car number production list, engine numbers etc

[rgh0]

The list has been public information for many years - its a bit late to try to retrieve it

Personally I believe it is best that its public and that any "new" car appearing from nowhere gets tested in the court of public opinion and LotusElan.net for its credentials.

The "secret" lists of "true" cars are equally open to abuse.

cheers
Rohan

[Esprit2]

oops....
should I remove this SCW list?

That genie has been out of the bottle for many years/ decades now, so I don't think taking down your link will change anything. Now it would probably be more useful to make sure people who download the file understand what the contents mean. How they use it is out of anyone's control.

Anyone hosting a downloadable version should modify the file to re-name the date column "Pass to Sales Date". Then add a nearby note defining the differences between Pass to Sales Date" and "Build Date".

[denicholls2]

Yes, the SCW list is prone to the abuses any public information is prone to. It's also a valuable historical resource that I'm glad I have squirreled away somewhere.

There are a lot of shibboleths regarding Elans and Europas out there. Black badge fantasies, proper carburetor combinations, build dates, etc. In my case, the SCW list for the Europa makes very clear what is only mumbled about in most of the documentation regarding Europas. Mine is a Type 54 but with a 1565cc engine, not a 1470. Much of the documentation and hearsay is that they introduced the larger engine with the (uglier due to Federal headlight regulations) Type 65.

SCW's list shows clearly that engine numbers restart in late Type 54 production. This would only happen if the engines were in fact different, e.g., 1565's. The other tidbit is that all the cars I've heard of in this category are black-badged, which would make sense if you have a backlog in the factory and want to cull the larger-engined cars from inventory for shipment to the U.S. In any event, it was SCW's list that first made me confident in the existence of the "Federal" Type 54 and the reality that I have one.

Now, if they were only valued like Elans and that meant it was worth a premium ...

[The Veg]

Tim,
Thanks for the additional insights and good seeing you here! I didn't know you hung out in this corner of the interwebz...remember you from the TE List which I used to be on for a few years.

[Hawksfield]

Hi draenog /theelaman


In that list my chassis no would be 0391L and engine No P24342 as recorded on my plate.
Neither exist in the list that I can see, also it does not list any 5 speed cars ?

it does not seem to be at all accurate its a shame

[Esprit2]

Tim,
Thanks for the additional insights and good seeing you here! I didn't know you hung out in this corner of the interwebz...remember you from the TE List which I used to be on for a few years.

I've subscribed here for many years, but not being an Elan owner (on my bucket list), I mostly lurk. I try to help with engine/ carb/ ignition/ drive train stuff, and general Lotus history, but I'm no Elan expert.

LotusElan.net is a great resource. My profile says I subscribed in 2008, but I've been here much longer than that. Something happened with my first subscription that prevented me from logging in and I couldn't resolve the problem, so I just re-subscribed in '08.

Later,
Tim

[Lotus 50]

My car, 887, has no information listed. I'll get over it.