The Lotus Elan Plus 2 could be one the best looking four seat coupes ever built. This car makes that statement hard to believe, but after a thorough restoration this lightweight could be a stunner. With its well proportion exterior, revvy twin cam, and excellent handling this neglected Lotus deserves a savior. Find it here on eBay with bidding starting at $2,800 and no reserve.
There is the 1.6 liter four cylinder engine. It may not seem like anything special, but the dual overhead cams and dual carbs help this little gem put out over 100 horsepower. That is enough to make this fiber-glassed bodied car sprightly. The independent suspension on each corner help with the handling and the disc brakes all around make stopping easy.
Things look just as grim inside. The rear window has slipped down allowing the elements to enter the cabin and wreck havoc. Moisture has gotten inside and there is even some moss growing. We are just glad the floors are not made of steel because they would long gone. You will want to check the frame to make sure the tin worm has not eaten the backbone chassis right in half.
The paint is shot and everything is going to need to be gone through. The seller claims that the previous owner parked it because of a carb leak and then health problems kept them from getting it going again. The seller had hopes of restoring the car too, but heart surgery has made that task difficult. We just hope the next owner can keep their health until the car is back on the road.
Send a call out to Jay Leno.
Notice has been sent.
They have the worst website on the face of the planet, but Spyder Engineering in the UK do an amazing and sympathetic updatehttp://www.spydercars.com/
I wonder if the chickens live in the car.
SO SAD to see what was probably once a very nice car be left outside to ROT in the elements…Anyone who has ever stored a car or boat (or lawnmower, or firewood) under a blue tarp knows that this is a less than ideal storage method. The tarp usually deteriorates rapidly, allowing moisture and dirt underneath, so corrosion and finish damage soon follow. About the only thing the tarp does well is trap moisture against the car’s finish and trim pieces, causing even more deterioration.This victim appears to be a prime example of this sort of flawed storage, and adding a dirt parking surface to the equation didn’t help!I would advise any potential buyer to inspect this car in GREAT DETAIL, and assume that most every part is going to have some sort of moisture damage. But someone with high aspirations, more passion than common sense, and fairly deep pockets will probably snap this one up if the price doesn’t climb too high.
“I wonder if the chickens live in the car.”ROFL :-)
What a shame
we have the same problem around Sacramento, so many ranches with fallow land and a car or truck every other acre or so,,, just a shame…
This will probably get bought. disassembled and then it will sit another 5 years. Then it will be on ebay again in pieces.
From a leaking carb problem to a total mess, jeez. It’s like I can’t afford a gasket and an afternoon, so I’ll let the car rot forever so everything needs to be done.
Good lesson for us all – fix the little problems before they become big ones.
I think at one point Chapman was actually considering using moss in lieu of carpeting as it’s much lighter but quite soft and sound absorbant.
Yeah Parting Out Lotus…nice mill
I looked at this car 3 years ago, and it was an overpriced parts car with what I recall to be a bad frame… I posted in detail about it on that other classics-for-sale blog…
All of that doesn’t matter now since it got sold.
i drove one for 7 hours on the SCCA track which is built ito the oval at Daytona. Everyone advised me to back off just a bit because that ELAN was supposed to be fragile.
Well, Bullshit. I pushed that Lotus HARD, but nothing broke or even went soft. Everything ran full on just fine.
misssed email on other post
Hi,
I truly liked that ugly little Elan even though it just looked like any other type 3. But get in and warm it up. Once around to get the feel and refresh your memory of the course. Then…. i drove one for 7 hours on the SCCA track which is built into the oval at Daytona.. Everyone advised me to back off just a bit because that ELAN was supposed to be fragile.
Well, BS. I pushed that Lotus HARD, but nothing broke or even went soft. Everything ran full on just fine.. But IMHO, if you drive it WRONG, i will break just to spite you.