CHASSIS SHIPPING Lotus Elan Plus 2

[TomMull]

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Yup. Take no chances. The body is attached by 16 or 18 fasteners, four fit folks can lift an Elan shell off the frame, BTDT. The +2 weighs a bit more, but with some Yankee ingenuity, planning and good tackle it should be do-able.

Google would indicate the body can be be removed in about 8 hours. https://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-chassis-f36/hours-remove-body-from-chassis-t30588.html That assumes a lift which I don't have so probably double that for jacking and un-jacking a dozen times for me without a lift. I'll figure about a week.
Also note that Paul Matty has a chassis kit, original style chassis, that includes complete suspension and sundries at about twice the cost of the bare frame. https://paulmattysportscars.co.uk/product/elan-2-chassis-kit/ I should be getting shipping info soon. As you can tell, I still find the new unit attractive.
Tom

 

[DrEntropy]

As you can tell, I still find the new unit attractive.

Understandable! The front uprights on these chassis are open box sections, near vertical. The drain holes are invariably plugged and rust becomes an issue. In the northeast, where salt is used to clear roads, it really makes things dicey where it comes to just patching the frame.

 

[TomMull]

Mine's a California car, no chassis rust apparent although no access to inside of the box sections or the vacuum tank but one side has gussets welded over the original welds at the bottom of the uprights, the other has fairly wide cracks in the same place but no gussets. Perhaps were not cracked when the other side was done. Further, both sides have considerable negative camber caused by movement in the uprights.
With the body off, who knows what other frame issues will arise.
Thanks for following my journey.
Tom