The Eclat is the fastback version of the Elite. I like the looks of this body style better than the “shooting brake” style of the Elite. It is a fiberglass body mounted on a steel backbone chassis. This right hand drive example is listed here on eBay. There’s no reserve and bidding is at $1,800 with only a couple of days left.
The seller has included lots of pictures. The paint looks pretty good from a distance.
The seller has also included pictures of the bad spots. The fiberglass might need work in these areas as well as paintwork. There are areas where the fiberglass will need repair.
The interior looks OK with just things like no carpet in front and curling contact paper on the door cards. It will need a headliner as well. Note the fiberglass floor.
The underside looks pretty good with just surface rust. There’s no visible damage to the fiberglass body. One muffler looks good but they don’t appear attached to the engine.
The engine runs but the clutch doesn’t work. It’s an aluminum four-cylinder, 1973cc, 155 bhp engine. The battery is not included. (Why do people do that? Is it the wrong size battery perhaps?) Most other things on the car work. Even the headlights go up and down. The seller describes and the car’s issues very well. It sounds like with a set of tires, a battery and clutch bleed you’d perhaps have a drivable car. One could spend a lot on this Lotus, but you’d be upside down very quickly. What do you think it would take to make this a fun driver?
Lotus lots of trouble usually serious
Does anyone know if the 5sp gearbox in this car is a good candidate for an early Elan (S1 thru S4) gearbox swap?
Thank god this is Barn finds and NOT one of those “other sites” full of A-holes. I’ve been watching this car on eBay for a few days, hoping to bid at the end…..Anything made by an “engineering firm” is OK in my book……When car companies knock at your door to help them develop their cars, you must be pretty dam good at what you do :-)
I don’t have a crystal ball, but if history repeats itself – as it often does, these may very well be the Hemi Cuda’s of tomorrow. Keep in mind there was a generation of kids following the muscle car fanatics that have their own unique view of the world.. They drove these 4 cylinder odd cars and loved them. You may kick your self in 10 years for not snatching up one of these Colin Chapman creations while still affordable.