S3 Project: I don't know Jack

[steve lyle]

Cool! Looks like you’ve got one of those extra rare 5 cylinder Elans!

[Quart Meg Miles]

Cool! Looks like you’ve got one of those extra rare 5 cylinder Elans!

That's two in a year!

Good to see you still have the enthusiasm, Neil. But better hurry, kids grow up awfully quickly and you'll want to be driving it before yours takes it off you.

[neilcritter]

Hi everyone,

"I don't know Jack" but I know there isn't a 5 cylinder Lotus Elan! We have the electric pop-up headlights working great and making more steady progress. Cautiously hoping to have the car on the road in early 2024!

[mjbeanie]

That looks like tremendous fun. I did something similar and I am having the best time learning my Elan. I bought a non running, 71 Lotus Elan Plus 2 Ebay special in pieces. Some assembly required! A complete car but completely stripped and needing pretty much a full restoration. I am a decent novice car guy but no expert. I soon realized that this car's needs were completely beyond my scope. However, its just great to try to exceed your comfort zone as you mentioned.

I needed support and made some friends at a local car show that are providing the deeper guidance that I needed. They're a bunch Triumph guys, but the similarities to Lotus are many. I am good friends with one guy named Paul and we've been sorting this car for 6 months I believe. I've also joined the NC chapter of the Triumph club and have made good friendships, even without a Triumph! While I've restored cars, I have never had a completely disassembled project before. Its starting to come together and the engine now sounds pretty good following a new cooling system, timing chain, exhaust system and carb rebuild and a front to back new wiring harness! Still working on the dash,interior, exhaust suspension and brakes. Send me a pm if you would like to chat, compare notes and photos on our restoration efforts-if you wish. I've been at this a couple years now and might be able to help. Your Elan will be exceptional when done, good luck!

[neilcritter]

[quote][/quote]

My wife checked out the project today. Instruments are in. Electric windows and pop up headlights working. Door latches in and working.

Anticipate reinstalling Weber Carburetors and getting the engine roaring in the next month.

Also attached to this post is my local car crew. We meet up on Wednesdays after work. Many of them have helped out with hands on the project and others are cheering us on!

Have a great weekend,
Neil

[gjz30075]

Looks good Neil. The fuel gauge and water temp/oil pressure gauge are reversed, ie, the fuel
gauge should be to the right of the tach, which is also reversed, ie, the speedo on the right and
tach on the left.

[neilcritter]

Thanks! Fixing it now! I appreciate the constructive feedback!

Neil

[TWebb]

Looks like progress is being made. I will probably be down in OKC in the next ten days or so. Would love to see the car. My racecar Elan is making progress as well. Still shooting to hit Hallett in October for the CVAR event.

Cheers

Tim

[neilcritter]

Looks good Neil. The fuel gauge and water temp/oil pressure gauge are reversed, ie, the fuel
gauge should be to the right of the tach, which is also reversed, ie, the speedo on the right and
tach on the left.

...annnnnnnd Done!

[pharriso]

Much better!!

[steve lyle]

Hi everyone,

"I don't know Jack" but I know there isn't a 5 cylinder Lotus Elan!

Are you sure? Check out the last pic in your 8/19 post. If it's not a five cylinder, why the 5 spark plug leads?

The door fit looks great, how'd you fix it?

Regards,
Steve

[2mAn]

Love seeing this come back together. It looks like it was a solid project to begin with and not one of the usual disasters I get myself into. Good on ya!

Love seeing updates

[neilcritter]

Progress on the Elan continues with the steering column in, Weber Carburetors on, and today Steve Lyle came from 90 minutes away in Tulsa to show his fabulously restored, freshly painted and reconditioned red Sprint.

He won the Lotus division at this weekend's Brits in the Ozarks show. To remind you, the first Elan I saw was this one 2 years ago this week. A conversation with Steve led me to this website and my purchase from Frank.

2 years later we are having a great time restoring this project. Today Steve taught us fiberglass technique while we patch the rear wheel well holes we cut to get the side intrusion bars in under the door frames.

Afterwards we had lunch and went joyriding in his Sprint. It was a great day!!!

[neilcritter]

My children visited the project yesterday while off from school. They delivered the new tires and checked out the car. It was the first time my six year old twin daughters have seen it.

The engine bay is about done and we have ordered the carpet. Our attention the next month with be the interior, and then a few stops around town for the exhaust, tuning and putting it through it's trials.

Best guess is on the road in late January 2025... but we will see!

[neilcritter]

Steady progress is being made on the interior. Next steps are the roof, alignment and then muffler.

2024 should bring great joy on the road!