Rear lights Lotus Elite series 1

[Weston]

Hi there does anyone out there have any rear lights for a series 1 1974 lotus elite. One of mine is broken and they are proving to be hard to find. Must be willing to ship to New Zealand. Thanks in advance. 

[Hawaiis0]

Can you just post a picture to confirm the style?  I am thinking they are Aston Martin type and just short of a million squid a pop.

[TAR]

1 hour ago, Hawaiis0 said:

I am thinking they are Aston Martin type and just short of a million squid a pop.

Correct and also fitted to Scimitar GTE.

They appear on ebay now and again for silly money.

I would try LotusBits in the UK. lotusbits.com

 

[mikeeech]

The reliant ones are generally cheaper than the Aston Martin ones!

[Weston]

Yeah I’ve seen them on eBay for crazy money. sjsportscar don’t have them. I’ve tried to order parts through lotus bits and they don’t reply at all. Kind of at a dead end. Was thinking of upgrading to new style but it’s hard to find something that suits. 

[directordanw]

Phoning Lotusbits would be your best bet. They’re not always the quickest at answering their email. 

[GENARO CORONADO BONILLA]

On 01/04/2018 at 03:27, Weston said:

Hi there does anyone out there have any rear lights for a series 1 1974 lotus elite. One of mine is broken and they are proving to be hard to find. Must be willing to ship to New Zealand. Thanks in advance. 

I ve got a pair of lucas L819 taillights,either side they can be installed. made in England made up three-piece lenses, carcass and sockets included. I am here in The State of Mexico MEXICO

 

[email protected]

 

[GENARO CORONADO BONILLA]

On 01/04/2018 at 03:27, Weston said:

Hi there does anyone out there have any rear lights for a series 1 1974 lotus elite. One of mine is broken and they are proving to be hard to find. Must be willing to ship to New Zealand. Thanks in advance. 

I ve got a pair of lucas L819 taillights,either side they can be installed. made in England made up three-piece lenses, carcass and sockets included. I am here in The State of Mexico MEXICO

 

[email protected]

 

[GENARO CORONADO BONILLA]

Here I have a pair of LUCAS L819,three-piece either side, that feature carcass and its three sockets.I am here in The State of Mexico,nearby Mexico City.

[GENARO CORONADO BONILLA]

As far as I know; this L819 Lucas taillight can be fitted on Aston Martin DBS vantage 69-73 ,Lotus Elite,Jensen Healey and Reliant scimtar.Besides Lotus Elite from the early 70,s. In fact a car TV program MEXICANICOS; in Guadalajara Jalisco,recently restored toroughly a lotus elite so the rear foldable window was ordered from England.  Greetings.

[Tony D]

Best bet is to persevere with Lotus bits. They list them on web site as "From £25". I know (cos I've looked through them all), they have many on the shelf in a wide range of conditions. I'd suggest you get them to select the best they have , give you a price and send you detailed photograph's by email so you know exactly what you are getting. From what I saw, for £25 you'd get a very tatty light, probably with some retention lens screws broken (although should be repairable with the right creative approach).

Just happen to have a light by my computer ( don't ask why - this car gets everywhere !!!!), so photographed it for benefit of anyone not sure which style you are looking for.

Alternatively price up a series 2 bumper with the SD1 lights? It might be cheaper in the long run. I'm not sure if the S2 bumper is a direct fit though..

Tony

P.S. Early cars have Chrome surrounds, later cars have a black surround.

[mikeeech]

How is your spànish?

 

OC5bAu7fgi4

 

[EXCEL V8]

And for anyone wanting to know that awkward thread on them - it's No.8x32 UNC.  Recently bought a tap & die  to clean up the threads on mine - not that they will get fitted for about a year!

Pete

[Hawaiis0]

Do the Lotus ones have alternate side reverse  or fog on the inner part?  Hillman hunters used them too

[Tony D]

No. Both are the same. The series 1vdoes not have fog lights as standard. 

[Tony D]

On 26/04/2020 at 09:46, mikeeech said:

How is your spànish?

No Spanish at all but the pictures speak. 

Impressed by a full refurb in 8 minutes !  Shame they don't show a bit more of the in between

Tony

[rjwooll]

On 26/04/2020 at 13:32, Hawaiis0 said:

Do the Lotus ones have alternate side reverse  or fog on the inner part?  Hillman hunters used them too

I don't believe the lights are from a Hillman Hunter. They did not have a reverse light in the cluster (from the pictures I've seen.)

The series 1 light clusters may originally have been intended to be mounted vertically (on a van?) looking at the orientation of the Lucas script. I guess the most likely explanation is that they were ordered by a large manufacturer for a cancelled project and the stock was bought by low volume manufacturers (Reliant, Aston, Lotus...)

Richard

[EXCEL V8]

Not sure about your vertical orientation idea Richard!  The factory gaskets for the lenses have small ventilation gaps at the bottom - if you put them the right way up!  None of the after-market gaskets have these I've noticed.  Unless Lotus had new gaskets made?

Pete

[Straker]

I think your correct the inserts for the indicators are the same pattern as used in Sunbeam rapiers. Which were designed for vertical use.

Sorry sunbeam owners but I cannibalised a set of new old stock units for the inserts....

[GENARO CORONADO BONILLA]

On 01/04/2018 at 03:27, Weston said:

Hi there does anyone out there have any rear lights for a series 1 1974 lotus elite. One of mine is broken and they are proving to be hard to find. Must be willing to ship to New Zealand. Thanks in advance. 

In fact I do have a pair of L819 Lucas taillights, which are sound, so  I am willing to ship anywhere if an agreement is settled, provided that the parcel service might be high.. Greetings..

[GENARO CORONADO BONILLA]

On 26/04/2020 at 03:24, Tony D said:

Best bet is to persevere with Lotus bits. They list them on web site as "From £25". I know (cos I've looked through them all), they have many on the shelf in a wide range of conditions. I'd suggest you get them to select the best they have , give you a price and send you detailed photograph's by email so you know exactly what you are getting. From what I saw, for £25 you'd get a very tatty light, probably with some retention lens screws broken (although should be repairable with the right creative approach).

Just happen to have a light by my computer ( don't ask why - this car gets everywhere !!!!), so photographed it for benefit of anyone not sure which style you are looking for.

Alternatively price up a series 2 bumper with the SD1 lights? It might be cheaper in the long run. I'm not sure if the S2 bumper is a direct fit though..

Tony

P.S. Early cars have Chrome surrounds, later cars have a black surround.

This taillight displayed is basically the same as the pair I have here,the only thing is that mine have black surround. with the rear screws and sockets in good shape. the three lenses are also fine. At the beginning, I thought they belonged to a ford transit van or a Bedford flat bed truck..

[Tony D]

Earliest cars had Chrome surrounds. Later series 1 cars changed to black surround. Lotusbits have a mix of both styles on their shelves. Black ones are easier to clean up ( if needed) , because you don't need to get the chrome removed first.

Tony

[mikeeech]

And then there is a set on eBay for £10 with the customary problem of broken lens studs

[GENARO CORONADO BONILLA]

Mr Matt, a respectable Lotus freak / collector just sent me an e mail here into my homeland in Mexico, inquiring info about the taillights for a Lotus elite, if any of you can contact him, please let him know, that I just answered his inquiry via my regular e mail account, however in my screen there is a notice indicating that the recipient Mr. Matt for some reason did not get my reply,so that we can agree on a more reliable way to get in touch for further details.  Thanks in advance to whom it may concern. Genaro Coronado.. This is my mobile phone number 0445534691016.