition to refinish and use again.

IMG_5328.JPG

The interior, when compared to the white car, is cherry. The seats are usable as is, but the carpeting needs replacing.

IMG_5325.JPG

The engine is clean and complete. I tried to get it running, but even though is had sufficient fuel and spark, it didn't fire. Then I did a compression test. Front to back: 30-0-50-0. I guess that's why it never fired! A rebuild is in order.

Your Unit # 7319, Engine # LP/8818 is a rare car. It appears to be a "S3 Super Safety". Only a few hundred examples were built until the S4 was introduced. Elan45 owns one and mine is one as well.

Regards,
Dan

Posted: **Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:09 am**

Hi Tom,

You have a PM.

Regards,

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