WHAT TO LOOK FOR
HOW’S THE GEARBOX?
The Elan’s four-speed ‘box is tough and doesn’t give many problems. The internals of the five-speed unit fitted some Plus 2s are from the Maxi and it’s a model of imprecision even when in perfect condition, but prepare for the worst if it’s noisy or gear selection is difficult. Differential internals are from the Ford Cortina. They’re durable enough, but listen out for whining. Check Rotoflex suspension couplings for wear – conversions to non-rubber couplings are increasingly common.
ASSESS ANY RESTO WORK
If the car has been restored in the past, it’s important to pinpoint who did what work. Establish whether just a re-spray was carried out or if the glassfibre was restored at the same time. Fresh paint over old guarantees problems later — all the old paint has to be stripped (which could take at least 80 hours), the glassfibre revived and then fresh paint applied. Ask for photographic evidence of this having been done. If none are available, look for signs of overspray around the door handles and on the rubber seals. The engine bay should be black — see if there’s body-colour paint around its top edges.
DOES IT KEEP ITS COOL?
The twin-cam’s coolant needs to retain a decent concentration of anti-freeze (at least 25 per cent) so the alloy cylinder head doesn’t corrode. This will lead to the radiator getting clogged up, which in turn leads to the engine overheating — expect to see 90-95 degrees on on a run. The cooling systems from the S3 onwards weren’t great and will be even less efficient after 40 years’ use. Overheating problems are exacerbated by a worn water pump so feel for play in it and look for water leaks. If a pump needs replacing it means removing the cylinder head, a job that takes ten hours.
LOOK FOR STRUCTURAL WOES
Any Elan chassis produced after 1980 is galvanised, so if there’s zinc-plating on the one that you’re looking at then it’s not original. If the car is still on its original chassis, it will need to be replaced at some stage because rust inevitably takes hold; rotting from the inside out claims most Elan chassis. Key areas to check are the front suspension pick-up points where the drain holes get blocked. Even if the chassis isn’t rusty, stress cracks and fractures are inevitable on a car that’s done 70,000 miles or more. The area around the engine mountings is usually the first to go, and once cracks appear, it’s time for a replacement. Welding is not recommended.
BEWARE OF BODGES
You need to check that each electrical item is working properly because there’s no shortage of wiring in an Elan. That’s because the glassfibre bodyshell means that each item has to have two wires going to it — a live and an earth. Although the system is usually reliable, there’s plenty of scope for loose or broken connections. Infrequently-used cars also regularly suffer from duff relays – they’re Lucas 6R units that can bought easily. The +2 is a higherspec car with more equipment, including sturdier instrumentation. Again you need to check that it’s all working, just like the electric windows that were fitted to all Elans from the S3 (1965) onwards.
CHECK THE SHELL CAREFULLY
The Elan’s glassfibre bodyshell doesn’t rust but requires careful inspection – especially for accident damage, not least because proper repairs can only be carried out by an expert. Even if the car has never been shunted it’s likely that its glassfibre will be looking the worse for wear. That’s because the Elan’s body flexes, leading to star cracks in the panels that are time-consuming to put right. They can appear anywhere but the most likely locations are around the door handles, boot hinges and badge mountings. Panel edges can also succumb. Make sure that the headlamp pods are okay; these can be pitted with stone chips, much like the rest of the nose.