Spyder Zytec V Restored Standard Car

[davidholroyd]

Question ?

Will an original spec restored S4 / Sprint DHC be worth more in ten years time than a 'new' Spyder Zytec S4 Sprint DHC .. As more young people Know less and less about 'cars' and fixing them will the 'new' Ford Zytec running gear in the old car be much better OR will the original win... This based on the fact that Elans have hardly gone up in value over the last 10 years. Many people will buy an MX5 .. not an Elan because of the cost of fixing it when it goes wrong !. What do you all think... would you want an ultra reliable Zytec that looks and goes better than the real thing OR the original ? AND WHAT WOULD YOU PAY MORE FOR ...

Thanks

David

[simon.mitchell]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the value - there are other ways to invest your money with much better returns. Just build what you want to drive!

[lotuselanman]

Gidday,
I totally agree with Simon, enjoy it.
See ya, Les

[sk178ta]

The number choosing between an MX5 and an Elan, now, I would have thought were minimal. I can`t imagine anyone in the market to buy an Elan, now or especially in 10 years time, would be remotely interested in a Zetec special. It would be missing the point.
There again, people buy personalised number plates (N4FF) and I don`t get that either.
Grumpy Jim

[bvt]

I have often wondered... total original or practical...
if it were original it ould be almost heartbreaking to drive but also impractical...
However, if you go for all the new bits.. why not just build a one off and not bother with an elan ID? you could incorporate all sorts..

Best bet it to get 2 or more.. then have the one you don't drive, but then what is the point???

I would say maintenance etc isn't really an issue as lotuses are quite simple compared to modern lumps.. so it is what looks and feels right... I will stick with the Twink lumps and drive something else if i am that concerned about reliability etc..

As for investment. i agree... cars are certainly not that.

as for Personalised plates.....

what am i offered for 1OVE??? now that was an investment!

Update on prices....
well there was that Elan Sprint FHC in the late 80s that sold for ?28k.. and after the drop everyoine said never again.. and that car would be lucky to make ?18k
so....
everyone thinks that will not be done again...
I suggets you find out what Ron Hickman paid for his Sprint!!!!!

Many dealers are now selling immaculate cars for ?20k+

[pereirac]

I would say that Elans in good condition have almost doubled in value in 10 years. It just that they are worth less than they were at the end of the 80's when people were paying very silly money. My Sprint was valued at around ?23k then and even then it was only in good condition. I bought it to drive so don't really worry about it's value too much or about how much I have spent on it...
There are too many cars around where the previous owners have spent thousands on a car selling for about half the restoration costs

I agree with the others who say just buy what you want to drive. Buying a car just to make money is very dodgy. Just look at the prices of Mk 2 Jags, people were once paying around ?50k for a good car, now they are probably worth around ?10k!!

Carl

[worzel]

Hi All

Just a point about boring old reliability.

Sorry to nail the myth but why is it assumed that Elans have to be/are unreliable.

I have had them continuously for 30 years now and for most of that time used them as daily drivers in all weathers and all types of traffic. They seemed to cope quite well.Most of the problems I've ever had with them have usually occurred within the first 12 months of acquisition ie previous owners were the problem. Fix them properly and use them properly- not necessarily mollycoddling them but noe abusing them either and they should only give problems in the areas affecting all cars as they age.

Go on- shoot me down!

John

[type36lotus]

The ever increasing rarity of an original or nearly original will price it higher. No one (I hope) buys this type of car for it reliability. Many will look for one with modern components, they will not be the collectors who will pay for originality. The collectors are the one who move the prices upwards. Not the I don't care what it's made of, just as long as it looks and behaves like an Elan group.

JMHO.

[pereirac]

I have owned modern cars which cost more to run and were more unreliable than my Elan. At least when my Elan broke down it was usually something simple to fix and nothing too serious. When a 'modern' car breaks down it tends to be expensive as generally parts can not be repaired but have to be replaced!

An Elan with a modern Zetec engine is a 'kit' car with a Lotus bodyshell, an Elan as it came out of the factory is a Lotus. Both are good but it depends on whether you want an original or a copy.

[steveww]

Just my 2p worth......

Personally I don't get the whole concourse thing, I have cars to drive not to polish. Thus originality is not high on my list of priorities, however I do believe that you need to keep true to the spirit and any mods that you do should be in period. So I would not fit an engine management system but fitting electronic points is OK as they fit entirely inside the dizzy and the mod is easily reversed. Same goes for springs / dampers etc. When I upgraded the brakes on my S4 I fitted the +2 front set up as was common back then, I could have fitted a Wilwood system but felt it was not in the spirit of the car. Tweeking the old Lotus twinc is also fair game; bigger valves, polishing porting, wild cams etc are all the types of thing that was done back then.

I think most people who would buy an Elan would want the original character and would only be using the car as a weekend toy so maximum reliability is not the main consideration. However if you accept that the on going servicing of a 30+ year old car is more intensive that a modern box then the Elan can be very reliable. I did 1100 miles down to Classic Le Mans and back and only need to top up the oil a bit. Keep it original with some minor sensible modern tweeks.

[simon.mitchell]

Carefull with the 'kit car' accusations - you're going to upset a lot of people with Spyder chassis, CV driveshaft or 5-speed gearbox conversions!

As for whether it's a Lotus, well what would Colin Chapman have made of a Zetec engined Elan? Would he have approved (as Graham Arnold apparently did) or would he have grumbled that the starter motor wasn't correct for 1968? My guess is that he'd have loved it and probably would have fitted a Zetec himself if they'd been available.

OK I'm being contentious but to my mind the Zetec conversion is very much in the spirit of the original. My car may not win the concours but it came from the Lotus factory, has a Ford based twin cam and (when I stick the letters back on it will anyway) it says LOTUS on the boot lid.

Sorry chaps, to my mind it's a Lotus - developed and uprated but still a Lotus.

Now shoot me down (before I work out how to supercharge it...)!

Simon

[mike+2s130]

being a purist i think the elan should be the car it was originally intended for.if you want reliability no hassel lots if fun then buy an elise.i own an elan and find it a great hobby.what ever you drive have fun

[pereirac]

Whoops, don't want to upset people (or Spyder) with the suggestion that their car is no longer an Elan because they have fitted a Spyder chassis...(alhough I know people who would).

I admit that given modern technology you can almost always improve on the original.
I sometimes feel that early Lotus cars were built according to what was 'on special' at the time rather than what was the 'best' available as there was always a lot of cost savng involved. I seem to remember reading that Colin Chapman only made road cars to pay for F1 racing. That's probably why no two Elans are ever quite the same

If Colin Chapman had access to the Zetec engine he would also have had access to a lot of other modern technologies so I imagine he would have produced something closer to the Elise than the Elan.

[berni29]

Hi

For my 10pence worth I would have no problems putting a Zetec engine in my +2 as long as it did not change the dynamics of the car too much. I would have to have a limited slip rear diff as well. I used to both hate and love spinning a rear wheel in the wet. I like the 4sp box so a slightly higher ratio on the back would do me.

By the way, what is a standard +2 engine without carbs in good running condition worth?

All the best

Berni

[bs982367]

why not using the 26R frame ?
you save weight, get more rigidity, pay the same price and keep the car's originality !