1966 Lotus Elan FHC S3 w/Formula Atlantic Motor (26R look)

PostPost by: paul-hb » Fri Oct 14, 2016 12:23 am

1966 Lotus Elan S3 Fixed Head Coupe
26R Tribute / 1,350lbs & 170hp
Formula Atlantic Cosworth Engine

VIN # 36/5879
Less than 200-Miles on Full Restoration
British Racing Green on Black Leatherette
4-speed semi-close ratio manual transmission
Clean and Clear California Title (Titled as 1965)
Mostly a California Car
Clean, straight, and dry example

Located in Costa Mesa, California

Offered at $39,990

The owner of this Lotus is a good friend of mine and more of a Porsche guy/race car builder. However, he has that naturally ability to put things together. So, after several years of looking for the right Elan project, he found this car and embarked on a 3-year restoration journey.

This Lotus left the factory on June 9th, 1966 as a British Racing Green (BRG) Fixed Head Coupe (FHC). It was assembled at the factory and designated for export. Although not much is known about the car?s life, we can trace back its history at least 25-years as a California car. One of the early owners was a Lotus parts hoarder who had plans of reassembling the car but never got to it. So, in the 1990?s, he sold it to an enthusiast in Sacramento, California who planned to finish the project. He started the project in 1998 and a year later, fell ill and the project sat for another 15-years. The current owner is a long time Porsche restorer and racecar builder who was looking for a fun project. He came across this one in 2013, bought it, and trailered boxes of parts back to his garage in Southern California. Just like any project, there were more parts missing than he anticipated. And, what was initially more of a clean and reassemble project became a full-blown restoration. Over 800-hours was invested in this project.

Everything on this Elan is either new or restored. No nut or bolt went untouched. As you can see in our pictures, he brought the car down to a bare backbone chassis and started from there. The goal of this build was to create something in the spirit of the 26R that is fun and reliable for normal street use. Highlights include:

Freshly rebuilt BDR Cosworth Motor from an Ex-Formula Atlantic:
Bore 3.287 / 83.5 mm Stroke 3.060 = 1700cc
Compression ratio 10.1:1
Forge crankshaft
Rods shot-peen with 12-point bolts
Pistons JE Forged
Cams BD3 .340 lift Duration 288 Lobe Center 110
Carbs Weber Italian 44mm DCOE
Aluminum Flywheel with new clutch disc, pressure plate and bearing
Electronic Ignition
Complete balanced
170hp estimated

Gearbox:
4-speed semi close ratio
New bearings and synchros
1st 2.97:1
2nd 2.01:1
3rd 1.39:1
4th 1.00:1
New U-joints

Rear End 3.77:1
Converted to CV joints (No rubber drive donuts)
Rebuilt/zinc plated disc brakes with stainless steel pistons
Lucas electrical system complete removed
New wiring harness
12v system with alternator
High torque starter
Custom aluminum fuel tank about 9 gallons
Chassis has the Lotus racing 26R stiffing/reinforcing additions
Koni shocks new
Front sway bar
Knock off wheels
Wheels are power coated
26R headlight covers
Back dated rear taillights.

The body was the first thing to get finished and repainted its original BRG. While that was being done, the owner began to assess the missing parts as well as begin work on the backbone chassis. It took nearly 3-years to finish and only a couple hundred miles have been driven on it since. The quality of the craftsmanship is excellent. It is clear that this owner was patient and very talented. The fit and finish of the body is quite good. The body has been finished for nearly 3-years now and is showing some typical very light fiberglass checking (see pics). You have to be extremely close and in bright light to notice it. There are no other cracks or significant blemishes. The glass is in excellent condition with a new windscreen. The 155/70 13? tires are new as well as the brakes. The interior is new and shows no signs of wear. There are no tears, rips, cracks, or any other issues in the cabin. All the Smith gauges are freshly restored and operate properly. All the other switches and lights function as they should including the electric windows.

This Elan drives amazing. It starts with ease and quickly idles smoothly. The shifting is extremely precise with no grinding or other issues. The acceleration is incredibly strong and it feels like the motor wants to rev forever. The brakes are nicely balanced with nice initial bite and very linear feel. Finally, the handling is scalpel precise with almost intuitive turn in and excellent balance. This Lotus just begs to turn every freeway transition into Eau-Rouge from the Spa F1 circuit.

California registration is current and paid through August of 2017.

This Lotus comes with a parts manual, wiring diagrams, other restoration guides, extra keys, and some parts receipts from the recent build.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me (Paul) at 714-335-4911 or [email protected]" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

We have over 100 photos including the build available.
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paul-hb
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