Lotus Elan S2 5-Speed

After much deliberation I have decided to sell my completely restored and fully sorted Lotus Elan S2.     This is a beautiful car that belongs with someone that is able to fully appreciate the driving experience that only a Lotus can deliver.   The early S1 and S2 cars are becoming increasingly rare. and even fewer have been made available with this build quality.  

Brief Overivew and Unique Features

Engine rebuild 2500 miles ago. High compression drop forged pistons. big valves. sprint+ cams (degreed). stainless header (ceramic powder coated) Alfa Romeo 105 Series 5-speed transmission with new second gear synchro (original transmission along with parts to convert back included except drive shaft which was modified in the conversion).   Anyone who intends to take this vehicle to Lotus LOG or other vintage events requiring interstate driving will appreciate this rare feature. Original rust free chasis. Front cross brace holds vacuum for 45 min plus (that's when i gave up waiting) Desirable upgrades include: Knockoffs. CV joints. rear adjustable height Koni shocks All new interior panels. console. seat covers from Famous Frank. Panels have thin foam padding giving a more luxurious feel than standard while appearing OEM Body has excellent fit. Door fit about the best I have seen. Older paint completed by previous owner but in excellent condition

Engine

Engine rebuilt just 2500 miles ago.   Runs strong with excellent power through the rev range Highly desirable Weber head running DCOEs (later cars were fitted with Strombergs) Drop forged JE pistons at 10:1 compression ratio Big Valves. new springs and seals. Moly guides Sprint+ cam regrind by JAE www. jaeparts. com Polished intakes Engine completely ballanced at http://www. balancingactdyno. ca/ Stainless steel headers from Kampena Motors http://www. pgc. com/kampena/.   Headers ceramic coated by http://www. fireballcoatings. com/ Cam cover powder coated Lucas alternator conversion Carter electric fuel pump (you can read here why this is the best option for Weber Carbs http://www. racetep. com/webfuelspark. html) Engine build aimed at exceeding the power of the late. great Big Valve Sprint cars

Transmission and Hydraulics

The transmission currently in the car is an Alfa Romeo 105 Series 5-Speed with new Second Gear Synchro.   Anyone that does any road trips to vintage races or other car meets will appreciate this rare feature.   Just search on the Lotus Elan forum and you can read many posts by those wishing to be able to have the elusive and coveted fifth gear www. lotuselan. net.   It is a highly desirable feature. but is difficult to accomplish due to spacial restrictions and the engineering challenge of adapting the few options that fit inside the chassis.   With this car. the work has been done for you!  Lotus did have a 5-speed available at the end of the related Elan Plus2 production. but those boxes are extremely rare. expensive and parts hard to come by. The original transmission will be sold with the car along with the parts required to convert back if so desired (except the drive shaft. which was modified extensively in the conversion).   The 4-Speed is an amazing gearbox but is less suited to highway driving and longer road trips New universal joints and sliding spline Clutch master and slave cylinders reslieved and rebuilt.   New clutch (Alfa Romeo driven disc inside original Lotus clutch assembly)

Chassis/Differential//Suspension

Differential runs quietly and does not leak This car has the expensive CV Joint Conversion.   Elans were originally equiped with rubber donuts and the debate rages whether one should just replace them or move to the more expensive CV joint conversion.   I think the concensus is the CV joints are superior. but may not be worth the hefty cost premium.   Well. in this cae the work is done.   You can research this debate also at www. lotuselan. net Original rust free chassis with only a minor depression in the underside of the vacuum chamber.   I don't need to explain further to the Lotus crowd about what a previous owner did. Koni shock conversion with adjustible ride height.   I have an extra Koni shock that will be sold with the car that leaks slightly but could be rebuilt as a spare New bushings in sway bar and suspension arms

Brakes/Hubs/Wheels/Tires

Calipers rebiult using new seals and stainless steel pistons from www. rdent. com All new brakelines and flex hoses New front wheel bearings.   The rear bearings have no signs of wear. but I have not replaced them This car has the desirable Knock Off Wheels.    This car was originally equipped with steel wheels and hubcaps Wheels have been cleaned. stripped and powder coated. Wheels are equipped with chrome trim rings/embellishers.   Tires are Vredestein Sprints and have just 2500 miles.

