Lotus Elan (1965)
Sale price: US $8,000.00 Make an Offer
| Used |
| “No roof. I would not fit in it with a roof installed so I never bothered. Also, the roof assembly is stupidly complex so by the time you have assembled it you are already wet and the rain will have likely stopped by that time anyway. I just don't drive it in the rain.” |
| Year: | 1965 | VIN : | 00000000000000000 |
| Mileage: | 58200 | Number of Cylinders: | 4 |
| Engine: | 1600, 105 HP | Model: | Elan |
| Transmission: | Manual | Drive Type: | RWD |
| For Sale By: | Private Seller | Vehicle Title: | Clean |
| Fuel Type: | Gasoline | Body Type: | Sports car |
| Exterior Color: | Yellow | Make: | Lotus |
Los Angeles, California, United States
Vehicle description
About this vehicle This 1965 Lotus Elan is a restored vehicle. The owner has had it for 5+ years. The vehicle runs great and is mainly used for weekend drives. Seller"s Notes No roof. I would not fit in it with a roof installed so I never bothered. Also, the roof assembly is stupidly complex so by the time you have assembled it you are already wet and the rain will have likely stopped by that time anyway. I just don't drive it in the rain. Vehicle Details 1965 is definitely the best year for the Elan. It has the Weber carbs not the Stromberg ones (hence no ugly hump in the bonnet) and has no frames on the windows (which go up and down with the scissor mechanism as they should). This car was substantially restored 10 years ago. The frame and entire suspension was done 10 years ago. It has the close ratio gear box. All new bushings and all the control arms, etc. were replaced with new ones. It is all still fresh because the car gets limited use. This car drives really, really well. If an Elan is what you want, and you want to actually drive it. This is the car for you. Actual VIN No. is US65CHN264210. Exterior Extremely presentable but not perfect exterior. Paint is 10 years old and has a few scuffs but nothing you'd see from 10 feet. The only exception to this is that when I had the car{the inside of the headlight bucket so when you raise the lights - which work fine BTW - the previously invisible portion was not painted. And when the guy repainted it, the color was not quite right. It is close, but the underside part is not perfect. At night nobody would notice. But if you raise the headlights during the day, you can see that it is two slightly different shades of yellow. The biggest issue with the car, however, which runs flawlessly and has very good power, is the fitment of the doors which both work, but neither fits perfectly. They both stick a bit and protrude a bit in places from the body. I could never get them to fit quite right. In all other respects the car is great. It is super dependable, which for a Lotus is unreal, and gets smiles wherever you go. Overall I would rate the car a very solid 7-8 on a 10 scale. Interior Interior is in very nice condition. It has a newish dash pad and new door cards. The carpet is in nice shape too. The Nardi steering wheel is in beautiful shape and the burl maple dash is in perfect shape too. Heat does not work and emergency brake also needs to be adjusted. The linkage is all there under the steering wheel, but the cable is loose or the pads are done. I'm not sure which. The roll bar I installed 10 years ago and it gives at least the illusion of safety. Engine Engine is simply terrific. It is the heart and sole of this car. I just had the carbs rebuilt too. Starts right up and goes easily. I drive on LA freeways regularly with no issues other than the odd SUV that merges right with no signal. Like all British cars of this vintage, it leaks a bit if oil. Not a lot, but you need to put a mat down underneath. I also changed it over to positive ground and installed electronic ignition along with an electronic fan to cope with the heat in LA. The four blade stock fan just was not up to the task during a hot rush hour drive on the 5 freeway. Another major plus is that I got rid of the rear rotoflex doughnuts in favor of a period correct u-joint set up. The frame was also replaced with a brand new one 10 years ago. Download the Motors app