Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Does everybody who has a left hand drive car have the turn signal switch on the right side of the column, or is my car just special? What's the story behind that? I've been driving my Elan enough this summer that I'm getting used to it. So much so that when I drive my Golf I keep turning on the wipers before I go around corners. Steve

Hi Steve-

Mine's on the right on my LHD 66 S3 S/E. I suppose that if a stalk mounted
headlight dimmer switch, which would have been mounted on the left, were
legal in the US when the car was originally imported, it would be a little
more confusing to me.

Jon Eckman


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Foster" <***@***.***>
To: "Lotus List" <***@***.***>
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 10:34 AM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] turn signals



story behind that? I've been driving my Elan enough this summer that I'm
getting used to it. So much so that when I drive my Golf I keep turning on
the wipers before I go around corners. Steve

steve
I have a feeling that we brits always had the turn signal on the right of
the column....
I am sure this is just us being us...same as driving on the otherside of the
road...
is only been kind of the last 20 years where all the manufacturers have
conformed
to one rule about the orientation of the column stalks and their
function......
my mgs' is on the right so is the lotus and my mates e type.....hey before
that
the 1932 morris doctors sports coupe that we had had the control of the
trafficators
on the right hand part of the steering wheel hub..and the 1938 morris 8 4
seater tourer too!!!!
probably so you could still indicate your direction while double de
clutching your non
syncro box (which was a 3 speed in a backward configuration...ie 1st was
where 2nd is..2nd
where 3rd was... 3rd where 4th was and then the fun bit of reverse being
where 1st now is)
and still be able to get your thumb to hit the traficator in the direction
you wanted to go....
just a thought...
cheers
G

Hi Steve,
My LHD 69 S4 has turn signal lever on the right and headlight dimmer
(brights) on the left).
FWIW - All my old BMWs (1967 thru 1972 models 1602, 2002, 2002tii,
Bavaria) had the same set up.
-David

Here in the US we have LHD cars with the turn signal on the left. All my
British care were this way, except for the TR3 and AH which put it in the
center of the steering wheel. Oh yea and a Sprite and Elva Courier which
use a toggle switch in the middle of the dash.

Fred

-----Original Message-----
From: David S. Schwartz [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 12:49 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] turn signals


Hi Steve,
My LHD 69 S4 has turn signal lever on the right and headlight dimmer
(brights) on the left).
FWIW - All my old BMWs (1967 thru 1972 models 1602, 2002, 2002tii,
Bavaria) had the same set up.
-David

My 1966 Elan S2 (obtained back in 1972) had the turnsignals on the
right...opposite to the american cars I had been driving..

Tony Vaccaro
http://www.lotusowners.com
http://www.drivingclothes.com

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-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Talmadge [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 2:25 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: RE: [LotusElan.net] turn signals


Here in the US we have LHD cars with the turn signal on the left. All my
British care were this way, except for the TR3 and AH which put it in the
center of the steering wheel. Oh yea and a Sprite and Elva Courier which
use a toggle switch in the middle of the dash.

Fred

-----Original Message-----
From: David S. Schwartz [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 12:49 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] turn signals


Hi Steve,
My LHD 69 S4 has turn signal lever on the right and headlight dimmer
(brights) on the left).
FWIW - All my old BMWs (1967 thru 1972 models 1602, 2002, 2002tii,
Bavaria) had the same set up.
-David







Copyright) LotusElan.net and the author.

Steve,

If you pull the steering column switches off the column, you should be ableto swap them over. You will also need to turn the self cancelling gizmo on the column around 180 degrees.

Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Foster [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Tuesday, 22 July 2003 2:34 a.m.
To: Lotus List
Subject: [LotusElan.net] turn signals


Does everybody who has a left hand drive car have the turn signal switch onthe right side of the column, or is my car just special? What's the storybehind that? I've been driving my Elan enough this summer that I'm getting used to it. So much so that when I drive my Golf I keep turning on the wipers before I go around corners. Steve














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My S2 has the turn signal switch on the left. I got the car partially
assembled and IIRC this is one of the points we addressed during
assembly. The parts are all Triumph, and TRs came to the USA
with the signal lever on the left, so there are no trick issues apart
from changing the wiring on the RH lever because "up" is now
"down"; the turn signals are OK as is.

- Bill

Steve Foster wrote:

You car may be special (I know that mine is...)

But...

My Elan was made in 10/71, and the turn signal switch is on the
left of the steering column and the right has the headlight high/low
switch.

Tim Mullen

Chantilly, VA
72 Elan Sprint

On my 72 LHD Sprint, the turn signal control is on the right. My copy of
the "Owner's Handbook" shows the control on the right for both RHD & LHD
cars.


Warren G. Schaub
13 Country Way
Bethel, CT 06801
(203) 790-8846
www.elan-computing.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Foster [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 10:34 AM
To: Lotus List
Subject: [LotusElan.net] turn signals

Does everybody who has a left hand drive car have the turn signal switch on
the right side of the column, or is my car just special? What's the story
behind that? I've been driving my Elan enough this summer that I'm getting
used to it. So much so that when I drive my Golf I keep turning on the
wipers before I go around corners. Steve










CopyrightC LotusElan.net and the author.

--- In ***@***.***, "Steve Foster" <sotuknang@a...>
wrote:

What's the story behind that?

My 1966 S2 has turn signals on the left, but I have a "to do" list
from the previous owner, for a shop to change it from right to left.
The self cancelling gizmo has never worked. However, I recently
discovered that when the wheels are turned full lock, as in a parking
lot, it cancels. Never going to cancel at speed. Any thoughts on
that? By the way, my dimmer switch is on the floor, like a 1940 Ford.

My LHD S2 which was shipped from the factory to the US in Dec 1965
has the switch on the right. I have owned it since 1967 and am
certain it is original. My recollection is that 60's MG's and Mini's
which I had, all had the switch on the right.

Bob 26/4912




--- In ***@***.***, "ddddumas" <pgarrett@p...> wrote:

yes - they did not move the canceling switch over. Mine was on the right
- but all my other cars on the left,.so I changed it over 30 years ago.
George 67 S3

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 23:10:35 -0000 "ddddumas"
<***@***.***> writes:
--- In ***@***.***, "Steve Foster" <sotuknang@a...>
wrote:

What's the story behind that?

My 1966 S2 has turn signals on the left, but I have a "to do" list
from the previous owner, for a shop to change it from right to left.
The self cancelling gizmo has never worked. However, I recently
discovered that when the wheels are turned full lock, as in a parking
lot, it cancels. Never going to cancel at speed. Any thoughts on
that? By the way, my dimmer switch is on the floor, like a 1940 Ford.

If you take the shroud off the steering columh,you will see a press fit
plastic ring with a "lump" on it,with a pair of pliars you should be able to
twist this ring around the column,do this so that the "lump" is between the
plastic "arms" when the steering wheel is in the straight ahead position
problem solved
John
68plus2


-----Original Message-----
From: ddddumas [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: 22 July 2003 00:11
To: ***@***.***
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Re: turn signals


--- In ***@***.***, "Steve Foster" <sotuknang@a...>
wrote:

What's the story behind that?

My 1966 S2 has turn signals on the left, but I have a "to do" list
from the previous owner, for a shop to change it from right to left.
The self cancelling gizmo has never worked. However, I recently
discovered that when the wheels are turned full lock, as in a parking
lot, it cancels. Never going to cancel at speed. Any thoughts on
that? By the way, my dimmer switch is on the floor, like a 1940 Ford.