Discussion
In my experience, the chassis will be rotten, I've known cars pass the MOT with rotten chassis. Chassis corosion/stress crack fatigue is a well known problem with these cars (I'm on my 3rd and 4th!)They rot from the inside out at the vac tank (front cross member) around the front and rear suspension turrets and in the back bone itself.Some needed changing due to corrosion as early as five years .This one is 39!
Lotus original protection may or may not have been a lick of red oxide and or bitumen paint.It wasnt always done!
. A replacement chassis is around £1200 (lotus galvanised or Spyder spaceframe) plus fitting and bushes/bolts/brake pipes etc.
As for the colour, I like it, its similar to the colour of the shell I'm going to be using. As to the quality of the finish? I'd be concerned that it was a cheap blow over that could be hiding all sorts of problems, you can see the earlier colour through the grille apertures.Painting one of these properly isn't cheap. GRP fault rectification is very labour intensive there fore costly.
If you are looking at getting one of these cars do your research! try here: www.lotuselan.net
Regards
Mark
Lotus original protection may or may not have been a lick of red oxide and or bitumen paint.It wasnt always done!
. A replacement chassis is around £1200 (lotus galvanised or Spyder spaceframe) plus fitting and bushes/bolts/brake pipes etc.
As for the colour, I like it, its similar to the colour of the shell I'm going to be using. As to the quality of the finish? I'd be concerned that it was a cheap blow over that could be hiding all sorts of problems, you can see the earlier colour through the grille apertures.Painting one of these properly isn't cheap. GRP fault rectification is very labour intensive there fore costly.
If you are looking at getting one of these cars do your research! try here: www.lotuselan.net
Regards
Mark
Thanks Mark
This was relatively local to me, and I fancy something classic, maintainable and useable again.
Know what you mean about chassis and this is my great worry. Had a supposedly rebuilt S4 Elan DHC in the late 80's and the chassis fell apart, great looking car absolutely dreadful to keep going with enough (unseen until you start to dismantle) bodges to make a TV programme about.
Thanks again, its between a +2 and a Stag I think, as I need more than 2 seats now (family dog etc). Going to post a new thread canvassing owners of both vehicles opinions to practicality. I lived through the era when they were both current but you know what they say, "if you can remember it you weren't really there....."
Tony H
This was relatively local to me, and I fancy something classic, maintainable and useable again.
Know what you mean about chassis and this is my great worry. Had a supposedly rebuilt S4 Elan DHC in the late 80's and the chassis fell apart, great looking car absolutely dreadful to keep going with enough (unseen until you start to dismantle) bodges to make a TV programme about.
Thanks again, its between a +2 and a Stag I think, as I need more than 2 seats now (family dog etc). Going to post a new thread canvassing owners of both vehicles opinions to practicality. I lived through the era when they were both current but you know what they say, "if you can remember it you weren't really there....."
Tony H
hello chaps i have a fully rebuilt lotus elan +2 rolling chassis on ebay.
you talk a lot of sense. People who buy these cars do not understand that they were fragile when new. If they have not been fully restored you will spend your whole life in the repair shop
i stripped down my 68 car and not one part was servicable either because of old age and fatigue or wear either which one will potentialy kill you.
my original rear wish bones were so thin in places it wasnt even funny
any chassis that is either original or non galvanised is fit only for the bin red oxide waxol or not. My side sill members were litteraly dust.
so there is a good chance that a cheap plus 2 will turn out to be a very expensive plus 2
but once sorted and rebuilt it is one of the best cars money can buy
hope this helps
you talk a lot of sense. People who buy these cars do not understand that they were fragile when new. If they have not been fully restored you will spend your whole life in the repair shop
i stripped down my 68 car and not one part was servicable either because of old age and fatigue or wear either which one will potentialy kill you.
my original rear wish bones were so thin in places it wasnt even funny
any chassis that is either original or non galvanised is fit only for the bin red oxide waxol or not. My side sill members were litteraly dust.
so there is a good chance that a cheap plus 2 will turn out to be a very expensive plus 2
but once sorted and rebuilt it is one of the best cars money can buy
hope this helps
bazzerv8 said:
...there is a good chance that a cheap plus 2 will turn out to be a very expensive plus 2
but once sorted and rebuilt it is one of the best cars money can buy
but once sorted and rebuilt it is one of the best cars money can buy
Cheap Elans/Plus 2's are rarely cheap in the long run. My first 2-seater Elan cost me £6K to buy, but by the time I had overhauled everything (and I mean everything) it probably ended up costing me £14K in total and it was sold for £8.5K. My current Elan cost me £12K to buy, fully restored to a high quality by someone else, has cost a trivial amount in maintenance over the last couple of years and I'd happily jump in it and set off toward Scotland or the South of France in perfect confidence of getting there.
Having said which, I wouldn't have missed out on the (costly) experience of the Elans and Plus 2's I've rebuilt myself... there's nothing like it for learning about the car and gaining an insight into the genius behind it.
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