YouTube Lotus Elan S2 M100 Vlog
Discussion
Hi,
I've started a Vlog on my YouTube channel about my Lotus Elan S2 M100, link here: -
https://youtu.be/B2JhbiO4uas
Please take a look, let me know what you think.
Regards
Karl
I've started a Vlog on my YouTube channel about my Lotus Elan S2 M100, link here: -
https://youtu.be/B2JhbiO4uas
Please take a look, let me know what you think.
Regards
Karl
Interesting piece. Thanks for sharing it.
You seem remarkably upbeat given the issues that came with the Elan when you acquired it.
I acquired an M100 Elan a few months ago which luckily is issue free and have put on 1500 miles in the last couple of months.
Given how much I've enjoyed driving it I would be great to hear your views on driving it.
You seem remarkably upbeat given the issues that came with the Elan when you acquired it.
I acquired an M100 Elan a few months ago which luckily is issue free and have put on 1500 miles in the last couple of months.
Given how much I've enjoyed driving it I would be great to hear your views on driving it.
Thanks Bazza 2174,
Yeah I'm upbeat! I've had other cars over the years, Lotus Elise S2, Boxster, Audi TT etc but the Elan was the one I wanted when I was a kid.
I've done around the same mileage as you so far with no issues, so the cars sound, its just cosmetic niggles which is fine for the price I paid for an S2 with 70,000 miles.
Its great to drive, I'll post some driving vids on the channel soon.
Regards
Karl
Yeah I'm upbeat! I've had other cars over the years, Lotus Elise S2, Boxster, Audi TT etc but the Elan was the one I wanted when I was a kid.
I've done around the same mileage as you so far with no issues, so the cars sound, its just cosmetic niggles which is fine for the price I paid for an S2 with 70,000 miles.
Its great to drive, I'll post some driving vids on the channel soon.
Regards
Karl
Edited by karlhurn on Thursday 6th June 12:01
In the process of looking at one of these to add to my garage. Keep it up :-) enjoyed the first 2.
So far Roof seals and cambelts seem to be the negatives, with an awful lot of positives, lots seem to have been chipped too (gel coat and engine)...
As far as I can see Prices seem to be anywhere from 5 to 17k depending on mileage/condition and there is a definite s2 premium. It's a lovely car for the money, yours looks especially so.
Do you mind me asking how much you paid for yours? PM a reply by all means.
Thanks,
S.
So far Roof seals and cambelts seem to be the negatives, with an awful lot of positives, lots seem to have been chipped too (gel coat and engine)...
As far as I can see Prices seem to be anywhere from 5 to 17k depending on mileage/condition and there is a definite s2 premium. It's a lovely car for the money, yours looks especially so.
Do you mind me asking how much you paid for yours? PM a reply by all means.
Thanks,
S.
51mes said:
In the process of looking at one of these to add to my garage. Keep it up :-) enjoyed the first 2.
So far Roof seals and cambelts seem to be the negatives, with an awful lot of positives, lots seem to have been chipped too (gel coat and engine)...
As far as I can see Prices seem to be anywhere from 5 to 17k depending on mileage/condition and there is a definite s2 premium. It's a lovely car for the money, yours looks especially so.
Do you mind me asking how much you paid for yours? PM a reply by all means.
Thanks,
S.
By Lotus standards they are very reliable & resilient. They leak & the A pillar seals used to be sSo far Roof seals and cambelts seem to be the negatives, with an awful lot of positives, lots seem to have been chipped too (gel coat and engine)...
As far as I can see Prices seem to be anywhere from 5 to 17k depending on mileage/condition and there is a definite s2 premium. It's a lovely car for the money, yours looks especially so.
Do you mind me asking how much you paid for yours? PM a reply by all means.
Thanks,
S.
t. Cambelts just need changing periodically. The Isuzu engine is a tough little sod. Mines just been recommissioned having been sat for far too long. Cam belt was due for replacement anyhow, but otherwise new fuel pump & it's fine. I've had it now for 26 years, they are reliable & not costly to maintain. You see a lot of high milers out there. Guy I used to work with ran one as his daily commute car. The S2s were detuned to accommodate the cat that the 1st ones didn't have. It's also interesting that the few n/a's out there are highly coveted,
Hi 51mes,
Thanks. I'm glad you like the videos, I'll keep them coming. I mentioned in the video I paid £6,500 for the Elan. Which I think seems fair. I was quite aware of the issues with the car and they're quite superficial really.
