It looks likely that a new batch of ELVA Magnesium wheels will be produced shortly … it would be helpful if all of you folk who could be interested in obtaining new wheels (without any commitment) make contact, perhaps easiest as a reply to this post. We know these unique wheels were used on the ELVA sports racers Mk.III to the Mk.VI series, the Formula Junior and Scorpion series and a significant number of the Couriers which were built at Bexhill and Hastings.
They were also prized by owners of cars from other manufacturers particularly for various Formula Juniors.
Fullest details will appear in due course, but help this proposal progress by making contact to request updates.

Thank you to those who have expressed interest in this proposal which will be undertaken by an ELVA owner, not by ELVA Racing or myself .. I have just offered to make the proposal known to owners via this website.
Updates will follow as I am advised of progress.

Some specifics please...

Are the new wheels to be made of magnesium or aluminum alloy?

Will they come drilled; for the 4" Courier hub, the sportsracer, or blanks?

Is the backspacing correct for drum brake (original) cars and disc brake cars?

Thanks,
Gary C

Hi Gary .. all good important questions .. as I mentioned above this is not mine or an ERCL project, so it’s with the owner intending to offer these wheels to advise possibilities in due course. When I did produce a large number of these magnesium ** wheels some years ago much attention was needed to be given to the individual application and the Couriers were the most ‘difficult’ for the reasons you indicated. My wheels were cast then machined and so careful measurements provided by each owner taken from each individual car could be dealt with by the machine shop, with thankfully 100% success!! The body clearance needs to be considered and new amended wheel studs a must.
Not easy but an excellent upgrade on the best cars.
Watch this space for updates but it’s not a process to be hurried and don’t even think of shooting the messenger !!

** I had just one set of aluminium alloy wheels made following a request from a FJ owner and they were significantly heavier than the magnesium of course, and probably heavier than the steel version too. It is relevant to seek likely interest as ‘volume’ usually influences ‘price’, and thus the more the merrier!

I'd be interested in a set of Elva wheels.

Can you advise on the following questions:
(1) Will they fit on the same bolt pattern as the Courier or MGB?
(2) What is the width and offset?
(3) What is the weight per wheel?
(4) What is the estimated cost per wheel?

Mike

Mike … I need to seemingly repeat that this is not my project, I’m purely the messenger. However I have contacted the owner who is behind this proposal and he has replied … “ Roger, things are moving slowly but surely, the covid issues have prevented me from visiting the factory, but still on track. I just want to be sure that all is proper, so please hang tight a bit longer, I will be in UK next week and plan to push. “ Having jumped through the many hoops some 30+ years ago, when ELVA Racing instigated the remanufacture of the ELVA magnesium 13” & 15” wheels, I am remaining on the sideline but it will be for owners to correspond indicating their requirements as, and when, the person taking on this project is ready to proceed.
It is far from easy due the the many variations in the applications which is why I treated every order as unique .. it’s not a stock ‘em high situation for sure! Anyone who thinks it is obviously lives in La La Land!!

I have been encouraging the owner who proposed this scheme to use this Forum to communicate more information and updates, but it seems that the idea has stalled or remains ‘on the back burner’. I have plenty of demands on my time without having to become involved in this scheme .. I organised new ELVA mag wheels back in the mid 1980’s, and really don’t want to jump the many hoops again. Times have changed and the team behind those remanufactured wheels are again busy with other things, but let’s hope updates will be posted in due course. Keep the faith …

Just a quick question to bump this thread.
When Couriers were supplied with the optional Magnesium Alloy wheels was it 13”,14”,or15” diameter ?

The ELVA Mag. wheels used on the Courier Spyder and ‘to order’ on other Courier were 15” diameter … some small diameter steel wheels were fitted by owners i.e. Sprite 13”; the Trojan built Mk.3 Couriers were on 14” diam steel.
Do remember that the ELVA mag. wheels needed a pattern from which they were cast and then machined as needed.
Everything was ‘low volume’ and so investment in patterns etc., needed care consideration and Frank was not keen to spend money without a guaranteed return! However a number of other FJ’s built by competitors ran on ELVA wheels.
Some employees joked that had Frank concentrated on wheel production rather than building cars, the business might have survived longer!
A different 13” design mag wheel was produced for the ELVA Mk.VII/VIIS sports racer series.
ELVA Racing much later commissioned the remanufacture of a large number of the ELVA mag wheels of both designs .. it needed careful monitoring of the exact requirements of individual cars … “IT AIN’T EASY” for sure!
It was great that John Playfoot who ran the ELVA machine shop in period, was able to machine some more for us.
Image shows John machining a wheel in the Hastings workshop probably early 1960’s.

Thank you sir !