Tidying the garage yesterday and keep moving this jack - is it an original jack for the Elan ?
Similar - the mechanism / general platform looks the same as the one that came with my Sprint - but the element that touches the bodywork is different - mine is a longer U-section piece - that slots into the channel behind the sill.
Richard
'72 Sprint
Thanks Richard
Thats what I thought (jack was amongst spares included with the Elan when purchased) - any ideas which type of car it is from ?
Ben
Hi,
My lotus Europa jack looks very much like that.
But again it came with the car and may not be original. The Lotus jacks are I believe were “almost” Ford, Cortinas etc so it might just be a Ford item of that period.
kiM
The last page of the Elan parts list, section TA, shows the correct jack, handle and tools. I do not know if the +2 shared the same jack.
Yours, which is similar in most respects, should have a different fitting at the top of the jack - a ‘U shaped crutch’, which fits squarely under the sill, according to the Sprint drivers handbook. However, the parts list illustration shows a fitting with a small post, to fit into a corresponding hole in the sill. Perhaps there was a change of jack fitting at some point.
Tim
I believe +2’s had the hole in the sill, 2-seater Elan’s didn’t. I also believe the Jack itself is a generic Ford item from the 60’s, but with the U-section being Lotus-specific.
HTH
Richard
The jack for a Plus 2 has the post on it to fit in the sill side members, which the Elan doesn’t have obviously, so is unique to the Plus 2.
Mine is a scissor type (and was for my last Plus 2), but this doesn’t mean it’s original…
I also have a scissors type jack to my late +2, not similar to ones on picture, which I believe is original
Ulf
I think as noted in the recent “toolkit” thread, that, except for the cradle, the Jack is identical to that supplied for Jaguars, probably the Mk II. It is probable unlikely therefore that it is a Ford part. There is a brand in the caption of one of the photos in that thread. Looking at the XKE (EType) discussions, I gather this the type Jack is used on 1966-on cars, but I could be wrong.
I looked for my original Jack and found it. It is missing its handle, so I am thinking of getting the Jaguar equivalent.
What color was the jack painted? Mine is black.
Andy
Sorry, my iPad insists on capitalizing “jack.”
My original jack is painted gray.
Thanks, Keith. I learned that just now from another thread in the Elan section. I must repaint mine grey then.
Andy
I don’t have the original handle for mine, anyone know a source?
The handle for the equivalent Jaguar jack is available at vintage Jaguar shops, Saildrive.
Andy
Andy,
All my Elan jacks are red, originally. My +2S jack was grey. The jack handles are pretty generic. I got one from Moss for an MGB for my +2S.
Roger
My jack was red for the 66 S2.
Frank
Thanks, Roger, that is good to know. I checked Moss’s website and they don’t seem to have the handle on their online catalog anymore. I will check some more.
Andy
PS: Red seems an interesting option. I’ll strip the black paint off my jack (which has a rubber pad in the channel, BTW), and, with any luck, the original paint might be underneath.
Hi Ben, the jack and handle in my 66 S3 are both red and look to be original, with the double tabbed cradle - maybe one of your tabs broke off somewhere along the way?
Ford certainly used the same type of Metallifacture jack in 60’s and 70’s but it’s not identical to the one supplied with the Elan - at least not the one supplied with my car. I just had a root about amongst my old junk and found the example shown below, it’s definitely from a Ford although I don’t remember which model(s). As can be seen from the photos it is smaller and lighter overall than the Elan jack and the stabilising foot is positioned differently, both jacks have the same Patent No. stamped on the lifting arm. It’s surprising that the Elan used the more sturdy version given the weight of the car and the policy of adding lightness ! It seems then that, contrary to what I said in an earlier post, it’s not just the cradle which differs between the various applications of the Metallifacture jack but the chassis is also slightly different. At first glance they all look pretty similar so if you are trying to source a “correct” original you need to examine carefully before you buy.
We’ve seem to have parallel threads running…
Roger,
Is this (download/file.php?id=21301) the same size as the Lotus supplied part?
Richard