The story of restoring an Elan +2 and Elan Sprint to concours edition. Advice on how to purchase a suitable car for restoration plus detailed practical information on preparing bodywork, trim, chassis, suspension, wheels, hydraulics, engine, electrics & wiring etc. 24 Chapters, plus appendices, give information on chassis changing, body restoration, including Elan +2 sills, rebuilding the Lotus/Ford Twin Cam engine, electrics including fitting a new loom, insight to tuning and running in, Elan developments, a remarkable Elan +2 Estate, rebirth of an accident damaged Sprint.
Enlarged re-issue of Autobooks manual with maintenance, overhaul, instructions and technical data for all components. Covers all Elan models 1962-74 and has a new chapter on history.
The Lotus Elan was Colin Chapman and Lotus' first affordable road car, produced from 1962 and, along with its larger Plus 2 variant, until 1974. As a replacement for the expensive Lotus Elite, the Elan and Plus 2 were both successful sports cars, which carried Lotus through the 1960s and into the 1970s. Starting with a brief history of Lotus and the Elan, Lotus Elan & Plus 2 Source Book provides a detailed originality guide to the Elan and Plus 2, identifying the design changes Lotus made to the models through their lifetimes. An 'owner's guide' provides detailed information on owning and maintaining the cars in tip-top condition, and gives details of common faults and upgrades. The restoration guide gives any potential restorer the information to carry out the tasks needed to bring one of the these cars back from the dead. With anecdotes and experiences from current and previous owners of Elans and Plus 2's, along with many colour photographs the book provides a valuable insight into owning running and racing these iconic cars.
This updated book is divided into three parts, covering the engine’s entire production life, the process of stripping and rebuilding an engine, and a comprehensive guide to specifications and production data. Well illustrated with photos & diagrams. CONTENTS Acknowledgements & Introductions PART ONE: Development of the twin-cam PART TWO: Engine Rebuilding PART THREE: Twin-cam data Appendix (A) Lotus Cortina Engines for 1966 (B) Stromberg Analysis for Lotus Cars by E.R.A.
This book contains a variety of information, both of a practical nature and otherwise, including the identification of alternative equivalent parts sources, which is applicable to all Lotus Elan 1500/1600 models as well as S2, S3, S4 and Sprint derivatives, produced between the years 1962 and 1973.
The Lotus Elan was Lotus's definitive roadster. It replaced the elegant but expensive Lotus Elite and was the first car to employ the innovative Lotus steel backbone chassis. The original Elan was produced as a two-seat, open-top sportscar and hardtop coupe from 1962 to 1973. The range was extended by the addition of the 2+2-seater Plus 2 from 1967 to 1974. Lotus introduced an all-new front wheel drive Elan in 1989, the M100, which was produced until 1995. Lotus Elan studies the history and development of all the Elans and describes each model in detail. It gives technical details for all models, examines unusual conversions, and includes driving experiences from Elan owners. A complete and readable resource for all Lotus Elan owners and motoring enthusiasts who aspire to own one of these iconic British sports cars. Superbly illustrated with 250 colour photographs.Matthew Vale is a motoring author and passionate Lotus Elan enthusiast.
The Essential Guide to buying the Lotus Elan of your dreams, this book will guide you through all you need to know. The Lotus Elan and Plus 2 are the definitive classic Lotus Sports cars. Small, light, and powered by Lotus’s own Twin Cam engine, these were and are fast, great handling sports cars with a Grand Prix winning pedigree. With a winning formula of glass fibre bodyshell, and simple sheet steel backbone chassis, the Elan was an affordable replacement for the expensive and exotic glass fibre monocoque Lotus Elite, and became the mainstay of the Lotus road car range throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s. First introduced as an open two-seater in 1962, and as a Coupé in 1966, the Elan was available as a do-it-yourself ‘kit’ car or in factory assembled form, and was refined through the 1960s, culminating in the famous Sprint models of 1971, with the big valve 130bhp Twin Cam engine. The widened and stretched 2+2 Elan with its vestigial rear seats - named, unsurprisingly, the Plus 2 - was introduced in 1967, followed by the higher-spec Plus 2S in 1969, which was the first Elan not available in kit form. The Plus 2S 130 gained the Sprint specification engine in 1971, and the final Elan was the Plus 2S 130/5 of 1972. Just over 9000 Elans were produced between 1962 and 1973, while just over 5000 Plus 2 were produced between 1967 and 1974. This book has been written to provide the prospective owner with all the information they need to establish if an Elan or Plus 2 is for them, and what to look for when viewing an example. All aspects of the cars are examined, including paperwork, mechanical issues, bodywork and interior with many photos of example cars to assist in the assessment of an individual car, and understand the implications of many of the common problems that a car can exhibit. The author is a Lotus enthusiast, and has been working on and writing about classic Lotuses for a number of years.
This do-it-yourself Workshop Manual has been specially written for the owner who wishes to maintain his vehicle in first class condition and to carry out the bulk of his own servicing and repairs. Considerable savings on garage charges can be made, and one can drive in safety and confidence knowing the work has been done properly. Comprehensive step-by-step instructions and illustrations are given on most dismantling, overhauling and assembling operations. Certain assemblies require the use of expensive special tools, the purchase of which would be unjustified. In these cases information is included but the reader is recommended to hand the unit to the agent for attention. Throughout the Manual hints and tips are included which will be found invaluable, and there is an easy to follow fault diagnosis at the end of each chapter. "Whilst every care has been taken to ensure correctness of information it is obviously not possible to guarantee complete freedom from errors or omissions or to accept liability arising from such errors or omissions. Instructions may refer to the righthand or lefthand sides of the vehicle or the components. These are the same as the righthand or lefthand of an observer standing behind the vehicle and looking forward.
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