I Bought Another Lotus!

[mopho]

Well, I have the original chassis not because I wanted it original but because it did not need to be replaced.

I have not driven an Elan with the Spyder chassis, but I know some think it spoils the flavor of the car

[machine05elise]

You will soo love this car!

I have a 70 +2 should have never sold that car!

[tvacc]

Originally Posted by mopho

Well, I have the original chassis not because I wanted it original but because it did not need to be replaced.

I have not driven an Elan with the Spyder chassis, but I know some think it spoils the flavor of the car

You will have to drive one.

The best way I can describe it is a follows....

The Elan is a vintage 60's car. Much like other cars of that day it does lean quite a bit....the small tires make light to steer.

I helped fix and crewed and sometime drove a 26R several times in the early 80's. I could have bought it for 5K but that is another story......

Anyways....the Spyder car drives like a 26R. Flat and steady. Heavier steering because of the wider tires, just like a 26R. They are very similar.
So in fact the Spyder chassis car does drive like and Elan...but not the Elan that most people drove on the street.

It is like a big go Kart. Just like the 26R.

The stock Elan as a whole nother character. Neither is better...just different.

[mopho]

My car is quite heavily modified, the chassis has been beefed up in key places and I have stiffer springs, adjustable shocks, 26 steering rack, bigger sway bar, and bigger wheels and tires (though not 26r big as I don't have the fender flares) so it is not all that far off from a 26r.

Someday I might do the 26r fenders and wider tires, but I feel that too much grip spoils the fun in a road car

[tvacc]

The only 26R I drove was a heavily modified SCCA race car. It was a real 26R owned or driven by Jackie Olivier.

It had wide slicks and very stiff suspension. Very light. You could see through the doors where the white number circles were. I remember working on the electrics and brakes and being upside down in the driver seat. I could look up and see daylight through the door.

The guy that owned it wanted me to have it. I helped him work on it for years. He gave me the hardtop among other things offf the car. I sold them all CHEAP. Offered ithe car to me for 5K. This was 1981 or so. I was broke. And I could not raise the money.

I was in the pizza business....and losing my shirt. Could not say I was starving...becuase I always had food...but little else.

[mopho]

The guy who does the work on my car has a real 26r, he's had it for 30+ years. It was wrecked in a racing crash back in the early 90's and he is currently putting it back together. It is spectacular, I drool over it whenever I am in the shop.

[FunElan]

Doesn't he have 3 26R's?

BTW, beautiful Elan!

[mopho]

Originally Posted by FunElan

Doesn't he have 3 26R's?

No, they are just spare bodyshells

[elancoupe]

Another option for a frame is the Tony Thompson racing chassis. He gets brand new, ungalvanized units from Lotus, then strengthens them as per FIA 26R specs.

Steering rack mounts are beefed up, front towers are closed off, rear towers are gusseted, and triangulation is done in the engine bay and above the rear diff. Also, supports are added between lower a arm mounts. A tow hook is added, and the latest models have a removable front crossmember.

I have had one of these units in my (street) car for 14 years now, and have no regrets. At the time of purchase, it was approximately the same cost as a stock chassis, believe it or not!

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by DeanG

I believe the later cars have "safety" half shafts. They stay put if the donut breaks.

There is information in the Service Manual about them, but I've never seen one (basically a pin on one side that inserts into a socket on the other mounted to each of the roto-flexes). My Sprint was one of the later ones, and it certainly doesn't have them.

As Tony said, the later cars have stronger Roto-flexes, but if they break, they still flair around.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by elancoupe

Another option for a frame is the Tony Thompson racing chassis. He gets brand new, ungalvanized units from Lotus, then strengthens them as per FIA 26R specs. <...> At the time of purchase, it was approximately the same cost as a stock chassis, believe it or not!

I considered this one when I though I might have to replace my chassis. As you said, it was about the same price as the Lotus galvanized chassis at the time.

Originally Posted by morph

Well, I have the original chassis not because I wanted it original but because it did not need to be replaced.

I have not driven an Elan with the Spyder chassis, but I know some think it spoils the flavor of the car

Same here. My chassis didn't need replacing, so it still the original. I have also not driven a Spyder chassis car.