Should we as owners try to set sensible +2 Prices

[EPC 394J]

Hi

Sounds like a very reasonable purchase. Originality, (matching numbers) history and provenance will always attract a premium. It’s much easier to replace things like sill members, than try to find hard to get, original parts to match a ‘bitsa’ car.

Just a quick question if I may? What do you know about the chassis?

Are you planning to share any photos?

[alan.barker]

jj66 good luck,
i have had 4 different Lotus Elans and 4 different TVRs and always consider them as a hobby + fun.
Never as an investment. I'm pleased the price is not too high because if it was i could not buy one or be too frightened to play with them.
There's no way i could pay the dealer pumped up prices and wouldn't want to if i could.
I must say the best value for money is TVR which i discovered about 10 years ago.
Have fun with your +2S130/5 and don't forget it's a Toy to play with
Alan

[JJ66]

Hi

Sounds like a very reasonable purchase. Originality, (matching numbers) history and provenance will always attract a premium. It’s much easier to replace things like sill members, than try to find hard to get, original parts to match a ‘bitsa’ car.

Just a quick question if I may? What do you know about the chassis?

Are you planning to share any photos?

Dear EPC394J - Thanks for your post and concurring about the importance of provenance. The previous owner who had the car from '76 lived near Norwich, so he took the car back to the Lotus factory for many repairs. The chassis was changed at Lotus on 7th June 1982 (so the car was only 8.5 years old, but had done 76,500 miles at that point!!) with a Galvanised one and I have the orginal Lotus headed receipt in the file (this is the kind of detail I love), there were some suspension repairs done at the same time and the cost of the whole job was just over £1,400, which I guess was a fair chunk of money at the time. Other Lotus receipted jobs were a gearbox rebuild, seat frame repair, dashboard work and other bits and bobs. The engine has been rebuilt once with rebore etc, and then another strip and re-gasket following a water pump. Its very clean under the bonnet and around the wheel ends and has been well maintained (several caliper and master cylinder rebuilds etc) but not messed about with. BTW, I've just fitted a set of Dunlop SP Sport tyres which look fab! I'll have a go at inserting an image or two! Regards, Jonathan

[JJ66]

jj66 good luck,
i have had 4 different Lotus Elans and 4 different TVRs and always consider them as a hobby + fun.
Never as an investment. I'm pleased the price is not too high because if it was i could not buy one or be too frightened to play with them.
There's no way i could pay the dealer pumped up prices and wouldn't want to if i could.
I must say the best value for money is TVR which i discovered about 10 years ago.
Have fun with your +2S130/5 and don't forget it's a Toy to play with
Alan

Hi Alan, Thanks for your response. I have had a +2 before, but it was 23 years ago and I only had it for 12 months so didn't do it justice, always promised myself I'd get another one day. My first +2 was car number 60 and the Reg was SPH 44F, I think it lives in Cornwall these days. So as I'd had such an early one (with Carello rear lights etc) I wanted a late 5 speeder, which is what I've been lucky enough to find. Totally agree with all your comments and its a hobby first and foremost. Agree with the TVR comments also, in the past 8 years I've had a Cerbera and a Chimaera and they are wonderful cars. The last hobby car I had was a C4S 996 whihc was great but too knew and not enough soul, plus too many electronics!! I'm a mechanical engineer and electronics leave me cold . Thanks and Regards, Jonathan (I'll try another picture...)

[JJ66]

Hi

Sounds like a very reasonable purchase. Originality, (matching numbers) history and provenance will always attract a premium. It’s much easier to replace things like sill members, than try to find hard to get, original parts to match a ‘bitsa’ car.

Just a quick question if I may? What do you know about the chassis?

Are you planning to share any photos?

Here's a picture on the drive home, quick stop at Strensham Services - You can see in this picture how the drivers door has dropped. When I do the sill members I'll take the door off and rebuild the hinge by machining up new bushes, may even put some grease nipples in!! Cheers, Jonathan

[alan.barker]

Hi Jonathan,
very nice car. So happy it has a Lotus galvanised Chassis too like my 1972 Elan sprint fhc. On my Sprint(little lo) the galvanised Chassis was fitted in 1985 by "Saint Miles" and still purrrfect.
If i may i would suggest fitting the new Sills from sjsportscars in stainless steel, do it once and do it right.
For the Door Hinges the Bushes are the same as Trunnion Kit for front suspension (nylon) and to change them you must stay very zen
Alan

[jono]

Beautiful looking car Jonathan and a great price all considered.

Out of interest where is the picture location with the stately looking home - looks very familiar to me (Scottish borders?)

When doing your hinge bushes you're right not to re use the original trunnion bushes. I had new ones made up in bronze and they worked a treat - would have used oilite bar if I could have sourced some of the right size.

