Devising a restoration plan
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2012 8:39 pm
As noted in my first thread, I recently bought a Plus 2 project. Professionally, I do communications auditing and planning, so I'm always writing plans and following through with them in a scheduled manner. I'd like to take this same approach to restoring the Elan. Considering the previous two owners both bought the car with high hopes that never panned out, I'm hoping a solid plan will help me succeed. So what I'm looking for is help creating a step-by-step guide to restoring the car as I know many things have to be completed before other things, such as the headliner needs to be installed before the windshield.
As the car sits right now, pretty much everything is stripped from the car and in boxes. The engine is still bolted in but the carbs and accessories have been removed. The wiring has all been removed and thrown out, so I will be buying new harnesses. My goal for the car is a fun driver that I can take to the track on occasion for time attack/solo events. So I'm not planning on concours perfection.
This is what I have so far, somewhat in the order I think they need to be completed:
-Chassis inspection. I haven't done a thorough inspection of the chassis yet. I've found some useful info on here and will be doing that this weekend. Lets assume the chassis is OK. Is there any need to remove the body off the frame?
-Engine. Hasn't been run in five years. Any chance that it doesn't need a rebuild? Compression was between 155-160 when it last ran. Good numbers or not really? I'm guessing at the very least I should pull the head off and go from there?
-Other mechanical - brakes, steering, wiring etc.
-Sills. I can see there is some rust on them, so I might as well repair them now.
-Body work. There are two layers of paint on the car and some cracking. It needs to be stripped and resprayed. I have just ordered 'How to Restore Fibreglass Bodywork' which I will have to study.
-Interior. Reassemble and replace/recover any damaged pieces.
-Reinstall glass and tie up all other loose ends.
I know this is a pretty basic list and I'm probably missing a lot, but I just want a strategy before I dive in! I'm very new to the Elan, so I appreciate all of your Lotus wisdom!
As the car sits right now, pretty much everything is stripped from the car and in boxes. The engine is still bolted in but the carbs and accessories have been removed. The wiring has all been removed and thrown out, so I will be buying new harnesses. My goal for the car is a fun driver that I can take to the track on occasion for time attack/solo events. So I'm not planning on concours perfection.
This is what I have so far, somewhat in the order I think they need to be completed:
-Chassis inspection. I haven't done a thorough inspection of the chassis yet. I've found some useful info on here and will be doing that this weekend. Lets assume the chassis is OK. Is there any need to remove the body off the frame?
-Engine. Hasn't been run in five years. Any chance that it doesn't need a rebuild? Compression was between 155-160 when it last ran. Good numbers or not really? I'm guessing at the very least I should pull the head off and go from there?
-Other mechanical - brakes, steering, wiring etc.
-Sills. I can see there is some rust on them, so I might as well repair them now.
-Body work. There are two layers of paint on the car and some cracking. It needs to be stripped and resprayed. I have just ordered 'How to Restore Fibreglass Bodywork' which I will have to study.
-Interior. Reassemble and replace/recover any damaged pieces.
-Reinstall glass and tie up all other loose ends.
I know this is a pretty basic list and I'm probably missing a lot, but I just want a strategy before I dive in! I'm very new to the Elan, so I appreciate all of your Lotus wisdom!