New Elite owner

[Pete Silcock]

Good evening all

Just bought an early Elite, on the road but needs to be brought to good condition, but not concours.

A couple of early questions 

Tyre pressures  - these were all around 25psi while the handbook says 22psi - which is recommended.

Body colour - really poor blue paintwork. I am considering a change in colour, what colours were available for M reg - Blue, BRG, white? anything else?

Interior is cream apart from replacement red seats with brown carpet - again what was available, I will be retrimming in leather.

Drives and runes well but gearbox noisy except 4th - surprise surprise but known issue to deal with

Thanks a lot

 

Pete 

[soldave]

1 hour ago, Pete Silcock said:

Good evening all

Just bought an early Elite, on the road but needs to be brought to good condition, but not concours.

A couple of early questions 

Tyre pressures  - these were all around 25psi while the handbook says 22psi - which is recommended.

Body colour - really poor blue paintwork. I am considering a change in colour, what colours were available for M reg - Blue, BRG, white? anything else?

Interior is cream apart from replacement red seats with brown carpet - again what was available, I will be retrimming in leather.

Drives and runes well but gearbox noisy except 4th - surprise surprise but known issue to deal with

Thanks a lot

 

Pete 

Welcome to Elie ownership! I have an Eclat but part of the same family. On tyre pressures I run 24 at the front and 22 at the rear. I has a similar threat on this when I got the car (https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/88808-what-tyre-pressures-are-you-running/)

Not sure what colours were available - If I recall, in a lot of the literature the Elite was a dark blue. Yellow looks really good for these cars, as does red (do a search for the Red Panther for something a little different). I'm personally not a massive fan of white on these cars but black can look very good.

As for gears, 5th is the noisiest for me but it's not too bad. Not sure if I've been any help or not, but welcome to the family

[Pete Silcock]

Thanks I look forward to meeting the Lotus clan

I will continue to ask silly questions while I get to grips with the Elite

Before I bought had small leak from fuel pump which in fibreglass car really concerned me

Unbolted the new fuel pump and has stopped leaking and refuses to leak again.

Wouldn't it be good if all the Lotus problems just resolved themselves?!!

My box whines in 1,2 3,5 - direct drive through 4 means the bearing between input and output shafts is locked.

Apparently it was always an issue and extra drillings were made to get oil to the bearing.

There is a very recent you tube in several episodes for strip and repair of the gearbox.

Pete

 

 

[EXCEL V8]

Hi Pete - welcome to the forum!  I'm also restoring an early Elite - progress is glacially slow 🙄.  Got any photos??

Pete

[TAR]

It was available in Brown. Check out this thread, the colour is far better than you could imagine  

 

 

[Tony D]

Good choice of car. Where in the country are you?

Lagoon Blue is a great colour for these and was on most of the early publicity.

Look forward to seeing some piccies. Like Pete, I have a 74 ongoing project (32 years and counting).

Tony

[Pete Silcock]

Thanks for the replies and the trail for restoration of the US brown one.

I am in Devon near Tavistock and not far from SJ for bits.

I will get photos loaded shortly however it is the Blue Elite with red seats recently on ebay which I am sure you have seen.

Driving yesterday which went well and got back again which is a real bonus

One odd fault - Tailgate seems to click shut fine but while driving opens itself

Adjusted the lock to shut tighter, no change, any thoughts

Slight leak on the new fuel pump connections.

Unbolted to check and repair.

Now refuses to leak - if only all faults were like that?

 

[ChrisJ]

Does it have dual catches - like the Esprit - if so, push down over each one seems to solve that issue.

[Pete Silcock]

Single catch in the middle

Tapered rod with a hole in it that a pin clicks into

I will adjust tighter again next

[EXCEL V8]

Check the levers at the end of the tailgate release cable (behind the boot trim) - they can become pretty corroded and may be preventing correct operation.

Pete

[Pete Silcock]

Will do - may not be returning correctly

 

[USAndretti42]

Congratulations on your purchase.  I remember this car from Ebay and I think it has XJS front seats which is a common modification when the originals get worn.  You could get then recovered to match the rest of the interior or you could hunt down some Elite seats.  I thing the XJS seats are a bit thinner than the Elite seats and thus give a little more rear legroom.

[Pete Silcock]

Thanks for that - It is also possible to change the colour 

Takes time but with a project that is free

How do I tell the difference between the XJS seats and the originals?

[USAndretti42]

I think the Elite seats' squabs are thicker and the squab release handle (to gain access to the backseat) has a wooden knob.

[Pete Silcock]

Thanks, I could not see a difference in the photos

The controls have wooden fittings so most likely Elite

Under the seat is a rubber pad glued to the leather

This is soggy on the drivers side

Is there a known way to firm up?

 

[hatters]

how about this colour very striking

[Pete Silcock]

I do like it but  Helen (the boss) refuses to have a red car.

I am tempted at the moment with British Racing Green but slightly brighter green

Pete

[hatters]

O K how about this one?

[Pete Silcock]

Now that I like, correct BRG

I think though just a bit brighter so a pastiche

Interior cream black carpets or possibly brown as the originals.

Carpets very much needed as they give an old car / wet dog odour.

What are your thoughts?

Pete 

[hatters]

I personally prefer the red one but i suppose the green one is more classy  This is mine still working on it ,it requires a new windscreen four new tyres and a new head linning and the headlights require attention 

[Pete Silcock]

I have to keep away from red, I can't afford to replace the boss!

That looks great - on the road or nearly?

I need a windscreen too, scratched right in the line of sight

Lotusbits said there are two made and one make does not fit properly

Can we buy two and get a discount?

[hatters]

There is a possibility that we could ask for some discoumt ,we would have to collect them ,I stopped a windscreen van going up my street and asked the two chaps if they could fit a new screen in my elite ,they said they had done them before and would charge me £100 not bad eh'

[Pete Silcock]

That is very low cost.

Would they take off the delicate trim and refit or just the screen.

The trim could well be very stuck with some sort of gunk and being ally need great care to remove

Only some is still available.

I will ask Lotusbits which was the screen that did not fit right

They wanted around £300 for a screen

[hatters]

They told me they had screens and they were £300 they asked me if I wanted a green top, the two chaps who said they would fit it for£100 would be for all the trim removed and replaced they appeared to know what they were talking about 

[hatters]