Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Newnan, Ga
    Posts
    1,190

    My (uncle's) Lotus Elan Restoration

    So a couple of months ago my uncle informed me that I get his Lotus Elan in his will as well as all of his tools and tool boxes. He has had this car for many many years, and hasn't done much too it luckily that has all started to change!

    Now all of these updates as of right now will be from the updates he has made from his facebook page, and I actually don't know too much about that car as of right now but that will change!

    24 years ago it arrived at the house in the middle of winter the same way. 13 years ago, during a Christmas party, the brothers helped place the body on the cart you see here. Slowly, as time and laziness permitted, the engine, transmission, differential and brakes were rebuilt, and placed on a new, powder-coated Lotus replacement chassis. On August 29 the was placed on a tow truck and taken to 8 Mile Collision and Fiberglass to have some issues repaired, a high-build surfacer added, lots of blocking and sanding done, and a new topcoat sprayed on. And it won't be the current Porsche Guards Red!






    Right now the color coats are being applied to the Elan at 8 Mile Collision & 8 Mile Collision and Fiberglass by the incomparable Tony Nerone.

    Still at the body shop as the nose won't line up and drop into place, A bit of ill-advised gentle persuasion cracked the left-hand inner wheelwell, which may need to be cut out and modified if things don't improve. But it would allow replacing the hideous, large bobbins used to attach body to car with flush tapped steel plates...

    And next, the body (which is fully painted, clear coated, and has sparkly silver bumpers) fits on top

    First the chassis with the next project (!) in the background.

    Second, the rear suspension, aluminum differential housing (painted, of course) and brakes.

    Third, the Lotus Twin Cam shorn of ancillaries that will get in the way when dropping the body in place.









    Look who came home yesterday... My hat is off to the incomparable Tony Nerone and the folks at 8 Mile Collision and Fiberglass. I knew it would be beautiful, but the final result is beyond my most fevered imagination. I wish the photos were better, but it's a bit tough to move when there's no steering wheel attached!
    Untitled by theotherSawyer, on Flickr

    Untitled by theotherSawyer, on Flickr

    Untitled by theotherSawyer, on Flickr
    He runs a car blog online and wrote a little article about the project: http://www.thevirtualdriver.com/driv...ting-over.html

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    32.8 N, 117.3 W
    Posts
    7,640
    Pretty

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Oh my

    "No flamesuit required"
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  4. #4
    Very cool car and uncle.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Central Florida
    Posts
    851
    That is awesome
    --Bryant



    2004 330i ZHP Imola | 6MT | /// Coby Tri-Stitch Wheel | Khoalty Angel Eyes | eBay Headers | Euro RCR Light Package | Vibrant Performance Custom Exhaust

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Newnan, Ga
    Posts
    1,190
    Thanks guys! The color and body work is insane! The color is off of an F-150 and the metallic in it is amazing!


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    6,847
    I love stripe down to metal restorations. Can't wait to see what else is in store!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Newnan, Ga
    Posts
    1,190
    The body guy absolutely fell in love with this car, so my uncle would go to check on the car and the body guy would tell him all of the little details he had done to the car for free! He also told my uncle that once the car is done, to bring the car back to get all the little scratches and chips fixed (from the occasional dropped wrench/screw that happens with building a car) oh yeah and that'll be free of charge too!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Newnan, Ga
    Posts
    1,190
    Update!
    Got a few things done on the car this week. I put in the vacuum pods for the headlights:


    And I put in the main pulley bolt that I was missing...


    And then there are the turn signals and running lights...


    And the heater was fully buttoned up...


    Of course, the fuel tank went in earlier, as you can see by the dust build up that comes with living on a dirt road:


    And the "U" and "O" are secured, but the "T" in the middle and the "L" and "S" can't be reached easily from below, so I will have to figured out how to tie them down without gluing...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    406
    absolutely amazing. would love to see this in person.

    2004 ZHP Sedan | Jet Black : Natural Brown : 6MT : OEM Navi : TRS Xenon retrofit : Khoalty Angel Eyes : Homelink retrofit : BMW Performance Intake|SSK : BC Coilovers : Z4M FCABs and RTABs : StopTech Cross-Drilled Rotors : Motorsport Hardware Stud Kit and 12mm Spacers : Kinesis K28

    2004 B6 A4 Ultrasport Arctic White : Black : 1.8T : Quattro : 6MT

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