Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

This quote from DeanG got me thinking:

DeanG wrote:Today I put the fuel tank back in the car. Something I had intended to do for over 4 weeks. It has been 13 years since I drove the car.

It's from this thread:
free-parking-f19/2012-resolutions-elan-going-running-t24237.html

Who has the Elan that has been the subject of the most "New Year's Resolutions"? Seems like there could be multiple categories:

[list=]1. It's my own damn fault - Owned it the entire time, it used to be a runner, then went dormant and still is. How many years has it been laid up?
2. I'm an Optimist - Bought is as a non-runner, and it still is. How many years has it been laid up while on your watch?
3. I'm just the Caretaker - You have full knowledge of the car's history before you bought it, and you know how long it was laid up before you took over, and you haven't yet gotten it running. How long since this car last saw asphalt?[/list]

Anyone want to play? I can throw my hat in for #1, perhaps getting an honorable mention:

24 years - Owned car since 1980, pulled the engine in 1987 and still trying to recover. But I've joined a 12-step program called LotusElan.net.

Dave

Spring 1969 is the inspection date, this would have expired in the Fall. I guess it will go back together someday but I am using the body at the moment so its been a D I G E (Dead in Garage Elan) since I bought it in 1994 and most probably since 1969. It probably has not been driven since Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon.

Gary

Number one for me too.

My Elan was stolen on the 12th of January '89 and was recovered with the flywheel having been sheared from the crank. The lovely insurance company that I wasted my money on would only give me enough cash to, 'go and by a Cortina engine from Ford'!
I then needed a 'family' car so the S2 was layed up at my parents place. I bought it home in August '98 as I now had space to do the rebuild..........
So, it's coming up for 23 years.
I did build a new engine in 2004 but that's as far as I have got.

Hi,

I would like to speak up for the optimists here, the number 2's.

Bought mine in November 1990 as a restoration project.
Fingers crossed, should be back on the road by Summer

Chris

Hi All,

We are mere novices, bought our "project" crash damaged S4 on our wedding day in January 2008

We are both still working hard at the project "that would be easily done within the year" however we have painted the shell this Christmas break ready for re-fit in early January as soon as we sort a couple of engine issues

Dave & Jaks

Well, mine was off the road over Christmas, but a run yesterday kept the damp at bay...

Jeremy

PS this marks three years since we took the plunge and went for a full resto. Took less than a year but seemed like ten. Seven years of planning, 12 months of full on work by the team in Northampton. I post the following pics to encourage you to get things done quickly. Don't let it sit there, get it back on the road as quick as possible..! You're in the ground a long time.

The gold over red looks very nice.

#1 for me - my own damed fault. This is a recurring theme for me and the Elan. I bought it running and fixed it up. It was stored for a year of graduate school then 4 years for a home applied paint job. I changed jobs and it was laid up for an additional 5 year (a total of 10) before it was recommissioned for LOG 11. I then used it for a few years before getting fed up with the constant problems and let it sit for 13 more years. This gives a rough ratio of 7/30 7 years of driving over 30 years of ownership.

Today I did put up some additional lighting in the garage. Maybe I can get the rear calipers back on over Sunday & Monday.

Great to hear a few of the stories. Clearly I'm looking for some encouragement, or maybe more of a "misery loves company" approach. Great and encouraging photos, Jeremy.

For those who plan to be back on the road in 2012, best of luck to you. I'm one of that group.

Cheers, and Happy New Year.

Dave

I?m a little late to this party, true to form. I?ve owned my +2S since 1978 (second owner). I?d fall into category 1 with no one to blame but myself. Started the ?restoration? in 1980 and I?ve been dragging my feet and the car around since then. I will have the pleasure of driving it for the first time in 32 years around the first week of August.

Sadly,my '65 S2 came off the road in 1969,a trip to Mosport and an engine mount sheared leaving me parked on the side of the highway.After much thought I decided
I could limp it back home.The following spring with all good intentions I began to disassemble and found the chassis to have some cancerous areas that should be repaired and so the body and chassis were seperated.Life moved on, however, my
restoration ground to a halt.Mariage,mortgage,kids and a dog and the Elan was stored away.The dog died,my kids have left home,and my wife has suggested I work on my cars,I am now restoring my S2 Seven, all the while I'm looking at the Elan as it is next
on my bucket list,just hope I don't have to put a wheelchair ramp up into the boot!
Cheers,Dave.

Hi all,

Mine is a relatively short lay up (for me) I bought my S3 Elan in 2006 I had been looking for a while and an opportunity came up to buy it even though I was not really ready for it, too busy on my motorbikes. The person I bought it from started a restoration in1999 and I am unsure n it actually came of the road but he kept it licensed until 1999.

I hoped to have it running by last May but it WILL be on the road this May

Tonyw

Dave (Elanmans2), I think that's gotta win for longest for a single owner. On the plus side, you must have an extremely low mileage car there

Good luck with the Seven, and then the Elan after that.

Dave

Hi Dave
Yes my Elan is a low mileage,44,494 miles,thats less than a thousand miles per year!
This always puzzled me as to why it had the issues with the motor mount and chassis,
I don't think it was made in China?Ah well,it will be back on the road.

Cheers,Dave

Hi,
My car has been off the road since 1981 (when the last tax disc expired, could have been off the road longer). The PO bought it in 1979 then took it off the road to replace the chassis. I bought the car of the PO in August 2009, I'm now nearing the end of my restoration of the car (2 and a half years so far) so it's been off the road 31 years in total and hopefully will have it back on the road this summer.

Innes

Hi guys,

Great reading there. Sadly I'm having to write in this subject too. Although kind of not my own doing. My dads s4 has been in the garage since Feb 1980 when a the tax ran out and b I was born. It's not turned a wheel since!!

Still it's just arrived at my house where im going to try and restore it the best I can!