In a quandry - please help...

[Elanintheforest]

How can you keep an Elan in one piece in NZ? Last time I was in the South Island, a large green parrot came out of the undergrowth and started eating my car! It had the wiper rubbers, windscreen trim and a badge off in seconds...and was pulling away at the windscreen rubber when I tried to shoo him away. That just wound him up a bit more and he attacked me instead! He would have had the bodyshell off an Elan inside an hour.
You're right about Plus 2s being underrated...they sell here on ebay for about ?3000 for a non-runner 5 speed S, and are being bought at that price for the engine and gearbox...the rest appears back on ebay a few weeks later. Engine and box seem to fetch ?2500, and lots of Lotus-Cortina and Twin Cam Escort reps being built. It used to be the other way round, when Cortinas were scrapped to keep an Elan going. Still, more spares for us and less Elans, so they will become quite collectable one day!
Good luck in NZ...and keep an eye out for those bloomin' parrots!
I've bought a couple of these bargain basement cars recently, and am looking forward to a complete rebuild on one and fettle the other for a slightly less-than-perfect runner. These won't be scrapped!

[bengalcharlie]

yes I have heard about these f.. parrots but I live in the north island and no rubber eating parrots around so that is a plus.
Just a lot of bad drivers on the road and they drive you just as crazy!
I have a spare car too which I want to put on the road again one day but as a light weight car without trim, bumpers etc and most likely with modern running gear. should be fun.
At present I am just enjoying my plus two after a 15 year rebuild.
great fun!

Robin

[thor]

hmmm., yes the leather is cream with black piping, but SURELY it's madness to replace it with cheaper vinyl...!

I'd quite happy swap you my +2S/130 lovely black vinyl interior, which, although my favourite colour doesn't half smell as nice as the pimpish cream leather. (have a look in my gallery..)


Thor

Very sad having the car wrapped up in an underground garage, though with heat and ventilation is not under my house......bugger.

[thor]

But I do too think the car is a bit on the pricey side... Saying that, when I made up my mind this summer on my current 130/5, no one could dissuade me... . .

[Robbie693]

Hi Thor,

I saw your car for sale before you bought it, it looked really nice but as it was a 5 speed I gave it a miss.

I notice you were looking for a Turnolock, in the pictures I saw it looked like one was already fitted; was it missing when you bought it?

Did you manage to find one?

[thor]

Ah, yes.
The car was sold to someone else first actually, that then found a Zetec-project that he really wanted, sent me an email, and we made a deal; he'd keep the +2 for 5-6 weeks until I'd sold my rattly TR4A, and then I bought it for what he paid, and I'm very happy... One engineer owner for 26years, Spyder spaceframe etc... a gem.
Except for the very very rubbery 5speed of course, but planning to sort it out.
He kept the turnolock, and I haven't sourced a new one yet.

T

[cdraper]

I would phone M;iles Wilkins - or maybe the RAC/AA and have it proffessionally inspected. Alternatively see what Paul Matty has in stock. Why was the engine warm when you arrived - very odd. Take care.

[thor]

Paul Matty is one of the few respectable dealers out there, and a fountain of knowledge.
But the cars in his stock tend to be in the dreamland price sphere. No matter how lovely they are, and they are as I got advice from Paul myself before buying mine..., 16 K for a +2 is a liiiiitle bit on the steep side for most, don't you think?

Thor

[Elanintheforest]

At ?16k it's half the cost of the restoration apparently. That bill must have been a bit of a shock to the owner!

[Robbie693]

I've been to see a lot of cars that have warm engines when I arrive, usually the owner says 'oh., I just took it round the block' or ' I went to get some petrol'.

Even if genuine, it always makes me wary. But I guess if the engine was shot it would still be pretty obvious even when warm(?)

Paul Matty is very close to where I live - used him a lot in the past. Can't afford his car prices though!

[mikefromengland]

the +2 is a abargin of a car realy.paul matty favours this over the baby elan and he knows what he is talking about.mgb's command 5k-10k for a mint one and they're not even a sports cars lol if you don't beleive me drive one and you will see.if you are going to keep it the price isn't so much of an issue.you buy a new car today in 3 years it will be worth 50%of purchase if your lucky.i've had my car 3 years now .it hasn't gone up in price but it is worth more than the rover 25 i'm trying to sell lol anyone want a rover help.