Elanmi: "One-off" concern

 Got the car back yesterday from an engine diagnosis.

As it did, at a traffic spot, it decided to suddenly kill the ignition. However, it started back up no issue. Later on on the same trip, the engine jerked and hesitated twice, and is audible in the clip. Again, no idea why it did.

Took it into the workshop the next day, and no issues on the first and second trip?

The workshop couldn't diagnose it either, but they do suspect its the wiring. Considering the issues of:

- Closing the glovebox (By slamming it because it doesn't work) kills the ignition

- The speedometer is reading wrongly

- The workshop has commented about the original wiring being a complete mess

I think its the wiring too. The trouble would be that the wiring runs into the body, and considering the front is an entire clamshell...

They don't really want to do it since its gonna be alot of work, so I'll have to consult another workshop to rectify it when the time comes.

~Efini

Elan in Millenia Walk

 About time to bring the little Lotus to Millenia Walk, happily I didn't stall once.

Probably have to pick out one of the parallel parking spots for a nicer shot, but I'm happy to take what I can. As any MW experience would have it, there too were other cars worthy of enthusiast attention (Mine isn't)

Video included too. So far, the Elan has been treating me well. Good, I suppose, considering its age.

~Efini

Bringing back the Lotus Elan

 First update on the Lotus Elan M100:

Its been some months since any update on the old girl, and in the more recent months, it has been worked on by the mechanics. Happily, today, the Elan's in a more ready state, and for now, we'll be bringing it back.

 

 In the few months it was being worked on, its received the following:

- Interior teardown and rewiring

- Servicing and maintainence

- Installation of fan switch

- Wear & Tear replacement of weather seals

- Window realignment

I do want to touch on the seals now. The weather seals are a very common fault of the M100. Unfortunately in practically any location, they have a tendancy to fail and leak water into the cabin. Unfortunately, the Lotus is no exception to this. We had a new set purchased to try to fix the realignment of the windows done and the seals replaced, but then comes another issue with the car.

As I had read from older invoices of the car prior to our ownership, the previous shop had commented that the roof mechanism was original, and modified. Consequently, fully sealing the Elan was not possible because of the roof being in a state of disrepair, and leakage will still happen on the A pillars. This may be justification to source a hardtop, which may just be the first hardtop for an Elan in Singapore.

Elanmi being brought into the shops

Something also to note about older cars is their inability as a original product to last a stable temperature when out and about. Its a common thing with classic cars, if not just British cars. Either one. The Elan was very prone to overheating when sitting in standstill traffic, and this was noticed in two instances prior to us bringing the car into the workshop for its first piece of restoration.

As such, the radiator fan now has a switch in the cabin to have it run at maximum capacity as to not overheat the car. In testing, it does work; bringing the temps down to half, which I'd say is a job well done. Less is the fact that under guidance that should the temps be too high, the AC should be off. Well, my inexperience and lack of initial trust with the car meant driving any AC, or even any wind blowing for the first half. The fans were switched on halfway through, but the cabin was still a horribly hot mess when all of it was done. The outside breeze was more cooling than the cabin.

All in all, its in a better state than it initially was, but I would not say its good enough. It will take more phases of restoration should the vehicle be long term, and as a little sports car, I think its a nice little motor. 

~Efini