Good luck with the search, I hope you find a good one!
Regards
Karl
Thanks. I'm glad you like the videos, I'll keep them coming. I mentioned in the video I paid £6,500 for the Elan. Which I think seems fair. I was quite aware of the issues with the car and they're quite superficial really.
Good luck with the search, I hope you find a good one!
Regards
Karl
Hi GT03ROB,
Wow, 26 years! That's pretty cool. You're right about the A-Pillar leak, mines great in the wet, as long as you keep the doors shut! After that its a puddle in the crotch :-( Another issue hood wise (as mentioned in the video) is the back corner of the hood where the frame rubs on the inside of the fabric and wears through. As you mentioned, the engines very strong, although I have needed a new coolant temp sensor and a new lambda sensor (slightly difficult to source but wikilec.com is an excellent cross referencing source) :-)
I was chasing an N/A car (I always like an underdog), but my S2 seemed to interesting to pass up.
Best regards
Karl
Wow, 26 years! That's pretty cool. You're right about the A-Pillar leak, mines great in the wet, as long as you keep the doors shut! After that its a puddle in the crotch :-( Another issue hood wise (as mentioned in the video) is the back corner of the hood where the frame rubs on the inside of the fabric and wears through. As you mentioned, the engines very strong, although I have needed a new coolant temp sensor and a new lambda sensor (slightly difficult to source but wikilec.com is an excellent cross referencing source) :-)
I was chasing an N/A car (I always like an underdog), but my S2 seemed to interesting to pass up.
Best regards
Karl
Aww...it looks just like my old S2 (no. 319). Hopefully you won't have any electrical problems - I took mine to GST to have the sparky bits "simplified" to shut the alarm off. Unfortunately that also included the cig lighter, so on the way to the Ypres Lotus day, the satnav died before we even got to Dover...
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
Bit of a thread bump but seems a good place to start..
I’ve been looking and struggling to find the pros of the S2, it’s down a little on power but supposed to be a bit better in handling which to me balance each other out. Am I missing something to justify the premium? I imagine their age condition is more important than anything
I’ve had a series 1 Elise before and found it a touch too compromised (roof not hard to put on but not exactly quick, but with the. roof on it was definitely gymnastics to slot my 6’4” body through the opening. Once in however there was plenty of leg room. It’s been a while since I sat in an Elan, and I don’t recall it being tight for space? Anyone able to comment (I’m not going to kick a few tyres until I’m ready to buy).
I’ve been looking and struggling to find the pros of the S2, it’s down a little on power but supposed to be a bit better in handling which to me balance each other out. Am I missing something to justify the premium? I imagine their age condition is more important than anything
I’ve had a series 1 Elise before and found it a touch too compromised (roof not hard to put on but not exactly quick, but with the. roof on it was definitely gymnastics to slot my 6’4” body through the opening. Once in however there was plenty of leg room. It’s been a while since I sat in an Elan, and I don’t recall it being tight for space? Anyone able to comment (I’m not going to kick a few tyres until I’m ready to buy).
Heres Johnny said:
Bit of a thread bump but seems a good place to start..
I’ve been looking and struggling to find the pros of the S2, it’s down a little on power but supposed to be a bit better in handling which to me balance each other out. Am I missing something to justify the premium? I imagine their age condition is more important than anything
I’ve had a series 1 Elise before and found it a touch too compromised (roof not hard to put on but not exactly quick, but with the. roof on it was definitely gymnastics to slot my 6’4” body through the opening. Once in however there was plenty of leg room. It’s been a while since I sat in an Elan, and I don’t recall it being tight for space? Anyone able to comment (I’m not going to kick a few tyres until I’m ready to buy).
I've run an Elise alongside an Elan. The two are like chalk & cheese. in terms of the cockpit space & ease of entry. Where the Elise is like posting yourself through a letter box with the roof on, the Elan is like a normal car. The Elise has buckets instead of 'comfy' seats.I’ve been looking and struggling to find the pros of the S2, it’s down a little on power but supposed to be a bit better in handling which to me balance each other out. Am I missing something to justify the premium? I imagine their age condition is more important than anything
I’ve had a series 1 Elise before and found it a touch too compromised (roof not hard to put on but not exactly quick, but with the. roof on it was definitely gymnastics to slot my 6’4” body through the opening. Once in however there was plenty of leg room. It’s been a while since I sat in an Elan, and I don’t recall it being tight for space? Anyone able to comment (I’m not going to kick a few tyres until I’m ready to buy).
