Plus 2, wheels, original color

[Carlos A]

I just got what the seller characterized as a new original wheel. It looks new (despite the dust you see in the picture), but the color bothers me a little. Was black an original color for the wheels? The wheels in my car are silver. Thanks for your help. Carlos

[Carlos A]

This is a pic of the wheels on my car. Silver as you can see. For any information on this issue, thank you. Carlos

[Elanintheforest]

Hi Carlos
As far as I know there were 3 types of wheel for the Plus 2.
The early pre-S cars were all silver, the same as yours
The S cars had chrome rimed wheels with a black painted centre, with the optional alloy rims that look like Dunlop wheels (Brand Lotus?). For the last year or so of production they all had the alloy wheels..in the UK at least.

Here's a couple of brochures that show the 3 styles.

Mark

[aussieelan]

Mark is correct ..

On the +2 pressed steel 5.5j wheels were fitted, with its distinctive 10 lozenge shaped cut-outs. These wheels seem to have been silver painted in all cases.

The same wheel was retained for the +2S, with the outer rim chromed and the centre painted black. An option to fit alloy wheel was available.

From mid 1973 onwards a 5.5j Brand Lotus 10 spoke alloy wheel became a standard fitting, with the spokes picked out in silver against the rest of the wheel being painted black.

[Carlos A]

Thanks guys. So this black steel wheel I got (see picture) was painted? There were no original steel black wheels? If that is the case, I must talk with the seller.

[garyeanderson]

I seem to remember when I bought some Plus2 wheels back in 1992 to use on my first S4 that of the one of them was painted black. I bought 3 used and a new one, the new one was Black if I remember right.

Gary

[Elanintheforest]

I've seen plenty of black wheels on Plus 2 cars, and they are often used in conjunction with a rim-trim to look a little like the chrome-rim-black-centre wheel. Still can't find any contemporary pictures showing black rims to be original though.

I've never seen a black wheel car in any of the brochures, and that is the most reliable way I know of determining originality...it's not infallible though, as the early Sprint brochure shows silver wheels.

I wonder if new wheels could be bought unpainted (in the black 'dispatch' primer) or if, after 30 or 40 years a rim could have been re-painted but never used...and sold as new?

For my money, silver shows off the wheel a lot better than black.

This pic shows the chrome rim a little better.

Mark

[Carlos A]

These wheels look black with a golden rim-trim, but without having the original brochure I can not really tell.

So the consensus is that that black wheel has been repainted?

[Elanintheforest]

This is from the original brochure, Carlos, and it is a chromed rim. Looks to be gold plated, but I guess that's just a gold / yellow light, as the diff looks gold as well.

Never say never with Lotus....I'm sure that if a customer wanted purple wheels with green spots the factory would have done them...for a price.

I'm 99% certain that standard production Plus 2 cars with standard wheels had them painted silver.

Just another thought though. As the Sprint wheel was painted black, and the last year of production all Plus 2 cars for the domestic market had alloys, could it have been that any spare standard wheels for the Plus 2 (rarely required) were painted the same as the Sprint? Easy and cheap, so it sounds logical for Lotus!

Mark

[bcmc33]

The original road tests in the Lotus Elan Ultimate Portfolio book shows the +2 with silver wheels.
The 1970 & 1971 road tests of the +2S shows the wheels black with chrome rims. The +2S 130 show black whhels with chrome trim as per the Elan. However, there are also subsequent tests of cars with silver wheels.

Conclusion: Typical Lotus.

[robcall]

http://www.geocities.com/trevorsparrow/ ... wheels.htm
I think this gives an answer to the colour question.

NOS?-best to weigh the wheel and compare with originals-repro's are a bit heavier.

[Carlos A]

This is the answer I got from the vendor (I understand he is a reputable person):

"All replacements were black: at one time had 10 of them all black, it is a matter of paint only, you can spray silver if you like, but like a regular car the spare is usually black. [...] It is an orignal [wheel], I bought from Lotus factory in 1977; they didnt have aftermarket ones then"

[PWTrusty]

Looks like you have the correct information. Either Federal, UK or Export the +2 steel wheels started out as silver. Later the UK models got the black and chrome. Knock offs were either the 3 eared or the Nader nuts for the US.
More than a few of the silver wheels have been painted if only to tidy them up a bite. Me, I painted them black with a trim ring.
Phil
72 +2s

[theelanman]

im sure its all about taste at the end of the day.....
mine came with wolfrace alloys (aftermarket)....
then I changed to baby elan rims with the chrome rim embelisher....
then I went for the +2 rims with the inbuilt chrome rims......
Ive now got the late 8spoke alloy type.......and after all this I prefer the last choice......
the thing is that its an early +2 pre 2...1967....
so I suppose I should have the silver painter steel rims....ah well

[andyelan]

Hi there

Is everyone sure the Brand Lotus alloy wheels were painted black ?

3 wheels on my car have obviously been repainted and are indeed black, the 4th however, which appears to have it's original paint, is dark metallic grey under clear lacquer (interestingly this wheel doesn't have the steel insert in the centre either). For sure, the Lotus bolt on wheels of the Europa Twin Cam were metallic grey and not black.

Regards
Andy