Original colour ?

[Chris160382]

So being an early one shouldn't have the spot lamps? And should have the 4 dial dash with old style switches ? And in theory seats without headrests but seperated door locks, webbers, and no bonnet bump are correct ?

[KevJ+2]

Pretty sure no spot lamps...more than likely, should be an early dash.
As for the rest, well...it gets a bit confusing. The seats look federal (export) the door locks are likely to be separate as the body has remote boot release (and straight exhaust?)
As for the bonnet, it might have a bulge or not depending what Lotus wanted to use!
As a rule - bulge bonnets are for Stromberg engined cars...flat bonnets for Webers.
Personally (and this is if it were my car) I would at least put in an original looking dash. The rest including the front spots (to me) wouldn't really matter.
It looks a really nice car - just enjoy it and don't let the anoraks get to you

[Chris160382]

Thanks for the help, I do prefer the non spot light look, so I'll probably loose them, the seats are really conftable so I'll probably keep them, there in good condition too, the dash I will change I think as it needs returning any way and there is no space for a radio at the mo

[The Veg]

Mixed new/old features seems to be common. I have 2036 and it's sort of mixed and non-S too, so the transition my have been quite gradual and inconsistent.

[Apx]

Two things, firstly my 68 ?lan has no paint code scratched in and none recorded at the factory, but look in remote places like up, under the dashboard for overspray, it might give you a clue. Secondly, i was taking to an old gentleman who collected a series 4 coupe ?lan kit in 1968 and it came with the higher seats, he said it was all they has at the time.

[Gordon Sauer]

Back to your original question, that is the gray colored gel coat on the two Elans I've worked on and particularly since it is immediately above the fiberglass, unlikely to be your original color. Gordon Sauer

[Gordon Sauer]

In stripping my car down to the fiberglass I also did not see any evidence of a front clip and yet it has the molded in fog lights without the black plastic backing and in fact that black plastic backing doesn't even fit in the roundedout area. I suspect Lotus figured out how to put those in the mold and as you can see in this brochure picture, certainly not a car with a front clip, that the black plastic inserts don't exist. Gordon Sauer

[Chris160382]

Interesting with the seats, I have seen pics of the car from when it was stripped down in 2004 and I couldn't see any evidence of a front end change from that , I have seen some pics on the internet of cars that have and it's quite apparent on them, I think below what appears to my eye to be blue is white then dark grey, the blue is only still there in the air intake grill area between the screen and bonnet, and in the rear vents I guesss where they couldn't get in to sand back to gel coat.
I'm in two minds on the colour , I bought a red one because that was the colour I'd always wanted one in, but having seen the blue of that is the original colour it's a nice colour and very 60s
So really there is a possibility that it l ft the factory almost as is with the main abnormally being the dash board still, I think having the rocker switches so early I haven't heard of so I guess maybe an update at some point I guess it is 50 yeas old nearly and some one might have wanted to do a bit of a refresh
I have to say I do like the seats so there gonna be staying even if there not original

[Chris160382]

So is there an obvious way of knowing which cars were kits? would be Interesting to see if any one has one, it doesn't seam to be talked about very much,bit it's something that does interest me how they went about it

[Chris160382]

So now I'm staring at the different dashes and I now notice that other cars seam to have a stalk on both sides of the steering wheel, were as I only have the one stalk on the right hand side for the indicators ! i quite like it's individualness and at the same time seams that other people have the same features to varying extents

[Jason1]

lotuselan-plus2-f51/vin-number-t19122.html?hilit=Vin%20number%20David#p106362

Have at look at the list attached by blackandgold on the above post.

Chassis 1097 = engine number H16875B - 4 speed gearbox - built 29Oct1968

No body colour recorded by the factory.

[Chris160382]

Cool well it was registered November 68 so quite a close build and reg date, I guess that would mean not a lot car maybe ?

[Jason1]

Prob sold as a 'kit' so colour not recorded to avoid the purchase tax of the time.

free-parking-f45/how-many-were-sold-kits-t22118.html

[alan.barker]

In stripping my car down to the fiberglass I also did not see any evidence of a front clip and yet it has the molded in fog lights without the black plastic backing and in fact that black plastic backing doesn't even fit in the roundedout area. I suspect Lotus figured out how to put those in the mold and as you can see in this brochure picture, certainly not a car with a front clip, that the black plastic inserts don't exist. Gordon Sauer

The yellow car is a +2s130 and with "K" reg which is end of 1971 to first 9 months of 1972. At that time the recess for the lamps was moulded in and not plastic inserts.
Alan

[Gordon Sauer]

That's so interesting, because about all things lotus there always seems to be so much wiggle room about everything that's said, what is correct and all, that it's interesting to see something so specific about a particular item. So where does that come from-- that there would be an exact months span of time that some particular item was on a particular car, thanks, Gordon Sauer