Differences

[Shiny_kit]

I was looking at another 68 +2 the other day, and was amazed by the differences between 2 cars of the same model and year. I know that in the intervening 40 years a lot of things may have been changed/replaced but I was wondering if there is a logical "timeline" for changes or if they really did differ that much ex-factory. Things like the door locks (mine are integral to the handles), boot release (mine is on the boot, his was remote in the drivers door pillar), exhaust (my silencer is transverse, under the boot, his was longitudinal and central to the boot floor)... is there a list of changes somewhere with dates or chassis numbers ?

[stugilmour]

Try this site:

http://www.geocities.com/trevorsparrow/ ... story1.htm

[Elanintheforest]

It sounds like the car you were looking at was a 'S' or a 130 S...not 1968! Could have been re-shelled, or gained a new identity to avoid road tax.

The Robinshaw / Ross book 'Authentic Lotus Elan & Plus 2' lists many of the detail changes...worth getting a copy if you don't have one.

What I've rattled off here are some of the 'softer' changes not mentioned in the book,with some basics to set the context. It would be grand if more are added / mine are corrected!! I've also added in some of the sources of the rare early stuff where known.


Plus 2 ? Oct 67

115 bhp S/E engine as standard, 4 speed box. Full width Triumph radiator (as S3 Elan) with fan on water pump. Positive earth with Dynamo.

Lotus Steel wheels as per 2 seater, but 5.5 inches rim instead of 4.5 inches

Fixed back basket weave seats, similar to two seat Elan. Matching rear seat and squab.

Dash had toggle switches and glove box lock. Air vents from Cortina. Vinyl covered metal trim around dash edge (under)

Interior lights : front (switched at side) unique to Plus 2, rears (non-switched) common with Zephyr Mk 3. Lamp lens common to front and rear lamp.

Coat hooks : Cortina Mk 2

Interior Mirror ? Zephyr Mk 3 (as per S3 Elan Coupe)

Indicator stalk and steering column cowling from Mk 2 Cortina

Interior door handles unknown origin. Door opening rods, catch and latch unknown origin. External door handle with integral lock (BMC 1100). Door check strap (at bottom of door) ex Rover 2000 (P6).

The first 100 or so cars had wide metal inserts around front windscreen from Mk 1 Capri / Classic. Most of the pre-?S? cars had the normal plastic-chrome inserts.

Roof rails were chromed brass.

The first 80 or so cars had rear lights from the Alfa Romeo Guilia 1750, made by Carello. The rest had the Lucas items common to the Elan and Europa, which are similar to the S2 / S3 E Type units (but E Type units do not have the reversing lamp set in).

Boot latch common to the S3 Elan, similar to the Elite unit.

Exhaust rear silencer transverse across boot floor (in recess) similar to S3 Elan.


ELAN PLUS 2 ?S? (Oct 69)

Essentially a step change in interior luxury with a few detail changes.

Most cars had a silver metalflake roof (also known as ?snowflake?).

Same engine / box as pre-?S? Small Triumph radiator (as per S4 Elan) with electric fan. Positive Earth with dynamo.

Lotus steel wheels as per non ?S?, but chrome plated with satin black centres.

Lucas Square Eight fog / spot lights (as per Silver Shadow) in recesses under front bumper.

Reclining seats with basket weave covers, more thickly padded than previous. Rear seat and squab to match. Early ?S? cars had had fold down squab to make flat platform behind front seats.

Dash had rocker switches as per S4 Elan. Glove box was push-to-open type, as per S4 Elan. Two new instruments (ambient temp and battery) and map reading light (source Jaguar XJ6)

Interior lights similar to VW items. Coat hooks had small ?Lotus? roundel badges set in (in black).

Flush-fitting interior door handles ex-Marina / MGB / Maxi (as per S4 Elan) External handles from same source, with separate door locks. Door catches / latches unknown source.

Strangely, like the first few early cars, the first ?few? ?S? cars had the wide metal inserts, the rest had the narrow chrome-plastic inserts.

Roof rails are anodised aluminium.

Boot is opened via ?pull? cable in driver ?B? post.

Exhaust rear silencer in line with exhaust.


