Engine color??

[trw99]

[quote="nomad"]Well I knew this was an early car but didn't realize just how early. It appears that the black color may be correct for the car. Engine number is P1008. Soooo, Tim, what do I have? You mention a 7 and a 9 but no 8.

Kurt /[/quote]

The numbers referred to are the correct unique identifiers for any Elan, the Unit Number. I used shorthand for these nos in my post for the sake of brevity in answering your question. There is no Unit No 0008 in my list because that Elan was fitted with a 1600 engine from the start by the factory; the same for 0006.

From what I wrote you appear to conclude that your engine would be painted black. That is not so; all engines were painted grey from the start of production.

Engine Numbers started at 1. The earliest fitted to a production car was Engine No LP 6.

You say your Engine No is P1008. That should be LP1008 (P type engines were fitted to Domestic Elan Plus 2S 130 cars from Feb 1971 onwards). Your engine was fitted to an Elan 1600 invoiced at the end of December 1963. That car was indeed fitted with a Bourne body and the engine compartment would have been grey, as you say yours is. By that stage of production Lotus had sold over 300 Elans, so yours would appear not to be one of the very earliest cars.

Tim

[nomad]

'The engine is at the rebuilder'

Why aren't you the rebuilder Kurt? A Lotus twincam is not remotely like a flat 12 boxer engine. They are simple engines to work on and the satisfaction I get when finishing one and running it up for the first time, an thereafter, is immesurable.

Leslie

Leslie I will be reassembling the engine. I've done a number of them in my life but do not have the ability to bore the block, deck it, or turn the crank 10 under. Also don't have the ability to fit seats, guides and new valves.

Kurt

[nomad]

Well I knew this was an early car but didn't realize just how early. It appears that the black color may be correct for the car. Engine number is P1008. Soooo, Tim, what do I have? You mention a 7 and a 9 but no 8.

Kurt /

The numbers referred to are the correct unique identifiers for any Elan, the Unit Number. I used shorthand for these nos in my post for the sake of brevity in answering your question. There is no Unit No 0008 in my list because that Elan was fitted with a 1600 engine from the start by the factory; the same for 0006.

From what I wrote you appear to conclude that your engine would be painted black. That is not so; all engines were painted grey from the start of production.

Engine Numbers started at 1. The earliest fitted to a production car was Engine No LP 6.

You say your Engine No is P1008. That should be LP1008 (P type engines were fitted to Domestic Elan Plus 2S 130 cars from Feb 1971 onwards). Your engine was fitted to an Elan 1600 invoiced at the end of December 1963. That car was indeed fitted with a Bourne body and the engine compartment would have been grey, as you say yours is. By that stage of production Lotus had sold over 300 Elans, so yours would appear not to be one of the very earliest cars.

Tim

Tim, I thank you for the clarification. The engine will be grey but I still wonder how I got this engine denoted on the serial plate in a left hand drive US early Elan.

Kurt

[nomad]

Tim, please disregard my last post. I misunderstood your post.

Kurt

[GLB]

Kurt, Gary here. We met at the LOG in Salt Lake City. I have the early Elan 1600 no 0045. My engine was blue but who knows if correct. Data plate says should be LP 0051 but there are no numbers anywhere on my engine, not on the block or the head. It is early as it has the half moons along the plug well. It is grey now.

I also have a spare TC engine that is black. LP65074-LB-A I was told it is from a Lotus Cortina but I can't verify that. It has an information sticker on the front of the cam cover with all sorts of information on it. We think that is so that Ford dealership mechanics unfamiliar with the engine would have some basic data.

I would be curious to know what others know of this engine and the sticker. I have never seen one like it nor has anyone I've talked to at LOG including some Lotus USA reps. Gary

[vstibbard]

First I’ve seen, quite good idea. Does the logo on right mean anything to a forum member, maybe a dealers logo …

[gjz30075]

That's a Ford Autolite logo. It looks to be an engine maintenance spec sheet.

[LCRJ]

Hi Gary,

Happy New Year. Let's enjoy discovering new things this year. I just happened to find the pics of the same sticker. It's came from my Lotus Cortina friend in the US. The same sticker on the inside of the glovebox lid of US Lotus Cortina MK1.

All the best,
Hiro

[vstibbard]

Thanks Hiro

[nomad]

Hi, Gary. I do remember visiting with you at Log. It appears that 512BB is correct....We've been Lotused...

Kurt

[2cams70]

Does the engine have the LA, LB etc. grading mark stamped into the front of the block? This was uniquely Lotus although I'm not sure when it was introduced and whether it happened from the start. If it doesn't have this marking it's a possibility that it's been re-blocked with a standard Cortina block at some stage, engine number re-stamped with the original and bored to Lotus size. Standard Cortina blocks were all black.

[nomad]

Does the engine have the LA, LB etc. grading mark stamped into the front of the block? This was uniquely Lotus although I'm not sure when it was introduced and whether it happened from the start. If it doesn't have this marking it's a possibility that it's been re-blocked with a standard Cortina block at some stage, engine number re-stamped with the original and bored to Lotus size. Standard Cortina blocks were all black.

The stamp on the block appeared to be original as I remember. It is at the rebuilder right now so I can't check it. Same number on the head. Seems to me that if the Lotus section was out of engines that it could have gotten a Cortina engine but its going back grey since that is what I prefer.
No stamp at the front of the block and what appears to be a sleeve from the factory. My last 64 S1 didn't have a stamp on the block either.
This engine ran over 50 years without problem so I'm going to get a few more from it.

Kurt

[andyelan]

Hi everyone

This was the point I was trying to make, although perhaps rather badly. The Lotus Twin Cams were undoubtedly painted grey when new once they were completely assembled with sump, cylinder head (and possibly a slave cam cover to avoid the need for masking) etc. If a car / engine had a problem that required a new block or short engine while still under warranty(hence my comments of 1500 to 1600) then my thoughts are that it wouldn't necessarily go back through the paint shop before being returned to the customer. Of course this is all speculation

However, in May 1971 I bought a new Austin Sprite which it had head gasket problems almost from new. It was taken back by main dealer in July after just 2000 miles they found a cracked cylinder head so I got new head under warranty. That however was black and not green like the rest of the engine or indeed the original head

Regards
Andy