26R Elan

[lotwe]

HI all,
My question is this, apart from the logbook (if present) and the VIN plate, is there any other way to identify a 26R ie are there any unit numbers written on any other part of the chassis etc?

[Andy8421]

I am not a 26R expert, but I did explore buying one many years ago when I foolishly thought having 3 young kids and a career would allow me plenty of time to pursue my racing hobby. Good sense prevailed.

Even back then, rather like Elan Sprints, there seemed to be a lot of cars masquerading as something they weren't.

I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong, but I recall Tony Thompson runs the 26R register, and has a good idea where most of the real 26Rs are. If you are thinking of purchasing a car that purports to be a 26R (no doubt with the associated premium), I would strongly recommend speaking with Tony or a similar expert to verify the car's provenance.

[661]

I am not a 26R expert, but I did explore buying one many years ago when I foolishly thought having 3 young kids and a career would allow me plenty of time to pursue my racing hobby. Good sense prevailed.

Even back then, rather like Elan Sprints, there seemed to be a lot of cars masquerading as something they weren't.

I am sure I will be corrected if I am wrong, but I recall Tony Thompson runs the 26R register, and has a good idea where most of the real 26Rs are. If you are thinking of purchasing a car that purports to be a 26R (no doubt with the associated premium), I would strongly recommend speaking with Tony or a similar expert to verify the car's provenance.

Eddie his son now runs the register.

[lotwe]

Hi,
thank you for your replies, I have been informed that Lotus wrote the unit numbers in crayon/chalk on the bodyshell etc so that they could match the parts to each individual car and wondered if this was correct?

[Andy8421]

The only thing consistent about Lotus and their numbering seems to be that it was inconsistent.

There are posts on this forum of owners who have found unit numbers on the back of gloveboxes, inside doors, on the underside of the bonnet and on the inside of headlamp pods. I have two Elans, and have never found a unit number anywhere, so I don't think you can make an assumption one way or the other. I believe the 26Rs were built by Lotus components, and didn't go down the 'standard' Elan line, so it may be there was a different approach to marking unit numbers for these.

I think all the 100 or so 'real' 26Rs are accounted for, and as 661 helpfully points out above, Eddie Thompson keeps the register. It is possible to buy all the bits to make a 26R clone, so you need to tread very carefully if someone is try to sell you a hitherto 'unknown' and recently discovered 26R.

[Ianashdown]

Hi,
thank you for your replies, I have been informed that Lotus wrote the unit numbers in crayon/chalk on the bodyshell etc so that they could match the parts to each individual car and wondered if this was correct?

I have found the Body Number on the underside of the hood (bonnet) and inside both doors. Nowhere else . . yet.

Ian
SoCal

[vstibbard]

Hi
I own S2-26-40 I have the original shell chassis etc stored and will have a look to see if any numbers are written on doors etc. The interior glove box dash is as fitted new we did not restore or replace including glove box so will also check these locations
The other obvious items are engine number and chassis plate, a very few still have original matching numbers cars, Tony was able to share the original sales invoice to validate mine.
As Graeme suggested reaching out to Eddie is right place to start as there’re are very few genuinely unaccounted for.
More GTS ie converted standard Elans than real so caveat emptor
Good luck with your hunting, they are amazing to drive and bring so light feel very different to standard car
Vaughan

[reb53]

I think all the 100 or so 'real' 26Rs are accounted for,

And, as has been remarked upon here in the past,
"at least 150 of them have survived"......

Ralph.