Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hello And thank you for letting me in to your wonderfull forum I have finally descided to forefill my dream, and buy an Lotus Elan+2, after years of Triumph and Porsche ownership. The money is in the pocket, and this weekend I am leaving Denmark together with my girlfriend, set out to buy, and bring home an Elan. The car in question does have a few problems according to the vendor:

It is absolutely beautiful, and it is restored three years ago. It does however have a few spiders and small cracks in the paintwork, but I understand this is common?
The headlights will raise in about an hour, and they will stay up, until the car is turned off. Is that a serious indicator of problems to come? Or an easy fix?
The car has according to the vendor hot start problems, he says that the O rings/carb mounts are a little perished, and that is why the car is diffycult to start when hot?
During the restoration, the car did NOT recieve a new chassis! The original chassis was checked, cleaned and waxoiled. There are some fotodocumentation. Is this a problem?
The fuel gauge is not reliable?

I am absolutely in love with this car, and the colour is perfect(carnivalred with silverflake roof, and with with magnolia hide interior), it is fitted with GKn alloys. The chassis number, and the engine number is correct for the model. But since the trip to the Uk and bringing back the car to Denmark is not cheap, I would like to buy the right car. So fats advice is needed

Regards

Claus Hansen
Denmark

Hi Claus

The +2 looks great.

1. Spider gel coat cracks are totally normal; nothing to be concerned about.
2. The headlight thing is common for failsafe headlights; it could be that you have a small vacuum leak.
3. Difficult hot start is probably due to engine running too rich, possibly needs a tune up? Get the carbs set up on a rolling road.
4. If the chassis is the original then that could be a problem; but this is unlikely. If the chassis has been replaced in the last 15-20 years then it will be a galvanised on or a power coated Spyder chassis, you should check the suspension mounting points. I would suspect if it has had a fully body off restoration then there will be lots of photos to prove all is fine.
5. I do not know of any +2 with an accurate fuel gauge.

Make sure the engine is not noisy or leaking and all the dash gauges work. Spend ?40 on an MOT test in the UK and they will check the suspension and steering for you.

Enjoy the car.

Jason