ELAN PLUS 2 S 130 ? Jan 1971

Big Valve engine?first few had the ?Lotus Big Valve? script on the cam cover readable from the front of the car. Move to Dellorto Carburettors. All changes in line with Elan Sprint. Negative earth with alternator (earlier for export cars)

5 speed gearbox optional extra (from Oct 72)(using some Maxi internals)

Two trim colours ? Black or Oatmeal. Oatmeal initially had a corduroy cloth inset option, which became standard with the later cars.

Last few cars had different internal lights (more rectangular).

Laminated windscreen with wide chrome plastic surround (bonded on).

Many of the later cars seem not to have had the silver metalflake roof painted on.

Later cars had fuse box in centre of dash.

One ?special? produced ?. the JPS Plus 2, produced to celebrate Lotus 50th GP win.. Some 98 made between June and September 1973. Featured Black paintwork with Gold metalflake roof and sills. Fully optioned, special wing badge.


Note: There are many other changes, like the ignition lock, two piece steering columns, fail-safe headlamps covered in the Ross / Robinshaw book. Some changes came in for some markets way ahead of others. There are also several changes to fuse box layouts I know nothing about between early car, 'S' and the early and late 130.

Lots to think about!!

Mark

[andyelan]

Hi Mark

That's a good list, but wasn't the metalflake roof to denote "130" spec. (big valve) cars rather than "S" spec.

Andy

[dusty]

Mark,

I think some items such as the door handles and transverse exhaust changed before the 'S' version came along. Don't have a time line though.

Just to confuse things the +2 and '+2S' were produced along side each other for about a year so I imagine there is quite an overlap between the two models.

Cheers
Jon

[ncm]

The revised shell design came in at chassis 929 according to the parts book. This occured sometime during 1968 as my current car has the early shell and was registered in Jan, my first Lotus was a late shelled standard, ie. not S etc,car registered in November.The chassis numbers of the two fall either side of the quoted 929 number.

[Elanintheforest]

Andy, you?re probably right about the metalflake roof. I can?t find any original brochures showing an ?S? with one now I?ve looked?there are plenty about, but I guess they?ve been added.

Jon / NCM....you're absolutely right. Ross/Robinshaw have 1593 as the introduction of the +2S (7th June 1969), and the revised Federal body specification FOR ALL MARKETS as 0929 (5th Sept 1968). It looks like the federal body was introduced (with negative earth) at 0857 (no date on the chassis list)

The federal body mods include:
New Bootlid
Revised Boot lock (cable pull on ?B? post)
New doors with flush interior handles etc.
Revised door window frames (don?t know what that is!)
Modified exhaust system
Revised boot floor panels
Modified pedal box
New steering column.

I.E., most of the stuff that makes up an ?S? but without the more comfy interior with reclining seats, or the extra 2 gauges. No mention of rocker switches, but I assume the federal version would have them at this time as well.

10 months is a long time to develop reclining seats and 2 extra instruments and come up with the 'S'!


Mark

[andyelan]

Hi Again

Whilst on the subject of changes, does anyone know what the definitive name for the plus 2 is. I was always led to believe that fairly early on the "Elan" was dropped and the cars were simply called the "Plus 2". My car however, a mid '73 S130/5, definatly has an "Elan +2" badge on it's side. Were there ever any cars which were simply badged "Plus 2" ?

Andy

[mikealdren]

I?m building a Zetec with parts from two donor cars, an ?S? and a ?130?. There are a few other differences I?ve found (sorry if I?ve repeated earlier replies!)

Both cars have remote boot releases but they have difference mechanisms, were there problems with the ?S?, the later system looks more expensive so it wasn?t a Chapman cost saving.
The ?S? has holes in the valance for foglights with plastic liners. The ?130? has the lights with moulded fibreglass recesses in the valance.
The ?S? has a vacuum switch for the headlights, the ?130? has an electric switch operating a vacuum valve and ?failsafe? headlights.
The ?S? has underbonnet lights (the same as the door puddle lights) set in the side of the underbonnet area. The ?130? has a light mounted on the rear rail of the bonnet.

Mike

[stugilmour]

Mark's second post describes my car to a tee. It is 50-2181, imported into Canada, where we generally followed US Federal LHD specification. The car is registered as 1971, but I assume the build date would be somewhat earlier. Many of these things are changed though...

