Screen Pillars Again

[nebogipfel]

Hi All

On the Lotus Elan Yahoo Group Franklin R. Jones asked the same question I asked some while back on this forum ie should an Elan S4 DHC have steel reinforcement running up the inside of the winscreen pillars?

Franklin seems to think so and I am sure I remember them from a friends rebuild many years ago.

Opinions seem divided. Perhaps if everyone with a stripped DHC could nip out to the garage and have a quick look Seriously though, does anyone have the definitive answer? I still need to be sure 'cos the roof is coming off mine soon.

I tried to join the thread on the Yahoo group but it does not seem to want to work for me as I say I must be a bit of a thicko

That said I think a bit of praise for this forum is in order. The forum itself is very user friendly (unlike the aforementioned!) and everybody seems to be keen to help with good tips and advice

Thanks everyone

[garyeanderson]

Hi John

The S4 (45/8221) that I restored 11 years ago I bought crashed. The front was cut off and the windsreen frame was broken in three pieces. I glassed the three pieces of the windscreen frame back together and slid them over the steel rods and finished the repair by grinding and glassing the bases of the pillars. If I remember right the rod is 3/8" in diameter.
Gary

[riverkeeper]

I've come across shells that have and haven't had them fitted so it could be another one of those quirky Lotus things where some cars had it and others didn't. Certainly if you buy a new DHC shell there are no steel rods running up the windscreen pillars. However on the new bodyshell I've recently put on my elan I did add steel bars up the windscreen pillars(welded to the existing bodywork rods) and strengthened up the fibreglass around the base of the pillar. I used 8mm dia concrete steel reinforcing rod similar to what is used elsewhere on the body for strengthing(like under the sills) and then hid them by glassing over them. It certainly stiffens up the screen frame so I'd say it's beneficial to do it but it won't make no difference if you rolled the car!.

Wayne.

[nebogipfel]

The car I remember from long ago was a S3 a friend was restoring and I am sure it had steel in one side and not in the other. The side without steel was a replacement section and the side with was the original.

I wonder if that is a factor as I have seen some horrible replacement sections?

Anyone else have any ideas?

Thanks for the replies

[brassringfarm]

I just purchased a new bodyshell and installed my old windscreen onto it. It does appear as though there are steel reinforcements in the winscreen pillar - However - the windscreen only bolts to the horizontal space behind the door using the winscreen's "L" shaped dogleg. There are, as you know, about 7-8 bolts across the pront of the crash pad that attach the windscreen to the body. Net - there is no direct metal to metal connection of the windscreen to the body.
Paul Zimmerman
65 S2

[nebogipfel]

Paul

I have never had the opportunity to have a good look at the construction of Type 26 Elans but isn't the structure around the screen quite different to the later dropheads ie Type 45's?

[len]

Hi
i have just stripped to gel coat an untouched s4 elan and there aint no steel in the screen pillars, the was in a robin i repaired years ago but Mr Chapmen saved weight
Len

[nebogipfel]

Is your car fixed head or drophead Len?

It may be that the steel was reduced in later cars?

As I say I'm sure there was reinforcement up the pillars on a S3 DHC (It was a 1967)

[riverkeeper]

think it would be safe to say that S4's certainly didn't have reinforced screen pillars as a factory standard.

[garyeanderson]

Hi Wayne
The term "standard" is a very loose term when you speek of Elan's. What might be "standard" one day may be out of stock and you don't think Lotus would hold up production if they were out of something. A replacement part might be fitted or if not required, just left out. As I said 45/8221 definately had them. If I remember correctly, the steel was embedded in the screen frame and not welded to the steel support in the door surround. All of the S2 screens (bolt on) that I have seen did not have any steel that I could tell.

Gary

[types26/36]

Another "Lotus Querk"! When I rebuilding my S2 the w/screen frame was cracked and in repairing the frame there was a metal stiffener in it, couldnt tell you if it was a rod or what as I did'nt dig that deep, not even sure if it was original or not as it had been worked on before.
Brian

[raygon]

If you want to add some worthwhile strength you may consider using carbon fibre rather than steel rods.That is is any one is prepared to sell you prepreg or carbon fibre without the resin.

I have done this to a FHC to give it some rollover strength

Just a thought