1969 Lotus Elan S4, not running, SOLD
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Post by: norabella » Fri Jun 05, 2015 9:14 pm
It is with a heavy heart that I?m selling my dad?s sweet ?69 Lotus Elan S4. I learned to drive on this car. I?ll post photos in the next two days. This is what I know:
- 1969 S4, purchased new by my dad, driven in the snowbelt of Ohio
- British racing green
- No accidents, no major damage, but definitely some dings and cracks
- Water pump broke in 1981, never ran again
- Garaged: 1981 to 1998 in Ohio; 1998 to now in Colorado
- Currently located in my garage in Fort Collins, CO (60 miles north of Denver)
- Odometer reads 68,765, but I bet it rolled over 100,000 miles because it was my dad?s daily ride for 12 years
- 8-track tape player! (never mind, I can't find this, so you're out of luck on 70s tech music)
- Replacement rag top, because our dog tore the original apart
- I have a box of car parts that might belong to the Lotus, but then again, some might be Volvo parts
- I recall helping my dad rebuild the engine in the late 70s (at least that?s what I think we were doing, my job was mainly holding things and getting yelled at)
- I believe the transmission was rebuilt or repaired, because my dad warned me not to drive with my hand resting on the stick because that?s why he had to fix the transmission
Last edited by norabella on Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:07 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by: m750rider » Sat Jun 06, 2015 11:53 am
It sounds like an interesting start for a great project. The annual Lotus Owners Group meeting is in Colorado Springs this year 8/21-24, I'm sure you will get someone interested folks at that time. I'd love to see it if I were closer.
To start with, post some pictures of the car from all angles, the interior, and the engine compartment. Let's see what it looks like, and how original it is. Also post the serial number - it is on a plate in the engine compartment on the drivers side and should read "45/xxxx" = the same number should be just inside the windshield on the drivers side. The number plate is black and silver. It should also have the engine number on the plate. Does the number on the plate match the engine in the car. The engine number can be see by looking down at the block casting between the carbs.
It's very hard to judge this from a distance, the fact that it hasn't run since 1981 makes it more so. How it was stored and its current condition will make a difference on value, but there is someone out there that would love to have a one owner Elan to restore.
Good luck. Let us know how we can help.
Bob
1969 Elan S4
45/8842
To start with, post some pictures of the car from all angles, the interior, and the engine compartment. Let's see what it looks like, and how original it is. Also post the serial number - it is on a plate in the engine compartment on the drivers side and should read "45/xxxx" = the same number should be just inside the windshield on the drivers side. The number plate is black and silver. It should also have the engine number on the plate. Does the number on the plate match the engine in the car. The engine number can be see by looking down at the block casting between the carbs.
It's very hard to judge this from a distance, the fact that it hasn't run since 1981 makes it more so. How it was stored and its current condition will make a difference on value, but there is someone out there that would love to have a one owner Elan to restore.
Good luck. Let us know how we can help.
Bob
1969 Elan S4
45/8842
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Post by: norabella » Sat Jun 06, 2015 11:40 pm
OK, here are a bunch of photos.
There are two plates under the bonnet, driver's side near the windshield, but I couldn't find any other numbers or plates. As you might be able to see, one plate says Unit No. 45/8078, Eng. No. G/16118/B. The larger plate also has the unit number and engine number hand-written in. I can see that the engine number matches on both plates, but the unit number is somewhat harder to read. I can't find a plate on the engine itself, but it is covered with grease.
I'm sure no one wants to take my word for it, but there's no way it's not the original engine. No catastrophic failures, and my dad rebuilt the engine at least once. He was not the kind of guy to buy a new engine unless the original was not salvageable.
I can look harder for a plate on the engine if someone could show me where exactly to look.
Thanks for your help, and I hope someone likes this car. My dad loved it.
There are two plates under the bonnet, driver's side near the windshield, but I couldn't find any other numbers or plates. As you might be able to see, one plate says Unit No. 45/8078, Eng. No. G/16118/B. The larger plate also has the unit number and engine number hand-written in. I can see that the engine number matches on both plates, but the unit number is somewhat harder to read. I can't find a plate on the engine itself, but it is covered with grease.
I'm sure no one wants to take my word for it, but there's no way it's not the original engine. No catastrophic failures, and my dad rebuilt the engine at least once. He was not the kind of guy to buy a new engine unless the original was not salvageable.
I can look harder for a plate on the engine if someone could show me where exactly to look.
Thanks for your help, and I hope someone likes this car. My dad loved it.
Last edited by norabella on Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:57 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by: norabella » Sun Jun 07, 2015 12:46 am
I also found a list of parts and tools that my ex wrote up:
2 used pistons
starter
4 used pistons
speedometer cable
4 used pistons (yes, that's a lot of pistons, but that's what he wrote)
engine head
starter
oil pump
solinode (assume he meant solenoid?)
1/2 header
2 weber carbs
cylinder stones(?)
inside mic (micrometer?)
reamer
2 used pistons
starter
4 used pistons
speedometer cable
4 used pistons (yes, that's a lot of pistons, but that's what he wrote)
engine head
starter
oil pump
solinode (assume he meant solenoid?)
1/2 header
2 weber carbs
cylinder stones(?)
inside mic (micrometer?)
reamer
- norabella
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Post by: William Taylor » Wed Jun 10, 2015 5:57 pm
Have you sold this yet? Do you have a price in mind?
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