Gold Elite S1 503
Moderator: Board Moderators
- AndrewWebber
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2021 14:21
- Model: Elite S1 503, Plus 2, Europa '
- Colour: Gold
- Year: 1979
- Location: Kent
Gold Elite S1 503
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.
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- Moderator
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 15:06
- Model: Elite S2.2 Automatic
- Colour: Essex Blue
- Year: 1981
- Location: Worcestershire
Re: Gold Elite S1 503
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
Cheers, Richard
- rbgosling
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1719
- Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 22:55
- Model: Lotus Excel SE
- Colour: Midnight Blue
- Year: 1990
- Location: Rugby
Re: Gold Elite S1 503
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)
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)
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- Senior Poster
- Posts: 3720
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
- Model: Elite
- Colour: Monaco White
- Year: 1974
- Location: Nottingham
Re: Gold Elite S1 503
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
Pete
- Lotus-e-Clan
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 4457
- 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
My envy of Elite owners is ever-present.
Welcome Andrew.
Ex-Elite 501 owner.
Welcome Andrew.
Ex-Elite 501 owner.
Peter K
- AndrewWebber
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 197
- 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
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
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- Regular Poster
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2016 22:21
- Model: Elite Type 75
- Colour: blue
- Location: Buckinghamshire
Re: Gold Elite S1 503
That's a great collection of cars. Elites are very special
- MetBlue
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1421
- 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
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.)
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.
- Alan_M
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1133
- 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
- AndrewWebber
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 197
- 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
The Elite (with stable mates) before leaving home on first 10 day trip
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.
Another overnight stop before a visit to Option 1 to discuss possible repair to front seat leather.
Back down into Warwickshire, overnight before another Speed Championship awards do at Gaydon British Motor Museum
Trophy haul (Elan+2) safety in the Elite, off to Lotus Bits then drive back to Kent.
No problems to report. Taking the 'Europa' to Anglesey Circuit for testing in a week or so.
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.
Another overnight stop before a visit to Option 1 to discuss possible repair to front seat leather.
Back down into Warwickshire, overnight before another Speed Championship awards do at Gaydon British Motor Museum
Trophy haul (Elan+2) safety in the Elite, off to Lotus Bits then drive back to Kent.
No problems to report. Taking the 'Europa' to Anglesey Circuit for testing in a week or so.
- MetBlue
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1421
- 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
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
Careful when you park amongst the leaves. You could soon loose sight of it.
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.
- Lotus-e-Clan
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 4457
- 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
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).
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
- AndrewWebber
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 197
- 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
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.
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.
- AndrewWebber
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 197
- 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
As 'actioned' in last night's 'Zoom' here are some taster photos from the current 'Absolute Lotus' Mag featuring my Elite ...