Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hello.

This is the first time I have to ask you guys for help. Everything I ever wanted to know is on here.
I have an early Elan plus 2 first registered 23. of February 68 number 50/0377, so it is one of the early ones.
The Speedometer is from a Cortina (km/h) so not original . Looking for one in either MPH or KM/H.
The question is. The tachometer looks like no other here on this site, so is it an original early one,
a one off from the shelf at Lotus, or has someone in the past changed it? The number on the tacho is:
RVI 2434/00
See attached picture.

Regards

Jens

On my 72 built plus 2s130 number 0306N I've got the exact same tech as you do, the 2434/00 Gordon Sauer

Looks the same as mine 1973 +2S 130 tacho also.

What about the dial? All the ones I have seen have a dark center and a chrome ring, and the colour is grey on mine and not black.
http://images.lotuselan.net/lel/23697/0 ... 1_0248.JPG

Or this one with the right numbers.
http://images.lotuselan.net/lel/23679/0 ... %20001.JPG

Hi Jens

The tacho you have is from a late (circa '72 onwards) Plus 2S 130 so is not correct for your car. The one you should have would have a black face and "V" shape bezel to match your other instruments.

As the tacho in your picture is negative earth, my guess is that your cars been changed from it's original positive earth configuration and the tacho was swopped at this time.

Andy

Hi Andy.

That explains the grey color, but the dial? I have never seen any with that one.
The car has been assembled as a jigsaw puzzle at sometime in the UK, so it seems that they have mixed up the different puzzles.
A picture to show that the car is alive, but missing some chrome bits, not just the tacho.
So it seems I am on the hunt for a tacho as well.

Thank?s for the help.

Jens

Hi Jens,

I have the same tacho as yours but the needle is different, my needle has a chrome centre and the actual needle is coloured orange.

Unfortunately I to have an early plus 2 that should have a tach with a black face and white needle to match the other instruments. I assume that both my speedo and tach were changed when a po altered the system from pos earth to neg. Fortunately I think I have sourced a speedo, just on the look out for a tach.

Chris.

Hi Chris.

Dial was the word I used, but it was the needle I should have used about the difference between the different tacho?s.
Finding a speedo with km/h looks allmost impossible, so a MPH is ok for me and finding a tacho could show to be just a difficult.
Lets see what the future brings. The car will bring me around the twisted roads anyway.

Jens

Hi Jens,

The replacement speedo for the one I have in now I got from a member on here who lives in france and had taken it out to replace it with a km/h one so they are available. Another way of betting your speedo done would be to send it to Speedy Cables here in the UK, they will refurbish it and re-do the face in km/h. Not sure how much that would be, may even be nearer to you that will do a simlar service.

Chris.

Here's a picture of it as you say it should be so yes even though numbers the same, the arm is orange with the chrome center Gordon Sauer

Jens,
sorry to go off subject but i think your 1968 has the wrong bonnet. Your car should have a flat bonnet, it is before the introduction of stroms

alan wrote:sorry to go off subject but i think you have the wrong bonnet. Your car should have a flat bonnet, it is before the introduction of stroms

Alan my 1970 car has 'bulge bonnet' with Webers as many non Stroms did leave the factory this way later. Same as the windscreen wiper motors they are all mixed up on UK cars as to which side they park.

I take your point though here with pre Stromberg introduction but then the car also has spot/fogs so maybe has been subject to a new front end at a later date for some reason. The light pod RHS looks a bit 'iffy' too.

Jans put up some more photo's rear, interior, underbonnet let's see how much of a puzzle your car is as there are lots of 'mongrels' around, but as you say if the car drives nicely what the heck as it sure looks nice with the colour combination.

Regards

Steve

When i lived in Portsmouth I also used to have a 1968 +2 flat bonnet and boot release handle in middle at back.
Then i bought a 1970 +2S with bonnet hump and webers.

Hi Steve.

The engine has been replaced at some time in the past, according to Andy Graham at Lotus. The engine came from a 2 seater Elan from approximately 1970 with Strombergs (Engine number L21774 ). It has been converted to big valve and lead free.
The front has been changed and some metalwork put in to support.
Yes, the RHD pod is now in place. Was a bit off when I bought the car.
It was originally yellow and a RHD but after some years in Denmark it was changed to LHD. The original UK plates was NVD 500 F and from the few papers I have the car has been serviced by Kelverdon Motors in 87, Len Street Chelsea 88, Lyte & Wakefield Tuning Enfield 97-99, but the car was assembled after an unfinished restoration at CVT Classic Sportscars Woburn Hill House sometime back in the late or early 90( Cant read the year properly).
If you follow the link below you will see the sales advert that caught me last year.

http://www.stelvio.dk/product_detail.as ... r&maID=210

At the moment I might have found a speedo in MPH from a plus 2s. Not the correct one but better than the Cortina one the PO put in to get KMH.

Jens.