New to LEC and to Elan ownership.

[bingoking]

I joined here a few years ago and have popped in and out over that time. I am also one of the Regional Coordinators for LEGS-Lotus Enthusiasts Group Scotland.
I have always hankered after an Elan, especially the baby Elan but prices there are getting to the ridiculous stage. Fine if you have had one for a number of years or you are good mechanically and can restore one to its former glory . I am neither.
So I took the plunge today and bought a 1 owner, 1995 Elan S2 (No122) with 3,458 miles on the clock which has been dry stored since new but sadly not driven or serviced since 2011 despite being owned by a motor dealer with his own (albeit non Lotus) service facility. It is still on it's original rubber and hasn't had a belt change since new. After taking it for a short test drive to check a few things while I didn't own it, I decided I wanted it. Now that I own it, it will be transported to Murray Lotus to be serviced, belts changed and new tyres before it is driven properly. The car will be staying in Scotland.
I don't think I will have it back before the LEGS Breakfast meeting at The Fennel, but I am hoping to have it a couple of weeks after that for The Club Lotus Lakes Weekend and definitely for our European trip to Lake Como. It will be well used but well cared for.

I will understand if the Mods want to remove the following.

A quick advert for LEGS. We don't get many M100's along to our meets, just 3 that I can recall, BigErch, Alan Head and Wendy Walsh. It would be great to see some more along to our meets which are all in Scotland at various locations. If you pop over to 4lot.us/legs register, it's free, send me a PM there I can then add you to our group PM list to keep you up to date with our events.

[par]

That car has been debated on here in the UK Cars For Sale section, personally I think it looks a great buy and hopefully will now start getting driven properly.

There is an LEC/Club Lotus meet 2nd Wednesday of every month at Boness Motor Museum, being a new Elan owner also (although mine has done about 164,000 more miles than yours) I have only been to one so far but do intend to go the the next one in June - would be good to see you there.

[John_W]

Bingo,
Welcome. Don't suppose you also own a very nice Esprit do you?

That car looks like a good buy, so long as you do the sensible things that it sounds like you have arranged to get done. I was thinking of going over to Kintore to have a look, but ya snooze ya lose as my kids used to say.

Thanks for the link to LEGS. I must try to get to some of the meetings.

John

P.S. of course you own a nice Esprit - it says so in your signature . We've met at the Lairhilloch a year or two ago.

[GeoffSmith]

P.S. of course you own a nice Esprit - it says so in your signature

[lotusflasherman]

Congratulations and welcome to Elan ownership. I think you are doing the right thing about rubber - belts and tyres suffer from age. Remember brake fluid and brakes hoses too.

I bought a low mileage L reg SE last year when working in the wolds of Lincolnshire. (Not low mileage compared to yours but 42k on a 20 year old car is low by most standards). Salesman told me mine had been on a SORN for 4 years so haggled the price down and then I drove it very gently 6 miles to Kelevedon Motors in Spalding and had cambelt, tensioner and idler pulley changed plus alternator belt. Asked that all oils and brake fluid renewed and got them to strip down brakes, clean & reassemble.
I also asked them to fit a set of aeroquip braided hoses that I supplied but they didn't do that as it already had some - I hadn't looked!

That's my 3rd SE. 1st I bought in '95 at 40k miles and used for my work as a Consultant Engineer and put about 100k miles on it in 4 years until it had an intimate encounter with a white van whose driver was on his mobile. I found that if serviced 'by the book' the Elan is very reliable. Only trouble I had was a front exhaust pipe fracture that I had to weld and one gear selector cable failure at about 100k miles, so replaced both cables as the design had been improved for the S2. I also suffered a front brake hose failure due to debris on the road so prefer braided hoses that also give a firmer feel to the pedal.

My Eclat deserves the Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious acronym but I've found the M100 Elan is 'bullet proof' if looked after properly. I hope you find it equally reliable.

[bingoking]

That car has been debated on here in the UK Cars For Sale section, personally I think it looks a great buy and hopefully will now start getting driven properly.

There is an LEC/Club Lotus meet 2nd Wednesday of every month at Boness Motor Museum, being a new Elan owner also (although mine has done about 164,000 more miles than yours) I have only been to one so far but do intend to go the the next one in June - would be good to see you there.

I have been to quite a few of the meetings at Bo'ness Motor Museum at might just be able to go to the June meeting so might see you there.

[bingoking]

Bingo,
Welcome. Don't suppose you also own a very nice Esprit do you?

That car looks like a good buy, so long as you do the sensible things that it sounds like you have arranged to get done. I was thinking of going over to Kintore to have a look, but ya snooze ya lose as my kids used to say.

Thanks for the link to LEGS. I must try to get to some of the meetings.

John

P.S. of course you own a nice Esprit - it says so in your signature . We've met at the Lairhilloch a year or two ago.

Hi John, As you have seen I do have an Esprit V8 but not sure if I took it to Lairhilloch, what were you driving that day? I usually remember people by the cars they drive. It would be good to see you at a LEGS meeting and we are up in Inverurie on 7th June. We will also be at Speedfest at GTM of 5th July and meeting up in Aberdeen somewhere for dinner the night before.

Brian

[Scott J]

as well as big Archie, myself and Rambo have been at some of the LEGS breakfast meets, and Bo'ness a good few times. I'm also on the LEGS Facebook page. Par now owns my old motor.

[Fredjohn]

Welcome to LEC and Elan ownership. I am sure you will enjoy your new toy and you've clearly made the right decision to replace all the rubber bits!

Look forward to seeing you and the car at the Club Lotus event in the Lakes at the Borrowdale Hotel and again on the trip to Lake Como. I think there will be at least 3 M100 going to Como: yours, mine and Rob P, maybe more!

I've been doing the Lakes event since 1985 (old S4 DHC originally, M100 more recently) and love it. Will be at bit more relaxed this year, but really looking forward to it.

Good to see another M100 being owned by an enthusiast and not falling into the breakers hands.

[morciii]

Glad to know the car has been bought and will finally get the time out on the open road it deserves!

Also happy to see it will be staying in sunny Scotland

[bingoking]

Welcome to LEC and Elan ownership. I am sure you will enjoy your new toy and you've clearly made the right decision to replace all the rubber bits!

Look forward to seeing you and the car at the Club Lotus event in the Lakes at the Borrowdale Hotel and again on the trip to Lake Como. I think there will be at least 3 M100 going to Como: yours, mine and Rob P, maybe more!

I've been doing the Lakes event since 1985 (old S4 DHC originally, M100 more recently) and love it. Will be at bit more relaxed this year, but really looking forward to it.

Good to see another M100 being owned by an enthusiast and not falling into the breakers hands.

I have been along to a few Lakes weekends with either my Silver V8 or my Yellow Elise when I had it.
I do hope I can have the car prepared before the trip as we are also off to London on the Sunday. Quite a trip and hopefully the Elan will be ready and hold together, failing that we will be in the Esprit. A bit of a test before a long trip to Como.
It was Chris Ward that flagged up the Como trip and I believe he is taking his M100.
It will be good to catch up with everyone again at The Borrowdale Hotel, we missed the last 2 years.

Regards
Brian

[BigErch]

Brian, welcome to LEC!
Hopefully I'll get to see your new purchase this year sometime.
cheers Arch

[bingoking]

Brian, welcome to LEC!
Hopefully I'll get to see your new purchase this year sometime.
cheers Arch

Yes I plan to use it a lot.