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Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 14:33
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.

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 16:13
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

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 16:57
by rbgosling
Welcome Andrew, good to see an NEC meeting translate into a new member here!

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 17:39
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

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 19:25
by Lotus-e-Clan
My envy of Elite owners is ever-present. :mrgreen:

Welcome Andrew.

Ex-Elite 501 owner. :(

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 21:03
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

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 21:05
by TAR
That's a great collection of cars. Elites are very special :)

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2021 22:05
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.)

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2021 12:45
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.

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 20:07
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.

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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.

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

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 22:25
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

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 23:29
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).

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2021 08:54
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.

Re: Gold Elite S1 503

Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 19:43
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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