The Elan arrived missing the factory jack, which is specific to the Elan. Used examples seem to go for ~$700. Since I don’t plan to show the car, spending that much on a jack seemed a waste. Besides, the spare tire is almost 30 lb of dead weight. Adding in the jack, and tools to remove the center lock wheel, that’s a lot of extra pounds to carry around in case I get a flat. It seemed a better option to jettison all those items and take a page form modern cars and use an air compressor and tire sealant. After a little research, I came across a very small and light compressor intended for Motorcycles, and Slime tire sealant designed for tube tires like the XAS FF. Those two items weigh a combined 2.75 pounds! Next was deciding how to stow those items. With the spare tire out of the way, there was now a ton more room in the boot, but driving the car made it clear that the spare absorbed sound. To solve both issues, closed cell foam was layered in the spare tire well and cut outs were made to tightly hold the compressor, Slime, and a tool roll (it’s a Lotus. You need to drive with tools).
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