Knobs

[stugilmour]

Nice photo Skittle. I guess one could add the cigar lighter knob to the Anglia/Cortina list as well as it is of the same style? Found generic cigar lighter element barrels pretty easily that fit mine in my Plus 2, but I believe the knob is much more difficult to find. Complete units in good condition appear to be pretty dear on eBay.

[skelteanema]

Hi,

the knobs for the washer/wiper and lights are detachable via a spring-loaded pin on the knob. However, those for the choke and heater have the cables/wires permanently attached via a press fit into a metal tube at the rear of the knobs. Apparently you could carefully drill out the old cables and then braze or maybe silver solder a new one in. Mind you, you would need to be careful not to damage the knob, especially when heating for the brazing. The replacement choke cable I got from the Anglia came complete with cable, so it was just a matter of sliding it in place.

I don't know about the cigar lighter, the PO had removed my lighter and replaced it with a much more useful period Smiths ammeter. I suspect that these would be similar to the Anglia/cortina ones, but you never know with lotus.

[ripley]

Hi all, for those heater & choke cables incl. knobs I actually have exactly the same problem while restoring the complete dashboard area of my S2. The Cortina MkI's would be the right ones but here in Germany it's impossible to get parts like this. I even asked Sue Miller, she hasn't them neither. If there is nobody out there who would be able to offer them, I discovered that the knobs from Austin Mini MkI are similar - not ideal but compromise.

BTW: Does anybody know where to get a glove box for a LHD Elan? I don't know how to continue...
Fred

[Bluefield]

Fred,
You can get a LHD glovebox from RD enterprise. I got one for my S1, but unfortunately I ordered the wrong one so it's for the S3/4 and hence too small. Will order a new one from RD. They are not cheap, but of good quality.
http://www.rdent.com

/Bluefield
26-3811

[ripley]

@ Bluefield: Thanks for the info, will ask Ray to get one. I didn't know that the S3 glovebox is not the same as for S2; good to know. If there is anyone who is interested in my (original) RHD glove box, please tell me.
Fred

[summerinmaine]

@ Bluefield: Thanks for the info, will ask Ray to get one. I didn't know that the S3 glovebox is not the same as for S2; good to know. If there is anyone who is interested in my (original) RHD glove box, please tell me.
Fred

Fred,

Where are you? What kind of shape is it in?

I may be interested.

Jim

[ripley]

Jim, shape is very good, it seems never been fitted (NOS?). Location is Cologne, Germany.
Fred

[summerinmaine]

Jim, shape is very good, it seems never been fitted (NOS?). Location is Cologne, Germany.
Fred

Thanks Fred.

I have a 1966 S2 S/E with a somewhat dicey box, so I'm quite interested.

Perhaps we should continue this via PM, rather than risk distracting from the Knob thread.

Jim

[cabc26b]

I had the dash out of the car to fit the glove box ( from RD) and took a few photos for this thread.

I don't have much new info to add beyond the increased difficulty in getting the proper parts - and that you can move the icon's around between knobs - I also think the material changes from a bakalite like material to a thermoplastic like material somewhere along the the line

BTW I source these from a local breaker who has piles of english car bit's , but even this supplier inventory is drying up b/c there are no in coming cars being dismantled.

George

[skelteanema]

Hi george,

How do move the icons around between knobs? I tried prying the transparent area with the icons on one of my spare knobs, but only seemed to chip the black bakelite of the knob when tring to get the icon area out. Is there a trick to this or was I just too rough.

[cabc26b]

skittle - you need the have the knobs like the one taken apart on the bottom lower left . You pry the U shaped clip where the knob rim is recessed to accept the clip. the later (?) ones with the convex clear plastic don't seem to have the recess that allows you to get a tool in there.

G

[garyeanderson]

skittle - you need the have the knobs like the one taken apart on the bottom lower left . You pry the U shaped clip where the knob rim is recessed to accept the clip. the later (?) ones with the convex clear plastic don't seem to have the recess that allows you to get a tool in there.

G

Some knobs disassemble and most don't from my experience. I do not know if it is year dependent or just a different manufacture or the same manufacture and a knob for a different company that specked it that way. I believe that the Light knob, the choke knob and cable and wiper knob were all used on the Anglia, the Anglia seems to have slide levers for the heater (as does the Cortina) so its probably from some other EnFo car. All of the knobs and most likely most other parts used on Lotus cars pre-date the build of that particular Lotus model as Lotus would buy up stocks of out of date parts from other automobile manufactures to get there preferred discount (cheap).

Here are some pictures of a disassembled Wiper knob.

Knob kit with replacement foil.

At an angle.


Internal threads on the bezel and the locating tabs on the lense.


Wiper knob shoing the male threads of it and a spare wiper foil image that I got from Don Tingle before he closed his doors.

[Tonyw]

Hi all,

Thank goodness Gary has a camera, thanks Gary.

Tonyw

[type36lotus]

Here is where I ordered mine. http://www.zeni.net/trf/webcatalog/specials6.28/3.php

Images under the lens are a bit different, but they do fit the shafts correctly.

[Tonyw]

Type36,

This is a great source not being that fussed about originality myself but looking at this link it seems like I can get all my knobs to match even switches if I need to, even a twin choke cable, thanks for the link.

Tonyw