Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

OK so it got a tune-up at log 30 in Gettysburg but its got the same fuel that was in it when I filled up in Port Jervis on the 11th. The battery has been sitting at around 34 degrees Fahrenheit for two months but today the temps got to a balmy 45 degrees F and I did need to crank over a dozen times to light off the stale fuel. I do have an electric fuel pump and a Gustafson starter so I think it makes all the difference. I probably have dozen or more Lucas starters with cloves of garlic and wooden crosses laying on top of them with a stake of hickory driven though them. Not sure why I even keep them around, maybe some day I will want to ruin another ring gear or something stupid like that.

Gary

p.s. - no I didn't go for a drive, to much salt, sand and melting snow to make a mess and I am way to lazy to wash it so I'll just roll it back in the garage later.

Gary,

It's nice to know you got your Elan started. In a few days we should be at about 45F here in Michigan and I plan to get mine started after a few months of the car hibernating in the garage. There's no electric fuel pump on my car, so I'll carefully put some fuel in the Webers manually. Our roads have a lot of salt too, so no driving for me now - maybe in late March. I hope to get it trailered next week for a good alignment and probably some exhaust work. Trying to work under the Elan isn't much fun for me, so I'm willing to pay someone.

Bob

Hi Bob

I really didn't expect to have any problems other than the fuel that is 4 months old. The battery was new last year and there is a disconnect switch sitting on top. It's one of the garden tractor batteries that I always use but this last one was of the higher cold cranking amp rating of 300 CCA verses 235. I usually give $20 in the spring and they last a coulpe of years. Last spring they said they had the higher CCA battery so I said "i'll take it" when I went to pay for it it was $50, I almost put it back but said screw, it may last a while. Both batteries weigh about 17 pounds and spin the Gustafson starters just fine. They are not quite as light as the gel cells but the money is a less.

Today may be a bit of a pay back for the last couple of months but it isn't over with February only half gone. Ocean temps are at 38 degrees and more than likely we will get another snow storm or two before it settles out for the winter.

North East marine conditions
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Northeast.shtml

Local conditions
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=44013

Gary,

I bet you could get a good snow storm yet this winter. After looking at the weather maps I remember being in Randolph, Massachusetts in Feb. 1978 on a work trip. Seems like we got over 2 ft. of snow in about a day!

This year I'll have more free time so I want to get the Elan out much more often than in recent years. That shouldn't be too hard as long as I take care of a few things this spring.

Bob

Gary - looks like you need a cushion for Beau to sit on.

It's supposed to be near 60F here on Thursday and Friday, but the roads look like gravel alleys from all the snow treatments. I agree, plenty of bad weather is yet to come.

When I bought my fuel cell, they recommended draining it for storage, and I have done that faithfully, so at least old gas is not a worry.

Gordon

Beau had all of that nice black base coat paint as a cushion, He's a dog and sleeps on the garage cement floor or the living room wood floor when its hot, He doesn't seem to mind just so he doesn't have to stay home. You know the saying. No brain - no pain?

Bob

I just heard on the radio that tomorrow will have a high of 25F so there is justice in Massachusetts. I was in Avon on the 6th of February 1978 and just made it home before the shit hit the fan. A better description of the tale is

viewtopic.php?t=16846

Mike

I like to leave just enough in it to get it out of the garage and to higher ground so the above link doesn't have a sequel story to be told.

garyeanderson wrote:Mike

I like to leave just enough in it to get it out of the garage and to higher ground so the above link doesn't have a sequel story to be told.

Amen to that.