Elan Plus 2 121mph!!! Anyone know what its like?

PostPost by: plus2OK » Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:16 pm

Elan Plus 2 S130 121mph??.. What I would like to know is what is 100+ mph like in a plus 2?
I really can?t imagine it, as at 65 my Plus 2s130/4 is very stable but it is quite noisy and I dread
to think what the racket would be at 100+ Perhaps those who have driven at such elevated speeds
( legally of course ) could satisfy my curiosity. Also what is the maximum those brave souls have managed to achieve?

Cheers Paul
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PostPost by: JJDraper » Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:59 pm

Buttock-clenching...

Autobahn in Germany a couple of years ago. It was still accelerating slowly, but I chickened out before the redline, as I realised I was in a 45 year old plastic car, two up with full luggage..

Car & engine was quite smooth.

Jeremy
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PostPost by: msd1107 » Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:37 pm

Some years ago, there was post reporting 135 MPH in a +2.

In the day, a FHC Elan with 3.55 and no ignition cutout would exceed 7,000 for 130+.

I have seen similar rev figures in my FHC, but with 165X13 ti(y)res. And I came back from the Historic races at Monterey in caravan with a Ferrari and Porsche at over 6,000 - hoping the CHP airplanes were not about.

David
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PostPost by: mikealdren » Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:45 pm

In years gone by, I have taken mine to an indicated 120mph and it's not very stable at those speeds and doesn't compare well with modern cards!

Mike
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PostPost by: blackandgold » Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:39 am

Over 20 years ago I managed 7500RPM in my Plus 2 in top gear

This is with 3.77 diff so would expect to be 135 MPH or more

I think the tyres were 175 Goodyear NCT's

From memory the car handled okay
Mark

1973 +2 S130 with BDA
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PostPost by: TonyJ » Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:43 am

Many years ago I took mine up to over 100 mph on the speedo. Steering was too light for my liking and I chickened out going any higher. Didn't feel like I had much control of the steering, maybe a bib spoiler would sort that out.

Tony
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PostPost by: rgh0 » Thu Jul 12, 2012 1:30 pm

I have run the plus 2 on the track a few times and got it up to around 180 kmh on the longer straights. It was stable in both the straights and in the high speed sweeping corners such as turn 1 at Phillip Island. A little more unstable under braking at high speed and from power on to power off transitions than the Elan but this could be improved with poly bushes and a new set of pads and disks and probably stiffer springs but its my road car so I enjoy the comfort and dont want to stiffen it up as thats not really needed on the road.

cheers
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PostPost by: stugilmour » Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:58 pm

Took her up to the ton on our ice cream run last night and it all seemed good. Just dialing in the best tire pressures, which appear to make a lot of difference to straight line stability. Certainly not a lot of power left in fifth at 100 mph.
Stu
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PostPost by: ftsoft » Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:14 pm

Ha Ha I used to do 100 mph on the way home from work on the Pacific Coast Highway every day. The car was very stable always. Once I moved to Ohio, the opportunity to do that was greatly diminished, but I manged to do 100 on the 1/2 mile stretch of road between the river and my house several times. 115 mph at Lime Rock was pretty standard. Pretty pathetic by today's standards, but I have to say that the car is still just an absolute rush to drive. I'm not inclined to want to do that anymore as the car and I are both a little over the hill.
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PostPost by: sparkey » Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:11 pm

I've had my +2 topped out at 125mph (indicated) regularly (S130 4 speed). Mine also is a bit noisy at 65mph, but I find it all comes together and smooths out at about 85mph and on long trips, such as going to Le Mans etc, it feels much more comfortable and "together" when cruising at 85-90mph than at 65-70mph.

Assuming you don't want to try that speed on the road, a track day at either Donnington (Dunlop straight if you come out of Coppice fast enough) or Silverstone (Hangar straight) should get you to around 115mph.

They get better the faster you go !

Steve.
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PostPost by: plus2OK » Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:07 pm

Well I must say it all sounds pretty reassuring?. Thanks for the imformative posts.
Are the projected speeds pro -rata to the revs ? If you get 3000 revs at 60 mph does that give 6000 at 120mph or does wind resistance make it non linear? Cheers Steve you gave me the full sp I like the idea ?They get better the faster you go !? My plus 2 is brilliant to drive at sub 65ish its just the booming that is a bit unsettling, perhaps I should experiment a little? Its weird what a few years can do?. 25 years ago I would not have to be asking these questions, I would have known its maximum top speed within a couple of days of owning the car!!!!

Paul
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PostPost by: Hawksfield » Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:04 pm

Paul2s


Mine is boomy at low speed but gets better at high speed, Ive had 6700rpm no problem (engines ballanced)
You have to remember the car is a 1960's design its quite a contrast when I get in my S type Jag
John

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PostPost by: peterako » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:32 am

Concur on the car getting better the fast it goes.....and the lighten-ing of the feel...and the braking.....

I have a wheel balancing issue that I have not managed to sort out yet. Not a real world issue as it does not exhibit at speeds up to and slightly exceeding motorway speeds in any big way.

The car is a joy at 90....then at 100 it gets to the "Oh my god! It's going to fall apart.....it's nearly as old as me :shock: " Stage.

I would imagine it I could get the wobble sorted it'd be a joy.

Suspect I may be too old and scared by the time that happens though...and all out straight line speed is not what the car is about in my humble opinion....
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PostPost by: Bud English » Mon Jul 16, 2012 4:35 pm

In the late seventies, on my way to work at RAF Bentwaters, I saw a little over 110 indicated on a lonely stretch of the M14 out of Felixstowe. It was 0:Dark Thirty (half past four AM for the non-ex military folks) so I was the only one out there.

Like Peter, it was wheel imbalance that cut cut short the quest to see what the top end really was. ...well, that and an upcoming roundabout.
Bud
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PostPost by: plus2OK » Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:11 pm

Great stories fellas, thing is at a steady indicated 60 mph on a level road on a windless day
the rev counter shows 3,700 rpm If that?s correct doesn?t that mean I would be showing 7,400rpm at 120 !!!?
Or doesn?t it work like that?

Cheers Paul
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