Spyder Rear?

[stuartgb100]

An earlier post has confirmed what I knew, that the front of my '71 Sprint chassis is not 'original' .... tubular crossmember, tow hook, drain hole.

The PO said he thought that the chap he bought it from said that a Spyder front had been grafted on. My previous post also suggested that was a possibility, either by Spyder themselves, or by other parties.

What I'd now like to do, is to establish just what is at the rear. I've checked Spyder's site, but any downloaded pictures are not detailed enough to show enough info.

Could anyone with either a Lotus chassis or Spyder chassis be kind enough to email me a couple of pictures of the rear end, showing what that respective chassis must be like ..... or conversely, explain just exactly what to look for on a fully-assembled elan.

Regards,

Stuart.

[steveww]

Spyder used to make a replica Lotus chasis as well as the space frame chasis. The replica one looks pretty much like the Lotus one apart from the front vacuum tank. There should be a Spyder number on top of the vacuum tank. Give Spyder a call with this number and they should be able to give you some more details.

[john-c-elan+2]

If you have this book check out page 47 as it shows the Spyder rebuilt Lotus chassis in 1982. They used to (or may still) offer this service at about 65% cost of new Lotus chassis ? jc

[nebogipfel]

My early Spyder unit has the number stamped on one top rail in the vicinity of the engine mount (can't remember which side without looking)

It's in the form SPY***

[stuartgb100]

John,

On my chassis, there is a plate on the top of the front n/s chassis rail, just below the exhaust manifold for cylinders 1 & 2. ..... It's blank.
(a bit like me at the moment!).

You say your Spyder is an early unit .... see later.

John-c-elan+2

Don't have the book, so cannot comment. But thanks.

Steve,

Found an id where you said. Not that clear, but was SPY 70?7, probably either 7067 or 7007.

Took your advice. The guy was pressed for time but said as follows:

Spyder made three types:

a) Service Exchange
b) Stress Frame
c) Tubular Frame

From the Serial number, it probably dates from the mid to late '70's.

To recognise which, inspect the engine mountings:

i) If the rubber mounting is bolted closest to the engine, and then a bracket links to the chassis .......... it's a stress frame

ii) If the rubber mounting is bolted closest to the chassis, and then a bracket links to the block .......... it's a space frame

For me, that means the front is a space frame (I think), because the rubber mounting fixes direct to the chassis rail, and then via spacers into the block.

Interestingly, he confirms what I'd heard elsewhere ... namely that Spyder would fit whatever front X-member the owner wanted ... either box section or tubular.

We moved onto the back end question. This seems far more difficult to ascertain over the phone (he says). So I'll send some photos and see if all makes sense to him.

Regards and thanks all.