Electical

Alternator conversion Upgraded wire harness with relays for high beam. low beam. horn. and electric radiator fan Wire harness modified and rerouted to remove all unsightly wires and components from firewall.   The engine bay is completely clean and tidy with not a wire visible Wire was sourced from www. britishwire. com so as to maintain the correct colour code. thus enabling the original wiring diagram to be used for any subsequent trouble shooting All electrical components sorted and in perfect working order No radio is installed.    Who would want to listen to anything except the exhaust note?

Body

Body is in exceptional condition.   I have included some side shots showing door fit.   For those familiar with the Elan. these pictures say a thousand words.   It is unlikely that an Elan can be found with better door fit than this one.   Considerable time and expense was put into this detail Ridges leading back from the headlight pods toward the windscreen are sharp as they should be and not over sanded All chrome (door handles. light bezels. cantrail eyelets. knockoffs. wiper arms etc) in perfect condition. Paint is single stage Sherwinn Williams.   The car was painted by the previous owner some time ago when he began the restoration that I finished. but only has 2500 miles of driving so is free from road rash and other undesirable signs of wear There are a couple of nicks as you would expect on any car that has been driven.   I will send closeup pics to anyone intrested.

Interior

New seat covers. console and door panels. Door panels made with blown PVC sheeting rather than cardboard so they will never warp or pick up moisture. All new stainless steel screws. Door panels made up with a thin layer of foam. yielding a more luxurious feel and presense while maintaining the OE look and correct vinyl grain New black carpet with second set of floor mats that I have not used for driving. only for show.   Carpet is loop. not cut pile making for a more luxurious cabin New dash with bookmatched cherry veneer and satin finish.   Extra gauges added include clock and amp meter.   The combo oil/water gauge was replaced with a dedicated gauge of each.   All are Smith gauges with fully exposed down needle.   I'm told thw water gauge is from a competition Jaguar. so I pity the guy looking for his gauge to finish his restoration. Original steering wheel.   Good luck finding another one if you ever need to. Original dash top pad with no cracks.   Even better luck finding one of these than the steering wheel! Interior defects:  Small mar on LHS seat bolster.   Carpet has two areas of slight melt around seatbelt anchor points.   With the Tonneau cover on. these are not visible.   I will send pictures of these defects to anyone that contacts me.

History

This car was purchased at auction in the UK and imported to the US in 1977.   That owner is well known in Lotus circles but I will not drop his name here.   If anyone in interested. I can ask him if he would be willing to be contacted.    This gentlemen drove the car for some time before deciding to embark on a complete restoration.   He worked on the chassis and had the bodywork done and paint applied. but other projects got in the way and he elected to sell the car disassembled as a project. He had a second fully restored Elan that he sold at roughly the same time.   This white one sold here on Ebay last fall for $52K.   Those who have been keeping an eye on  early Elan auctions will be well aware of that sale. I purchased the car as a disassembled roller in 2004 and imported to Canada where it resides just over the border from Buffalo.   I completed the 5-Speed conversion in 2012 The original UK registration is HXE 660D.   I have the plate and it will go with the car.

Miscellaneous and Admin

I have done my best to desribe the car as thoroughly as possible and will respond to any questions as quickly as possible The car is for sale locally. and I reserve the right to end the auction prematurely If you email me. I will send photos of the very minor imperfections that any serious bidder would wish to see I would strongly encourage inspection of a vehicle at this price point.   There are some local Elan experts nearby or at the Lotus Owners of New York which may be amenable to your request for inspection. This is a used car that has been competely rebuilt. I have disclosed as much informatoin as possible. but am not implying a warranty in any way and am not responsible for any damage or malfunction which might subsequently occur. It would be my pleasure to work with a buyer to safely arrange transport of your choosing to ensure a safe transition of this car to its new home Trades:  I would consider a trade arrangement for a numbers matching longnose Porsche 911 coupe (pre '73).

Also published at eBay.com

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