Let’s just say - we were in uncharted territory (without the backing of a multi-natioanl company )!
I saw this car at Paul Matteys a few weeks back and i have to say i was blown away by it, I think it is stunning to look at and the finnish superb. I think we would all have done some detail aspects slightly differently and to our own tastes, but hats off to the guys involved. 
Mark
Sorry but it looks a bit too much like a hearse to me.
…I like it very much. 
(also a fan of Volvo 1800 ES)
Anna
I really like the looks of the car as well, but do also in a way post the same arguments as Thor concerning the windows.
It is a pity that the rear windows are fitted using the black inside trim. The shape of the entire car and especially the windows otherwise seems super in my opinion, maybe the upper front corner of the rear windows could have been rounded off slightly more to produce a similar corner as the back upper corner of the door, hence creating an even T shape between the windows.
Just out of curiosity - what were the expenses involved for an operation like this and in what shape/state was the donor-car?
If I compare this with other cars around, I’d love driving one instead of driving an Alfa 159 or a Volvo C30 - not to mention the VW Golf TDi I am driving at the moment. Womder if it is possible to get a +2 Sport Brake as a leasing car… 
By the way… In the event of dying - wouldn’t this be the best hearse ever for your last trip?
//J
I was most impressed when first seen at Donnington.
The second look before comment, which was always my practice at design clinics, only really noticed that the upper front radius of the rear windows were a little too tight and the rubber needed a bright trim inserts.
As a one-off, it was a magnificent effort.
Brian Clarke
(1972 Sprint)
P.S. The photos don’t do it justice.
Hi Roger,
Nice to see you at Donington. Your Estate caught me off guard I must admit and I was pretty impressed. Our Greg, you remember him from the Lakes had other opinions. Only to show that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whether it will be as serviceable as my 407SW Estate is another thing, parhaps not, but for French touring for two is probably as good as it gets. The way things are going, +2’s are going to be a rare commodity with everyone wanting to do something differant with them. Mine’s not for sale and I will more than likely be buried in it.
Nice work though Roger and my compliments to the chefs.
Have another pic from another angle.
Gordon Lund. North West Club Lotus
Roger,
Did you speak with Ron Hickman? His original estate design looked more “of a piece”, as one would expect, as he conceived it whilst drawing the various +2 proposals.
Cheers,
Pete.
Theres a picture of a plus 2 estate (Hexagon??) in the book “LOTUS: The Elite,Elan and Europa” by Chris Harvey, its got a webasto sunroof and Emerson Fittipaldi sitting on the roof!! Reg plate is SET 2 (page54) . The side glass seems to be flat and held in by rubber seals/chrome inset, however the picture is pretty poor quality.
Mark
Yes shame about that picture in the book. Would have loved to have had a good look. Anyway check out pistonheads.com – it’s just hit the pages .
I would think the Plus2 would look great as a UTE style as in
Chevy El Camino or Ford Ranchero. Probably not all thjat practicle in the U.K. where the rainy season extends to nearly year round but in the U.S. it would turn a few heads. probably wouldn’t be able to carry a 4x8 foot sheet of plywood but it would be OK for kegs of beer…
Gary
theres a far clearer picture and its side on in the brooklands super profile book on the elan.
Now a plus 2 pick up truck really does appeal, it would have to have the jacked up spyder zetec look with daft wide tyres though!!! 
Roger
I have posted a comment and some pics of the leather in your car (on Pistonheads) I hope I have not offended you. Is it the pictures that mislead as in the rear seat and boot photos it looks like the covers don’t fit and the workmanship leaves a lot to be desired, which is a shame considering the time and money you must have spent.
Kev
Looks very well done. I must admitt to thinking about making my Zetec into a pick up as I built it, but decided it would be too much work and would end up being half a P100 ford pickup half +2. worth no money at all.
sadly it seems that plus 2s (and I have 2 of them) which in my humble opinion are the best 60/70’s Lotus, are worth 4/5 of FA in real terms, creating a zetec is a good way of throwing 10+K at a ?5K car to create a . . . . …?5K car 
, so hacking the back of and lining it with ply/ally to make a more useable/personally useable car wouldn’t be wasted money/time. One day in the (distant?) future the world will wake up and plus 2s will be worth more than the roller skate baby Elans!!!
Best I run and hide now!!
Ban him, I said ban him!!
can you run faster than a Zetec powered roller skate? 
John
Yer…right …and that would be in a world where a Morris Minor is worth more then a Ferrari Dino 
…you had better go back to reading your Harry Potter books
Good late +2 go for around 10K and Zetecs a little more private sale and about 15K to 25K from the trade.
Badly presented need of work go for around 6k. with the occasional bargain for less.
I have just sold a zetec +2 and have been watching the market over the last year, While deciding to sell or not.
The +2 is better looking but not the original in my opinion I prefer the +2.
Has anyone else noticed the price of small classic cars has been going up?
I think the days of a decent +2 for 5k went about the same time you could buy a semi in buckinghamshire for less than ?100k
I just wonder how many +2’s are still around
Regards
Paul
OK, 5k is a bit on the low side, but not that low, there are hell of a lot of unsold cars that have been on the market a fair old time. Maybe I just under value my own cars? I see a well restored plus 2 as being worth about ?7k privately, around ?11 from a dealer with a warranty, add to that a proven qed type engine rebuild and you could add a couple of grand, maybe another grand for a pucker leather retrim.
Cars with a mot seem to make ?5kish on ebay of late in need of work.
Higher priced cars seem to sit around for a long time
the long and short of it is that these cars cost a lot more to restore than they are worth . . . but i still prefer the plus 2 shape to any of the other early cars, just my opinion
Mark
