Just introducing myself.
I’m the new owner of a 1973 Plus 2. SCW630L. If I’m honest I’m quite surprised to be here. I’d previously built and owned a Caterham 7 Supersport, which I built in 2012. However it was not getting much use and I’d kind of fallen out of love with it. It sold in 24hrs - which was a surprise- and I thought I’d have a rest from specialist car ownership and take time to work out what ‘new’ old car would tick my boxes. It needed to be more comfortable for my wife than the 7, have room for the dog, be able to cope with dual carriageways and motorways, fit in a 1960’s sized garage and be reliable…
The next day I was out with my pals when one suggested that a plus 2 he was selling would fit the bill. I hadn’t thought of a Lotus and didn’t want a 50+ year old car that demanded lots of ‘fettling’.
However this Plus 2 was a bit different. Completely restored in 2013/14 it had a number of upgrades including: fuel injection, electronic ignition wiring loom, driveshafts, electric headlight lifters, leather retrim, repaint…and lots more. The only thing it hadn’t got is an upgrade to the original 5 speed maxi gearbox.
It ticks all my boxes, came with boxes of spares and workshop manual(s).
It’s not been used much in the last couple of years, so needed a bit of recommissioning - fluids replaced, valve gaps etc. Subsequently I’ve been chasing down a lack of brakes - which seems to have been a combination of failing master cylinder and Servo (prob due to lack of use).
With both replaced and a lot of time spent trying to completely bleed the brakes I have a firm, if rather long, brake pedal - having to resort to the jamjar and pipe method as nothing seems to fit the reservoir to allow a pressure bleed. Once I’ve replaced the 2010 dated tyres I hope to actually start to use the Elan.
It’s certainly a different experience than the Caterham - and something I will need to acclimatize to - but I am looking forward to it. Just fiddling with it on the drive outside my house (once I’d worked out how to safely get it onto axle stands!) seems to involve answering lots of questions from passersby of all ages (and I thought the 7 attracted attention!)
I live between Bristol and Weston-s-Mare and would be keen to hear from local owners as I build my knowledge.
Andrew
