An archive. This is a preserved copy of the Elva Courier MkIII restoration blog written by Andy Rich, published at elvamk3.wordpress.com from 2010 to 2015. Andy has since passed away. The car’s current owner keeps his record of the restoration online here so that it is not lost.
 

Beginning with eBay

One day I heard about an Elva which was for sale on eBay, and I went to look.  It was still listed in the “Racing Cars, not street legal” section.  There was no reserve and it was bid up to $500.  It was a real basketcase in every sense of the word.  It had no engine, no transmission, no windshield, top, or side curtains.  The body was separated from the chassis, and cut in 4 big sections, and a pile of other smaller pieces.  The chassis had been sandblasted and left to sit outside for about 10 years; no floors or outer sills were existent.  I told my wife I was bidding on the car, by email.  She responded, “don’t do it!” but it was too late, I had already won the bidding.

The car was delivered one night, a few months later, while I was on a business trip.  My wife called and said that there was a man with an Elva on a trailer and he said the Elva was mine; I had forgotten to tell her.  She was six months pregnant at the time, so I called a neighbor to help unload the pieces.   So began my longest project ever.

Someday it will look like Bud Byrnes' car

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