Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Russ

Thanks so much for posting that, appreciate it.

Interesting read and it strikes me that, for all the grunt the BDA produces, a standard Sprint would give you the better drive on Elan roads. No wonder there was only one!

Tim

Thanks for posting that Russ.

The one and only Elan with a BDA eh? My Plus 2 had its BDA fitted in 1971, a year before Broadspeed made the Sprint, and there are a few others about.

It seems strange that they converted the engine to wet sump, when that's how it came out of the crate, and mine uses the standard Twincam sump, so no issues with the cross member being modified. The head and cam carrier is taller than the twincam though, which required a bump to be let into the bonnet.

My engine was dyno'd at 170bhp as well, and has none of the intractability they seem to have found in the Broadspeed. Maybe they have a tall first gear close ratio box fitted? Mine are the standard 2000E ?interim? ratios (standard Elan box) with a 3.55 diff, and getting off the line isn't too impressive, but the engine is well mannered in doing it! I do have the standard flywheel, which would support an easier getaway I guess, so it feels much the same as a twincam. Once on the move the BDA shows what it?s got, and the car is a scream to drive, and it screams up to 8000 rpm quite happily?.same tuftrided crank used by the Broadspeed.

It sounds like the Broadspeed also needs the suspension sorting out, and maybe the standard wheels put back on to eliminated the harsh and jarring drive. Mine is standard with the exception of Koni adjustables, set at their softest setting, and the handling and ride is superb.

The guy who did my car ran Dave Smith Engineering in North London, and tweaked and improved the engine over many years, finally settling on a big valve BDA head just with 40s. 45s were fitted for a while and it developed a fair bit more power but sipped fuel at 8 or 9 mpg and apparently became a lot more temperamental!

He used the car to commute around North London in the 70s, and for several European trips, including Spain and Italy in the summer, and it runs the standard radiator. The car managed 70k miles before the engine needed rebuilding, when it was rebuilt into an AX thickwall block, but otherwise exactly the same spec as before.

It does sound like the Broadspeed has suffered from a lack of development, or perhaps it has been 'tweeked' in the past 30 or so years, and just needs setting up properly.

A fab car though...I'd love to get hold of that!

Mark