Here’s a quick walkthrough of my 2-Eleven replica project, for everyone who expressed an interest :-).
This project is based on a low-mileage (55k IIRC) Lotus Elise S1 which had been professional converted, by Auto-Teknix, from the Rover K-series to an Audi S3 1.8T BAM (225bhp) engine and gearbox.
The car was fully up & running and road legal before being crashed by the previous owner. It suffered light rear end damage, mostly to the rear clamshell and longerons, but not to any of the suspension pick up points or other safety-critical areas.
I bought the car and took the decision to rebody it into a 2-Eleven replica. This was swiftly followed by a full strip down of the car to a rolling chassis. However, the project stalled when I got the chance to buy a genuine 2-Eleven (lucky me) which somewhat diminished my interest in the replica project!
So, as it stands, the project car is now a rolling chassis on Ultralite alloys (new) & AO48 Advans (old) as pictured here. Read on for more info.
The radiator was removed and front plastics cleaned up. New front silicone rad hoses installed. All eight wishbones were refurbed and Powerflex-bushed a few years ago (zero road miles since). Adjustable motorsport front ARB fitted. Front brake calipers remain in place. Brake & clutch master cylinders remain in place. Brake lines remain throughout.
Front & rear 2-Eleven-specific bulkheads installed. These are Genuine Lotus panels sourced at great expense.
Lower dash panel removed per factory 2-Elevens. Also lower side ali fixings removed (required for Elise bodywork but not 2-Eleven). The steering column sits loosely in place. Original S1 steering wheel. Gear change mechanism in place with six-speed knob to suit Audi engine.
Damaged rear longerons removed and new, Genuine Lotus replacements sourced but not yet fitted, they’re shown here alongside the restored fuel tank (may need refreshing again as it was done a few years ago). My intention was to fit a new Spitfire pump in it. The rear tie rods will certainly need replacing.
A set of Lotus Exige S1 LSS coilovers were fitted all round.
I also sourced most of the 2-Eleven bodywork, approx half the panels are factory originals, the rest are copies. Some of the original panels were damaged and all will require GRP work and paint.
Next you can see the inner side pods as mocked up. Rivnut inserts are used throughout so all the external panels are bolt on/off.
Front-most rear panel mocked up. Note space for filler cap.
Outer side pods mocked up. LHS is genuine Lotus with some damage, RHS is aftermarket.
Boot lid mocked up. This is normally finished with a central black grille and aero catches.
Aftermarket side scoops, showing both sides.
Genuine Lotus rear transom panel, looks worse in real life! No rear lights included.
Front clam mocked up. Genuine Lotus with some damage. No headlights or access panels included.
Here is the Audi 1.8T BAM (Audi S3) engine & box which was removed (running at the time without problems apart from a small fix required to the throttle linkage). It has been dry-stored and regularly turned over.
Then there are boxes of random parts removed during stripdown:
Also incuded but not pictured: 2x GRP race seats with harness holes (tatty) and whatever else I come across!
This would make an easy and cheap conversion into a track car or a more difficult (and expensive) back into a road car. In terms of paperwork, I have the current V5c in my name and not much else. Location: Lightwater, Surrey, GU18 5SU. The whole project is for sale, happy to chat about a deal :-).
Geoff Wade, md@marketingdirection.co.uk