And an other new member from The Netherlands...

[GijsBert]

Hi there,
As promised in Meike’s topic a few days ago, here it is: the introduction of the next Dutch Elan-driver. My name is Gijs (try to pronounce it right in an other language than Dutch – you will fail ) and I am the proud new owner of a Calypso Red M100 SE, 4-1991, 78.000km.

I love the Elan since I played the DOS-game ‘Lotus’ on our Commodore 64. The last decade I wasn’t really searching for a real one, but checked the market on a regular base. So I think I am quite aware of the prices for LHD Elans – and they are rising, since it was a stable 10-15k euro for years.

A few weeks ago I noticed a German Elan for sale. It looked nice at the pictures, only 78k km, Calypso Red with the grey-red leather, and from the first German owner. I contacted the guy, made an appointment and bought the car, which he really had from new, for a good price. As the man was retired now, getting in and out the Elan wasn’t as easy for him. So over the last years het only drove a few hundred kilometers, and finally decided to sell the car.


I picked it up on a trailer and brought it to Van der Kooi Sportscars for a technical inspection, maintenance, timing belt change and some other minor work. Mechanic Jan said mine was the best Elan he had seen in times, as it was clean and in a very good overall condition! Nice, it seems that I bought the right car!


Yesterday was the day I could picked it up in Houten. With a set of temporary license plates I visited the RDW (Dutch car registration office) for the obligatory import check, so I will have the final Dutch plates within a few days.
Now its time for a good clean up and some nice DIY-jobs: fixing a lazy headlight motor (the overhaul kit is ready), new webbing for the softtop, a new audio system and some other cosmetic improvements. During the 130 km trip I experienced a strange starting issue, so I have to see what comes with that. Hopefully I will receive the license plates next week so I can enjoy the spring sun soon. Keep you posted!

[Meike]

Congratulations with your Calypso Red Elan Gijs,

Car looks good indeed. Would be fun to have a mini meet some day (maybe around Delft by coincidence ) and will see your Elan adventures too..

[HJ2]

Haha. You’re all welcome for a coffee or something stronger.

[GijsBert]

Haha. You’re all welcome for a coffee or something stronger.

For all the Dutch Elan M100 lovers and drivers I started the Facebook group 'Lotus Elan M100 Nederland'. Please join!

[Meike]

I don't have Facebook.. Stopped with that years ago

[HJ2]

I committed Facebook Suicide quite some years ago.
Finally decided to make a new dedicated account for Lotus & other tech-stuff only!

So no inlaws, vague friends etc etc, and that works out quite well

[Tuga2112]

my facebook has plenty of people i dont care about. but since i never post anything relevant it really doesnt matter.
i usually stick around to help people on the M100 groups and check for any parts that may come up for any of my current cars.

the dwarf fortress group is rather amusing to follow if your familiar with the game. but apart from that my use is 95% M100 related.

[Saltire]

. . . . but apart from that my use is 95% M100 related.

And the other 5% is Fiat Seicento

[Tuga2112]

. . . . but apart from that my use is 95% M100 related.

And the other 5% is Fiat Seicento

sadly its been that for the past 2 months.
that little bugger has been bogging down when hot and its been impossible to diagnose the issue... its very annoying that in the community around the fiat forum is nowhere near as technically knowleagbale as the folk in this forum.
i can go on a lot of detail on that one, its really been annoying, the car may be slow, but its extremely run to drive about in the city and very practical with the seats folded to carry M100 parts =P

[Meike]

Hey Gijsbert, did we've seen you driving today on the A28 (other direction, we were bounding to the north), near Harderwijk ?

We were driving with my Toyota iQ, as I just saw a red car turning up the highway from a distance and then identified the car as an Elan.. no mistake possible. If we had chosen the Elan for today (if I didn't forgot it in first place to put it in my purse), we would have taken the Elan to Germany today instead of the iQ. So yeah.. Missed opportunity from our side you could have noticed us too. Maybe a perfect reason we should hold a mini meet somewhere in the next few weeks maybe, also together wtih HJ ?

[GijsBert]

Hey Gijsbert, did we've seen you driving today on the A28 (other direction, we were bounding to the north), near Harderwijk ?

That's right Meike, I visited the Louwman Museum that day and did the trip Drenthe-Den Haag in the Elan. There is (only a few days left!) a special exhibition 'Supercars of the Nineties'. Some of the cars are never shown to the public before, others (McLaren F1) share some parts with the Elan...