New Elan owner and forum participant

[Tom D]

I recently joined the ranks of happy Lotus owners, after purchasing this car: http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotuselan-for-sale-f2/1971-lotus-elan-for-sale-sold-t35408.html. This is a 1971 +2S, Federal Stromberg car #0108N, largely returned to domestic spec, with Spyder chassis. With a bit of attention to timing and carbs, the car is now running quite nicely. I have begun the quest to return the interior to a more stock look -- fortunately, despite some of the odd modifications, the previous owner was fairly meticulous about keeping the original parts.

This is my first Lotus, but not my first British sports car. I learned to drive in my father's MG TC (which I later owned myself for 30 years). My first car was a Triumph TR6 (driven year-round in salt and snow, it eventually rusted to pieces). I briefly owned a later MGB, which I did not love. I restored a basket-case Jaguar E-Type and owned it for 28 years before deciding to sell last year. Jaguar prices have just gotten too crazy and I wanted to get back to a car I can just have fun driving and tinkering with. I looked briefly at big Healeys, but the value is so much better in the Elan (and the previous owner of this car accepted a price that was too good to pass up).

I've been avidly reading the archives of this forum, a truly amazing storehouse of information and an invaluable resource! I'll certainly have plenty of questions to ask, and I'm looking forward to joining the discussion here

[stugilmour]

Congrats on the Plus 2. I really liked that one!

I understand you have all the stock gauges? I re-wired mine when I restored my car, and with some patience it is a doable deal. I did the job primarily with a new dash out of the car over the winter. Are you going to stick with the Painless loom?

All the best on the project. They are wonderful cars.

Stu

[pharriso]

Welcome Tom, looks like a very nice car.

I hope you can drive it soon!

[Tom D]

Hi Stu, thanks for the encouragement.

Yes, I do have the gauges and switches, although I have not tested them. I also have the original dash, which is actually in fairly nice condition with a fine piece of burl veneer. I am tempted to re-use it, but I will also see how much CG would charge for a new one.

I'd prefer to save the expense and keep the Painless harness, but I still need to compare schematics and assess how much cobbling it will need, in order to work with the original dash.

For now, the biggest challenges appear to be the headliner (I have the stays but no material) and the door cards (I can't find a source for the textured pleated vinyl that forms the middle part of the finished panel).

The gearbox is just a bit notchy going into all gears, so there is a chance I'll be pulling the engine, but I need to bleed the clutch system and check adjustment first.

I wanted a car to drive but also work on, and this one fits the bill perfectly

Tom

[Tom D]

Thanks Phil. I was optimistic when the car arrived just before Christmas, as we were amazingly still in the 50's with no snow at all. Now we're in the 20's, with snow and salt on all the roads, so it looks like it'll be awhile...

[Europatc]

Welcome Tom, nice looking Elan, happy motoring
all the best
Stuart

[Tom D]

Thanks Stuart. I wasn't immediately in love with the striped paint scheme -- it's a bit boy racer-ish, like some of the other mods done by the previous owner. But it actually works on this car, and my wife thought it a nice jazzy change for us.

[The Veg]

Welcome Tom!

That's a good-looking Plus 2 you've got- certainly makes me envious! I got myself a '70 the same colour a month ago. Sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun with it! I've motorcycled some of the twisty roads of Wiscowsin and the memory of that makes me hope that your snow doesn't stick around very long. Let me know if you ever take the car down south, as we have some really great roads in North Georgia (and the rest of southern Appalachia) too- and we just got word that LOG 37 will be down this way!

[Tom D]

Thank you Veg.