1966 Lotus Other

Twin Cam

365779

Clear

1966 Lotus Elan S3 Fixed Head Coupe Comprehensive Mechanical Restoration. New Interior and Paint. Ready to Enjoy! ......please be patient while the many photos load..... The Lotus Elan was launched in October 1962 at the British International Motor Show at Earls Court, just as the sixties started swinging. Jaguar had launched the E-Type the previous year, while AC had the Cobra and Ferrari the GTO. These were big, powerful, and expensive machines. The Elan was very different, and typically Lotus - ultra modern, lightweight, nimble and tremendous fun. From arch enthusiast Jay Leno to Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1, the accolades bestowed upon the gritty Elan typically call it "the greatest handling car of all time" or something equally grandiose in nature. We couldn't agree more. In the same year that Lotus revolutionized racing car design with the monocoque 25, they also packed the Elan with technically innovative features like the first backbone tube chassis of any road car as well as a fiberglass body, four-wheel independent suspension, weight of 1500 lbs (670kg) and the new Lotus Twin Cam engine, produced by significantly modifying a Ford 116E block. The new unit yielded over 100 horsepower and provided endless entertainment for the featherweight Elan package. Right away the new Elan proved a welcome replacement to the fragile, expensive-to-build Elite and would go on to be Lotus's biggest commercial success to that point, reviving the company's overstretched finances. Initially a roadster, the Elan was offered with a hardtop in 1963 and a coupe came along in 1965. The Lotus Elan on offer here, chassis 365779, is a Series III Fixed Head Coupe sold new on the 7th June 1966 to Dutchess Auto Company in New York. s/n 365779 was purchased by Sports Car Digest in early 2011 from a reader that initially wanted to sell it through their publication. Needless to say, Sport Car Digest quickly jumped at the opportunity to finally own an Elan, recognizing it as a bucket-list car if there ever was one. The gentleman whom the car was purchased from is a very knowledgeable enthusiast who restores Lotus engines and cars to keep himself busy in retirement, having rebuilt something on the order of 35 engines when they purchased the car from him. He also serves as the "technical advisor" for the Lotus Club of America, meaning he's the guy who has all the answers for any number of Lotus questions. This Elan, s/n 365779, was fortunate enough to be one of his personal projects: a comprehensive restoration that included a mechanical restoration, redone interior and new paint. He restored the car over two years, after buying it out of Virginia where it had reportedly been sitting for 20 years. Built on the desirable replacement Spyder chassis, this 1966 model has a non-original but period correct Lotus Twin Cam engine that obviously runs well given the man who built it. Additionally, the present owners just spent 12 hours of final sorting with Brian MacEachern of MacEachern Motorsports, a well known Lotus specialist in our neck of the woods. Brian is active in the Lotus community and races a fabulous Eleven Le Mans on the vintage racing circuit. At that time, we had Brian perform a leak down test, which came up as 4%, 8%, 6% and 6%, while compression came in at 210 lbs. He also changed the main jets on the Weber 40s. Overall, it runs really well and does everything you'd expect of it. Sports Car Digest's Trevor Ely recently took it on a 5-hour round trip, with no issues. Brian concurred, saying it was a strong example. Painted in Claret Red Metallic prior to 2011, the Lotus looks fine from 10 feet - even 5 feet - but it does have the typical fiberglass crazing and imperfections here and there. The interior is in great shape with no needs. The seats are perfect, the dash is great without any cracks and the carpet is as new. On the electrical front, most everything works. Headlights, turn signals, interior lights and so forth. Even the power windows work, although at a snail's pace. The only thing that doesn't currently function is the fuel gauge. The wheels are attractive Panasports with 165/65 Bridgestone Potenza RE92 tires. Both are in excellent shape. If you've never driven a Lotus Elan, anyone fortunate enough to drive one will likely say you're missing out, as the whole experience is nothing short of sublime. Control weights are just as they should be, while the unassisted steering speaks to you in ways you didn't realize possible. Toss the Elan with vigor into any corner and you'll find seemingly endless amounts of grip, especially once you become comfortable with its supple suspension qualities. The Elan's snouty little exhaust note is impossible not to love, in addition to its razor-sharp throttle response and a gem of a gearbox that gives beautifully positive shifting action through its delicate little lever. Unlike newer cars that use Constant-Velocity axles, the Elans were also originally equipped with doughnut-style units that do require some time to adjust to their habits, but only require a periodic glance to monitor their condition. Classic Lotus ownership does require caution and research. These cars have a reputation for fragility and a neglected or abused car can be a real nightmare, but when carefully maintained and properly sorted, such as this example, they can be fairly easy cars to live with and drive on a regular basis. This particular Elan is the ideal example. It was built and has been maintained by knowledgeable marque specialists, has the solid and desirable Spyder chassis and has had recent service to keep it enjoyable for miles to come. The Elan is one of the most rewarding cars of all time, and the best way to enjoy one is blasting through the back roads and reveling in the sound of the raspy exhaust as well as the seemingly limitless cornering power. This car is ideal for that. View 67 pages of comprehensive documentation here. Asking price listed on our site. This listing will end the moment a reasonable offer is made. Available only at Left Coast Classics! Direct your inquiries to Donn 707-332-8331 .....because life's too short to drive the wrong car.... Click here if you need assistance importing and shipping this car to Netherlands, Germany, France or anywhere in Europe (opens in new window) Thank you for visiting! S/N 365779 We offer classic car financing through Woodside Credit 1966 LOTUS ELAN FEATURED PHOTOS: VIDEO GALLERY See this 1966 Lotus Elan at Left Coast Classics Walk Around Video Test Drive It Watch and Hear it Run SLIDESHOW GALLERY CLICK A PHOTO GALLERY BELOW! 