M100 Elan

[busa_rush]

Anybody use one of these as a daily driver ? On the hunt again for an interesting daily car for the summer and these look like they'll fit the bill.

Dare I ask about the roof and leaks ? Not a serious problem hopefuly ?

What are the major problems to look for ? Maybe somebody can point me in the direction of a good faq ?

Thanks, Steve

[Kaiser Wull]

The Elan M100 is capable of everyday use, though it'll never be as reliable as a modern yawnbox.

The important thing is to buy one that has been properly cared for and to make sure that you don't skimp on the maintenance. Look for a car in good condition with a full service history, as these are both more important when buying an Elan than the mileage it's covered. Get a good one and you'll love it.

Elan roofs do leak to a greater or lesser degree, but an aftermarket hardtop (which is receiving rave reviews) has recently become available. This should help to make the car a better proposition for year-round use.

There is an excellent Elan M100 specific website at:

www.lotuselancentral.com

Apart from having a useful FAQ section, the site has a thriving international forum which features many memebers who are happy to share the benefits of their experience. It also offers information on Elans currently available for sale throughout the world.

[mkt29]

agree with the above, just make sure the wishbone are solid and not rusted thru.....

[busa_rush]

Thanks for that, looks pretty good. Seem to be plenty around too.

[Kaiser Wull]

mkt29 is spot on. You MUST check out the wishbones before buying an M100. On Series 2 cars (which date from 1994/95), the wishbones were galvanised but this was not the case on the earlier ('89 to '92) cars.

Replacement wishbones are available but are not cheap.

There ARE a lot of Elans available, so you can pick and choose.

Happy hunting!