Even though I am not yet done with my Seven America, I always have an eye open for Lotus projects. I found one on the net a couple of weeks ago and I went out to Dayton last week and picked it up.
It's a 1965 Elan S2 Weber head convertible with 59,000 miles. I bought it from the second owner who has owned it since 1966! It's very tired and faded but complete and original. It's been under a heavy car cover in a dry garage all it's life. It's got some good parts on it and some not so good parts. The steering wheel is about the best stock wood wheel I've ever seen - solid with good color. Then on the other had, the interior door panels are so rotted that the windows won't go down. It's got the original owners manual and service book. I don't know if the engine runs but it doesn't matter, I'm going to tear it all down anyway. It will be a body-off, complete tear down.
The car has never been in any accidents other than when Roy (the owner, who is now 65) last drove the car in 1984. He was out on a cruise in the Elan with his daughter when they came upon some heavy traffic. Everybody started locking up the brakes and he braked and dove for a space between a Volvo and a Corvette. He squeezed it perfectly but the space was about two inches too narrow. If you look at the door handles it's almost unbelievable. Both the left and the right side door handles are bent inward just a bit. There is a little bit of Fiberglas stress cracks on both sides all the way down the car. Doesn't matter. It's all going to come apart and be redone anyhow.
Roy and his daughter were a little depressed to see me loading the car on to the trailer to take it away from the spot in the garage that it had occupied for 36 years, but they are also glad that it will be
going to a good home.
