Elan Interior door Handles. yea you guessed it - Its snowing

[garyeanderson]

My friend Dave emailed me the other day looking for some interior door handles and I had to write back "which are you looking for" As I went through several boxes of parts it became apparent that Lotus seemed to change these more than many of the other running changes. I managed to find 3 kinds from the S2 and S3 and the S4 interior handles from the MGB were in a box someplace that I managed to loose track of. I know the SS are also different and I think the S1's may be the same as the early S2 that I have from 26/4020 and 26/4045. Does anyone have photos of the S4 interior door handles so that this topic can capture them all here in one location. If you haven't guessed its snowing again and there 's not much point going out and playing until it?s over for the day.


These sweet things spent 25 years out in the weather down on Long Island, N.Y. they were locked up with a bit of rust but a half an hours time with some 10-30 weight oil has them functioning like new, Just need a bit of bright put back on them...


This is the same as the above but is from out west, not a lot of rust on them (well I guess thats a relative term). Both this one and the pair above open by pushing the handle DOWN.


This handle is from 26/4597 and has had some hard times as its been for a swim in the Atlantic and the springs that pull the lock off from is on position were non existent. With more 10-30 oil the function just fine and opens pulling Forward.


Lotus must have been running low when the Coupe was introduced, as there was another change for both the Coupe and the S3 DHC that used these.


This photo is one I took at Bill's house of the doors from his SS 36/7502, this is just a portion of the original so its not the best quality.

[oldelanman]

Hi Gary,
Here you go...... There is a simple pull handle as well as the opening/locking one.

Best regards,

[paddy]

The S1 is the same as the early S2 (your first picture).

Paddy

[Allison]

Hi, the S3 uses the elegant chrome jobs as in your later photos. These came from the Austin 1100 - I know because I just tracked down a new lock from Earlpart in Derbyshire (UK). The interior mechanism was altered slightly from the BMC originals but the door lock is the same. Not sure they have any exterior handles left - I picked up a pair from an autojumble some time ago.

Peter

[rodbean]

Gary,
Both of my S1s (your first picture), and any S1, early S2 I have seen open by pushing down. Pulling up actuates the lock.
Rod

[garyeanderson]

Hi Rod
Yes, you are correct and I am wrong again. I have corrected the above post. I will always have a problem with left and right, up and down, 0 and 1, on and off, one or the other and any other form of yes - no answers. I am dyslexic and not much that can be done at this point in my life. If I look at a 3 letter licence plate ABC read it as ACB, they looks the same to me, funny how the numbers are much less of a problem.

Thanks for pointing out the error.

Gary

[Elanintheforest]

The internal handles for the S3 are from a Hillman Imp I believe. Peter's right that the locks and external handles are from the BMC 1100. I haven't been able to find from what car the SS S3 handles were sourced, but find it hard to believe that they were only for the SS!

Mark