Lotus Elan +2S 130/5 Restoration
We're undertaking a full restoration on a Lotus Elan +2S 130/5 that's been off the road since 1992. The owner had planned to restore the car but never quite got round to it and 26 years later decided to sell...
We bought the car as a project in November '18. It appears to be very original and benefits from a galvanised chassis in good condition. However, a complete restoration is required and this page on our website will document the project as it proceeds.
Click on the headings below to learn more about the stages of the project - more will be added as the restoration progresses.
Strip down
This Lotus Elan +2S was partially stripped when we acquired it and our first job was to complete the strip out so the car could be properly assessed. As the car had been kept in dry storage over the last 26 years, everything came apart fairly easy with not too many problems with seized or corroded parts and fasteners.
The interior trim, dashboard and wiring were all removed. Then in preparation for removing the body from the chassis, the doors, bonnet and boot were removed to reduce weight.
With the body removed from the chassis - a fairly easy lift with one person on each corner - we were then able to carry out a full assessment of the car and compile the initial list of work required and parts needed.
Assessment of work needed
A new galvanised chassis was fitted a short while before the car was taken off the road and as a result it is still in good condition. But the rest of the items that turn the chassis into a 'rolling chassis' need attention. So required will be new wheel bearings, new wishbone bushes, overhauled brake calipers, new discs, new dampers and springs, rubber donuts to be replaced with solid drive shafts.
The engine will be fully stripped down and the cylinder head checked/reconditioned as necessary, bores and pistons checked, crankshaft checked and all bearings replaced. The carburettors will be reconditioned.
The gearbox will be checked and overhauled as necessary. We're not aware of any problems with it, but it's far easier to carry out this work now rather than find there are problems at a later date when the car is back on the road. Differential to be checked.
Although the interior of the car was in remarkably good condition, we will utilise the expertise of our Trimshop to carry out a full interior retrim. In the process we'll take patterns of all the interior retrim which will allow us to offer Elan +2 trim kits in the future.
The paintwork has plenty of microblister and some of it has been stripped back to gel coat by the last owner. We will take the whole car back to gel coat, attending to any imperfections and getting rid of the microblister. The preparation prior to painting is what will take the time and effort - the actual repainting will be the easy part!
All the electrics and wiring will need checking and overhauling and tidying up as needed. Plenty to do as Lotus wiring is never that great at the best of times.
The radiator will be fully overhauled or replaced and all coolant hoses replaced.
Rolling Chassis
After a break in proceedings, the gearbox and differential have returned from their inspection and overhaul (work that we farmed out to a well regarded Lotus transmission specialist), and we're now back at work on our Elan and building up the rolling chassis.
The chassis, wishbone arms, anti-roll bars and rear suspension/bearing housings have been cleaned up and repainted.
New wheel bearings have been fitted, and the suspension built up with new trunnions, wishbone bushes and adjustable Spax dampers. Solid drive shafts with CV joints - a definite improvement over the rubber donut system used as standard - have been fitted.
Copper brakes lines have been installed along with new flexible brakes, overhauled brake calipers and new brake discs.
The steering rack has been cleaned up and painted, checked, adjusted and new gaiters fitted.
Engine Rebuild
The engine was fully stripped down and inspected.
Bores and pistons were very good (+40 oversize) and all that was needed was a rehone and then new piston rings fitted as a matter of course.
Crankshaft checked and all as it should be, bottom end of the engine reassembled with new main and big end bearings - nothing wrong with the old ones, but false economy to reuse.
Cylinder head was sent away for checking and rebuilding as necessary, including conversion to unleaded. The carburettors were also sent away for a full overhaul. A couple of specialist jobs, and far better to farm out this sort of work to experts who are doing such jobs day in, day out.
The engine has been reassembled, including a new water pump and of course new gaskets and seals throughout.
Bodywork
Prior to going to the paintshop some remedial work was required to the sills as the steel strengthening strips in each sill were badly rotted. These were cut out and replaced with new items.
In the paintshop, it's a long, slow process preparing the bodyshell. The paint has all been stripped off and the gelcoat is being attended to and repaired as required. Many hours of work are required to get the bodyshell to a stage where it will be ready for primer and then top coats.
As always with paintwork, particularly on a fibreglass car, preparation is everything and any shortcuts will mean a compromised final finish. We won't be taking any shortcuts!
Hmm...it was many weeks and significantly more expense than originally anticipated to prepare the bodywork and respray the car. The quality though is amazing and the paintwork should last for many years to come.
Refit
With the car back from the paintshop - resplendent in period colours of Metallic Purple with a Silver Flake roof - the long process of refitting the car could commence.
The rebuilt engine has been refitted and is in the process of being 'plumbed in'. A new servo and reconditioned master cylinder are installed, and the myriad of other fittings within the engine bay are 'work in progress'.
Both the gearbox and differential were fully overhauled prior to refit into the car.
Major amounts of time has gone into refitting the wiring loom and checking all the electrics and associated gauges work as they should. New headlights have been fitted and the raise/lower mechanism which is normally vacuum operated replaced by a superior electric motor system as the original system was past repair.
Interior Trim
Whilst the refit work was going on, we made a start on the interior trim. Fortunately, most of the underlying structures were sound and in a fit state to be retrimmed, the main remedial works required were repair of the driver's seat frame and a full new set of seat foams for both front seats.
The original oatmeal vinyl interior trim was in reasonable condition and arguably could have been re-used. However, it was decided with the rest of the car being restored to a very high standard, the interior merited a full retrim in cream leather. A new black carpet set has been manufactured and fitted, and a new headlining in perforated cream vinyl made and installed.
As we go, we are taking the opportunity to make a full set of hardboard patterns for the interior trim. This will enable us to retrim future Elans +2s much faster as the patterns are then used for marking out and cutting the leather rather than having to do everything on a bespoke basis. Also, these patterns will allow us to make 'trim kits' for other companies and owners who want to do the retrim work for themselves using a pre-made trim kit - currently no-one else offers such kits.
Final Stages
The final lap of this very comprehensive restoration.
The windscreen and rear screen were refitted and what a fight they put up! The front seats and door cards were installed, along with a number of interior trim finishing strips and panels.
The exhaust we'd been waiting on for a while, but once it arrived and was fitted, the final checks to the engine could be done, then the battery connected and the ignition key turned...
Relief all round as the engine sprang into life first time. Everything was gradually brought up to temperature, and after a bit of carburettor fettling and final checks for leaks or problems (pleased to say nothing amiss) and it was off for the first drive. Thoroughly enjoyable and the car drove very, very nicely. Several more test drives followed along with some minor suspension adjustments and 'spanner checks' to ensure everything was just as it should be.
A lot of time and effort and high quality workmanship has gone into this Elan +2 and the finished results look excellent! It's not a concours standard restoration - we didn't want the car so perfect that a future owner would be too worried about driving it and spoiling it - but we're not too far short of this standard. In short, a car to be proud of and a car to drive and enjoy!
Project write-up last updated 6th October 2022