Lotus Ellipse

[Elite]

Ok no turning back... this is going the lightest Elite ever made. I have been thinking about this since I have got the car in May 2013. I will try to document the build as much as I can, but I work alone and it's not always easy to take pict while working.
So as you may have guessed, it's going to be a spyder with most of the weight contained between the axles. The fuel tank is moved where the rear seats were. The motor/gear box is out on those pict and the car is still on the Elite chassis. I still have the heater/air con to remove so it will sit even higher once they will be in the bin!
I have a very clean Excel chassis for swapping as the rear of the Elite one has been damaged. And a good 2.2HC to power that thang’.
I hope to have the body done by late spring.




Should end up likewise The Lotus Ellipse (thats Ellipsis for you)

[mkelite]

[Elite]

[igg-hiss]

Well it will certainly draw in crowds, and some of that crowd will love the Ellipse and some will not love it. But the only thing that matters at all is that the owner loves it.

Some people will say it,s another Elite lost, however a friend of mine owns a DMC and it seems that the least ardent modifier turns ever larger numbers of this low volume car into a Back to the Future Replica (I know, I know there are more DMCs than Elites and Eclats) but some people turn DMCs into limos and high rise 4x4s. The Ellipse is tame compared to them and I think its quirky and fun.

There must be more bodies out there than not rotten chassis', so a return to original could be possible in the future, the same cannot be said for 3 DMCs chopped up to make one Limo.

I hope you have loads of fun with the car.

[Pjr]

I must say I've never seen anything like that before and I find it quite a captivating shape. Generally, I'm with those who regret another whole car being lost, but at the same time many great marques have started with designers and engineers who built specials on the underpinnings of others and it will bring attention to these lotus models that are under-appreciated. As noted above, shells probably out survive everything else, so it is the most replaceable (without chopping up another car) if it is ever thought best to restore the car back to original.

Are there any more photos of the car on the low-loader. I'd really like to see how the rear aspect works. I'd also like to hear more about the performance benefits of this radical weight reduction...

I'm sure you will not need to trouble your bin with the parts you are striping out - it seems that the parts you refer to will be easily rehoused by those here!

Best of luck and keep posting!

[Elite]

I have started with a 365£ car
Every single nut or bolt I had to deal with to go this far had to be destroyed if it had not dissolve itself over time. The windshield was delaminated (watch for this at is might get very dangerous in case of a crash). The interior had suffered from damp. The door where a joke, sized of course but the window frame was bonded by rust to the crash bar.

This car was beyond sensible restoration. I hope to finish it to a safe well-made track day car and it will still be a long journey. I run with the guys in SCCT (http://blog.scct.fr/) and we go places like Dijon, Spa, Montlhéry where we mix with other classic cars event. I hope to raise a few eyebrows and get attention to those nice saloons.

[Elite]

I have limited space on my garage so I must deal with rubbish fast. I didn’t have time to weight everything but I was amazed by the weight of:
Rear glass (a ton)
The insulation (for what it does and the surface it covers)
The doors (but card's doors are feather light)
The dash board is about the same weight as the glove box door!
I used a Dremel with a tiny 38mm blade to cut through the body; with a vacuum cleaner close to the blade I had no trouble. The gel coat is still well bonded to the fiber and of very good craftsmanship compared to FRP boats from the same era!
I think once done the shell should still keep all it integrity and might be even stronger in torsional rigidity.

[Simpatico]

I normally weep at modifying classics but there are so many rubbish Lotus Elites out there beyond viable restoration, just go for it

Just wondering, would the portion behind the rear wheels benefit from shortening both aesthetically and practically, as it's not really doing anything?

[Elite]

would the portion behind the rear wheels benefit from shortening both aesthetically and practically, as it's not really doing anything?

As usual it is different "in the flesh" and I will try to work with it. See it as a Le Mans version . Once cut it would be a pain to redo. Beside it has to cover for the rear exhaust (I do not plan to use the twin silencers as they are) and a frame for the rear bumper/light/plate.

I will see as I go.

[KevW]

That seems like a inventive use for an otherwise scrap car.

When I first saw your photoshop image in the Essex colours the cut away rear end reminded me of a Porsche 917 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2006F ... 7KGulf.jpg I think your design has a very Can-Am look to it. What about some sort of boxy, wedged shaped diffuser to fill in the rear end? Painted black with some circular tail lamps it might look good. You've got to retain the retracting light pods though!

Good luck with the build

[Elite]

That seems like a inventive use for an otherwise scrap car.

When I first saw your photoshop image in the Essex colours the cut away rear end reminded me of a Porsche 917 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2006F ... 7KGulf.jpg I think your design has a very Can-Am look to it. What about some sort of boxy, wedged shaped diffuser to fill in the rear end? Painted black with some circular tail lamps it might look good. You've got to retain the retracting light pods though!

Good luck with the build

Yes you've got it right I am after a Sport Prototype Crossover . I plan on using a second bonnet for the rear trunk and elongating the panel "A la" Ferrari 512M. It should still keep all the Winterbottom design clues. I tried a short base version but it look like a Chaparral 2J this car is really wide… almost as wide as a Rolls, so it get squarish when shortened

[Elite]

The shorty...

[MrCoolA]

Go for it, I am in simpatico's stable here, an otherwise shagged out car will be out there passing on the word Excel to future generations.
Personally I'd rather see what u are doing than the people who rip the soul out of the Excel by removing/changing the engine for some other manufacturer ( not a dig at you Kieran, you have well proved your support to the excel)

Look forward to seeing the final result.

[amarshall]

[MrCoolA]

The difference being the TVR doesn't have the Lotus reliability.