Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Apart from the Philips Turnolock radio were any other radios offered as an option on Sprints?

I am curious, what speaker covers were used?

Photos appreciated.

Think the parts manual shows a Pye Major and another I can't remember.

I have somewhere a single chromed grille that took an oval speaker that fitted in the Millboard backboard.

Thanks Steve. Do you know if door speakers were ever fitted?

Mazzini wrote:Thanks Steve. Do you know if door speakers were ever fitted?

I don't know for certain but I'd suspect not (by the factory). The Turnolock was probably state of the art-ish at the time and I reckon new better proper stereos came on the market soon after and resulted in many a door trim being violated.

On the Sprint, the Turnolock came with a single speaker (presumably because earlier ones were in mono) and the factory fitted it centrally behind the seats as described above. To my knowledge the Europa Twin Cam and Special were the only models where the factory fitted the single speaker for the Turnolock in one of the door cards. My +2s 130/5 had two factory fitted grills in the rear parcel shelf with only a single fitted with the Turnolock. When the Lotus Service Garage did some work on my +2 in the early 80's they fitted an additional speaker for me. According to Brian Buckland's Elan manual you should stengthen the door cards of the Elan if you want to fit speakers which presumably is why Lotus never fitted them in the doors in the first place.

Clearly, after the S3 with the single, wide demister grille which incorporated the central single speaker, there was nowhere there to mount one. Wasn`t it then, with the S4 and Sprint, that 2 speakers (stereo) were mounted in the doors? I seem to remember...............vaguely.
Jim

My early 68 S4 FHC Elan had the large dash grill and had the single central speaker with chrome grill in the rear parcels shelf. The radio was a pye if I remember correctly, that I replaced in the early 70's with a radio cassette player and added a couple of speakers in the rear vertical boot panel.

My 73 Plus2S130/5 had two rear speakers on the parcel shelf with chrome grills. It still has the original turnaloc radio.

I dont think I have ever seen an Elan or PLus 2 with door speakers that looked factory or dealer fitted

cheers
Rohan

My 72 Sprint has a turnolock radio, and a single speaker in the passenger door.

All from new, but it was a kit purchase, so I don't know if that was part of the builders responsibility or not.

Regards
Richard

Possibly the final word on this.

Elan Workshop Manual - Revised Reprint Version October 1974
Section M - Electrical Equipment
Page 115
M31 - Phillips RN.314 'Turn-O-Lock' Radio
This radio receiver is now fitted to all current Production cars. Details for installing a radio are contained in Section 'M.25'.

The Phillips radio is earthed to a convenient main chassis earthing bolt. The aerial is fitted as with other radios, the extension running from behind the facia, then around the lower part of the R/H door aperture. The single speaker is fitted in the rear quarter trim backboard.

So guys there you have it. If you want to be original the single speaker goes at the back.

My 68' S4 SE radio is a Motorola, period by all accounts. I am on the lookout for an original speaker mounted under the central grille on the top of the dash. someone in the past has fitted speakers in the rear.

JimE wrote:Possibly the final word on this.

Elan Workshop Manual - Revised Reprint Version September 1974
Section M - Electrical Equipment
Page 115
M31 - Phillips RN.314 'Turn-O-Lock' Radio
This radio receiver is now fitted to all current Production cars. Details for installing a radio are contained in Section 'M.25'.

The Phillips radio is earthed to a convenient main chassis earthing bolt. The aerial is fitted as with other radios, the extension running from behind the facia, then around the lower part of the R/H door aperture. The single speaker is fitted in the rear quarter trim backboard.

So guys there you have it. If you want to be original the single speaker goes at the back.

Thanks Jim! Anybody got a photo of the speaker?

djb222 wrote:My 68' S4 SE radio is a Motorola, period by all accounts. I am on the lookout for an original speaker mounted under the central grille on the top of the dash. someone in the past has fitted speakers in the rear.

I found these when looking for a speaker for under the dash grill:

https://www.partsales.com/details/autoe ... x-2-2dc07e

Hope it helps.

Thanks for the link Terry, looks like I may have to go that route. However I'll keep looking for an original as it'll be one of the last things I fit. I may find one next to a pile of Unicorn poo..

I know I did have an original speaker (whether it's been binned I'm not sure but I don't think I would have). I'll have to have a look around the garage when I get a chance. From memory I'd say it was quite narrow I'd be shocked if it was as wide as 4 inches (I'm guessing but 3/3.5 inches x 6/7 inches). The speaker cone was a sort of beige colour and looked like it was made of paper. Again from memory the rear of speaker had a fairly small metal domed piece with no sign of any external magnet.

The speaker grille that fitted to the rear Millboard I'm certain I still have as I paid to have it rechromed. Haven't seen it in a while but it is a metal mesh grille with a surround similar to the half V bezels on the instruments essentially rectangular but with the top and bottom edges curved outwards slightly (if that makes any sense at all).

If I can put my hands on them I'll take some photos and measurements.

I sourced a speaker for my Sprint from www.classiccarstereo.co.uk. The model is Part no. CS013 and its a 6.5 " (165mm) two way co-axial slim loudspeaker. It fits nicely at the rear. Obviously, you'd have to buy a pair. The appearance is not that disimilar to the factory speakers on my +2s 130/5. My Sprint didn't come with a Turnolock but I sourced a brand new FM one on ebay. As it was a stereo one I was tempted to fit two speakers in the doorcards but in the end I wanted to keep the car original. That said, the sound from the single speaker, albeit in mono, sounds great but that might have something to do with the better quality of the FM version I purchased. Good luck.