S4 door blacking.

[Grizzly]

Hi all.

Does anyone have pictures of the correct masking line for the Black paint that goes on the inside of a 2 seater (s4) door?

I have masked it up a few different ways now but i forgot to take pictures of how it was masked before i removed the paint......

Might be a bit Purist but it's the little things like this that bug me if i get them wrong.

Thanks.
Chris.

[gjz30075]

Will follow this, as I'd like to know myself

[1owner69Elan]

Here are some pictures of my left door.

Original paint. Original owner. 1969 S4 SE DHC, Federal.

Hope this helps.

[Grizzly]

I have found this picture of the back edge (this is how i remember my original paint looked. I've just pulled the picture of Google so not sure who's it is (Think it may be pharriso 's car??) hope who ever it is doesn't mind me using the picture.

My problem is the Front top and bottom edge. I can't find pictures of those areas....

[Grizzly]

Here are some pictures of my left door.

Original paint. Original owner. 1969 S4 SE DHC, Federal..

Thanks, but mine was different to yours for some reason?

[1owner69Elan]

Here are some more pictures, including the top front and bottom areas.

Don't know why there would be a difference in yours from mine. But, I reiterate that I have had the car since I picked it up myself, factory assembled, at Hethel, July 1969.

No damage, repairs, or repaint since. So, what I have on the doors is absolutely original as from the factory.

[Grizzly]

I'm not questioning your car but i've never seen one done like that and i've seen a few. On top of that my car is also a One owner 30,000 mile car owned by a family friend from new and i removed the paint as it was flaking off (grantee it had never seen paint) and with all due respect it didn't look like yours. Maybe they changed it as mine is a 1970 car.

[gjz30075]

Great reference, Thanks! I have a '72 Sprint so assuming Lotus didn't make a running change between
your car and mine, this should work for me.

edit: I see Chris posted just before I submitted. Perhaps Federal vs non??

[Grizzly]

Isn't Phils car (assuming it's pharriso's Green Sprint i posted above) a Federal ?

[Grizzly]

Here is another that shows a bit of the Hinge area. http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-l ... an-sprint/

[Grizzly]

Got it (i think ), they must have changed it for the Sprints. Mine is a 1970 S4/Sprint.

[gjz30075]

Yes, Phil's is a Federal, but I think it's a repaint. Hopefully he'll chime in.

[1owner69Elan]

Bit of a mystery about door blacking.

Below are two more examples of Elans currently on sale:

1. Yellow 1971 S4 SE ( http://www.wirewheel.com/1971-Lotus-Elan-S4-Sprint.html )
2. Red 1973 Sprint ( http://www.wirewheel.com/1973-Lotus-Ela ... -sale.html )

1971 S4 SE

1973 Sprint


Both have the same treatment on the door blacking as my original 69 S4 SE (45/9182).

Both of these cars, and mine, are Federal, if that is the common thread.

Of course, I don't know if these two cars have their original schemes. The red Sprint was indicated as repainted. I would have thought they would have retained whatever had been the original door treatment even if resprayed. For example, the engine bays are properly blacked.

At this point, I have no idea what is necessarily typical or original for all S4/Sprints. I only really know that my car is original, but perhaps there are other original schemes as well. As everyone knows, Elans can have a number of variations in different areas.

After almost 50 years of ownership, and intimate knowledge of my car, I am constantly amazed at the new things I learn from this board. Never knew there were different possible door blacking schemes. Interesting and educational.

[1owner69Elan]

Upon closer inspection of the two cars for sale at wirewheel.com there appears to be no blacking on the doors.

This is probably the result of the repainting of the doors and not bothering with the blacking afterward.

So, these cars do not have the blacking detali as in my S4. I correct myself.

I looked back at the EVO diaries video on the Elan Sprint and the door back edge blacking appears to show the blacking as per the above post on the pistachio Elan. That is, black above and following the curved seam and then body paint below.

As far as the forward area, I did see in another sprint for sale that the blacking extends upward to the seam before the drip channel as the dividing line with the body color. I would expect someone on the board with a Sprint could provide a proper picture.

It does appear that this door blacking difference was a change in transition from the S4 to the Sprint. To be confirmed.

[gjz30075]

As far as the forward area, I did see in another sprint for sale that the blacking extends upward to the seam before the drip channel as the dividing line with the body color. I would expect someone on the board with a Sprint could provide a proper picture.

It does appear that this door blacking difference was a change in transition from the S4 to the Sprint. To be confirmed.

I've had my car for 39 years and my first repaint I made sure this detail was duplicated because that's
the way it was painted when I got the car, with no reason to believe it was ever repainted in its short past, in this
area. Unfortunately this detail was lost on my last repaint, just 4 years ago (painter forgot) but I think
I can replicate the black area again. So, apparently, there is a transition from S4 to Sprint, in this area of
the door, anyway.