Black Elite LHD

[Dion]

Finally! After a couple of years looking for a suitable car I have found, and bought one. A LHD Elite. These are pretty hard to find. I inspected a couple that were either too bad (chassis rot, interior gone) or too expensive. Twice I found a car I wanted but was just too late. 

My new car is from the USA, and still is there. It will take some weeks to get it here (Netherlands). In the mean time I can only look at the pictures and the two videos that the seller made.

It is an original black (according to the seller) 1975 car. Is there a way to check what the original colour was? A paint code? The federal bumpers have been replaced by European bumpers although the front bumper needs a little work. The interior is pretty much there although both seat back rests are bad - the cloth part ripped. I have to find out if they can be repaired by replacing only the cloth part and keeping the vinyl part. If so I would also replace the cloth parts of the rear seats (dirty) and door panels. Is there a supplier of seat covers? It would be helpful if at least patterns are available. Surprisingly there still is a headliner but I am not sure in what condition.

There are no outside mirrors. I always found the originals a bit cheap looking, so I have to research what could be better. I do not want to fit much more modern types. Maybe squarish bullet types? Not sure yet.
It needs carpets in the car and also in the boot. Again, is there a supplier for these?

Wheels have been restored and are with new tyres. The (painted) metal trim that fits to the top of the RH rear screen is missing.

Mechanically it seems reasonable. Engine runs good although a "tune up" would help (Stromberg carbs). Oil pressure is good at startup (60 psi cold) and pretty good when hot (40). The AC is all there but the belt to it is missing so probably will leak everywhere and maybe the pump is shot. The timing belt is fairly new (2 years). The exhaust makes too much noise so probably will need replacement. The seller says suspension bushes and dampers might need replacing.

On the plus side the rear brakes are new (cylinders, shoes). The chassis has no rust. 

Glass is good. Paint is not too good. I have been warned the car is not as good as it shows on the pics so in time it will need a respray. 

My plans are to get it running reliably and the AC working. Maybe some over covers for the front seats temporarily but these needs to be repaired properly.   

Question - is there a stamped chassis number anywhere? Or just on the VIN plate? It will need a stamped number in order to get a registration here in the Netherlands. I might need to ask Bauke, the Dutch expert :-)

So I will be back probably with quations and pics. Thanks for your attention!

 

[jonwat]

Can't imagine who's been doing what in those seats 😄

Nice looking motor, enjoy 

[Tony D]

If you have the cars VIN, Andy Graham at the Lotus archive can tell you about the spec it left the factory. The information they hold on 74 / 75 cars is limited, so IMO, only worth the £50 odd the basic Provenance used to cost (they went all up market and very expensive a year or so ago). 

Coverdale do carpet sets. I don't believe anyone does tailored seat covers. 

Looks great in Black though. It'll make you a super car once the trims cleaned up. Enjoy

Tony 

[EXCEL V8]

Nice car!  If the plate on the right hand wing is original it should have the paint code in the bottom right hand corner.  I think 1975 cars were still painted with cellulose, but not positive.

Pete

[Dion]

Paint code L015?

[EXCEL V8]

L015 = black gloss in cellulose.

Pete

[Dion]

2 hours ago, EXCEL V8 said:

 I think 1975 cars were still painted with cellulose, but not positive.

Thanks for confirming the paint code is black.
What advantages (if any) does cellullose have compared to more modern paints? 
Sorry to ask. I do all kinds of mechanical stuff myself but know nothing about paint systems

[EXCEL V8]

I can't think of any advantages of cellulose!  Mine was originally cellulose and I've had it repainted in two-pack - after removing all the paint back to the gelcoat.

Pete

[ChrisJ]

It looks like a great starting point.

I think that the dashboard mounted rear view mirror in the Elite looks fantastic. Would love to have one in my Excel, but I guess I wouldn't see anything out the back, and Air con is the one thing I really wish that I had.

Just for piece of mind and having a definite date I'd change the belts. I'd also look to refit an original airbox (and maybe switch to European carburettors).

For carpets try @Steve V8

[Dion]

Thanks ChrisJ.
Can an aftermarket (VintageAir) AC not be fitted? 

The PO has done quite a lot of mechanical work to the car in the 7 years that he owned the car. New brakes at the rear - he removed the diff for this, and only two years ago a new timing belt was fitted.

DellOrto's are very much a wish. I will start looking around for a set, are they hard to come by? If anyone has a (spare) set available or knows where to buy? Same for the airbox.

Thanks for the carpet tip.

[Dion]

It has arrived.... Couple of pics.

 

[Dion]

Where to start! Actually that is what the truck driver kind of said when he phoned me half an hour before he appeared. "You know the car does not start, right?" Well no I did not because the PO drove the car to the port where it was loaded to the container / ship.  

So we pushed the car off the truck. I then put jumper cables between the battery and my daily, and it pretty much started right away. First point scored! A lot of noise, I think the exhaust muffler(s) are empty. I experienced the same in my TR4 which got louder over the years (it has a stainless steel system). I cut open the muffler and stuffed it wit steel wool, then welded the muffler shut again. This made a big difference.

I need to get the Elite on the lift to see if there are no holes in the exhaust. If it is gas tight I will open up the mufflers and stuff them. If the exhaust system is too bad / corroded to repair then I will get a new one - but first plan is to repair rather than replace.

The paint really is bad. No arguments about that. 

Same for the seats. The cloth parts are all ripped. But: the vinyl parts are good, no rip anywhere. This is the same on the doors and back parts. I would love to keep the vinyl and have new cloth sewed to it. The rear seats have a corduroy like cloth material, the front seats have a different cloth. Is the corduroy original?

