Elan S3 Airbox

[peterclivemartin]

Hi - I have an elan S3 in need of restoration - the air box is missing but the back plate is odd - I have never seen one like this before. Can any one identify it? I have attached a photo of the cam cover which I beleive might also be wrong - perhaps it had an engine change at some point?

[gherlt]

I have no idea, but in any case, its not an Elan airbox.
The early airboxes (the round ones) are rare and expensive, so your best option is a readily available S4 airbox (more rectangular).

[TrevorJones]

Hi
I fitted one of those air boxes on my Vegantune headed S3 elan in 1979, I obtained the box from Quentune Motors advertising it for an S4 for ?19.95 and ?9.60 for 4 x 16mm trumpets. The air filter was a flat plate with pleated material full width and height (sorry I cannot recall which car the filter came from). The only issue with the air box was the shorter trumpets and occasional spit back soaking the filter medium.
I am still running 45's on my Elan but have opted for the TTR box, trunking and large ITG filter in the nose, works great.

[Elanintheforest]

It looks like a version of the works airbox used on the Escort Twincam and RS1600 (BDA) Escort, which uses an XJS air filter element.

Are there holes on the top (or bottom) for a bracket to secure the filter element?

Mark

[Pastapesto]

Hey Mark

Hope you are well.

If you look carefully at the picture, I think you can just make out two studs on the top of the air box & sitting on the engine compartment flat area just above the master cylinders you can see a dusty bracket as there is in your picture.....I think you were spot on there Mark....

All the best

A

[peterclivemartin]

Hi - Thanks for all the info, it does have the top bracket so I think it must be the same as the photo above. I don't know whether to keep it or change it to the original.

[oldchieft]

Might be worth a lot to a person looking for one, but if you change it out I could find a use for it on my Morgan engine.

(I plan to chop the wing and flichplate to make room for air box and filters.)

Best regards
Jon The Chief

[Andy8421]

Hi - Thanks for all the info, it does have the top bracket so I think it must be the same as the photo above. I don't know whether to keep it or change it to the original.

The Elan engine bay is cramped and hot. Mr Chapman, who was not known for spending money on a whim, thought it worthwhile to go to the expense of trunking and a front mounted air filter. There is also a safety argument about avoiding a fuel soaked air filter being mounted above the distributor.

I would go with the original design were it me.

[seriouslylotus]

Spotted this air box in ebay....
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Twin-40-Carb ... SwFmFc0CPl

[Elanintheforest]

It looks like repros are available (about 1/3rd the way down the list)....

http://www.taylormadeclassiccars.com/pa ... parts.html

Mark