Gold Elite S1 503

If you spot one, shame them into owning up!!
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AndrewWebber
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Posts: 193
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2021 14:21
Model: Elite S1 503, Plus 2, Europa '
Colour: Gold
Year: 1979
Location: Kent

Gold Elite S1 503

Post by AndrewWebber »

Hi, first time on here. Met up at the NEC on Sunday on your 'The Lotus Grand Tourers' stand. I'm currently on a 10 day tour from Kent to Staffordshire via NEC, and returning south via Lotus Bits and the Gaydon car museum in my 1979 Elite 503. I purchased it off a 35 year owner in April this year to add to my +2 I have with 43 years of ownership (Absolute Lotus Scottish tour 2021, Hill Climb and Sprint Association Overall Speed Championship Winner 2020) and my 'modsports' 47d/62 'ish' Europa that was 10 years in the building (Absolute Lotus article in current issue). The Elite has always been 'in use' and never restored as such. It had Miles Wilkins fit a Lotus galvanised chassis in 1989, Miles Wilkins engine rebuild at 110k miles in 1994, Diff rebuild in 1988 at 80k miles, there has been 3 gearbox rebuilds, car now has 151k miles and runs okay. My Elite will apparently feature in Jan/Feb Absolute Lotus mag. It is Gold with a very tatty brown vinyl roof, and a reasonable part leather oatmeal interior.

richardw
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Posts: 2224
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 15:06
Model: Elite S2.2 Automatic
Colour: Essex Blue
Year: 1981
Location: Worcestershire

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by richardw »

Welcome Andrew, it was good to meet you at the show. Now we just need to help you to post pictures whenever you are ready. Loved the picture of your car that you showed me.

Cheers, Richard
Image

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rbgosling
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Posts: 1702
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 22:55
Model: Lotus Excel SE
Colour: Midnight Blue
Year: 1990
Location: Rugby

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by rbgosling »

Welcome Andrew, good to see an NEC meeting translate into a new member here!
"Farmer" Richard

1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)

Pete Boole
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Posts: 3711
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
Location: Nottingham

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by Pete Boole »

Hi Andrew - welcome to the forum! I'll be fitting a vinyl roof to my Elite as part of it's restoration - I think the Elite (and Eclat) look great with them.

Pete

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Posts: 4454
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 13:25
Model: Excel SE - EWP/Waterless!
Colour: Not Blue or Green
Year: 1989
Location: Swaledale

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

My envy of Elite owners is ever-present. :mrgreen:

Welcome Andrew.

Ex-Elite 501 owner. :(
Peter K

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AndrewWebber
Regular Poster
Posts: 193
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2021 14:21
Model: Elite S1 503, Plus 2, Europa '
Colour: Gold
Year: 1979
Location: Kent

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by AndrewWebber »

richardw wrote:
Tue Nov 16, 2021 16:13
Welcome Andrew, it was good to meet you at the show. Now we just need to help you to post pictures whenever you are ready. Loved the picture of your car that you showed me.

Cheers, Richard
Yes how do I post pictures please ? 4 days into 10 day trip, good so far. Probably the first time it’s slept in the open for years

TAR
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Posts: 132
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2016 22:21
Model: Elite Type 75
Colour: blue
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by TAR »

That's a great collection of cars. Elites are very special :)

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MetBlue
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Posts: 1401
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 21:00
Model: Elite 74 & Excel 92 (SEish))
Colour: Metalic Blue
Year: 1974
Location: Northampton

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by MetBlue »

Welcome Andrew and pleased your road trip is going well.
Was good to chat at the show and look forward to seeing articles of your car in future Absolute Lotus. Great to keep up their profile.
Now for photo posting. There's a link somewhere on here to a YouTube video that Alan did. I'll try to find it.
Tony (Silk Red Excel at the show.)
What goes together.... Must come apart.

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Alan_M
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Posts: 1121
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2017 01:17
Model: Excel SE, Excel SA, Elan SE
Colour: Red, red, white
Location: South Wales

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by Alan_M »

MetBlue wrote:
Tue Nov 16, 2021 22:05
Now for photo posting. There's a link somewhere on here to a YouTube video that Alan did. I'll try to find it.
Tony (Silk Red Excel at the show.)
Here you go - viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11571

Ps welcome to Andrew.

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AndrewWebber
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Posts: 193
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2021 14:21
Model: Elite S1 503, Plus 2, Europa '
Colour: Gold
Year: 1979
Location: Kent

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by AndrewWebber »

The Elite (with stable mates) before leaving home on first 10 day trip

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Drove it from Kent to Birmingham for British Sprint Awards dinner then the NEC on Sunday for Classic car show, then onto to a Premier Inn in Staffordshire for a few days work.

Image

Another overnight stop before a visit to Option 1 to discuss possible repair to front seat leather.

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Back down into Warwickshire, overnight before another Speed Championship awards do at Gaydon British Motor Museum

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Trophy haul (Elan+2) safety in the Elite, off to Lotus Bits then drive back to Kent.

Image

No problems to report. Taking the 'Europa' to Anglesey Circuit for testing in a week or so.

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MetBlue
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Posts: 1401
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 21:00
Model: Elite 74 & Excel 92 (SEish))
Colour: Metalic Blue
Year: 1974
Location: Northampton

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by MetBlue »

Nice set of pictures and glad the tour went well.
Careful when you park amongst the leaves. You could soon loose sight of it.
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Posts: 4454
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 13:25
Model: Excel SE - EWP/Waterless!
Colour: Not Blue or Green
Year: 1989
Location: Swaledale

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Beautiful cars!

Including the 'RADFORD prototype'! :)

What's the Beans 'box and Salisbury diff sounding like on the trip?

My diff on the old 501 had a bit of a whine above 90mph. Beans box was lovely though (I'm told I was lucky).
Peter K

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AndrewWebber
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Posts: 193
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2021 14:21
Model: Elite S1 503, Plus 2, Europa '
Colour: Gold
Year: 1979
Location: Kent

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by AndrewWebber »

I'm not sure how I feel about there being another 62 of them, but now I've seen the price, building mine seems good value !

The diff seemed fine, gearbox not too bad, some bearing noise in neutral with the clutch up. I didn't go over 80 though as the tyres are very old and miss-matched. Going to get the wheels refurbished and new tyres in the coming months. Lotus Bits had a run out in it and an hour up on the lift and thought it to be in pretty good mechanical shape. Came away with a pair of trunnions to fit to see if, along with new tyres, they sharpen the steering up a bit, if not maybe a new steering rack sometime soon. Small oil leak, probably the front crank seal.

Happy days.

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AndrewWebber
Regular Poster
Posts: 193
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2021 14:21
Model: Elite S1 503, Plus 2, Europa '
Colour: Gold
Year: 1979
Location: Kent

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Post by AndrewWebber »

As 'actioned' in last night's 'Zoom' here are some taster photos from the current 'Absolute Lotus' Mag featuring my Elite ...

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