S1 Elan, what does this clip do ?

Any ideas, I don’t think it is factory.

The car did race with a hardtop, I reckon it was to hold the hardtop onto the screen, any other thoughts ?

My S2 has a hardtop but doesn’t have that clip. I guess it’s a belt and braces job…an extra strap for the hardtop?

Mark

I should add that I don’t have the original hardtop, so cannot check my theory.

It looks to me like the location hole for the eyelet into which the prong on the top front of the cantrail fits (for soft tops).

Its difficult to tell from your pic but I think you are refering to the lower “thing” that is pop-riveted to the frame and not the holes, the top hole is for the eyelet (cant rail) and used to fit the hardtop with a bolt after the eyelet is removed. No Idea what the other hole is for.
The “thing” looks like the base of a “lift the dot” fitting as used on soft tops and tonneau covers.



lotuselan.net/forums/viewtop … 0140#80140

Some info I posted a while ago on hardtop hardware, with a couple diagrams out of the early Elan manual and photos of Andy Bodges hardtop hardware and one of my favorite photos of Beauregard . I should probably delete some of the info there but I guess I won’t :slight_smile:

Gary

Just had a thought, may be the other hole had a base like this (for a soft top) it became detached and the the other base was fitted???
542890249.jpg

the lower hole and the bracket is not stock it is a rig by someone.

this photo that Brian posted below is correct.

If I had to guess the previouse owner adapted the A-pillar to accept a non-standard soft-top - hence removing the snap and replacing it with the stud…hardtops don’t attach anywhere near that spot - see pict -