BRM Elan +2?

PostPost by: rco3lho » Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:21 pm

Hi there!

I'm a member of the Portuguese Lotus Club and I have a fellow member that came out with a doubt that I would like to answer. He has a 1969 +2 Elan and the previous owner made a comment that the engine was BRM. He also found a plate in the dash identical to the one shown here http://www.retro-uk.com/images/Sales/ch ... es/brm.jpg.

The car can be seen at this online album http://picasaweb.google.com/club.lotus. ... 4513338530 it's the dark red +2 in the pictures. The engine cover was replaced by the previous owner and I cannot tell if it had the BRM signature

My question is, an Elan +2 with BRM engine makes any sense? The car was sold in 1969 directly to Zaire with Limited Slip Differential (!) from factory.

Any help is more than welcome
Regards,
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PostPost by: Elanintheforest » Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:46 pm

The plate on the dash is probably as original as the 1978 Championship badge on the wing of the car....BRM used to put them on the engine. But there's no reason that the engine wasn't tuned by BRM. I guess that to prove it, the car would have had to be delivered to Mike Spence when it was new, before being exported, and that should be easy enough to find out from the Lotus archives.

Have a look at the brochure in this topic:

elan-racing-f12/brm-elans-t17789-15.html

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PostPost by: elansprint71 » Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:20 pm

There is a guy on e-bay who regularly sells the BRM plates, I have one on a shelf in front of me. :twisted:

It is worth remembering that there were far more BRM built engines than there were BRM Elan cars-
""Meanwhile the commercial development division of Lotus's grand prix rivals BRM, had been working on the twin cam engine to ease the load at Cheshunt. These meticulously-assembled versions of the twin cam unit were highly-successful in competition and BRM works driver, Mike Spence, who used to drive for Team Lotus decided to market them in Lotus road cars in 1967 through his agency in Maidenhead, Berkshire."
A quote from page 112, Lotus, The Elite, Elan and Europa, Chris Harvey.

So it is quite possible to have an Elan (or +2) with a BRM engine, without it being a BRM Elan.
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PostPost by: rco3lho » Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:19 pm

Sorry, just to clarify. The plate was found behind the dash probably when someone messed with the engine. The original position was the valve cover. Sorry for the confusion
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PostPost by: rco3lho » Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:22 pm

Where is the best place to find some info from the car based on the VIN number? Thanks again
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PostPost by: elansprint71 » Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:20 pm

rco3lho wrote:Where is the best place to find some info from the car based on the VIN number? Thanks again


I think the Lotus factory again has an archivist, who may be able to help you, although the records are not complete. Anyone know the name of the archivist?
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PostPost by: rco3lho » Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:51 pm

Probably Chris Brown. He helped me with my Elise S2

[email protected]
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PostPost by: rco3lho » Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:28 pm

From Lotus:

Dear Rui Pedro Coelho,

Unit number 0130M is a Export specification Elan +2, but the interesting piece is that it went to Mike Spence (who was a UK dealer at Oxon, Henley). It has a customer name of B.Perilleux against it. What is unknown is why it went to Mike Spence or what they did to the car, but as you may know Mike Spence the racing driver had involvement with BRM. This may just be a name coincedence?

The car was originally painted white when it left Lotus on the 21st May 1971.

Unfortunately this is all I have on record (I have no other build information).and Mike Spence is no longer a Lotus dealer, if the company is still going, but hopefully it fills some blanks for you.

Regards,

Andy Graham
Lotus Archives


Anyone thinks that is possible to get some info from the ex-dealer? I'm I just dreaming or asking too much? :)
Thanks
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PostPost by: Elanintheforest » Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:59 pm

Well it sounds as though you have proof that something was done to the car!. If you have a look at the brochure, that describes the different 'tuning' that would merit the BRM engine plaque. You could probably check the cams fitted quite easily at least!

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PostPost by: rco3lho » Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:20 pm

Probably a Stage 1 conversion because the owner tells me that the car "feels" like 130bhp (no idea how he came to that feeling, maybe some speed sensor on his arse). If I lift the valve cover, what shall I look for?

Thanks again!
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PostPost by: elansprint71 » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:05 pm

:idea:
Last edited by elansprint71 on Mon May 23, 2011 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostPost by: garydvo » Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:04 pm

Alan Riglesford used to work for Mike Spence Racing until it wound up after his untimely death in the US.

Now Alan painted all the Mike Spence BRM Elans Green with the Orange bumpers, also he can remember the 1 Elan +2 being commissioned and this was not green.

Alan still works with his son at Specialised paintwork. He has just repainted a BRM elan which is complete and featured in Motorsopt magazine.

http://www.specialisedpaintwork.com/about.html

Call him on 0118 930 6206 he may be able to help out as he still has contact with the then Head of Sales who has some documentation and serial numbers.
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PostPost by: elansprint71 » Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:48 pm

Excellent information. Is someone going to follow this up? I suggest that they might not want twenty of us calling with the same questions!
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PostPost by: kstrutt11 » Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:07 pm

Does any one know how the BRM engines were built, was it from a new block and head? Mine has a engine which seems to have originally been painted a dark red, (no trace of there ever being any grey paint), it carries none of the Lotus markings as to the head type etc and seems to have some work done on it (ported heads stronger bearing cap bolts etc).

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PostPost by: Elanintheforest » Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:25 pm

Have a look at the brochure on this link, Kevin. In std form, the BRM was no race engine.

elan-racing-f12/brm-elans-t17789-15.html


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