S1 & S2 Elan rear number plate light

[Tahoe]

Thanks for the post because it made me research it, and now I know mine is not original as well. Mine is actually very different than anything posted. I do have one stashed away, so I'll have to see if I can clean it up and make it work. I might need to buy another new dash light, and use the chrome cover from the old one so it doesn't have a switch.

[gino1]

Hi All,
I have found the original one to fit and rubber seal I bought from Charles at 26 register.

I found another light which is very similar but not correct.

Gino Milano Italy

[elansprint71]

Surely if it was used originally on the early cars it would have an 026 part number?

In good Lotus tradition everyone is probably right as Lotus probably used both on early car plus maybe others depending on what came to hand on the day

cheers
Rohan

What if the original 026 part became unobtainable and they just changed the number in the book and started supplying different cheapo part?

As usual, Rohan, you probably hit the nail square-on with your second paragraph. A few years ago I obtained two S3/4 rear number-plate light-units for my Sprint, from Matty. These were originally made by Hella for Volvo (iirc the P1800 "Saint" coupe), both were in Lotus-printed plastic bags, with Lotus bit of paper inside, with the exact same details printed, same number, same year, same month date. The units were different, one had short wires with bullet connectors, one had long wires with spade connectors!

[gino1]

Lamp fitted and registration plate.

Gino
Milano
Italy

[bill308]

Surely if it was used originally on the early cars it would have an 026 part number?

In good Lotus tradition everyone is probably right as Lotus probably used both on early car plus maybe others depending on what came to hand on the day

cheers
Rohan

What if the original 026 part became unobtainable and they just changed the number in the book and started supplying different cheapo part?

As usual, Rohan, you probably hit the nail square-on with your second paragraph. A few years ago I obtained two S3/4 rear number-plate light-units for my Sprint, from Matty. These were originally made by Hella for Volvo (iirc the P1800 "Saint" coupe), both were in Lotus-printed plastic bags, with Lotus bit of paper inside, with the exact same details printed, same number, same year, same month date. The units were different, one had short wires with bullet connectors, one had long wires with spade connectors!

Peter and Rohan,

My original part number post was based upon information in my 1976 Service Parts List, X036T0325H. I also looked in my early copy of the Lotus Master Parts List for Elan S1, Elan S2 and Coupe, but was confused by information presented. Still, the 36 designation showed up in reference to these lamps.I note that S3's were also introduced in 1966, but not addressed in this version of the parts book. Is there an earlier version of the parts book?

When I looked at my copy of a Parts List for Lotus Elan Series 1, Series 2, and Coupe of 1966, the lamp units appear as EA1 and EA17 and are called out as 36M718 and (LB) 62901 (with next assembly 26M056) respectively. The rear number lamp for the Coupe is called out as (LB) 6492 with a next assembly of 36M718 and a quantity of 2. Note the 36 designation appears at least twice in this book. EA1 and EA17 designations denote part 1 and part 17 on drawing panel EA.

This is all very confusing and not well done.

Individual component parts are called out as EH/EJ 50-59, for both the unswitched and switched (Coupe map light) versons. The difference being EH/EJ 52 verses EH/EJ 59 (switched). Drawing panel EH is for the S1 and S2 drawing and EJ for the Coupe drawing.

In the front of the book, the legend (L) is shown for Lucas and (B) for Borg & Beck, (LB) is not identified and Sparto is not shown.

Bill

[Elanintheforest]

Bill, I have a parts list from 1963, and that doesn't list the rear numberplate lamp, or the rear lamps, dash lamp and quite a few other bits and pieces. In fact it states at the front that various 'electrical components and exchange units, chassis components and miscellaneous body equipment' were not in the list!

My guess is that 'off the shelf' parts like the Sparto lamps were not high on the priority list for being cataloged and numbered..,.,Lotus just had to get the first edition of the parts list out to the dealers to be able to support the car. So ordering up a numberplate lamp would be done by it's name rather than a 26...... number.

But at least the Elan had some sort of parts list from the beginning. The Elite never had one, and it took 3 years for a workshop manual to be produced for the car!

Mark

[nmauduit]

Hi All,
I have found the original one to fit and rubber seal I bought from Charles at 26 register.

I found another light which is very similar but not correct.

Gino Milano Italy

I have looked into that a bit myself, and have found that :

- the light of the top 2 photos looks like Jaguar E type Sparto 6352 interior pillar light (thick chromed cast support with sparto 6352 number, no screw hole in the lens or top thin reflector, which is of a slightly different shape than that used by Lotus and holding onto the clear plastic); The clear lens has a stripe pattern that the Lotus lens does not have (the lens number may be sparto 5911)

- the Sparto light of the bottom 2 photos looks like my elan S4se FHC pillar interior light (the lens on my car is numbered sparto 5832): thin support, reflector and lens held by 2 tapered screws going through corresponding tapers pushed into the thin chromed reflector plate and molded into the clear lens, controlled by a door jam switch or manual dashboard switch via 2 purple wires with bullets

- one other type can currently be found on the market labeled as Lucas LPS172 compatible, with 3 wires and a switch at the bottom located in a cut-out in the chromed reflector