Lotus Elan (1962 - 1973)

Last updated 19 November 2014

Buying Guide

Bodywork

• Looks for cracks or splits on the glassfibre body.
• Small patches can be repaired.
• If the whole body is in poor condition you may need a replacement bodyshell.
• The bodyshell can be lifted off the chassis but this is very expensive.
• If the car has recently been resprayed, check for paint blisters.
• This is caused when there is moisture in the glassfibre – the car wasn’t dry before it was painted.

Chassis

• The chassis on an Elan/Plus 2 is changeable.
• An original chassis can be repaired, but it might be better to replace it.
• Replacement chassis are often galvanised.
• Spyder Engineering offers replacement chassis, which address the original’s weak points.
• Check for rust on the suspension turrets – this is where muck gets stuck.

Engine

• The Lotus twin cam is based on a Ford 1500 block (pre cross-flow) with a special Lotus twin cam head.
• Leaking and burning a bit of oil isn’t uncommon.
• The engine’s weak spot is the water pump – look for leaks at the front of the engine.
• Replacing the water pump means removing the head.
• Most parts for the engine are available, but the aluminium heads are getting scarce now.