Owner: Johan Nel
Car: 1967 Lotus Elan F3 SHC
Bought in: 2021
Mileage when purchased/now: unknown
Current value: R450 000
Why I bought this car: I’ve been a member of the Lotus register for many years. The Elan has always been my favourite of the Lotus cars. It’s a timeless shape and embodies the Chapman philosophy of adding lightness. They don’t come up for sale often and when this one did, I jumped at the opportunity.
Common issues with this model: They don’t have any specific issues. With the body being fibre glass they are prone to cracking, but that is pretty much it.
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Major repairs I’ve conducted: I bought the car halfway through a restoration which we’ve completed. It was a ground up restoration. The chassis and body as well as the engine and gearbox were already restored when I bought the car. We finished the wiring with a loom from the UK, interior panels and a few small items to get it running. I’ve replaced the donuts with CV joints, changed to electronic ignition, alternator and electronic fuel pump.
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The best thing about my car: It’s as raw a driving experience as you will ever get. The car is famous for its handling and steering. Very low unsprung mass and low overall weight defines the cars handling.
The worst thing about my car: It is still a 60 year old car. It doesn’t like sitting in traffic and the carbs can be a bit finicky when the car runs hot in stop start traffic.
Tech spec below the gallery…
1967 Lotus Elan Tech Spec
Engine: 1 600 cm³ Lotus twin-cam with twin carbs
Transmission: four-speed manual
Power: 86 kW
Torque: 150 N.m
Top speed: 193 km/h
0-100 km/h: 7,9 seconds
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