Elite photo gallery
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This early Series 2 had been off the road for 30 years. Restoration included extensive body repairs. It was judged Best of Show at the 2010 Portland Oregon All British Field Meet. Next 5 photos.
Carefully executed and tuned Weber DCOE and header conversion from original single SU carburetor and cast-iron manifold.
All new material to recreate the stunning original color combination discovered under...
...this.
Stephen Clapsaddle giving the final polish after wet sanding the clear coat.
Using a laser level and straightedges to align a replacement right headlight area before laminating the fiberglass bond from the inside.
A Series 2 on scales to check corner weights and adjust spring perch heights, part of full wheel alignment setting at the end of restoration.
The S2 interior, done in leather and Wilton wool.
S2 twin-SU carburetor 'stage 2' version of the Coventry Climax FWE 1220cc single overhead cam engine. Correct finishes & clips, and no oil leaks.
This Series 2 SE was restored and built for vintage competition events. The racing modifications were discreet and period-faithful where possible and appropriate. All the road car equipment was retained except some interior trim.
The race car final drive assembly. This is mounted at the most highly reinforced point of the body - glassfiber lamination reaches 1/2-inch thick in this area. Calipers rebuilt, new brake lines fabricated, final drive overhauled, etc.
This Series 1 Elite was built from the salvageable parts of a severely damaged race car. The body is new re-production.
Carpet and vinyl match original colors. Seats rebuilt with new foam and Pirelli webbing, new covers made from patterns developed from original covers.
The 'bumper' trim on Elites was fabricated by hand from thin-gauge stainless steel. They are easily damaged and difficult to repair. Here is an original grille surround in typical condition.
First step of repair is to weld holes and cracks, then grind and file the welds...
...next step is knock out dents and wrinkles with various hammers and dollies...
...and file smooth using marking ink as a guide, then dry and wet-sand to remove file marks...
...then polish.
New chassis-body unit, as arrived with some prior trial assembly of window frames, bumpers etc. Coremat sheet laminated inside doors, boot and bonnet lids for stiffness.
The new CBU being smoothed out with filler. Even a new body has cosmetic defects that must be addressed.
The new CBU as delivered ready for final mechanical assembly. Everything fits, shut lines are even, no waves or wows.
This Series 2 Super 95 had been completely disassembled in 1972 and stored in crates until 1997. Paint had been stripped from most of the body without attention to preserving the gel coat. In the first stage of the restoration breaks and cracks were repaired with glass-fiber mat and polyester resin, the entire surface rough-blocked and re-skinned with tissue mat and resin. Next 4 photos.
Polyester filler is applied to the entire surface and meticulously block sanded to restore perfect shape. I'm pointing out a spot where the strata of ancient paint depositions are visible.
Cabin completely refinished and retrimmed with colors, patterns and materials faithful to the originals.
This car was especially rewarding to restore due to the presence of every last original part in the numerous storage crates and Mason jars. The main challenge was sorting out the hundreds of bolts, washers, clips, etc. and finding where they belonged.
A Glasurit acrylic urethane color was found to match the original light blue. Wire-spoke wheels rebuilt and mounted with vintage Michelin X 155-15 tires. Rear bumper reproduced by hand to replace the unsalvageable original. This car was judged Best in Class at Forest Grove Oregon Rotary Concours d'Elegance in July 2000.
The breather vent had been plugged on
this Series 1 final drive unit and the oil seals failed, soaking the brakes.
The final drive mounts were breaking out
of this early Bristol-built body due to faulty original layup. Damaged fiberglass was ground out
and new mounts laid up around a jig/mold taken from another car.
Elan photo gallery © 2001 - 2022 Randall Fehr
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