LMP413K

[alexblack13]

Sorry Alex, I have nothing on that reg number.

Do you have the VIN for it, by any chance?

Tim

I don't Tim ... It's a long time since I sold that car. I sold it with an option to buy back but when I went to look at it after a few years I discovered the chap I sold it to 'chopped it' .. And not brilliantly well either. I was stunned. And def did not want it back then. So I just walked away.

The dvla has details still but not o road since 2010.. No ax or mot

Cheers bud.

Best wishes .. Al' ...

[Elanintheforest]

Alex, my BDA Plus 2 needs a new owner like you!. No big work to do, but plenty of fettling to get her running properly again.I still have too many cars and just don't have the time to do this stunning car justice!!

Mark

[alexblack13]

How much Mark .. That's the start point right now. lol

Nice to hear from you. And I have to say I am amazed you are selling her.

Al' ...

[trw99]

It's a bargain Alex, Mark's even throwing in a screwdriver and clip board!

Tim

[Elanintheforest]

Screwdriver and clipboard extra!

The bottom line for me is that even if I was to get the car back on the road, I probably wouldn't use it for any distance. At 6ft 5inches tall with a slightly knackered back, the fit is marginal, but there's no wiggle room! I need the 20 way adjustable seats and more room to stretch out, provided by a modern car, to be properly comfy.

The story is here...

lotuselan-for-sale-f2/elan-plus-with-bda-sale-withdrawn-t37135.html

I've split out the price into ?18k for the car and ?2k for the spares, although most of the spares I was putting in that package the car doesn't need. It's all up for negotiation for someone who appreciates what this car is, and doesn't just want to make a few quid by ripping out the BDA and selling that on separately.

There's no hurry, and I wasn't going to put it on the market for a few weeks yet. Whilst I got it going last year, and got it stopping with new calipers, after 9 months it doesn't want to fire up again! So I'm going to have a play.

Mark

[alexblack13]

What about the pen?

I am thinking Mark. I could certainly make it right again although I know nothing about BDA engine. But an engine is an engine and its all in the books.

The only thing that would stop me is this flaming illness. It's never a cure! So always some doubts.

One just never knows what's round the corners of life and I am over 70 now. Would it be too much for me?

Be in touch.

Al' ....

[Elanintheforest]

It's not a car to just jump in and drive, that's for sure. If I was going to do it, the brakes and suspension would all be overhauled, the petrol tank and carbs cleaned, and I would also replace the radiator overflow bottle with something a little more in-keeping!

The biggest decision would be the chassis. It was repaired properly, and would last for many years. But for me the temptation would be to replace the chassis (with the galvanised one in the spares package) which would also allow simple access to the brakes and suspension.

I guess the decision would be do you just want a car that is all done to drive, or one that needs some work before driving, and more to make it perfect.

As I said, the car isn't going to be on the market for quite a few weeks yet Alex, so there's no hurry to make a decision.

Cheers...Mark

[alexblack13]

Thanks Mark. I am also looking at a couple of M 100's up here, one of which I do like. Carol and I are both retired now. (I am 71 this year if spared) and I think time is the issue.

I would love the car and treat it very well. New chassis with ground up full rebuild would be what it would get, No holds barred, Exactly the same as the sprint maybe but without the repaint.

Still thinking this through. & not at all sure what to do.

Al' .....

PS. helping a pal nearby with a Lotus Cortina looky likey just now. Bodywork the main issue and has been bodge repaired here n there. My mate Wullie is sorting out the bodges and I carefully got his motor going. All supposed to be fully rebuilt. Heh! Front cam lobes were machining the cover. lol... Running a feeler thro' the valve clearances found all sorts of (NONE!) gaps to about 020" .. So that's the engine needing taken down now too... Great fun.

OK to bounce the odd question off you now n then. Its a MK 1 on a GT shell The bodges are disappearing fast

[Elanintheforest]

If it's a late Mk1 Cortina (1965 or 66), then the differences between a GT and the Lotus are not so big Alex. It's really down to the battery moving to the boot, the positioning of the servo and horns under the bonnet, and of course the instruments / handbrake and a few bits and bobs. It really depends on how close he wants the GT to look like a Lotus.

Ask any questions of course.

The M100 is a superb car, and Carol had one for a few years in the late 90s which we both enjoyed very much. I still only hear good things about them, and the front wheel drive is just incredible...you would never know it wasn't rear wheel drive. If you want fast, reliable hood-down Lotus driving, then you can't go far wrong with a good, low miles and cared for car. There are a lot of cars in the ?3k - ?5k bracket around, but they seem to all need a fair bit of work

This one looks like stunning value...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOTUS-ELAN-1 ... Sw2xRYhhG9

The BDA Elan should only really be of interest if you want a project. It's a long way from being a restoration, as the body, paintwork, interior, chrome, engine, gearbox and diff are all restored and to very good standard. But the rest needs doing, mechanically to be reliable and safe, and cosmetically to bring it all up to showroom condition. Essentially for a top job, it's the refurbishment of the rolling chassis and it's bits.

I think that maybe you should enjoy an M100 for the summer! There's no point in taking on something that is just going to be work, even if the challenge sounds appealing.

I decided a couple of year ago that I wouldn't take on any more projects, but concentrate on a couple of the cars I have that have been tucked away for too long. But last November a car turned up in Zimbabwe that was just too appealing, and I couldn't resist. I'm sure you know about the Cortina 1600E that Ford made in 1967 - 1970, with around 60,000 being produced. Of those, 2700 were two door cars, left hand drive only and only for export. Except, there were 'a small handful' of right hand drive 2 door cars made, probably 7 or 8, for execs and a couple of their mates. Only 1 was known to survive, until November when the second one tuned up in Zimbabwe. I just had to have it, but it took 5 months and a lot of bribes / sleepless nights to get the paperwork together, liberate the car and get it transported to Johannesburg, from where it was easy to ship back to the UK.

I do love a car with a story, and although the story for this car is unknown currently, finding out how and why it got to Rhodesia when it was new is part of the restoration mission.

So my plans for an easy potter around with the cars are out on hold for 12 - 18 months now!! But I'm having a ball. The car has caused quite a stir in Cortina world, and I have described it as being like the ugly baby that only a mother would love. But underneath the surface rust and dust is a very solid car, and I'm having a ball!