@Robert M Thanks for that article, filled in some knowledge gaps for me. I LIKE that Spyder replacement trussed frame, now that's a backbone!
My friend Mike is doing an Elan up right now, he bought a semi-ratty one and got a new chassis for it. The existing backbone was cracked but beyond repair. He's repairing all the cracked and missing fiberglass. His repairs and body work are REALLY nice. The motor is almost ready for assembly with respect to machine work being done. The rubber donut inner CV joints have been upgraded with regular CV joints.
They're no smaller than a Spyder inside and out. I like it. A lot.