"Barn find" collection including Elan +2

[draenog]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-12707955/Classic-car-farm-selection-stashed-fields-sheds.html

The estimates seem to be really low. The +2 is estimated at £5000 - £8000, it's described as a +2S but doesn't have fog/spot lights...

[draenog]

The +2's last MOT was in 2017.

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=mbm664g&checkRecalls=true

[Fred Talmadge]

On the other hand, the Midget with the bird poop is estimated pretty high. At least for America.

[Johnny America]

Hello, have just seen this posting. I purchased the +2 in question. So attended the auction on a wet and windy Saturday. The car had no documentation- brought as seen. It had clearly been loved at some point. Aluminium radiator, aluminium, stainless steel brake hoses, coil over shocks iridium spark plugs.

Car was offered brought as seen.

I’ve fancied a +2 for some time (previous Esprit owner). No great internet interest and one other bidder in the room. The auction photos didn’t really do the car justice So I decided to bid and won it! Let the journey begin!

Since November, I’ve started the renovation. The Car has a solid galvanised chassis , clutch took some freeing off - replaced the flexi clutch hose, new fluids. She runs with good oil pressure. I’ve re plumbed the fuel venting system. Removed the interior, repaired the centre console. New leads, plugs, points etc. fixed the boot not closing. Couple of photos of the car.

[pharriso]

Congrats, looks like a very nice car. Always liked Lagoon Blue...

[berni29]

Hi

The car has scrubbed up really well and looks great. You could see that the paintwork was very good even with the dust and grime on at the auction. Have you attended to the sills?

All the best

Berni

[Johnny America]

Hi

The car has scrubbed up really well and looks great. You could see that the paintwork was very good even with the dust and grime on at the auction. Have you attended to the sills?

All the best

Berni

Berni, not yet. But on the must do list. Was planning on going the SJ Sportscars Stainless Steel replacements. Do you have any experience of this.

Replacing the front shocks this weekend to keep her mobile. Passenger side has failed.

[The Veg]

I have experience with the stainless sills. Good product, easier to get in than to get your old ones out unless the old ones have completely rotted away.

You do have to drill the holes in the lower edge yourself though, and I found that making a cardboard template from the old sills made the job easier.

And I think I remember them weighing just a tad less than the old ones.

[Johnny America]

I have experience with the stainless sills. Good product, easier to get in than to get your old ones out unless the old ones have completely rotted away.

You do have to drill the holes in the lower edge yourself though, and I found that making a cardboard template from the old sills made the job easier.

And I think I remember them weighing just a tad less than the old ones.

The Veg, thank you helpful, and making a template sound a useful tip. Thanks

[The Veg]

You do have to drill the holes in the lower edge yourself though, and I found that making a cardboard template from the old sills made the job easier.

The Veg, thank you helpful, and making a template sound a useful tip. Thanks

You betcha! I forgot to mention that a template was easy because the lower edge of the stainless ones is straight rather than curved like the original sills, so merely measuring from the edge will throw things off a bit. And don't just use the opposite sides of your template to 'mirror-image' the holes from one side to the other, as I found that mine were slightly different from one side to the other. No surprise given the amount of hand-fettling that went into making these cars.

I used a long strip of carboard and laid the old sill on top of it, flat side down, using bolts through the big mounting holes on the flat side to keep the cardboard aligned. From there it's easy to just punch the holes, then bolt the template to the new sill and go from there.

You'll probably also save a little money if you use the hardware-kit that SJS have vs buying small packets retail, and less worry too about whether you remembered to buy enough of all the types of screws, washer, nuts that you'll need, and if your car is anything like mine you'll have to grind-off most of the old ones anyway.

[Johnny America]

You do have to drill the holes in the lower edge yourself though, and I found that making a cardboard template from the old sills made the job easier.

The Veg, thank you helpful, and making a template sound a useful tip. Thanks

You betcha! I forgot to mention that a template was easy because the lower edge of the stainless ones is straight rather than curved like the original sills, so merely measuring from the edge will throw things off a bit. And don't just use the opposite sides of your template to 'mirror-image' the holes from one side to the other, as I found that mine were slightly different from one side to the other. No surprise given the amount of hand-fettling that went into making these cars.

I used a long strip of carboard and laid the old sill on top of it, flat side down, using bolts through the big mounting holes on the flat side to keep the cardboard aligned. From there it's easy to just punch the holes, then bolt the template to the new sill and go from there.

You'll probably also save a little money if you use the hardware-kit that SJS have vs buying small packets retail, and less worry too about whether you remembered to buy enough of all the types of screws, washer, nuts that you'll need, and if your car is anything like mine you'll have to grind-off most of the old ones anyway.

All helpful points thanks - I suspect my sills are dust, so planned on position the new sills in place, secure the inner reinforcing plates and then attempt to mark the bottom sandwiched holes with a sharpie pen. Will asses if I have to remove the sill then to drill or drill in situ.

I didn’t realise the bottom edge of the sills were straight and the originals curved. Question - did you trim up yours once fitted?
Question 2 - did you fit the sills from the font or back? Any advice?

Thanks in advance J

[The Veg]

All helpful points thanks - I suspect my sills are dust, so planned on position the new sills in place, secure the inner reinforcing plates and then attempt to mark the bottom sandwiched holes with a sharpie pen. Will asses if I have to remove the sill then to drill or drill in situ.

That should work!

I didn’t realise the bottom edge of the sills were straight and the originals curved. Question - did you trim up yours once fitted?

I did not and nothing looks weird. The curvature of the outer edge of the body is subtle, so it hangs a little past the metal in the middle and the metal is exposed by up to about 1/8" at either end, but you have to get close to eye-level with it to see that, and as I painted the whole works with black undercoating after the installation, it's really not noticeable. Can post a pic of this later.

Question 2 - did you fit the sills from the font or back? Any advice?

From the back. I supported the car on jackstands under the front crossmember and rear end of the backbone, removed all the wheels, and then removed the cover-plates in each wheel-well that cover the space the sill members inhabit. I forget why working from the back was the better way to go, probably more clearance underneath the overhang at the back end than the from or something like that. My old sills were intact except for the fasteners all being rusted (I removed them to facilitate some glassfibre repairs to the floors), but I managed to beat what seemed like 5 or 6 pounds of old accumulated dirt out of the body, and also found an old and thankfully long-abandoned hornet nest about the size of my head behind the left front cover-plate.

Depending on how many fasteners you have to grind away and how much lily-gilding you include, not a terrible job, just a big one that may take a little time.