Regarding S1's v S2's, there is not a huge amount of difference. Handling on the S1 is pretty damn good anyway for FWD. Power drop is due to the S2 engine being tuned differently to compensate for the S2s having cats which the S1s don't. I personally wouldn't worry too much about the differences they were marginal at the time and 25-30 years later will be non-existent.
I'll echo what Rob has said - the SE and S2 are so similar that buying on condition alone is the way to go.
The S2 did have better rust protection to the chassis, but at this age you'll be wanting to have a thorough check of the underneath anyway (especially the rear arms, that's where they go).
Cambelt is 5years/60k. Parts are cheap (Rock Auto in the states is brilliant for M100 bits) but it's an absolute pig of a job (ask me how I know).
A good hood would be a big bonus. Almost all (that haven't been redone) now leak, sometimes quite badly! I'd say the OP did very well to not get wet in heavy rain! OE seals are now hard to obtain and are fearsomely expensive for bits of foam rubber (around £500 for the set iirc).
If you fit (I'm 6'1, and I find it rather snug - you'll definitely be adopting the 'legs akimbo' position) get one. They are fantastic little b-road terriers. The suspension suits British country roads better than any other car I've driven, with incredible poise and grip. When chipped to around 200bhp (which a lot of them are) they are quick, being under 1000kg.
The S2 did have better rust protection to the chassis, but at this age you'll be wanting to have a thorough check of the underneath anyway (especially the rear arms, that's where they go).
Cambelt is 5years/60k. Parts are cheap (Rock Auto in the states is brilliant for M100 bits) but it's an absolute pig of a job (ask me how I know).
A good hood would be a big bonus. Almost all (that haven't been redone) now leak, sometimes quite badly! I'd say the OP did very well to not get wet in heavy rain! OE seals are now hard to obtain and are fearsomely expensive for bits of foam rubber (around £500 for the set iirc).
If you fit (I'm 6'1, and I find it rather snug - you'll definitely be adopting the 'legs akimbo' position) get one. They are fantastic little b-road terriers. The suspension suits British country roads better than any other car I've driven, with incredible poise and grip. When chipped to around 200bhp (which a lot of them are) they are quick, being under 1000kg.
Edited by mrtwisty on Saturday 4th January 06:38
mrtwisty said:
They are fantastic little b-road terriers. The suspension suits British country roads better than any other car I've driven, with incredible poise and grip. When chipped to around 200bhp (which a lot of them are) they are quick, being under 1000kg.
They are quick without being chipped, they give you tremendous confidence to push on. I've been followed by guys in 911s who have been amazed how quick they are on B roads. There was an article in Car magazine all those years back when they put them up against a 911 & an Integrale as the fastest A-B cars on the market. Seriously underated if you ask me. Thanks all - I'll have to remind myself if the cabin fit as it sounds like it might be tight which I don't recall. I'm a stone heavier but no taller
I used to use Paul Matty for the Elise (about 45 mins away) who I presume is still well thought of (my ability with a spanner is slightly limited especially on bigger jobs). The vblogs have been useful as I've checked over some of the resources and nothing seems horrendous, just lots of fiddly things like the headlight motor, and the lots of trouble cliche doesn;t seem to hold true at all on the Elan (famous last words).
I used to use Paul Matty for the Elise (about 45 mins away) who I presume is still well thought of (my ability with a spanner is slightly limited especially on bigger jobs). The vblogs have been useful as I've checked over some of the resources and nothing seems horrendous, just lots of fiddly things like the headlight motor, and the lots of trouble cliche doesn;t seem to hold true at all on the Elan (famous last words).
There is a guy in Scotland that does replacement seals for the M100, they are EPDM rubber, not the spongey
type of seals that they came from the factory with. This video on YT shows them going through a water test.
Looks pretty effective. https://youtu.be/MGiyiIFjUew
type of seals that they came from the factory with. This video on YT shows them going through a water test.
Looks pretty effective. https://youtu.be/MGiyiIFjUew
Pastor Of Muppets said:
There is a guy in Scotland that does replacement seals for the M100, they are EPDM rubber, not the spongey
type of seals that they came from the factory with. This video on YT shows them going through a water test.
Looks pretty effective. https://youtu.be/MGiyiIFjUew
Knowing what mines like that's quite impressive.type of seals that they came from the factory with. This video on YT shows them going through a water test.
Looks pretty effective. https://youtu.be/MGiyiIFjUew
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