In addition or like Mark's second list,
- it does not include the fog/driving lights
- has the flush style switches
- Fail safe lights with vacuum switch and integrated micro switches (micro switches installed in light switch) and one vacuum actuator.
- Older black interior with the non-reclining narrower seats
- four speed transmission
- Red cam cover, originally Stromberg's, with emission type exhaust manifold
- Electric fan, narrow rad
- Black wheels with 'Nader Nut' spin ons
- Wiring that appears to follow the federal wiring diagram exactly
- Negative ground, dynamo
- Dual braking system (front/rear) with two separate boosters
- Front to back silencer
- Steering column shroud from Triumph Spitfire/GT6 I think
- No cool map light, bonnet light, boot light, etc.
- No heated rear screen, but has the dash switch & warning light
- Early courtesy lights as above
- Early headliner material
- Front turn/marker light lenses all orange
- early plastic tunnel cover

Always getting confused ordering parts because of overlap with the S model, which I tend to mark by the extra gauges as the most distinct feature.

[1964 S1]

You guys are FREAKIN' ME OUT MAN. Especially here on the +2 forum. It sounds like a Porsche conversation. I'm gonna guess you're all under 41 years old.
Do you think you can split Lotus hairs using time lines?

[Elanintheforest]

Relax, Eric, we're just information gathering at the moment. So long as this is pulled together in a 'perhaps, maybe, probably' manner, especially around transition cars and times, I think we can all learn something here. I certainly hadn't appreciated quite what a cheap marketing exercise the 'S' was until discussed above!

Don't know about the others, but I was 41 once....back in the last century! And never even been in a Porker either...am I missing out??!!

Good input from Mike and Stu. Hadn't thought about the little lamps?door warning, puddle, underbonnet and boot. And of course the different headlinings. I think there were two?the early ?star? one (same as Cortina / Anglia) and the perforated one which came later?but when?

Keep it coming guys. There's still something to uncover about steering columns, fuse boxes, steering wheels, cam covers & colors, ash trays.......Come to think of it, as the early cars were set up for heavy smokers with 3 ashtrays in the front, it seems a little churlish that the kids in the back weren't provided with at least one between them.

Then there's that re-enforcement modification on the rear towers / back wing area...when did that happen?

Mark

[inxs]

To add to the list mine is 50/100 with the alfa rear light (no revering lights), this has the heavy chrome trim I think from the early ford capri??
The inside door handles are from a Mk 1 cortina.
At the last All British day I found the wiper / cigar lighter and light switch knobs are from a ford zephyer
toggle switches are used in most 60 british sports car. mgb included.
The basket hound trim is so close to a MGB pattern its hard to pick.
The electrical wiring was made by aliens and changes colour at random to be nothing like the factory wiring guide.

The first 200 hundred +2 where assembled by the dealers to get around the sales tax, I believe in 1968 all + 2 where assembled by Lotus.
My body has no badges except for LOTUS on the boot lid and the older syle "pale yellow" lotus badge on the bonnet.
The car is very basic compared to the later elans + 2, myself I like the "simplistic styling" of the early +2 and in Australia it keeps them guessing what it is until the see the letters on boot or work out the bonnet badge!!!

Perhaps I will put a prancing horse on the bonnet that will confuse them!!

Cheers Darren

[rong]

Mark,
I think you will find that the early chrome interior door handles are sourced from the Vauxhall Viva HA, the original boxy model, (my first car, wide wheels, lowered, tiny steering wheel etc.).
With regards to the headlining. my car, registered in July '68 has the perforated headlining with star embossed trim on the rear quarter panels.
The other odd thing is that the rear view mirror is attached to the windscreen and I can find no holes in the headlining made by the rear view mirror fixing screw!
I hope this hasn't muddied the waters too much.

Ron

[dusty]

Mark,
I think you will find that the early chrome interior door handles are sourced from the Vauxhall Viva HA, the original boxy model, (my first car, wide wheels, lowered, tiny steering wheel etc.).
With regards to the headlining. my car, registered in July '68 has the perforated headlining with star embossed trim on the rear quarter panels.
The other odd thing is that the rear view mirror is attached to the windscreen and I can find no holes in the headlining made by the rear view mirror fixing screw!
I hope this hasn't muddied the waters too much.

Ron

I would think your headlining has been replaced at some time in the past.