Classic Cars / Lotus / Car for sale

LOTUS ELAN 2

Sale price: £12,995.00 make an offer

Pending offers

Date: 2015-07-07

paul (from Siwtzerland) offered as requested gbp

Price trends for this listing: £13,995.00

Car location: Saxmundham, United Kingdom

Seller's notes: STUNNING CONDITION, FULL RESTORATION WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, HUGE HISTORY FILE.

Sale type: Fixed price listing

Technical specifications, photos and description:

Got questions?
Ask here!

LOTUS ELAN 2 for sale

Current customer rating: current rating for this car(2.15) based on 418 votes
For very reluctant sale is my beautiful Lotus Elan 2 + 2 Convertible which has had a Christopher Neil Ltd conversion to a soft top. As far as I know this particular conversion was the only properly engineered one available at the time (beware of any others offered as they may not have been properly strengthened to compensate for the removal of the roof). My research found that the firm Christopher Neil Ltd (the premier Classic Lotus dealer) actually converted 200 Elan 2 + 2 models which were done over 25 years ago. No further conversions were done after this making these cars a very "limited edition" indeed. It is therefore a very unique car and you are unlikely to see another one on the road. I certainly haven't !! 
This particular car has had what is best described as a "rolling restoration" with various stages completed over the years as follows:
1994 - Front suspension and front brakes rebuilt. New wiring loom. stainless steel exhaust system. battery isolator switch. electric fuel pump and Kenlowe fan. 1995 - Spyder chassis and sills. 1996-2000 - Christopher Neil convertible conversion. full bare gel coat respray. engine rebuild. interior re-trim. rechromed. new bolt-on 14" Minilite alloys. new fuel lines. recon fuel tank and new seat belts. 2005 - Rear suspension and rear brakes rebuilt. 2007 on (Under my ownership) - New battery. Spax adjustable rear shocks. rear wheel bearing. electric washer pump. distributor cap. points. rotor arm. Spyder driveshaft conversion kit (cost £762). new hood windows. new boot boards. carpet and 2 new rear tyres just last week due to slight cracks found in the side walls (I take no chances !) 
I have some extra photographs showing the car during the restoration. the new chassis. the respray and the engine re-installation which I can scan and send on request.   

I have spoken to two previous owners who have confirmed dates and mileages giving a total of only 10. 00 miles covered since restoration started in 1994.
I think that the convertible conversion really suits the Elan 2 + 2 and I have only seen a total of 3 of these cars for sale since I bought it in 2007. One was for sale at Oselli Engineering for £14500 having been part of a private collection in Switzerland and one was for sale on Ebay also at £14995 a couple of months back. the other one was for restoration again on Ebay very recently. By the way I think that the colour of my car. Lotus Azure Blue. is much better than the other ones I've mentioned (two red and one yellow). but this is my personal opinion. I'm also not sure if these other cars were in fact proper Christopher Neil conversions or not as this was not mentioned in their adverts.
I also have certificates from Towergate Insurance agreeing the value of my car at £14000. Bear in mind this is a realistic market valuation being what the insurance company would actually pay out and not some "club" valuation which are usually artificially higher.

So in view of this I think that my price of £12995 for such a well restored and properly engineered conversion is a very fair price for what can only be an increasingly rare and beautiful looking classic Lotus. Don't forget that it has the advantage of being tax exempt and with classic car insurance at £87 (for me) it doesn't cost the earth to enjoy it !!  
So. to sum up. this car has had fortunes spent on it and it is in excellent condition having covered a low mileage since the restoration/conversion. it comes with a huge history file complete with loads of receipts. photos etc. . and has an Mot until October (will get a new Mot upon sale) . It is a well sorted. very useable and appreciating classic. it drives superbly and will make someone a fantastic car especially for the summer.  I am reluctantly selling it due to increasing powerboat racing commitments and don't seem to find the time to use it ! 

Are there any imperfections ?  Of course there are. this is a 44 year old classic car !  If you come round with a magnifying glass you will find some in the paintwork but there is nothing that you can see with normal vision from standing next to the car.   Show me a fibreglass car this age with perfect paintwork and I'll show you some of Suffolks famous flying pigs !  The nearside door mirror has come off but I would replace both of them with a pair of the streamlined racing type (approx £20 each) as they look much better. Some of the chrome on the rear bumper has started to deteriorate and would probably need rechroming but it's not a major issue.  
There are no mechanical issues whatsoever. the engine shows 70psi oil pressure cold and 60psi hot at 3000rpm. the gearbox. a 4-speed (the 5-speed ones can be unreliable and expensive to repair) is perfect and now that I have replaced the old driveshafts with Spyder ones the whole driveline is probably now one of the best you will find in a classic Elan.
A point to make here regarding the "solid" type of driveshaft that I have seen advertised on some Elans. These put unnecessary extra strain on the whole transmission system because in an attempt to eliminate the "surge" on acceleration (typical of many Elans) these driveshaft manufacturers have removed the rubber doughnut coupling which is a mistake. There must be some form of energy absorption during hard acceleration to avoid the extra strain. in other words. Colin Chapman knew what he was doing !!   


Terms are strictly NO PAYPAL (due to fees). so cash. cheques or bank drafts which will have to clear before I release the car.

I may consider a diesel motorhome. boat. car etc. in p/ex or swap. whatever it is as long as it's quality. nbsp;no rubbish or silly prices.

 Serious enquiries only please. no dreamers. test pilots. tyre kickers or general timewasters and finally also make sure that you clear it first with the woman in your life !!
Any questions email or 07748 627412 but note that we have poor mobile signal here so leave a message on the voicemail or the answerphone on 01728 660525 and I'll get back to you.  
  

Also published at eBay.co.uk

Want to buy this car?

Comments and questions to the seller:

from Luc, dated 11 september 2017
Hello
I would like to know if this Elan +2 CN conversion is still for sale.
Thanks and kind regards


Name E-mail
Text
Antispam code: (enter the number)

Other classic Lotus cars offered via internet auctions:

Latest arrivals: