Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I need to locate a Smiths speedo to suit my 1969 UK spec Elan SE, with the 130 mph face and mileometer.

Can anyone please tell me whether this unit was sourced from another car range - Ford perhaps ? And if so, which models/manufacturing years ? I can then try to track one down.

Alternatively, should you know of one for sale, please let me know.

Many thanks

I belive I am right in saying that the speedo reads up to 140mph. Mine certainly does. Sorry to say they are as rare as hens teeth as I had the same problem. I think they are peculiar to Lotus Elans.

Thanks for that reply. I'll keep my fingers crossed and eyes open - you never know !

I believe that S1-S3 Elans had the 140 MPH speedometer, with 1000 turns per mile internal gearing. I can not read the Smiths model number on mine.

The S4 and later Elans had the 130 MPH speedometer with 980 turns per mile internal gearing to suit the upgrade to 155-13 tyres from 145-13. It is Smiths 6207/08 980.

The early speedometers had tick marks at 2 MPH intervals, the 130 MPH speedometers had tick marks every 10 MPH. The last numerical legend was 130, but there was a last tick mark corresponding to 140.

The later speedometers come up on eBay reasonably frequently, the early ones are not nearly as common, quite rare in fact.

Upon further thought, the +2s had a 130 MPH speedometer, but with a 960 turns per mile internal gearing to suit 165-13 tyres. This will produce a fast odometer reading unless you upgrade to 16-13 tyres, a desirable upgrade anyway.

There is a downloadable spreadsheet at lotus-suspension-f42/updated-spreadsheets-t18445.html that many users use to answer questions about tyre size, speedometer gearing, and transmission/speedometer gears.

David
1968 36/7988

Thank you David - that's very helpful.
I'll keep watching Ebay for one to appear.
Best wishes

at 140 you wont have time to read it any way

There`s a post today about rebuilding 1 speedo from 2. Buy 1, from him, he uses the money to send his other to Speedy Cables for a rebuild, you get the other and do the same.
Jim

If money is no object, Speedy Cables will make one for you. I would think it would be in the ?100 - ?200 range. They do bespoke instruments. [url]http://www.speedycables.com/index.html
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Mike