In the era of increased safety, large EVs, and complex hybrid cars, there was a time when lightness was key for several manufacturers. Especially for those in the UK and Europe where ‘specials’ were built in the simplest way, on lightweight tubular chassis with small engines and weighing around 600kg or 1200lbs which would compete with the top tier cars with huge V8’s. They didn’t have speed on the straights but could whip around the corners with much more speed than their rivals in the day. Lotus was king of this, with Colin Chapman at the helm who famously said ‘simplify, then add lightness’. One of the best examples of this is the 1970 Lotus Elan Plus 2, which we have here today in Saint Regis Falls, New York on eBay here for a buy-it-now price of $7,995. Thanks for T.J for this lightweight tip!

You have to love a seller who gives a really detailed description of a history of a particular car, from knowing the original owners as is the case with this car. The original owner ‘JB’ (could it be James Bond?) purchased this car in 1980 when it was only 10 years old when it was disassembled ready for restoration and maintenance. And that’s where it has sat ever since, eventually ending up in the current seller’s workshop. He states that the engine was started 6 years ago but has not been turned since.

Ultimately this is a great restoration project for the right person – parts are easy to find, and the construction of the car is simple. They can easily be upgraded to other engines, and different chassis – with one such conversion being the popular Spyder conversion with Ford Zetec or 2.0 Duratec engine, almost doubling the horsepower. As with the body, this is one part that will require a lot of work – fiberglass bodies are notorious for cracking, bubbling, and crazing and many hours of bodywork prep will need to be completed by the next owner.

You will need to take this car completely apart, send off some parts for restoration like the chromework, and replace things like hoses and other perishables. This would make a great first project that could be completed at home and at this price you are likely to be able to complete this restoration and still retain most of its value given the price of the Elan is going up. In fact, I am tempted to buy this myself and have a blast next summer around the roads of Europe. So do you think you would like to take this project on, and is it a straightforward restoration or will it be a complex tangle of British engineering and fiberglass?