19

Undo the cross member that brace the chassis just behind the front suspension mounting points and lower engine and 'box in. Keep them low, pulling propshaft onto the gearbox flange.

 20

Do up the engine and gearbox mounts, and the propshaft. Fit the starter motor and the alternator. Leave the alternator tight up to the engine to clear the body when it goes onto the chassis.

 21

The front anti-roll bar is attached with threaded roller bearings so it can be adjusted to clear the exhaust. If the joints come to the end of their adjustment, shave 2-3 threads off their ends to get the bar higher.

22

To fit the exhaust manifold, the car needs to be jacked up by 8 ins. There's a hole in the Spyder manifold for a Lambda sensor. You won't need that but it's useful for rolling road set-ups.

 23

Fuel feed goes from nearside fuel pipe, via throttle bodies, to fuel regulator; return hose goes from the regulator to offside fuel pipe. Clip the return pipe to the rear of cylinder head.

 24

Build up the throttle bodies onto the inlet manifold with the linkages etc. When the body's going on, undo the bodies from the manifold and place on top of the cylinder head.

PRACTICAL CLASSICS MAY 2003

PROJECT PROFILE

THE PLUS 2 was the Lotus company's attempt to build on the success of the two-seater Elan, by adding rear seats and a few luxurious touches. The backbone chassis of the Elan was lengthened and the glassfibre body was all-new.

The new model emerged in 1967 and sold well. However, it's never been as popular as the two-seater Elan and many have been abandoned as beyond economic repair, even though the bodies are usually still good.  Spyder's Zetec conversion addresses this, being cheaper than a restoration to original specifications.  The resulting car is also significantly faster, more reliable and better to drive.

Our car had been laid up for years, with a rotten chassis and worn mechanicals. 

COSTS SO FAR

Car: £1000 (£1600 purchase, minus £600 for parts sold) 
Spaceframe chassis: £1875
Rear disc conversion: £1081
Front disc/ball-joint conversion £1110
Steering rack conversion: £276
Differential mounting brackets: £112
Differential isolators: £94
Handbrake lever & cables: £135
Brake hose kit: £47
Differential & CV joints (used) £150
Driveshafts (pair): £223
Anti-roll bar kit: £223
Propshaft: £164.50
Zetec mounting brackets £112
Gearlever kit: £229
Engine/gearbox isolators: £41
Gearbox output flange & bolts: £66
Throttle bodies & ECU £1400
Inlet £112
Water rail & thermostat £200
Engine £1400 (new) £450 (used)
Gearbox £100 (used) plus £250-300 recon
Exhaust manifold £428
Starter motor £88 (new) £15-20 (used)
Alternator £88 (new) £15-20 (used)
Alternator mounts £81
Sump/oil pick-up £105 (new) £25 (used)
Release bearing £53
Clutch £87
Flywheel/ring gear £62
Water pump £45
Differential & inner CVs (used) £150
OUR TOTAL COSTS SO FAR £11,246.50
JOIN THE CLUB: Club Lotus, Lotus Drivers Club (see Club Guide, page 174)
READ THE BOOK: Lotus Elan, the Complete Story, by Mike Taylor.  Crowood. ISBN 1 86126 011 3.
WHO'S INVOLVED: Spyder Engineering is a fabrication company, specialising in automotive work.  The Lotus connection came about in the mid-Seventies, when the demand for replacement Elan chassis outstripped the Lotus factory's supply.  Spyder improved upon the design, with a spaceframe-type design and the option of an upper rear wishbone to improve strut location.

The company later developed chassis for other Lotus models.  The Spyder chassis (for Elan and Plus 2) will now accommodate the original Twin-Cam or the Zetec, and the original four- or five-speed gearboxes, or a modern Ford five-speeder.

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