Plus 2 Project? Do I want to?
Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 5:12 pm
Hello all,
I'm very much new here, having just found the site a couple of days ago after stumbling upon a treasure... I think.
I have found a Plus 2 "project" that I believe may be a 1967 or possibly 1968 based upon the cam covers (baring an engine change, etc). - Stupid me, I never thought to look at the body tag!!! - I just realized what it was and went happily from there!!! I figured I'd better find out if I even should think about it prior to bothering the owner much.
I've always liked Lotus cars, having had a thing for Europas when I was 12 or 13...and then watching Emma Peel in her Elan... and although not having been very familiar with a Plus 2 I've always loved the lines and have since become very enamored of them visually after searching this site and the web for further information on the cars.
I haven't had a chance to investigate it too closely, in fact I'm still in the process of contacting the owner to see if he'd be interested in parting with it. The car has been stored outside (yikes!) on a trailer (better I guess) for at least the past 8 years. Luckily I'm in So Calif so that 'should' help a bit as to the weathering, etc. It appears the car has been partly disassembled for paint, or restoration of some type by removing the bumpers, lights, and such. The interior appears to be there, although the dash is removed. At first I thought it would be a nightmare of missing parts, but have since found that the bumpers are in the cockpit and all the exterior trim are in boxes in the trunk (boot). The dash is also in the boot and it appears the instruments, etc are in there also!
The body 'appears' to be solid, or atleast reasonably so, with the only really bad spot appearing on the boot lid. Mechanically the engine bay appears to be all there, with not a lot of damage, just years of storage neglect. Oh, some of the tires are flat, and it appears to have the correct steel wheels with 3 ear knock-ons.
So here's the question, or dilemma as the case may be - and I realize the answers to some of these questions are not set in stone, highly variable, etc, but I'm looking for guidance here.
What is the value of a Plus 2 project like this?
Is this a project a novice can reasonably expect to see through? I do have experience with fiberglass and am mechanically inclined!
Will a resurrection of this old car cost more than it will ever be worth? or will it be 'a wash'?
What kind of things do I need to look for before committing to a purchase - assuming the owner will part with it?
I'm sure there are many other questions I haven't even thought of yet, but please feel free to chime in with anything I should know or consider....
As posts like these are typically useless without pictures, I've attached a couple...
Thanks,
Craig.
I'm very much new here, having just found the site a couple of days ago after stumbling upon a treasure... I think.
I have found a Plus 2 "project" that I believe may be a 1967 or possibly 1968 based upon the cam covers (baring an engine change, etc). - Stupid me, I never thought to look at the body tag!!! - I just realized what it was and went happily from there!!! I figured I'd better find out if I even should think about it prior to bothering the owner much.
I've always liked Lotus cars, having had a thing for Europas when I was 12 or 13...and then watching Emma Peel in her Elan... and although not having been very familiar with a Plus 2 I've always loved the lines and have since become very enamored of them visually after searching this site and the web for further information on the cars.
I haven't had a chance to investigate it too closely, in fact I'm still in the process of contacting the owner to see if he'd be interested in parting with it. The car has been stored outside (yikes!) on a trailer (better I guess) for at least the past 8 years. Luckily I'm in So Calif so that 'should' help a bit as to the weathering, etc. It appears the car has been partly disassembled for paint, or restoration of some type by removing the bumpers, lights, and such. The interior appears to be there, although the dash is removed. At first I thought it would be a nightmare of missing parts, but have since found that the bumpers are in the cockpit and all the exterior trim are in boxes in the trunk (boot). The dash is also in the boot and it appears the instruments, etc are in there also!
The body 'appears' to be solid, or atleast reasonably so, with the only really bad spot appearing on the boot lid. Mechanically the engine bay appears to be all there, with not a lot of damage, just years of storage neglect. Oh, some of the tires are flat, and it appears to have the correct steel wheels with 3 ear knock-ons.
So here's the question, or dilemma as the case may be - and I realize the answers to some of these questions are not set in stone, highly variable, etc, but I'm looking for guidance here.
What is the value of a Plus 2 project like this?
Is this a project a novice can reasonably expect to see through? I do have experience with fiberglass and am mechanically inclined!
Will a resurrection of this old car cost more than it will ever be worth? or will it be 'a wash'?
What kind of things do I need to look for before committing to a purchase - assuming the owner will part with it?
I'm sure there are many other questions I haven't even thought of yet, but please feel free to chime in with anything I should know or consider....
As posts like these are typically useless without pictures, I've attached a couple...
Thanks,
Craig.