Lotus Elan Sprint DHC - 1971 - now sold

[Cortina]

Now sold

http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Cortin ... sort=3&o=5
http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Cortin ... sort=3&o=0
http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Cortin ... sort=3&o=1
http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Cortin ... sort=3&o=2
http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Cortin ... sort=3&o=3
http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Cortin ... sort=3&o=4

Photies not quite working - photobucket making it not easy .... help may be required ??

What have I got ?? (should know as I've owned it for 28 years !!)
Not sure where to start with this one ! It was owned by a friend of ours from somewhere around 1980 / maybe late 70’s . He got married , went off in his honeymoon in it , came home .... and guess what ? .... it just sat there for many years.
I stumbled across it in conversation with him in the mid 1980’s trying to buy it for many years – getting interrupted by me buying my first 911 in 1985 (the 2.4 E that I sold here just over a year ago).
Anyway ... I eventually got it in June / July 1990 , and within a few weeks had it back on the road ! (after clearing out ... among other things ... confetti !)
I see my first MOT here with 87,107 miles on it in August 1990 (previous owners last MOT was in Oct 1983 with 86818 miles ... hmm , 289 miles in 7 years) I used it a lot at first. Started doing sprints in it / Circuit of Ireland retrospective rallies ... and lots of road use.

Over the next few years , it got a full mechanical overhaul which among other things included the following :
Full engine rebuild ... the works , to standard spec
Full Gearbox rebuild – bearings / syncros as necessary
Rear diff rebuild - including fitting a new LSD
New suspension all round – dampers and springs . Koni dampers from memory , and modified springs (rears made for me – fronts from Tony Thompson) to lower car a bit , and make it slightly stiffer
Brakes all overhauled – hydraulic hand brake fitted (my design) - original mechanical handbrake kept as well ... MOT !!
Spyder driveshaft conversion fitted (one CV joint , one rubber per side job)
New brake servo fitted
New uprated radiator fitted
And lots of other things ... have lots of receipts.
Essentially NO bodywork done – a replacement chassis had been fitted by previous owner and all looked / looks grand still. Little or no work done to joints / bushes / wheel bearings / discs. It got a new front bumper after a tyre wall whoopsie at Nutts Corner , and that was about it ... new fuel pump springs to mind along with some new joints in propshaft.
I put it back on the road briefly in 1997 , when it had covered 93948 miles at MOT in June 1997 , and it’s now showing 94402 , so 454 miles in the last 21 years !!

The engine however has done a few hundred more ... and here is the story why ... and why it’s not in the car !!
Circuit of Ireland historic rally ... about two years back (or was it 3 ?? ... no idea). I had borrowed a Mk1 Cortina, to use in the event (Lotus engine)... and having passed scrutiny for the event , was 13 hrs from the rally starting, when we discovered blown head gasket. No replacement , and even if I could have got one ... no point, as this was 2nd failure in 3 weeks ... clearly something amiss !!
What to do ?? Answer was obvious ... take the engine (which had not run for approx 20 years) out of my Elan. 4 of us started at about 9pm , and by 5am , having worked all night it was up and running, and ready to rally. We completed the 2 day event without a hitch , after 2 hours sleep ... mad , but very satisfying. Engine was taken back out a few days later , but has not got reunited with Elan ................ yet !!

This is a project : It could either be a 1 to 2 week project to put it back on the road as is (needs brake overhaul all round , possibly two doughnuts , and a general check over. OR it could be a total concours restoration job / repaint and all that good stuff.

Why sell ?? Time is marching on , I have decided very recently that I need to concentrate on getting a certain SWB 911 rally project completed ... and want to get rid of any other distractions. I don’t need the space , I don’t need the dosh .... but just want to focus on something else. I think it’s a bargain – and do (slightly) expect to get killed in the rush. There are no hidden catches , it is the real thing (more of that later) and is open to viewing / inspection / but NOT offers !! Yes , if you only want to pay £19,500 ... then do us both a favour and stay quiet. I would prefer to sell to a private enthusiast who wants to keep and use the car .... as opposed to the obvious alternative. I know if I put it back on the road (read – drive it) ... it will not get sold , they are simply really lovely things to drive.

When I purchased the car – my friend told me it was a “real” Elan Sprint. I remember doing a lot of checks , and eventually convinced myself that it was . I think I got some documentation from the factory (can’t find presently) . Fast forward to about 2 years back , a friend did some research on it for me ... as he was semi interested in it. Initial check on chassis no / eng no made it look like it was far too early and therefore could not be genuine ... so he dug deeper and went a different route to me ... he went via the owners club. Turns out to be something a bit special (I had a B&W photie from a period road test , which showed an Elan Sprint being tested , in early 1971. It’s registration was 3 digits different from mine !) Turns out , the experts believe that 3 Elan Sprints were built , and sold / supplied through 1 dealership - something like Bell and Coalville - as demo / test / customer sample cars. Registrations of the three of them were EPH 564J , 566J and 567J. So mine is one of those 3 , and it had fallen off the owners club’s radar ... having been in my garage for about 28 years and registered with a different system to Swansea.

Anyway , there you have it . I have included some photies from today , along with a scanned one from long time back. PM if interested , and we can take it from there (talk !!) . Airport pick up and transport / accommodation / feeding as necessary is easy to arrange with me. Being retired has it’s advantages. Now , will photobucket or whatever play ball with photographs ??

Hmm ... no , tried [img] etc front and back ... to no avail
Car is only advertised here - no plans to go elsewhere , no time for the messers etc ... cheers
Alan

[KS]

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[KS]

[Cortina]

Keith - thankyou for that ... had just gone and sorted a different account and was ready to do work !! - Thanks for saving me the hassle.



one had not shown up - now added !!

[KS]

Mon plaisir.