Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi All,

Just introducing myself to the board now that my Elan +2 will be back on the road in a couple of weeks following a semi-restoration after nine years stuck under a cover and will be out and about on the roads of Kent and East Sussex.

The only issue I'm having that anyone is welcome to help resolve is that of storage as I can't keep my car at home. I've looked at all the classic car places from Maidstone/Tonbridge down to near the coast and whilst some look good, they are all of no use to me because I'm going to need regular access over the summer months, weekdays and weekends, so a container (with power) on a storage site seems to be, regrettably, my only option.

Cheers and here's to some friendly discussion on this board.

FJ

Welcome to the site. Post up a few photos is the usual request.

Secondly make sure you've got decent and accurate agreed value cover as prices have flown over the last 9 years.

As to your problem - there must be someone local to you that doesn't use their garage. Maybe there'll be a little old lady who would love a few extra ? per month to help with the bills. I'd suggest a few small ads in your local papershop windows.

Good luck

Speak to your local lettings agents and estate agents. I rent a garage from in a modern development. It "belongs" to a rented house and the estate agent agreed with the landlord to split the house from the garage. I pay ?100pcm which seems to be the going rate in Surrey / SW London.

Best
Steve

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I was thinking of the "old lady" scenario by putting a card in the window of the post office somewhere I want to run it from, although probably too little time to get anything organised quickly enough. The letting agent suggestion is one I hadn't thought of and probably would work well too, certainly one to give some thought to. I'm thinking the best place to leave it immediately is a proper car storage that will give me a day by day rate for the interim, even though I won't get the access I want and I've managed to get down to where I want to drive the car from (I don't see much sense keeping it in my home town when I'm just going to be eating up motorway and town miles on the +2 to get to where I'd rather run about in it).

I'm putting up one picture, which was the car as it was when I bought it over a decade ago. Happy to post up more when it comes back to me.

Cheers

Welcome FJ

Try
Lights Cars Action in hampshire

I usually call them an hour before I arrive and have never had a problem..they also Cartek charge and cover the vehicle in a super secure unit

If you check it out..mine is the red one...

And the owner has an elan racer.

How about you ask a car dealership to put it up near a window to entice customers in?? Snows lotus in Southampton do it. Seems to atract customers well.

And welcome, Alan cant be far from you either.

Hi FJ

Your car looks lovely.

A few years ago I had the same issue as you and contacted the local Council (in Reigate, Surrey) to see if they had any garages to rent out. They did and were very helpful. Only downside is that council garages don't tend to have power, but they are cheap. I think it cost about ?40 PCM (although that was a few years ago so may have gone up since then). You could try your local council...just a thought.

Regards
Ivan
1968 Plus 2 French Blue

Hi FJ, welcome from a Plus 2 guy in USA!

And you have my sympathies: until December of last year, I lived in a basement-apartment and had to park the Lotus outdoors. Didn't get much work done as I live in the southeast where hot/humid weather can be brutal. In December I bought a house that has about a thousand square feet of basement-level garage, so I've gone from one extreme to the other and a lot more work on the car is getting done.

Sounds like you've had some great suggestions, and I hope that you find that ideal place for your car. Maybe you'll even find the right old lady who'll not only let you her garage, but also bring you some tea while you work on the car. Will keep fingers crossed!

Sorry guys for my tardiness in a reply and thanks some more for your kind words and suggestions. To make up for it, here are some workshop pictures before my car makes it's return next week. A little later than I hoped, however as I always say, I'd rather right than quick.

Your car is making good progress, should not be to long before you?re on the road.

Also hope you have made progress on the garage situation.

I always look forward to seeing the progress of other owner?s cars, as it gives me continual encouragement to keep moving forward with my complete nuts and bolts restoration. But at every project stage there are delays and as you say, ?I?d rather it right than quick?