The early S1 – S2 elan were factory fitted with battery compartments positioned behind the driver and passenger seats which accommodated two six volt batteries, I don’t know about you, but the inside of the cockpit is no place for a lead acid battery, covered or not. So a bit of redesign work was carried out here to the fibreglass battery box cradles.
The image above shows the battery boxes which have been removed from the body while it was mounted on the rotisserie. A four inch angle grinder fitted with a thin abrasive cutoff wheel makes short work of fibreglass. Then a smooth metal backing sheet was pop riveted to the underside of the body so that a new fibreglass layup could be applied.
Re fibre glassed area of old battery box.
Once the battery box cut-out had been re-glassed, cleaned up, and re-painted, it looked as though nothing had ever been removed.
Later elan models had the battery positioned in the boot on the left hand side which is a far better place for the battery than two small batteries placed behind the seats in the cockpit.
But is there a better place to position the battery in an S1-S2?
- So that it’s secure.
- Out of the way.
- Easy to get at.
- And one which provides better overall weight distribution.
The photos below illustrate the battery repositioned in the S2 boot, which lives up to the above expectations.
The S2 battery in the writers elan was changed some twenty years ago to the configuration shown, and it has been a successful relocation.
Like any small conversion or relocation change, there is some work involved, but it is worth the effort, because the end result is far better than what the original set up was, but I guess the purist may scoff at the change, and say that it’s not original, I don’t have an issue with that, if you are happy the way it is, don’t change it.
In the S1- S2 elan there is a recess in the boot which is just above the diff or the rear cross member, and that is where the battery has been placed in this project.
Battery cradle is a DIY sheet metal fabrication made up to suit the battery dimensions and recessed location in the boot, mild steel anchor rods pivot on the main frame and swing up after the battery is placed into the cradle, brass nuts are used to secure the L shapped stainless steel battery clamp.
The cradle is secured to the fibreglass body with three 1/4″ UNF studs screwed into captive nuts, two fasteners at the back, and one at the front in the middle of the bracket. Strips of thin rubber are glued to the cradle seat where the battery sits to provide cushioning, there is also a back stop rest for the battery to prevent any for and aft movement.
So there it is, an excellent position to place the battery in an S1 or S2 elan, safe, secure, and out of the way of any luggage or other stuff you may need to put in the boot. The battery is the fully sealed type. If you want to go to more expense, an aircraft style battery could also be installed.
People are amazed at the amount of stuff that can be stored in the boot of the elan, I know a guy who owns a big Healey 3000, but he cant get anywhere near the amount of luggage in his boot that I can in the elan.
Over the years, my wife and I have done several trips in the elan, we take a decent size suit case or soft baggage which fits nicely in the boot. The boot floor consists of two ply wood panels covered in marine carpet, the panels or boards are fixed with small screws attached to brackets which are fixed to the body under the panels at various points, keeping it secure and free of any rattles.
My 641/2 S1 has the battery as above-in the boot (trunk).
Nice safe position for it.