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Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:46 pm
by vincereynard
http://www.uksportscars.com/view/lotus-elan-2-white

It would appear that the last of the "DIY" +2's were using +2S bodyshells.

Makes sense. Although, strangely enough, there are no recesses for the fog lights.

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:19 pm
by Elanintheforest
Or it could have had a rear-end shunt and had a later rear grafted on. This did happen as, in the day, Lotus didn't keep any older parts when a current one would fit. There are quite a few S3 Elans with S4 rear ends!

There certainly are some 'mixed' cars with some early and some later features, but this one is all early apart from that rear end. The straight-out exhaust with appropriate recess in the boot floor, and the lack of boot lid lock, are certainly later features, but the interior, front, engine bay and wheels are all early.

Mark

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:04 am
by john.p.clegg
Nice read,nice photos..

John :wink:

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:18 am
by KevJ+2
My +2 is 35 units earlier than the car in question and has a straight out exhaust (without new rear end).
It also has the cable pull boot release and stromberg bonnet. It's hard to date these change over points but mine was built in Nov.'68.

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:28 am
by frogeyesimon
<<
My +2 is 35 units earlier than the car in question and has a straight out exhaust (without new rear end).
It also has the cable pull boot release and stromberg bonnet. It's hard to date these change over points but mine was built in Nov.'68.
>>

Interesting - My car is one unit later than this (1189), has straight exhaust, cable boot pull, but with flat bonnet. It also has recesses for the spotlights.

Simon

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:33 am
by KevJ+2
Sure that's not 10 later Simon? :lol:

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:42 am
by frogeyesimon
Kev,
Your reply puzzled me until I realised that I had mis-typed the unit number in my signature line. My car is indeed 50/1189.
Simon

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:58 am
by vincereynard
The Maldon car I am looking at -

"Chassis number 50/0863 is one of the earliest models and was dispatched on the 23rd August 1968"

is definitely early, early +2! So somewhere between 863 >1153 the S style was phased in. This is getting a bit too anorak!

The later style has more boot space? Any other advantage?

Regards
Vince

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2015 8:21 pm
by p.faurie
I used to own a 1970 on a H reg , it was identical to the White one, except it was running on strombergs,i believe it was called a SE , ie entry model, running out old stock, along side the S which I thing was introduced in 69
Regards phil

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 12:49 pm
by davidj
Afternoon,

I don't have my workshop manual to had but I am sure it was around serial number 750 when the changes were introduced. These could be considered series .1.5!

There was also a bunch of ex US models, about 50, which were sold as kits in the uk and Europe.. Many of these had strombergs. Mine was one of the batch and is serial number 2192.

David

Re: Best of both worlds?

PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 3:52 am
by Sea Ranch
Great car and great story from the original owner. Can see why it sold. Very nice. I saved all the pix, including the paperwork pix :mrgreen: