plywood wheels??

[purplepete]

Guys,
Have a look on ebay-theres a series 1 car on there with rather nifty plywood wheels!!definately worth a look if only for the comedy value!

[Elanintheforest]

It would go well in the snow
The last Elan S1 this bloke sold on ebay looked a complete wreck and got upto about ?7000...This may go a fair bit higher I guess, depending on the standard of finish of the bodywork. There seem to be very few S1 cars left now....this one wil get snapped up. I'm tempted!

[ppnelan]

Those are Marcos wheels aren't they ?!

I think ACBC 'wood'(!) have approved on the grounds of 'adding lightness', but not in terms of ride & handling...

Matthew

[elansprint71]

LHD, in South Africa?

Hmmmmm.

[Elanintheforest]

Well I couldn't resist and had a chat with the vendor. Lotus have confirmed that it was sent to S.A. new in 1964. It then ended up in Belgium, where it was possibly converted to LHD (it is LHD now). Apparently Lotus records don't show whether it was built as LHD or RHD. Most of the restoration work was undertaken in the UK, but by whom and how much is unknown. No supporting documentation. The engine still needs doing, and the paintwork 'needs flatting and probably blown over'. I read that as needing re-doing. The car isn't registered in the UK, but it does have a Belgian identity. The Vin plate is present, and the engine number matches. The original colour may have been BRG. It doesn't have it's original steering wheel (or wheels!) but otherwise is complete, with the hood bows, dash, pull-up windows etc. The chassis number is around 350...he did tell me but I didn't write it down, but it is a pretty early car.
And the $64,000 question? Well, it's not that much, but he's looking for something over ?7500.
So, what price an early car? I guess in the light of Lotus Cortinas from the same era at around ?8k for a basket case and ?25k for a minter, it seems to be quite reasonable...ish! It's still a total restoration needing the thick end of ?15k spending, which would make it a splendid and rare machine, but with no history.
The S1 he sold a couple of weks ago would have been a better proposition I think...one owner from new, 1963, never been restored (and needing everything doing) with a factory hardtop...and for the same money.
Mark