Excel donor required for Elite resto-mod

[Green Elite]

Hi Everyone
I have an Elite which has been in my family since the late 80's. I started to overhaul it many years ago as the body work was is excellent condition (having been upgraded to S2.2 bodywork and sage green paintwork by a previous owner) and got as far as lifting the body off the chassis a couple of years back but since the car has been lying up since the early 90's there was just too much to do.

So, I have decided that the best solution is to find an early excel "parts or repair" donor and carry out a full rolling chassis upgrade.
Does anyone on here know where I can find a suitable donor car to give my poor old Elite a new lease of life?

Anything considered, anywhere. I am living in Ireland so will be traveling to wherever anyway.

Has anybody seen this swap/upgrade done before? Any tips?

[AndyC]

Mike Taylor (lotusbits) does this as an upgrade, it does involve using bits of the Excel bodywork glassed into the Elite body for mounting, and cutting the body to accommodate the wider (in places) subframe of the Excel.

[Green Elite]

Thanks Andy
Yeah that's where I got my inspiration.

[Simpatico]

*Reaches for popcorn and waits...*

[fueltheburn]

*Reaches for popcorn and waits...*

....Probably asleep.

Before you get shot down in flames, your best bet is speaking to someone breaking one or two. Lotuselan17 is currently breaking an LC which is more likely to have the body mounts in the correct place.
Other than that, expect to get shot down in flames as destroying a rare car to put under a rare car divides many.

Lights blue touch paper and retreats....

[alanbell]

you do not say if you are going to try to do the work yourself. if you are you can get an elite chassis from spyder cars in peterborough, it is a lot more expensive than a an excel chassis but will allow you to switch the body straight over and can be fitted with fixed upper links etc which will give you the reliability of an excel especially if you ask for it to be set up to take a w58 gear box. doing the work using an excel chassis will require professional level skills in fibre glass not only to insert excel body parts but
also to glass in structurally secure bobbins to take the chassis to body bolts. your welding skill will need to be at the same level.
it is also important to remember that you cannot mount elite suspension and drive train straight onto an excel chassis , all the parts are different so you will need, as a minimum, an excel rolling chassis complete with all suspension, brake parts and drive train and pedal box.
having asked an irish lotus owner, i was led to believe that there are not any lotus specialists in ireland, he brought his car to england for any work he could not do himself. so i think that your only economical choice is to do the work yourself otherwise spend a lot more money than the finished car will be worth. club lotus have an north ireland section, if you join the club they may be able to help.

[Green Elite]

Thanks guy's.
Yes I do intend doing the work myself as I am an engineer. The fiberglass work I might get a professional to do though as this would not be my strong suit. I have access to a friends 2 post lift and full private workshop (he owns an Éclat with too many upgrades to count !! So he's well able to help out).
As for breaking a rare car to fix another rare car, I have passed up some potential cheap cars as they were too good to break for this project.

PS. As for that popcorn!!
It might well be fossilised by the time I get this lot finished

[richardw]

As I've done a similar thing, I'd be happy to share experiences with you. PM me if you like, and good luck with the project.

To avoid breaking a potentially restorable Excel, see if Lotusbits have a rolling Excel chassis from one they've already broken.

ATB Richard

[Green Elite]

Thanks Richard
I'll try lotusbits and see if they have anything suitable at the right price!!

[El torro]

Co parts have an early narrow body eclat/ excel in there pound,do not know when it will be auctioned of procedure they follow