Elan S4 Galvanised Chassis

[cavebloke]

Hi Guys,

I have a 1974 Elan S4 which will be in need of a new chassis possibly next year. Is there anyone making new chassis for them and is it possible to buy them galvanised?

I'm not too concerned about cost I just want the best.

Cheers,
cavebloke

[mini*drummer]

Spider chassis' were the best one's. Id suggest calling Sue Miller. Both herself and her late husband Mick are well known in the world of Elans. 01728 603307.

Hope this helps. If you can't get hold of her give me a call here at Stratton Motor Company. Ask for Tim in the Parts Dept.

Tim.

[Sam_68]

They are still readily available via the usual specialist suppliers (Paul Matty Sportscars, Christopher Neil Sportscars, Mick Miller Lotus, Fibreglass Services, etc.). I believe all the above supply them in galvanised form.

Spyder Engineering do refurbished standard chassis if you are on a budget, or their spaceframe replacement (non-authentic, but has many practical and strength advantages over the pressed steel original). The Spyder spaceframe is only available in an enamel finish, though (and when I fitted one to a previous Elan, the enamel proved very easy to chip).

Tony Thompson Racing does a 26R replica chassis which is reinforced in key areas, and is generally regarded as the ultimate pressed steel-type replacement chassis, but he will only supply them stove enamelled - he reckons that galvanising causes too many problems with distortion, if you are trying to achieve race levels of accuracy with the suspension geometry.

The Lotus Parts Fair at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire will be coming up soon (early November), so why don't you get along to there to discuss the options with various suppliers?

edited to add: I see from your profile that your car is a Stromberg S4? How did that come about, then? I was under the impression that UK cars were only supplied with Strombergs from 1968 to about mid-1970, before reverting to Weber/Dellorto?

Edited by Sam_68 on Thursday 4th October 13:28

[Sprintman]

Sam_68 said:

I see from your profile that your car is a Stromberg S4? How did that come about, then? I was under the impression that UK cars were only supplied with Strombergs from 1968 to about mid-1970, before reverting to Weber/Dellorto?

Edited by Sam_68 on Thursday 4th October 13:28

I thought the S4 was initially delivered with the Strombergs and that it was only part way through production that they switched to Webers. I also heard that all cars still at the factory that had the Strombergs fitted were converted to Webers before delivery.

I own an S4 that has the distinctive Stromberg bonnet bulge but has always been on Webers.

[Sam_68]

Sprintman said:

I thought the S4 was initially delivered with the Strombergs and that it was only part way through production that they switched to Webers.

Yes, that's correct. The S4 was introduced (with Strombergs) in March '68, and I was under the impression that the switch back to Webers was completed by 1970. I gather that it's a little difficult to pin down the last UK Stromberg cars, because Lotus continued to use the Stromberg head for emissions reasons on the US market and may have fitted whatever was available in stores during the reversion period. The S4 was the superseded by the Sprint in 1971.

Sprintman said:

I also heard that all cars still at the factory that had the Strombergs fitted were converted to Webers before delivery.

I'm not sure about that... obviously it would have meant changing the whole cylinder head and, knowing Lotus, they wouldn't have done that unless they were absolutely forced to by customers!

Sprintman said:

I own an S4 that has the distinctive Stromberg bonnet bulge but has always been on Webers.

This is a well documented occurence... again, it was simply a matter of Lotus fitting whatever bonnets were available on UK cars. The bulged bonnets remained in production for the Stromberg equipped US market cars, so if the flat 'Weber' bonnets were out of stock, they just fitted a bulged bonnet instead!

My car is particualrly confusing - it has a flat bonnet, is to Sprint specification and was registered in 1973, but has a chassis number that should really date to 1968 (when it ought to have been fitted with Strombergs and a bulged bonnet!). Its first two owners were Lotus employees and there is evidence to suggest that it may have been one of the factory prototypes for the Sprint - not least because the cylinder head is stamped by Brian Hart (later F1 engine manufacturer), who did some of the cylinder head development for the Sprint.

Lotus history can be very confusing, but I was under the impression that on the UK market, the Stromberg S4 should have been long superseded by the Weber/Dellorto Sprint by the time of Cavebloke's 1974 car?