 

 

[Dion]

More work is needed at the electrics. Indicators do nothing, rear lights do work, front only high beam, interior fan does not work, interior lights do not work. Maybe an enlarged print of the electric plan is a good idea!

Engine runs pretty good when warm. Does not get hot. The PO fitted new fans to the radiator. Even after 15 minutes idling the fans did not start, but the temp gauge stayed in the middle so there was no need. I need to test more to see if they will come up.

All instruments work which is nice. A bonus was to see an original (I think) Lotus radio! 

[Dion]

Headlining is still fixed tight to the roof. However all adjoining panels, between the windows and the roof, the cross bar and the B and C panels have more or less lost their cloth. I see SJ sells beige headlining material per meter. How much is needed? 

Another thing is the missing waist trim. The car had a repaint in the past and they just left out the waist trim. Of course there are now splits in the paint between the top and bottom shell. The car as mentioned before will need a repaint but I would like to refit the waist trims. How is the trim fitted? Is it just glued on or fixed to a rail or something?  

[EXCEL V8]

Great to see you have got your car Dion!  The corduroy is probably original - mine is the same, although it's been in the loft for 3 years - I can't remember exactly which bits are vinyl and which are corduroy!  I'll dig one out and have a look to see if it matches yours.  The front seats are the same - they have corduroy inserts.  A Lotus-branded radio - that must be pretty rare!

Pete

[Dion]

Bought a couple of second hand things from Bauke. Front grilles,  a seat with good foams (was a passenger seat), Dellorto inlet manifold and foam air filters, a better chrome strip on the LH door (the one on the car is warped), rear wiper, cover for the battery plus some other small bits.

Also placed an order at SJ for headlining material and a door pin / bushes. Hope this arrives fairly quickly as I have an appointment at the RDW for an inspection / test to get a Dutch registration. 

I have yet to find out what cloth material was used for the seats. In the rear there is a foam backed corduroy type, with more plain like cloth to the sides. The front seats seem to have another type of cloth again, not corduroy as I would have expected. Maybe they were recovered - who knows from a car of this vintage. However the mileage is not huge and I know the car had been stored for at least 20 years so it all could be well original. 

The glass dividing the seat compartment to the trunk had been removed but was with the car. How is this fitted? It seems it is glued to the rubber? 

[EXCEL V8]

The glass divider was originally fitted using the same stuff as the windscreen - Solbit.  There are plenty of modern alternatives for bonding glass in place.

Pete

[Tony D]

I believe your rear seats are the original trim, with recovered Fronts. The material though is apparently no longer available. 

Great to see that radio in the dash. Fits perfectly in the shape. My cars an early one and I'm fortunate to have the original Philips radio cassette with the microphone but it doesn't look as coordinated as yours. 

Tony 

[ramjet]

On 14/07/2021 at 04:09, ChrisJ said:

It looks like a great starting point.

I think that the dashboard mounted rear view mirror in the Elite looks fantastic. Would love to have one in my Excel, but I guess I wouldn't see anything out the back, and Air con is the one thing I really wish that I had.

Just for piece of mind and having a definite date I'd change the belts. I'd also look to refit an original airbox (and maybe switch to European carburettors).

For carpets try @Steve V8

I saw the rearview mirror as well and I immediately wondered whether it was put there after a new windscreen?

Are the air cleaners standard or are they after market as compared to an airbox? I admit that I don't know.

The shape of the Elite still gets me going. I think it is incredibly good looking.

[exeterjeep]

4 hours ago, ramjet said:

I saw the rearview mirror as well and I immediately wondered whether it was put there after a new windscreen?

I think this was standard, my elite s2 had it. Also sure my first elite had it as well.

[ChrisJ]

@ramjet Elite's is dashboard mounted, Eclat & Excel is on the windscreen. Airbox is standard fit.

 

[Dion]

Some progress on my car.

 

The drivers door took a lot of time! Had to replace the hinge - it had a huge drop at the lock.

I de-rusted the beam and painted it in zinc-rich primer, then topped it with black paint. Luckily just surface rust, no real rot.

Hack-sawed the hinge bearings and replaced them with new bearings. Inserted the new hinge and adjusted it which took quite some time.

Cleaned, greased and painted (matt black inner parts) the outer and inner door handles. Put in a rubber stop for the outer handle so they now are flush with the car instead of sitting in a little. I had a hard time fitting the rod from the lock to the outer handle. Got it in the end by tie-rapping closing the spring which takes the rod, inserting the rod, then cutting the tie rap.

Fitted the window frames. Then tried to fit a new door mirror but found out I had to remove, or move the window frame up 15 cm to make space.

Took some time to get the door aligned. Had to put shims under the door catch at the B panel. It now closes without effort and can be opened without effort from in or outside the car. Good result!

 

The bonnet opening lever was dismantled, de-rusted, painted, greased and both cables re-adjusted. Works well now.

 

Anyone knows what is that circular multi-connector fitted just in front of the LH side A post? The connector is disconnected at the moment. What does it do? It does not seem to be connected to anything, or maybe there are wires coming out (invisible from the other side?

[EXCEL V8]

Can't remember a circular multi-connector - do you have a photo of it?

Pete

[Dion]

The connector is high on the LH A post. A Smiths Industries connector so I guess it is an original fitment. 

[EXCEL V8]

That's a new one on me Dion!  Nothing like it on my car.  I assume that the plug fits into the steel-cased device?

Pete