1962 Lotus Elite for sale $45,000
| 1962 Lotus Elite $45,000 | |
| Car Ad from: Hemmings View Original Ad | |
| Price: | $45,000 |
| Contact: | View Original Ad from Hemmings |
| Location: | San Rafael, CA |
| Details: |
The Lotus Elite Registry shows this car as having been a period race car in the early 1960andrsquo;s. The records show it was raced in the U.S. Southeast by James Pyle. In 1965Pyle sold the car to a Californian who brought the car to California and turned it into a street Elite. At the time there was no chassis tag on the car, so the California Dept. of Motor Vehicles issued its own ID number and tags. One was riveted in the location of the original chassis plate, and the other in the driverandrsquo;s side door frame. Both are still on the car. The Lotus remained in California into the late 1970andrsquo;s. Then it was sold and completely disassembled for restoration. The project got no further and it was put into dry storage. It has been in storage since 1980. Now it is for sale. Below are some of the racing modifications discovered on the car: Oil cooler cutout in front lower body NACA ducts in rear rocker panels to funnel cold air to rear brake Alloy rear brake calipers Stage III Climax engine. Five bearing, high lift cam. Steel timing gear. Dual Weber carburetors.Derrington intake manifolds. Tubular four branch exhaust header. The engine also has unique aluminum breathers of differing heights specially made to fit under the bonnet. It also has a braided external oil line. Close ratio competition MG gearbox All aluminum differential Plexiglass rear window Old, period, competition seat belts and mounting brackets Special wide access hole cut into fiberglass above differential forquick changes Old safety wired nuts and bolts throughout Koni shocks all the way around Diaphragm clutch NACA duct in hood Fiberglass removed from behind radiator to increase air flow Ride height adjusters on front shocks and rear shock towers to lower the ride height Trunk-mounted Electric fuel pump Gusseted front suspension A-arms Higher number of spokes/stiffer wire wheels than standard Set of alloy Borrani racing wheels with three bladed knockoff spinners There may be more modifications under closer inspection Other interesting notes: The car has the double dimples in the body, apparently designating this as a Series 2 car. This car has a tunnel mounted handbrake assembly found on the Series 1 cars, not the umbrella handbrake normally found on the Series 2. This Elite has the early 16 inch steering wheel of the Series 1 cars, not the 15 inch, thicker, Series 2 steering wheel. Based upon the known ownership history by members of the Lotus Elite Registry, the Registry has determined this car is chassis number 1797. The Registry has offered to issue a chassis plate in this number to the owner of the car. The odometer shows 40,882 miles, which is also believed to be correct original miles. The Stage 3 Climax engine, FWE 400andndash;15, is stamped with the number 7655. This 7655 number is far earlier than the chassis number the Registry is assigning to the car. How this engine came to be in this car is unknown, except that it likely happened pre-1965 when the car was racing. The known downsides of the car are the following: Missing rear bumper, windshield, side windows, sway bar, one of two steering column brackets, and gas pedal.Other thing may be missing, but I think these are the major ones. The #2 rod bearing appears to have started to starve for oil, leaving bearing residue on the crankshaft and ruining the bearing. Maybe the crank can be polished, or it may have to be turned. I am not an engine guy so I do not know. The engine does turn over by hand and has substantial compression. Of course the carburetors should be rebuilt just from sitting since the 1980andrsquo;s. The car appears to have sustained right front fender damage at some point, and was repaired. The suspension bolted right in with new bushings and bearings when the car was assembled to |