Tim Suddard's 1964 Lotus Elan "Restoration Impossible" Rebuild
Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car seriesProject car update series, 2021-2024
Read the full write-up at Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car series ↗
Photo: Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car seriesTim Suddard's barn-find 1964 Lotus Elan, rebuilt for the Amelia Island Concours
Tim Suddard and the Classic Motorsports crew pulled a rodent-damaged, 40-years-neglected 1964 Lotus Elan out of a Michigan field in 2015 and rebuilt it around its original numbers-matching Twin Cam engine, aiming it at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. The write-up covers the restoration push, the show debut, a later gearbox and engine sorting session with dyno tuning, and a small fiberglass repair, making it a multi-year, still-ongoing project log rather than a single finished story.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Engine
- Numbers-matching Lotus-Ford Twin Cam 1600, rebuilt with SE cams, slightly raised compression and reworked head; later dyno tuned to 131.7 hp at 6600 rpm
- Carburetion
- Twin Weber side-draft carburetors, running 170 air correction jets after tuning
- Ignition
- MSD 6AL ignition box with MSD 8202 non-resistor coil, timing set to 38 degrees
- Gearbox
- Close-ratio manual gearbox; as of 2024 being rebuilt again after a used replacement transmission was sourced to fix a persistent second-gear synchro fault
- Rear axle
- 3.70:1 final drive, substituted for the stock 3.90:1 unit
- Suspension
- Stock Elan suspension design fitted with Koni dampers
- Brakes
- Four-wheel disc brakes
- Weight
- Under 1500 pounds
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 1
- Lotus-Ford Twin Cam 1600 engineTwin Cam Sportscars
Original numbers-matching engine, rebuilt with SE cams, slightly raised compression and careful head work; later dyno tuned
In the shops
Heater Water Valve - Lotus Europa S2/Twin Cam/Elan 2+2 ↗
Sports & Classics· $39.95 USD
Lotus Europa Twin Cam Interior Kit ↗Sports & Classics· $1,895.95 USDLotus Europa Twin Cam Interior Kit ↗Sports & Classics· $1,295.95 USD
Fuel & Ignition 1
- Weber side-draft carburetors
Supply fuel to the Twin Cam engine; air correction jets changed during dyno tuning to cure a miss
In the shops
Weber Carburetor Linkage ↗
Classic Sunbeam Auto Parts· $35.00 USD
Weber Carburetor Mounting Kit ↗Betaset (France)· €625.80 EUR
Carburetor Adaptor Throttle Linkage (Weber, Datsun 510) ↗
Z Car Depot· $13.99 USD
Gearbox & Drivetrain 2
- Close-ratio gearboxSevens & Elans
Original gearbox had a bad second-gear synchro; a used transmission was sourced to restart the rebuild
- 3.70:1 final drive
Fitted in place of the stock 3.90:1 unit for a more relaxed highway gait
In the shops
Final Drive Pinion 17 Tooth 3.76 Pre A+ ↗
Mini Sport· £25.58 GBP
Standard Full Helical Final Drive Pinion ↗Mini Sport· £97.19 GBP
Final Drive Kit - LSD Semi Helical 3.93:1 ↗Mini Sport· £241.79 GBP
Suspension & Steering 1
- Koni dampersKoni
Added to the otherwise stock Elan suspension
In the shops
Koni GTS Coilover Kit ↗
Flyin' Miata· $2,099.00 USD
Koni STR.T Rear Shock, 1990-1997 ↗Flyin' Miata· $139.00 USD
Koni STR.T Rear Shock, 2006-2015 ↗Flyin' Miata· $169.00 USD
Body & Trim 2
- Body media blastingBlast Masters
Entire body blasted clean as the first step of the restoration
- Fiberglass resin and cloth
Used to patch a broken hood latch catch molded into the fiberglass hood
Electrical 2
- MSD 6AL ignition boxMSD
Fitted to firm up a weak spark during dyno tuning session
- MSD 8202 coilMSD
Non-resistor coil fitted alongside the 6AL box to improve ignition during tuning
Other 2
- Detailing serviceTim McNair, Grand Prix Concours Preparation
Car detailed before the concours to increase contrast and minimize imperfections
- Car coverCovercraft
Used to protect the Elan during the week it sat before the concours
Photos
40 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car series. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
Sorting, Perfecting and Showing Off Our Rehabilitated Elan 20this post at Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car series ↗
Should you also buy a Lotus Elan? 6this post at Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car series ↗
How much power did we get after dyno tuning our Elan? 6this post at Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car series ↗
Repairing an intricate fiberglass fracture on our Lotus Elan 8this post at Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car series ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
The Elan was found in 2015 abandoned in a Michigan field, described as rodent-ridden and threadbare after roughly 40 years of exposure. Despite its rough state, the body still carried its original numbers-matching engine, which gave the team a foundation to work from on what they nicknamed the 'Restoration Impossible' project.
Reviving the car
Work began in January 2016, with the body sent to Blast Masters for blasting and the engine handed to Twin Cam Sportscars for a rebuild. After pausing for other project cars, the team returned to the Elan in earnest about a year later, budgeting roughly three shop days a week to have it ready for the Amelia Island Concours.
Amelia Island debut
Before the show, Tim McNair of Grand Prix Concours Preparation detailed the car to sharpen contrast and hide imperfections. The Elan was trailered to Amelia Island, covered under a Covercraft cover during the preceding Orange Blossom Tour, then placed on the show field in the Sportscars 1965-1975 class alongside an original Shelby Cobra 289 and an Aston Martin DB5. It did not place, but the invitation itself was treated as a win.
Driving impressions
The team describes the restored Elan as light, direct-steering and surprisingly comfortable even for taller drivers, with a willing Twin Cam engine fed by big Weber carburetors. They swapped the stock 3.90:1 final drive for a 3.70:1 unit for easier highway cruising, and praise the car's cornering ability, ride quality and four-wheel disc brakes.
Further sorting and dyno tuning
With help from Lotus specialist Chris Tchorznicki of Sevens & Elans, the team tackled a persistent second-gear synchro fault by sourcing a used transmission to restart the rebuild. While the engine was out, it went to Wayne Brown of RB Motorsports Engineering for dyno testing. Jetting and timing were adjusted and an MSD 6AL box with MSD 8202 coil were fitted, raising output from 109 to a final 131.7 horsepower at 6600 rpm.
Fiberglass repair
A built-in fiberglass latch catch on one side of the hood had broken, apparently from the hood being slammed too hard. The team patched it in place using fiberglass resin and cloth, working the material into the tight area with a small hook and pressing out air bubbles by hand.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at Project 1964 Lotus Elan – Classic Motorsports project car series ↗
Worth knowing
- A rebuilt transmission still had a faulty second-gear synchro, requiring a used unit to restart the rebuild.
- Ignition timing had been set too far advanced at 44 degrees and needed to be backed down to 38.
- Carburetor air correction jetting needed to be richened, and adding an MSD 6AL box with an MSD 8202 coil cleared up a lingering engine miss.