Cotswold Newbie

[jlsach]

Hi, just started looking at M100s, and what an awesome resource this website and these Forums are. Thank you to everyone who contributes. I'm in the Cotswolds, so if there's anyone who lives nearby (or far afield!) and has some time to show me their pride and joy, and point out the pitfalls to buying one of these cars, I would be hugely grateful.

Regards

Joe

[chipp]

Welcome Joe.
I'm sure there will be some locals along to say hi fairly soon.
Pitfalls?? I can assure you it's all smiles from here on in.

chipp

[HJ2]

Welcome aboard and good luck with the hunt!

[Saltire]

Welcome, Joe. I'm just south of Cirencester, so not too far away. Often up and down the A429. There are quite a few of us in the area, although Pete has just disappeared to Cyprus for three years. We have irregular meetings in Glos/Wilts, and there's a monthly (I think) one further up to the Midlands.

I've only been on here since I bought my Elan in May, but I've found a wealth of useful stuff and friendly people. Welcome on board, and I hope you find 'your' car soon

[Saltire]

Meant to say: I'd be very happy to show you my car and chat about it some time by mutual arrangement. I remember the purchasing pitfalls all too well

[Ian T]

Welcome.

You're on the right track doing your research on here first. I learned a lot before looking at my car and rejected the first couple on the strength of the 'where to check' type threads on here. The Wiki is a wealth of useful information as well:

http://wikilec.9600.org/

The main issues seem to be with rust - ironic for a fibreglass car - in wishbones and hidden sections of the sills. Stainless steel wishbones became available later, but are expensive and less easy to find now. Crash damage is not easy to repair without it being visible at the front end, no idea about the back.

I've had mine for a little over a year now and love it. I bought at the lower end of the market and have not really spent very much time fettling it up, but it's a better car today then when I bought it without spending too much money either. Mechanically, as long as it has had regular oil changes and coolant changes, it seems to be a strong engine and gearbox. Occasionally cars seem to suffer with an issue accessing one of the gears (2nd?) but this seems rare and mine has no such issue at 135k miles. Mileage isn't necessarily something to be afraid of either, those who have run them to 200k miles seem to report they are great still (note the engine was also fitted to the Isuzu Impulse RS in the US, which did routinely see greater mileages than the Elan).

The commonest complaint is that the roofs leak at the seals to windscreen and side windows. Picking a car that has spent most of its life indoors will probably yield a better interior and less likelihood of rust in the sills, but, irrespective, you should budget to investigate and treat anything. Don't let it put you off, just be informed as a buyer and avoid surprises later.

A better guide is here: http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Buyers_guide
Good luck with the search.

[Fredjohn]

Welcome on board and hope you soon find your car. There are sometimes cars for sale on here with relatively known provenance, so keep looking.

There is a monthly Midlands meet: see this thread for location and timings.

Next one is Thursday 15th Oct. Hope you can make it and you should expect to see 1 or 2 examples.

Fully endorse Ian's comments above: just keep reading! I bought mine with minimal knowledge, but got away with it, and only read it up afterwards! Not really the way to do it.

[cliff]

Hi Joe and welcome.

I guess I come under the far afield category unless you visit North Lincolnshire or Cyprus regularly.

To add to the previous comments, how is your mechanical knowledge? If you are handy with spanners or prepared to get stuck in and learn, then there are a lot more options open to you.

The Elan has her foibles and can be a pain to work on but at the end of the day, it is only nuts and bolts.

[Rob P]

Welcome aboard and good luck finding the right car for you.

As has been said the Elan M100 come with their own trials and tribulations but when you are behind the wheel with the top down on a sunny day there's no better place to be

[dapinky]

..... when you are behind the wheel with the top down on a sunny day there's no better place to be

Ooooh yes! - just got back from 300 miles round-trip for a couple of days on Exmoor (never actually more than 35 miles from home as the crow flies!). Top down all the way (except for overnight at the B&B) - smiles and happiness abounding.

If you get to the West Mids meeting there will be a few to look at - ranging from restored cars, through ongoing projects and original (with or without some 'upgrades' - only in quote marks because one mans upgrade is another mans destruction of originality - I am a believer in "It's your car, do what YOU want").

I tend to go up the A46 from J9 to the venue, so not that far from your location.

[cliff]

I am a believer in "It's your car, do what YOU want"

[mlewi6]

Hi there - I am from afar, California, but was brought up in the Cotswold's - and used to drive around the area in the late '70s in an Elan Plus 2. I echo how valuable this forum is. Good luck, and maybe I will time my next trip back to coincide with an Elan meeting there.

Martyn.

[GeoffSmith]

I am the new and proud owner of a 65,000mile '91 Elan. Second outing, the accelerator pedal was stuck, and after pushing down on it, gave way. I am assuming that I have a cable problem of some kind. I checked at the other end of the cable, it was attached but loose. My question is, how the heck do I get to the place where the cable must connect to the pedal. Many thanks,

Hi there - I am from afar, California, but was brought up in the Cotswold's - and used to drive around the area in the late '70s in an Elan Plus 2. I echo how valuable this forum is. Good luck, and maybe I will time my next trip back to coincide with an Elan meeting there.

Martyn.

Well ain't that a coincidence:

I live near the Cotswolds in the Summer.
In August, the throttle cable of Algirdas' Elan came off the pedal on a busy intersection in Colorado Springs on the way to Pikes Peak with LOG35 and I spent 20 minutes in the Lotus position re-attaching it. I spent our last night in Fort Collins trying to work out how to fit the grommet of the new cable - fortunately he had a few spare tubs to practice on.
In September, we stopped off in Santa Rosa on the way to Mendocino.

[mlewi6]

Hi Geoff, et al.

Born and raised in Churchdown and then moved to Leicester - had an Elan +2
Moved to Ottawa and then Toronto - had an '88 Esprit
Moved to Santa Rosa - have a '91 Elan

The accelerator cable was my only challenge with the M100 until I decided to take the engine and gearbox out for a new clutch, oil pan and then all the other things you do when that stuff is on the floor. Been three years since I started, but I am hoping to get to the end of job soon.

Martyn.

[Candles]

Welcome!

I am in Bristol and would be more than happy to show you some of the pitfalls of the car when buying as mine either has the faults now, or has had them fixed!

Candles.