New Member in Newmarket, Suffolk UK

[VagueShot]

I am a new member to this forum from Newmarket in the UK. I own a 1991 Elan in yellow with full leather and a vintage mobile phone. The latter to longer works, but it does have full hands-free. The car is one of the last of the first series and was bought by my late wife to replace a red one on a G plate. So I suppose it counts as one or possibly one and a half owners since new.

If you see it, you'll notice it's on a unique plate of K9 WFF.

My wife died in December 2007 and a couple of years before she died, she bought a Porsche Boxster for work. That was yellow too. When she died one of her cars had to go and as I'd never liked the Boxster it wasn't much of a difficult choice. But the local car dealer then drove both cars about for servicing or in the case of the Boxster to sell it. He came into my kitchen and said. "Why does anybody buy a Boxster? That Lotus is sixteen years old and it drives so much better!"

I could not possibly comment.

The car has now done 112,000 and I use it most weeks. Especially, if the weather is good enough to put the top down. On the reliability front, it has been very good and I have always managed to get it home under its own power. Even if like this weekend, it was on only three gears. But that was the first serious mechanical problem.

James

[Silverghost]

Hello and welcome from not too far up the road.

There's reckoned to be a good Elan specialist in Newmarket - any dealings to report?

[Dave Eds]

Like the picture of the red and yellow meeting up - happens not far from here every day!

Last time I saw a yellow Elan in Newmarket was when collecting one from said specialist after an MOT.

Welcome James!

[VagueShot]

I've never found him. I used to go to Daytune and rumours were circulating that Gerald (?) from there was doing servicing. He was good.

[Dave Eds]

One and the same, long time ex Daytune, now independent, based in Studlands Park, Newmarket.

[chris.t]

Welcome to the LEC NMY fraternity James

[theelanman]

yep...big welcome to the NMY corner.....

keep an eye out for meets n things.....we usually have a fun time....
especially if the sun is out...

[VagueShot]

Have you a phone number for him?

[rip]

Have you a phone number for him?

Certainly do.

GST Performance
Unit 7 Studlands Business Centre
Studlands Ind Est
Newmarket
01638 661144.

[VagueShot]

Thanks. The car is now booked in today.

[Ade]

Hi and welcome from K9JEA.

Ade

[HJ2]

Suddently a lot of dogs here...

Welcome again, first on the phone, then "live" And now on the forum
Good to hear that you made it safe home.
Gearcable change is a piece of cake, you'll be on the road again pretty soon!

Oh, your invitation stands, CU in NL again!


Best regards,
Henk-Jan, alias HJ2

[VagueShot]

It was just a slipped cable, which will be replaced in the New Year, with S2 cables. Gerald reckons that for normal use they are better than the AB ones.

The car also had a check over, a couple of instrument bulbs were replaced and a pretty good valet. All for under a hundred quid!

[speed-demon]

I'm not sure I'd agree with Gerald there entirely. Swings and rounabouts I'd say... Smoother yes, but prone to failure still...
I've had both and would agree the original have a nicer, easier feel. I know many here like the stiffer feel of the A.B's.
For me the A.B cables are a must for two reasons. 1. I love to work a gearbox hard. 2. Ultimate reliability and mechanical confidence are a must for me.

[rip]

I'm not sure I'd agree with Gerald there entirely. Swings and rounabouts I'd say... Smoother yes, but prone to failure still...

G UK has broken a set of S2 cables, so it can be done.

[VagueShot]

I don't work the gearbox hard, as most of the time it sits on a main road at about 70 in fifth. Or in traffic jams! Also for the first four years of its life, my late wife drove it all over East Anglia to work. She was a barrister and put about the first 70,000 miles on the car. As most of the driving was on dual-carriageway roads with lots of traffic, it was impossible for her to drive it hard. That is not to say she didn't drive fast, but the car never did many gear-changes. For the last thirteen years or so, it's been very much a car for the sun, although I'm using it a lot more now. But mainly for long distances.

Gerald reckoned from the state of the cables, that the gearbox had been very lightly used.

As this will probably happen in the future, I will stick with the S2 cables. The change now is very light and precise, which is the way I want it.

[rip]

I've seen many drivers (particularly learners) hold the gearstick with their hand on top & wrestle the car into gear, but there is just no need. I was probably like that too, but was taught to ease it in with my palm. I have found I get much more feel that way & can just feel the gearbox accepting the gear change when it's ready.

I assume Gerald (or more likely, Neil) sorted this for you then?

[VagueShot]

My father raced cars at Brooklands before the war. Only Amicars and MGs, so nothing that fast and hary! But he did teach me to change gear properly, double de-clutch if required and to ease it through when the revs were correct. So much so, that I can still if necessary drive without a clutch in a lot of cars. I don't do it the Elan, but I do it in the Jaguar quite a lot to keep in practice.

I tend to think that you should treat the gearbox of a car like you would a woman. Or a man for that matter, if the gender is reversed. With tenderness and consideration! The John Cleese method of car control doesn't work!