Re: Newbie from Jersey

[GElan]

Hi all,

I’m new here. Many had recommended this site from other forums and clubs. So far I’ve been receiving nothing but warm welcome from the Lotus community.

I just got 1967 Lotus Elan S3 SE. Love how it drives, handles, rides and steers. Like many Lotuses it’s already stuck in my parking lot due to shifter being stuck in reverse. Only first week of having the car here…

Are there any mechanics nearby who are on the go? Having a real hard time finding one.

Thanks,
GElan

[gjz30075]

Welcome! It's going to be tough to find someone else to work on these cars but we
can walk you through almost any issue you have.

The issue you have now is most likely a shifter stick not 'fully' installed. You'll have
to remove the knob, then pull out the console. There's nothing holding the console in,
it simply lifts out. The boot is probably attached to a sheet metal plate which is screwed
to the fiberglass. Remove it and you'll see where the stick attaches to the transmission.
You can unscrew the cup (it's spring loaded upward) and remove the stick. Looking
into the shifter mechanism (three rods), you'll probably see that they're not aligned.
Some work with a large screwdriver to manipulate the rods should put them back in
'neutral', ie, aligned.

The issue is most likely the cup has unscrewed far enough to disengage the stick.

[GElan]

What is the neutral position for 3 shift rods? Is all three rods (where the end hook is) aligned to center of the gear box?

My understanding is:
Left rod= 3-4
Center rod= 1-2
Right rod= Reverse

Please correct/add to comment.

Thanks so much,
GElan

[gjz30075]

This is neutral. If the rods are misaligned, you should be able to access them from the
gearstick hole. No need to remove the 4 bolts that hold the cover on.

[GElan]

Thank you so much for the photo. I see all three rods in the center. This is very helpful!!!