Flame rekindled after 35+ years

[rhdv8]

Hi, I used it own an Elan S4 se many years ago which was unfortunately stolen whilst for sale. I’ve always kept a keen interest in them and recently that interest is intensifying to the point where I’m looking at prices of cars for sale.
As I’m now retired I’m tinkering with the idea of restoring an Elan, or at least thinking about a road going car that needs some tinkering.

Nice to see there is now a much easier source of info than there was during my first ownership.
Now time to have a good read of some of your fantastic forum.
Phil

[gherlt]

Hello Phil,
welcome to the forum.
Restoring an Elan is good and rewarding occupational therapy, but the nuts and bolts restoration of an Elan takes years to finish (or loads of money) . To eager your desire you better do a rolling restoration, where you can do one part at a in winter time but enjoy using the car in summer.
Either way, you found the right place, in this forum you will find all the expertise and help you possibly need at any time using or restoring your Elan.

[steve.thomas]

Hi Phil
Like you I started with an S4 SE coupe in carnival red and sold it to someone from Windsor around 1984. I saw the car some 20 years later on a backroad near Twyford, but don’t know if its still on the road. Registration JRB 888J.

Regarding another Elan, have you considered importing a US car - they are cheaper and even if you converted it to Rhd it might still be an attractive option. There are many members on here from the States and you might be lucky enough to find someone close enough to view a car for you.
Good luck
Steve

[berni29]

Hi Phil
Like you I started with an S4 SE coupe in carnival red and sold it to someone from Windsor around 1984. I saw the car some 20 years later on a backroad near Twyford, but don’t know if its still on the road. Registration JRB 888J.
Steve

Hi

You can look these things up. The car is on SORN and the last MOT was July 2018 so in all probability it is alive.

All the best

Berni

[The Veg]

Welcome Phil!

[rhdv8]

Many thanks for your warm welcome and advice.
I often wonder what happened to my stolen elan, was it broken up etc….? It was quite unusual in that it had a sort of vinyl roof apart from the roof covering seemed to be more of a thin black rubber? And I’ve never seen one like it before or since. I’d like to point out it looked better than it sounds, it had a convertible look about it.

I wouldn’t rule out buying a LHD car and converting it as I’m reasonably good with a socket set etc, and at least you’d know where everything goes. I’m always a bit weary of those cars you see for sale which are pre dismantled.

I do feel a Lotus affinity as I was brought up about 1\2 a mile from the original factory in Tottenham lane and then my family moved to the adjoining road to Delaware road in Cheshunt! From there we are now in East Sussex but we did coincidentally see a few houses in Norfolk.

Phil.

[billwill]

I went roaming to Cheshunt about 3 weeks ago. The old Lotus buildings (now the Monster Gym and Plastek House) are the only buildings still standing on that side of that patch of Delaware Road. Even the former Tesco HQ just to the south of the Monster Gym has been demolished.

This google satellite picture shows the extent of the demolition:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Delam ... -0.0255331

[rhdv8]

I went roaming to Cheshunt about 3 weeks ago. The old Lotus buildings (now the Monster Gym and Plastek House) are the only buildings still standing on that side of that patch of Delaware Road. Even the former Tesco HQ just to the south of the Monster Gym has been demolished.

This google satellite picture shows the extent of the demolition:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Delam ... -0.0255331

I still go to Cheshunt every couple of weeks to visit my elderly mother and the development in Delamare rd is quite shocking with only 2 small and already busy roads giving access.

[512BB]

Unfortunately we have something in common Phil. I had my first car stolen as well, a drophead Sprint, which was parked outside our house in North London in 1982. It was Christmas eve. Not a happy Xmas, that one, what with 3rd party insurance and all that.

More happily though, I got a call from the police 3 or 4 days later, to say that they had found it in South Harrow. No doubt making its way to a well known Lotus dismantlers in that area. I shot over there to discover that the thief, or thieves, had whacked it into a curb when cornering right,and had broken the nearside rear A frame, and their journey was over. I replaced the A frame at the side of the road and drove it home The car resides in my unit to this day.

Welcome to the board.

Leslie

[rhdv8]

Unfortunately we have something in common Phil. I had my first car stolen as well, a drophead Sprint, which was parked outside our house in North London in 1982. It was Christmas eve. Not a happy Xmas, that one, what with 3rd party insurance and all that.

More happily though, I got a call from the police 3 or 4 days later, to say that they had found it in South Harrow. No doubt making its way to a well known Lotus dismantlers in that area. I shot over there to discover that the thief, or thieves, had whacked it into a curb when cornering right,and had broken the nearside rear A frame, and their journey was over. I replaced the A frame at the side of the road and drove it home The car resides in my unit to this day.

Welcome to the board.

Leslie

Thanks Leslie,
Coincidentally mine was stolen from North London too! Mine from Cockfosters, and around 1984 ish. Does make you wonder, doesn’t it.

[billwill]

80's was the era when I fitted double-tumbler inserts in the door locks and had a revised dashboard with a 'secret' compartment for a CB radio built for me. I didn't want any thieves to break my windscreen or rear-screen or windows for the sake of a 'relatively-cheap' CB radio.

My elan is an S3 Coupe.

Heh, Heh these locks prevented the police from moving my vehicle later after I overstayed parking time a bit in Soho.

[Jim.bisc]

Hi Phil
Like you I started with an S4 SE coupe in carnival red and sold it to someone from Windsor around 1984. I saw the car some 20 years later on a backroad near Twyford, but don’t know if its still on the road. Registration JRB 888J.

Regarding another Elan, have you considered importing a US car - they are cheaper and even if you converted it to Rhd it might still be an attractive option. There are many members on here from the States and you might be lucky enough to find someone close enough to view a car for you.
Good luck
Steve

Hello Steve,
My name is James, I was just searching in google my Car's reg number and this post came up. I now own JRB 888J. The car was off the road from 2018 but now undergoing some remedial work to get it back up and running.
It still has loads of the old bills and receipts that you kept for it from when you had it.
Kind regards,
James.