I've sold my Plus 2 now and have an Evora however I miss it and will be back with one at some stage - I love tawny and the other seldom seen colours.

I would love a burnt sand pre S model

[JJ66]

Hi Jonathan,
very nice car. So happy it has a Lotus galvanised Chassis too like my 1972 Elan sprint fhc. On my Sprint(little lo) the galvanised Chassis was fitted in 1985 by "Saint Miles" and still purrrfect.
If i may i would suggest fitting the new Sills from sjsportscars in stainless steel, do it once and do it right.
For the Door Hinges the Bushes are the same as Trunnion Kit for front suspension (nylon) and to change them you must stay very zen
Alan

Hi Alan, I was going to use the galvanised sills from Spyder as they are apparently easier to fit on a running car (more wriggle room) but I will check out the sjsportscars items, thanks. Didn't realise the hinges were bushed and that they were front trunnion bushes! I have loads of old ones from my GT6/Spitfire days so that would be easy, but I may still make some in bronze or Oilite. I will do my best to stay calm on the job, I had already assumed it would be a fiddly one!! Thanks a lot for the advice, Jonathan

[JJ66]

Beautiful looking car Jonathan and a great price all considered.

Out of interest where is the picture location with the stately looking home - looks very familiar to me (Scottish borders?)

When doing your hinge bushes you're right not to re use the original trunnion bushes. I had new ones made up in bronze and they worked a treat - would have used oilite bar if I could have sourced some of the right size.

I've sold my Plus 2 now and have an Evora however I miss it and will be back with one at some stage - I love tawny and the other seldom seen colours.

I would love a burnt sand pre S model

Hi Jono, I see what you mean about the Stately home, it does look a bit dour like some of the borders locations (which I have visited many times), but this is actually the big house at a business park where I have an office the Wye Valley in between Monmouth and Ross on Wye. The estate is owned by Nimbus Records and is called Wyastone Estate, its a beautiful setting and all the out buildings are converted into offices, I have one next to a friends machine shop . I design and make brakes for HGV's so enjoy playing around with metal! I may well make the bushes from Oilite bar, but I also have some oil impregnated Nylocast material which could be useful. I'll let you all know what I do when I get round to it. Cheers, Jonathan

[JonB]

Wow, Nimbus Records, that's a name from the past. I have one of their rare Tangerine Dream box set pressings. I spent my teens in Herefordshire and would visit Symonds Yat to go climbing in the rocks with a friend. Lovely part of the country. The Plus 2 suits the countryside, especially in that colour. From the pictures your car looks jolly nice. What is the paint like up close? How about a couple of interior and engine bay shots?

[alan.barker]

Jonathan,
just a tip when you remove the Door put the Window in the good position.
I think it's fully down so when you remove the Hinges and long vertical Pivot it's possible.
Good luck in removing the Countersunk Screw in the end of the Vertical Pivot. You may need a good Impact Screw Driver
Alan

[JJ66]

Wow, Nimbus Records, that's a name from the past. I have one of their rare Tangerine Dream box set pressings. I spent my teens in Herefordshire and would visit Symonds Yat to go climbing in the rocks with a friend. Lovely part of the country. The Plus 2 suits the countryside, especially in that colour. From the pictures your car looks jolly nice. What is the paint like up close? How about a couple of interior and engine bay shots?

Hi Jon, thanks for your post. Symonds Yat is where I live and spend a lot time mountain biking around the forest trails, it is a cracking place to live, particularly at the moment. The colour is a Marmite thing, I love it but some friends hate it! Its very 70's and when I get the silver metalflake roof exposed then it will look great (The silver has been covered up since 1975!). See attached more shots of interior, engine and then the worst bit of the body. Within the first two years of its life it looks it had a minor crunch on the passenger front corner as there is evidence of bad repair and microblistering, but only in this location. It looks like the first owner perhaps didn;t like the roof and so got the repairer to blow the whole car over. The second owner then had the car painted again in the '80's, so the paint has some age but is largely OK. Regards, Jonathan

[HCA]

Nice interior colour - AND, you do not have a sunroof

[JJ66]

Nice interior colour - AND, you do not have a sunroof

Yep all good, I specifically didn't want a sunroof, that was a more important feature than colour for me. Cheers/Salut, Jonathan

[alan.barker]

I have a Sunroof on my TVR 3000M and it's a nice idea BUT you get a lot of wind noise from it when it's closed.
To remove the paint to expose the Metal Flake you can do that by using 1000 wet and dry paper. Be careful not to go too far and touch the Flakes. I did that on my Lagoon Blue August 1973 +2S130/4 but then finally got the whole car painted Carnival Red. You also have to remove the paint on the Sills which should have Flake also, that is if it was destined to be a JPS.
If when they removed the Body from the Mould the Metal Flake was not perfect then they sprayed them a different colour like my car which was painted Lagoon Blue all over monotone.
Alan