1965 Lotus Elan S2 Roadster

1965 Lotus Description

This car appears to have been an early S2 that still has some features of the S1, like the circular taillights.

I bought the car in June of 2015 and have put about 2,500 miles on it.

There are 52,450 miles showing on the odometer, which works well, although the speedometer does not. (The tachometer works fine.)

The twin-cam, Weber-headenginestarts easy and runs well.

The car handles fine and gets lots of thumbs up and double takes wherever it is driven. Thecloth seatsare a bit overstuffed so they are comfortable.

Trans was rebuilt and shifts great.

New drivedonutswere installed a few years ago and are in good shape.

Clutchandbrakesare good.Clutchmaster and slave cylinders were recently rebuilt.

The previous owner got rid of the vacuum-activated headlights and installed small struts to hold the lights up. This gets rid of the annoying headlight droop when going up a hill. It means you have to raise each headlight by hand.

The previous owner removed the springs that raised the hood when you pulled the two levers in the cockpit. Instead, he added a tiny plastic strip on the back edge of the hood that you pull while also pulling the two levers. (I know, three hands, right? But it seems to work.)

Convertible topis old but complete; it has a few patches but it keeps out the rain. (I took it off when I got the car home and it hasn’t been on since.)

Rear fenders have slight flares.

The paint looks good unless you get really close up. It has some scratches and chips and a few cracks here and there. It's pretty good for a 52-year-old car.

Since I bought the car, the following has been done to it:

It has a new alternator and a new battery.

It has a new set of 155-13 tires, as close as I could get to the 145’s that came on the car originally.

The motor mounts were replaced last year.

Because of oil leaks, I had the cam cover gaskets/seals and front crankshaft seal replaced. Some oil leaks remain; you’ll want an oil pan to keep handy.

The fuel pump has been overhauled.

I had the radiator checked and a leak repaired.

The exhaust system was repaired (leaks) and remounted.

It has new spark plugs.

The wheel bearings were adjusted and repacked.

Because the steering seemed loose, I had the steering tie rods tightened.

The only issue the car has is that the front tires rub slightly against the fenders when the car is heavily loaded and extreme turns are made. It looks to me like someone lowered the front end a little at some point in its past. I’ve not seen a simple way to raise it, and it’s not a problem when I’m driving alone, so I haven’t done anything about it.

I find that I am not driving it much. I’d owned two other Elans in the ‘70s, and wanted to experience the car again, but at 75 years of age I’m just not making use of the car. (Truth be told, I drive my 2014 Porsche Cayman instead.) The car ought to go to someone who will enjoy it and drive it more than I do.