Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi All
I am after an early + 2 or S3 boot lock ( 2 short ears ) does anyone have one to sell?
Please P.M. me

Tony

Where are you located? I'm restoring my Coupe and may have a spare

Im in Bath Somerset

Tony

Also used on S4 up to sometime in 1969

cheers
Rohan

One sold on ebay yesterday for ?74.01. I`ll give ?70 for one working and reasonably smart.
Jim

Take a look through this lot. They may still be current handles.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cabin ... ndle+locks

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=t+han ... 68&bih=758

eg:


It seems that they are called T handles

In case this helps, with your search. I believe this is the original fitment. prior to overhaul.
The lock number is stamped on the square rod & matches the glovebox. I have (just) found a source for the key as 880 (relatively commonly available) does not seem to be correct.. I hope an FS088 will be (when it arrives).

Hello watsisname,
I think your key should be FS880. Perhaps you have a different problem with that lock.
Mine is also FS880 and back in the 60`s that key fitted lots of things in industry. :- Electrical cabinets, BEV fork lift trucks and machine safety doors. It was the most useful key to carry when doing maintenance.
Best of luck
Eric in Burnley
1967 S3SE DHC

These appear to be the same as used on our Type 14.. The square rod length might be different. What is the +2 measurement for it? I might have one spare, probably without key, from one of my 5 remaining Elites. Cheers. Mike Ostrov, Richmond, CA [email protected]

The square rod is 2 1/2 ins [64mm] & is approx 8mm square. This passes through the body + rear "boot frame" into the latch ( I think it's called a private lock) and could be longer without much issue. There appears room in the " boot frame " that a joining collar could be made to fit.

Our Climax Elite short ear boot lock rod 7 mm square and 2.25 inches from the chrome inside of the chrome oblong two hole base to the end of the square rod. The ears are 2.00 inches end to end. Gone for a few days, will try for a picture or two. Cheers. Mike

Tony,
Whilst this doesn't help you find a short eared boot lock, I have just given up looking for one and set about repairing the one I had on the day I read your post. The cam went "missing" from the end of the barrel, I made a stepped brass pin and pressed it into the end of the barrel, yet to prove it works as I need to buy a key.

This perhaps isn't the correct place for a bit of historical info on the original lock mechanisms but is I suppose as good as any. The locks were made by Wilmot Breeden in Biemingham. They were quite a successful company and were bought out around 1979/80 by Rockwell International. Whatever existed of WB has long since.gone and any tooling etc has gone with it. Interestingly they were described as cabinet locks for filing cabinets or instrument cases. The attached drawing shows both types of locks as used on the elan in key and keyless versions with their respective reference numbers.

a

Try Weston Body Hardware, I bought most of my chrome ware from them when I rebuilt my Elan (but it was a few years ago).

Carl

I`ve taken John Cleggs advice and bought something similarish (!) from ebay for around ?13. I`m not so precious with the S3 and it looks OK and I do need to lock the boot sometimes, starting next Wednesday as we`ll be staying in Brough in Cumbria.
I`ve put the old, not-working one on ebay; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/172561043660? starting at 7p.m. Someone might want it.
Jim