1966 Lotus Elan Close-Up Gallery Conditions & Terms: A bid on this vehicle constitutes a commitment to buy. If you are committed and capable of purchasing this vehicle we welcome your bid! If you have any questions whatsoever please ask them before bidding. We will be pleased to answer your questions. Upon meeting the auction reserve, your bid will be considered a lawfully binding contract. By bidding on this vehicle you are agreeing to these terms and conditions. We make every reasonable effort to describe this vehicle and use many photographs to help in this description. Please remember that this is a used vehicle. It is not new. The mileage on this vehicle has been recorded at the time of listing and is subject to change. Regardless of our commitment to describe vehicles in as much detail as possible there will be imperfections. Us failing to mention for example an item such as a paint imperfection, an inoperable switch etc, does not constitute refusal of a car by the buyer. Vehicles are complex machines with thousands of parts. Classic & special interest vehicles are broad in their differences and uniqueness. Even though we attempt to be as clear and concise in our descriptions as possible, some of these are cars that we buy and consign. They are not our own personal cars and we do not always know what to specifically look for. It may have issues that are inherent to a vehicle of its type and/or age. In short, we encourage you to ask questions. We also encourage inspections to avoid any misunderstandings. This vehicle is being sold "as-is", with no warranty, expressed or implied. Vehicle is available for an inspection prior to purchase and we will be happy to arrange one at the expense of the interested buyer. Again, the winning bidder is committed to following through on the transaction. First Time Classic Car Buyers, Welcome to the classic car hobby! But please consider that these old cars, even when in great operational order are nothing like your modern car! Please do not expect even a restored several decades old car to perform with the same preciseness or reliability as a late model car. If you're new to the hobby please feel free to contact me. I have driven classic cars continuously for over 30 years and am happy to share the joys as well as the realities involved in owning these special old cars. Taxes and Licensing: California buyers will be charged sales tax and licensing and processed on your behalf. Out of state buyers (including other countries), we will send title and you will be responsible for registration and taxes in your own state or providence. All transactions will be charged a $55 documentation fee in addition to the sales price. If leaving the state or country, the car must be picked up by a transportation company that can provide a bill of lading, otherwise California sales tax will be charged. (All licensed transport companies provide these). Personalized plates on vehicles (if any) belong to the owner of record and cannot be included with the vehicle. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due within 48 hours of the auction close. The remaining balance is due within 72 hours of the close of auction, unless other arrangements were made. Accepted payment methods are bank wire transfers, cashier's checks and money orders. If you wish to obtain financing, please do so ahead of time. We reserve the right to end the auction early. We also reserve the right to verify any or all bids to ensure exceptional auction integrity. Please do not ask the reserve amount, as we will not disclose this information. Transportation expenses are the sole responsibility of the buyer. We cannot be held liable for any problems or damages arising from or due to transportation handling. The buyer is responsible for all shipping charges and fees from point of sale to the final destination. In addition, it is the buyers responsibility to arrange & coordinate shipping. We are happy to provide a list of transporters but by providing this information we are not able to guarantee your satisfaction with the services you are provided. Please specifically ask the shipper/broker if they have experience shipping they type of vehicle you are buying! Mechanical damage can occur to classic vehicles when transported improperly, not tied down correctly, driven up and down steep ramps repetitively to load and unload other vehicles, etc. This can cause loss of fluids, clutch or suspension damage, etc. We strongly encourage using classic car specialists and enclosed transportation for these rare, old cars! Retractions: We will not accept bid retractions. If you bid and retract you will be added to our blocked bidder list and future bids will not be accepted. If you do not follow up on your purchase you will be reported to ebay's safe harbor and we will submit your username to ebay's non-paying bidder program. Ebay allows for you to triple check your bid before finally entering the bid. To bid, you must be 18 years of age or older. If you are a bidder with only negative feedback, please contact us prior to bidding. Feedback: We encourage you to read our feedback. We are proud of our track record and hope that it will instill the confidence needed to help you make a decision to purchase. Upon receipt of of positive feedback, we will post same. This vehicle is being sold by Left Coast Classics, LLC a licensed vehicle dealer in the state of California. On Jan-18-16 at 11:46:59 PST, seller added the following information: UPDATE 1/18/16: When the car came into my inventory I relied on the description provided by the previous dealer representing the car. Today I spent more time with the car and we have noticed that it is smoking. While it seems to start; run and drive well it is in fact smoking. I do not know why. I am in the process of trying to contact Brian MacEachern of MacEachern Motorsports to better understand the situation. We do not have repair orders indicating what Brian did to the car other than what was provided in the description with regards to a leak-down test, compression test and changed jets. Given the documentation it appears that the car was rebuilt less than 2k miles ago. Please be aware of this in your bidding process and as more information emerges I will update accordingly. Thanks, Donn Dabney On Jan-20-16 at 10:58:22 PST, seller added the following information: RESPONSE FROM GENTLEMAN WHO REBUILT ENGINE on 1/19/16: It had a new frame when I got it. I rebuilt the engine and interior and fixed other things. The new pistons in the engine are new highperfomence with very thin rings. That may have been a mistake because the engine started burning oil soon after I sold the car. Stock pistons were not available at the time. If you have the pistons replaced it should be OK. I do not work on cars any more, now am 81 years old but play golf most days. Good luck, Lloyd