Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

well yes, my lovely +2 is up for sale... a very tricky decision as most of you can probably sympathise, but I've had it and loved it for 3 years, and just fancy a change.. I also use it almost everyday, so sometimes require a little more than it can give..
SO.. now that my therapist has final prised a for sale ad out of me, and assuming it sells, what shall I buy next? The current leaders are an elise 111s or a Dare Ginetta G4.... anyone gt either of those and could offer some advice? Failing that, anything I've missed? I'd love aa baby elan, but d enough long drives to make having only 4 gears quite hard work... I'd love to have 2 cars, but on my salary, and at only 27, that ain't going to happen...
I know I will regret selling the elan in years to come, but at the moment, it's the right thing to do... so, what would best soften the blow?! I need a new toy...

Caterham 7................buy one, have a few months or so in a proper supercar and then sell it getting all your money back............the "free car" theory as my Mrs. hates me saying

Elise.....have to agree. ( Insurance will be dear as opposed to 7's and elans though)

Westfield Megabusa at similar money

Z cars of KAD Mini

old shape C43 AMG C class merc.........if you're feeling sensible.

Kenny

buy yourself a corvette and always get to your destination -starts in the wet -and your mates will gather around just feel the ground shake when you start it up - -ed

I `m on my 3rd Elise, 111R (fabulous), so I`m quite keen....... but If I had to sell the S3 Elan or the Elise, then the Elise would have to go. At 27, insurance will be another issue.
Jim

Ed is right about 'vettes starting in the wet, however, I live in Southern California, it doesn't rain that often, or that hard, most Corvettes here are not driven in the wet because they handle so poorly; once they start to slide, their weight makes it nearly impossible to reel them in without the aid of another solid object such as a tree, a guard rail, a parked car, etc.

Someone accustomed to driving a Lotus will soon do himself a mischief driving a Corvette in the same manner!

ya --but you can change your name to 'Bob ' and get a crew cut --Vet drivers just cruise the strip and admire themselves in the store windows any how ---and Brits know how to drive in the 'damp' ---the one wet day in so cal must be busy for the tow trucks --- --ed

Ed,

You must have been watching our local news, it rained on the Grapevine Friday night! They'll be days getting that cleaned up.

oh yes we get the world famous K T L A NEWS UP HERE -----helps when we are huddled around the T.V. for warmth when there is 4 or 5 or so feet of snow out and the cat wont even go outside that some bodys warm ----what caused that pile up ???---ed

0.10" of rain. It's crazy out here when it gets damp! All the smog,etc., settles on the roads all year long, then the first little rain turns the freeways into one huge oilslick!

"Back in th' day" my Elans were driven as daily transporters. Up where elancoupe lives. Rain, shine, SNOW... Now here in Florida I wouldn't take one out in the wet without a long thought. Not because it doesn't cope well, rather the place is littered with Buicks piloted by feeble minded blue-hair'd incomps. As soon as it drizzles they look like "dodgem" cars at the fair in every intersection.

"If it's Snow-bird Season, why can't we SHOOT 'em?!?!"

Rob,
There's an Evante for sale in the latest "Classic & Sports Car" magazine.
May be of interest to you?

An Elan with all the needed improvements:- discuss

Exits rapidly

John

Four words sum it up for me....
Great engine, looks crap.
Mark

Elanintheforest wrote:Four words sum it up for me....
Great engine, looks crap.
Mark

Two words missing: really and really.

Well that discussion set the forum on fire, a bit monosyllabic & very obviously a tabu subject.
What about Ginetta G15's?

runs for cover

G15 is a great little car but it's no Elan, the chassis is fairly complex, built in just such a cheapo fashion as the Elan's but it is bonded into the glass. Therefore it's an absolute bastard to separate the two.
When I sold my first Elan in 76, I regretted it the next day (on my way to work in a V12 E-Type), just roll your car into a corner, forget it for a couple of years and buy an old Mini Cooper.