Hood (S3 DHC)

[Keith Scarfe]

I have a couple of questions about how the hood attaches to the grip rail
at the top of the screen. I have previously had problems with it coming out
of the alli grip rail due to wind pressure when driving along. My previous
solution was to push some thin plastic stripes into the sewn in pocket
which folds backwards and is pushed into the gap between the grip rail and
the windscreen bodywork.

My question is: Is this the correct thing to do or am not understanding
something. Is there a particular Lotus part that is pushed into this sewn
in pocket? should it be plastic, cardboard or something else? If I just
push the fabric into this gap without any plastic in it and tension the
hood it can easily be pushed out at the front by hand and will pop out when
going along at any speed.

Also the bolt that goes through the grip rail that attaches to the
windscreen tensioning bar block is right in the centre of where the hood is
pushed into this gap. How are you supposed to get the hood in the grip rail
at this point? Again my previous solution was to cut a piece out of the
hood fabric at this point, but as you can imagine, this made is weak and it
soon started to tear at this point.

Thanks for any guidance.
Keith Scarfe.

[rodney]

Keith

I think my hood is origonal and it has two long and two short pieces of
spring steel in the pocket. The two long ones go into the centre and fit
around the bolt holding the rod with the mirror on the pocket just gets
distorted at this point. The two small one go around the edges. The sizes I
don't know, but could measure them tonight.

Rod

Rodney Stevens
CSIRO Minerals
http://minerals.csiro.au

Ph. 61 2 97106701
Fax 61 2 97106789

Elan SS s/e 45/7616
http://sites.netscape.net/rodjohnstevens/homepage

-----Original Message-----
From: ***@***.***lto:***@***.***

I have a couple of questions about how the hood attaches to the grip rail
at the top of the screen. I have previously had problems with it coming out
of the alli grip rail due to wind pressure when driving along. My previous
solution was to push some thin plastic stripes into the sewn in pocket
which folds backwards and is pushed into the gap between the grip rail and
the windscreen bodywork.

<snip>

[Keith Scarfe]

A ha, spring steal. Yes of course that makes sense. A measurement would be
very useful particularly the thickness and if you could, the length and
width of each piece and the distance along the hood where the join is.

Thanks very much for your reply Rod.
Keith Scarfe.

p.s. Any one know where to get something like this. Should it be supplied
with the hood? Is it a Lotus part?

[TimMullen]

***@***.***e:

My replacement hood (a Robins) had the strips already built-in - although they
were plastic instead of steel. The reason it is in four pieces is for folding.
A split in the middle to clear the bolt, and another split on each side that
lines up with the fold line from the rear. I.E. when stowing the hood, you
fold the top along the "parts" between the back and side windows at the rear.
The splits in the front strip line up with these folds allowing the front to
fold also. I don't know the exact measurements since the hood is all folded
away and tucked in (in it's semi permenant position), but if you really need the
measurements I could get them. But I don't think the measurements are all that
critical. Oh yea, the side strips go to within about 2 inches from the snaps on
the sides...

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint - Top? What top? I don't need no stinking top...

[ceejay]

I bought a replacement top about 2 years ago (in the US - Robbins). It came
with the metal strips in place. However, I think this is a fairly recent
change because th efolks a Dave Bean advised me to take the strips out of my
old top and insert them in the new one!

Foster Cooperstein

[richardcox_lotus]

Aha. The good 'ol 'this car has just got sunnier & noisier because I no
longer have a hood' problem. I was bedevilled with this feature for 2+
years trying a number of alternatives.

1) Don't go above 55mph OR
2) You will be pleased to know that there ARE elements that fit inside the
'pouches you describe. On my '72 Sprint (S4 base rather than your S3 but I
swear they're the same) there were four elements, two each side - seperate
so that the hood can be folded. 2 of these elements are identical in size &
shape to pre-manufactured hacksaw blades. These are the large elements that
fit either side of the windscreen tensioning bar. At the extremities of the
hood are the 2 smaller elements - approx half the size of the big ones. I
used these in the hood that came (new) with the car when I purchased it.
Don't know the make of the hood I'm afraid, & yes, you've guessed it, it
didn't seal. So a friend of mine made up some thicker elements to the same
dimensions out of some old thick plastic curtain rail - which meant that I
could now reach the giddy heights of 65mph before it went AWOL. It's
possible that all this manipulation increased the gap in the header rail so
that I was never likely to get a decent seal.

I eventually came to the conclusion that I would be better off with a new
hood (From Arnolds Garages, Haslemere, Surrey, UK) which was not cheap but
DOES seal.

HTH

Richard
'72 Elan Sprint DHC

-----Original Message-----
From: ***@***.*** <***@***.***>
To: ***@***.*** <***@***.***>
Date: 06 November 2000 15:39
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Hood (S3 DHC)

[tmr]

Keith:

You can find just about anything from the supply house, McMaster-Carr. I would guess that spring steel is available. If not, they have various types of steel bar flat and plastic alternatives that may work. I've purchased fasteners, metal, foam, plastic, etc. from them in the past with good results. Their headquarters is in Chicago, but they have warehouses in Atlanta and other major cities. You'll need to download Adobe Acrobat to see the individual catalog pages. Their website is as follows:

http://www.mcmaster.com

You can order over the phone (toll-free in the US, I think).

Tom Roberds
69 S4

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

I found it rather interesting that the doors on Ulrich Matthey's Elise in
germany sounded just like those on my Elan. Actually thinking about it
Sanj's Esprit was similar except it didn't have as much rattle.

So mine will continue to thump and rattle.

Rob LaMoreaux
Ann Arbor, MI USA
(734)-971-5583
***@***.***
Too many Hobbies.... Too Little Time
1969 Lotus Elan....It's not a restoration, it's a never-ending
adventure.

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

I have the original belts (rewebbed now) on the original bolts, and Sabelt
4 point belts that use the original bolt at the bottom and the rollbar belt
mount at the top. I really should take the Sabelts out this winter and have
the shoulders shortened since they are almost 2 feet too long, and the
excess is wrapped around the rollbar.


Rob LaMoreaux
Ann Arbor, MI USA
(734)-971-5583
***@***.***
Too many Hobbies.... Too Little Time
1969 Lotus Elan....It's not a restoration, it's a never-ending
adventure.

[rodney]

Keith

I measured the inserts last night. The short ones are 3.5"x0.5"x0.025".
The longer ones are (wait a minute its raining have to wiz out and put the
hood up) 14"x0.5"x0.025" BUT, (this could cause you some heart ache) they
appear to be bowed to fit the curve in the screen. Now I don't know whether
they have ended up this way after 33 years or whether they were made this
way. The bow measures about 3/16" at the centre. Hope this helps.

Rod

Rodney Stevens
CSIRO Minerals
http://minerals.csiro.au

Ph. 61 2 97106701
Fax 61 2 97106789

Elan SS s/e 45/7616
http://sites.netscape.net/rodjohnstevens/homepage

-----Original Message-----
From: ***@***.***lto:***@***.***
Sent: Tuesday, 7 November 2000 8:07 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] Hood (S3 DHC)



A ha, spring steal. Yes of course that makes sense. A measurement would be
very useful particularly the thickness and if you could, the length and
width of each piece and the distance along the hood where the join is.

Thanks very much for your reply Rod.
Keith Scarfe.

p.s. Any one know where to get something like this. Should it be supplied
with the hood? Is it a Lotus part?

[Keith Scarfe]

OK. Thanks everyone for your help. I shall be experimenting with some old
hacksaw blades this weekend.

Keith Scarfe (S3 DHC MK UK).