Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Has anyone added Kevlar or Diolen internally to any older Elan to reduce the risk of dying or being injured in a crash!? Sort of along the lines of a DIY rollcage - but without the complication that brings. I would imagine that some additional impact protection would be relatively easy and cheap to add without modifying anything too much.

I have a +2 which I would like to make safer if possible.

James

I believe you can buy a Federal side impact protection kit for the doors, though how much protection you actually get, given the doors themselves aren't mounted to any type of metal frame, is debatable.

I used to use a Clan Crusader for special stage rallying. The competition shell was a fibreglass monocoque, with the imp crossmember to hang the rear wishbones on and the two small metal plates at the front to hang the wishbones and steering rack. The shell was immensely strong and the 'built in' fibreglass roll cage only weighed about 5lbs. Although the roll cage was at the time RAC motorsport approved I was a bit dubious so contacted the tester who had approved the cage strength. He told me that it was tested by taking a bare shell and placing a builders skip on the roof and filling it with water. He said the sides bulged out slightly but when the skip was emptied everything returned to normal with no signs of damage. The cage was made by bonding in at manufacture a box section of woven roving fibreglass up the door pillars and across the roof. Another box section went across the centreline of the roof to bond into the other box. There was then a thin box section going around the screen.
Mick

That is interesting.

I see that Andy Dawson's Clan is still around and going strong:-

http://www.clanownersclub.org/clan-hist ... r-lup-62j/

James