1977 Lotus Elite – Project Profile

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Chris Pollitt

Lots of trouble, usually serious. This is what happens when people with no imagination use Lotus as an anagram. As well as no imagination, do you know what else they don’t have? A chuffin’ Lotus, that’s what. We’re not naïve, mind. A Lotus is going to keep you on your mechanical toes, but that could be said of any classic car. So don’t listen to the misers saying this lovely 1977 Lotus Elite will be a headache. They’re wrong. Plus, there are headaches, then there are headaches with a Lotus badge. Whether it works or not, you’ll still own a classic Lotus. Furthermore, this one is only £2,475. Okay, so some assembly is required, but that’s still a bargain. Plus, this is Project Profile. Some assembly is always required.

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What is it? 

Here we have a 1977 Lotus Elite. That makes it a first-generation Type 75 version with the 2.0 Lotus 907 slant-four engine, a five-speed BMC transmission and – gulp – a NON galvanised chassis. but we’ll cover the latter point in a bit. Before that, let’s get excited about it. It’s cheap at £2,475, it’s a rare colour, as you seldom see them in blue, it’s been dry-stored and it’s only covered 61k. It’s been off the road for at least eight years, and has been partially stripped. The body looks free from any major damage (though it’s not lacking in patina) and the interior looks pretty good, too.

The Lotus Elite was an important car for the company. It wanted to move away from the ‘kit car’ image it had built up prior, by offering a turn-key option. The Elite was it. A four-seater (bolt, as the rear seat passengers really need to have detachable legs), it was a big car compared to previous offerings. However, it was still light at just over a tonne. Agile, with a charming, soulful engine on a pair of twin carbs, the Elite not only laid the groundwork for the later Eclat and Excel, but also the Esprit. It is, make no mistake, a big deal in terms of Lotus history.

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Why is it a project? 

As we touched on above, this 1977 Lotus Elite has been off the road for eight years at least. The current owner is selling after coming to the realisation that he won’t get chance to sort all his cars, so this one is now available. But that’s a good thing, because it’s not being sold due to being terminal. It just needs someone who can give it the love it needs. The Elite is partially stripped, but is a roller. The seller states that the person he bought it off says it ran, but he himself has never tried. Though the engine does turn, so that’s good. The seller also believes most if not all of the parts are there, ready for restoration. It certainly, on the face of it, looks very doable. Though there are things you need check thoroughly, like…

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Five things to look for:

1) Chassis

The chassis is everything on a Lotus, so you need to check it. Not glance, not quickly look over, you need to check it properly. These Type 75s weren’t galvanised, so rust can be a real killer. Take a trolley jack with you – worth it – and get right under there, have a prod about, get your torch out and inspect it properly. The chassis condition is a potential deal-breaker.

2) Parts

This Lotus Elite is in bits, but it also seems to come with a lot of bits. As with any project car, have a look through what’s there, make sure you have all the key stuff and make sure it’s all usable. That said, if anything is missing or broken, the club and enthusiast scene is full of helpful folk. It’s just going to take a bit more effort to find parts for this, that’s all.

3) Engine

The engine turns, so we’re told. But how does the rest look? How’s the oil, are the any obvious leaks, do the carbs look like they can be rebuilt, is everything that should be there, there? Engine parts can be hard to find, as the engine was a popular choice for people building customs, restoring other Lotus models and even Jensen owners, as they used it in the Healey.

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4) Body 

It would be easy to look at a fibre-glass car and think ‘great, no rust’. That is indeed true, but fibre-glass is not some magical beast. It can weaken, it can fail and it can degrade over years. You need to look for cracking, for any accident damage and for any weakness around joints, hinges and windows etc. It’s simple enough to repair, but it’s a messy affair if you plan on doing it at home. And remember, painting it will need a specialist, not just any old body shop.

5) Suspension

A Lotus is all about the handling. The reality is you’re going to need to rebuild or completely replace all the suspension on this car, and that’s fine, as parts are available. But even so, have a check what’s there, look for any damage, check the mountings while you’re under it looking at the chassis. Look for any leaking shocks, broken springs and so on. Not deal-breaking stuff, but good to know sooner rather than later.

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What should you do with it? 

Restore it. The Lotus Elite was snubbed for years, and that’s criminal if you ask us. Okay, so it wasn’t the fire-breathing sports car we perhaps hoped it would be, but it was still a great looking, brilliant to drive shooting brake. It’s an unusual shape to see today, it’s captivating and exciting. This one looks like it has good bones, and as such, is well worth saving. It’s been waiting patiently for years, so step in and give it a chance. This is the sort of thing you could tinker on at home with ease. You could, dare we say it, even look at an EV conversion – that would turn some heads.

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