S4 Duratec Project *The finishing Touch*

[Mark B]

Hi Gerry,

I wouldn't change a thing on my setup to be honest, as I said it runs and warms up perfectly with no fluctuation at all, no hotspots or airlocks either.

The rad does have a bleed takeoff on the top corner of the rad but I always blank it off and use the stat housing as it's higher up than the rad so (I think) makes it a better place for a bleed off and avoids a very long run from the rad back uphill to the header tank.

I totally agree with the bypass function though, it should be better in theory but as I've found no problems on any cars with this setup I'd be reluctant to fix something that isn't really broken! What was your initial problem on your plus 2 & how was it plumbed in then?

Cheers,
Mark.

[Spyder fan]

I start a thread about an S4 Duratec Project and what happens? Folks get all boring and swap stories about water rails

Here's something to get us back on topic and upset the purists. I have been playing around with photoshop to look at different graphics for the new car. (apologies to the owner of the very nice Sprint on Gordon Lunds stand at Malvern last year)

[Elanintheforest]

Looks cheap and tacky, Alan. Just let the performance do the talking....and the green paint!

Mark

[collins_dan]

Being in the advertising business for a living, I would say that you are doing what most clients do, trying to communicate too much. I would sharpen your message down to the 1 or 2 things that are most important. I read 4 or 5 messages depending on if you treat Duratec and R220 as 1 or 2 messages. Elan is kind of a given. Seems like from everything else you've written on this topic, the other very different thing that can be said about this car is Duratec, or Duratec R220. So it would seem to me its a Elan Duratec R220. My 2 pence. Cheers, Dan

[ardee_selby]

I've jumped threads here, but:

"the jury is out on the colour but think dark metallic red with black hood and black minilites and you won't be far wrong, definitely no stripes or fake Elan Sprint lettering"

Come on Alan, which is it to be? Really.

Cheers - rd (Rolls Royce Regal Red might be nice)

[Spyder fan]

I've jumped threads here, but:

"the jury is out on the colour but think dark metallic red with black hood and black minilites and you won't be far wrong, definitely no stripes or fake Elan Sprint lettering"

Come on Alan, which is it to be? Really.

Cheers - rd (Rolls Royce Regal Red might be nice)

Ardee
Blimey, someones paying attention and has caught me out, I feel a bit like a politician caught fiddling his expenses now

I really thought that a dark solid colour would suit the car, I'm generally conservative by nature when it comes to car colour choice. I always thought that Pistachio was a naff colour that was best left behind when we left the 1970's, IMHO it doesn't look good on a +2 because there's too much of it even with a silver roof, but I have seen 2 DHC Elans nicely painted in this colour and it really does look good, either in one colour or over white with stripes. The Elan is a tiny car in todays traffic therefore it's good to have a loud colour scheme for safety's sake as well.

I have ordered Pistachio over White from SMS, so that is what it will be. It will definitely have stripes because I want gold bumpers and wheel centres but I'm undecided on if it will have any lettering. The donor car had Goldleaf Sprint livery, and wouldn't have lived up to the name with it's Stromberg headed engine. The word Duratec printed on the side is not very inspiring, and Spyder much as I like them can go advertise for themselves if they want.

Any suggestions for the wording from anyone? ELAN SPORT, ELAN R220, just plain ELAN ? Dan pointed out that less is more and I was giving too much information, I think he is right. A pity the doors are not steel skinned, or I could use magnetised letters and play around as the mood takes me!

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I just stuck a Ford '16V' badge on the back of the boot of mine; discreet but arouses interest

[Spyder fan]

Here's some stripes options donated by Adam (PastaPesto)




A few car pictures lifted from the internet, with and without stripes





I found this interesting car whilst searching for Elan Sprints, don't shoot me I'm only the messenger Someone posted a Westfield on this thread the other day .....

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Simples------no white------no stripe

Just a Tiger's Tail hanging out of the petrol filler maybe

[stugilmour]

Tiger tail sounds good John. I remember those.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Original-Exxon-Ti ... 5adef4f9a2

Alan, definitely needs a stipe of some kind. I like the original font as best you can match it; much more effective me thinks.

I really like pistachio & white on the DHC, and agree regarding the Plus 2.

Your project is very interesting; keep the updates coming. Does Andy figure he can fit a Duratec in the Plus 2? Think the bonnet would be quite a bit tighter to the cam cover, even with your mod?

[Mark B]

I found this interesting car whilst searching for Elan Sprints, don't shoot me I'm only the messenger Someone posted a Westfield on this thread the other day .....

It's a seven so sort of (nearly) a lotus!

The green isn't my cup of tea tbh, I know you were set on the colour from malvern last year & thought you might have gone off it by now, it's not too late to change your mind though.....

How about silver with black wheels & bumpers? Saw one for sale last year in these colours and it looked nice imo.

I agree with some of the others, less is more. Leave the stickers off or as simple as possible!

Are you definitely having a 220 spec engine then? thought you were keeping it as it is out of the crate?

Cheers,
Mark.

[gordont]

less is definitely more - how much does a sticker weigh???

[ardee_selby]

Alan,

Stickers don't weigh much. So if you want stickers, have stickers, then you can really keep driving the flag

http://www.vinylcreations.co.uk/viewpho ... &photoid=9

Then...how about a custom registration...."DUR 220R", "ATR 220", or summat...

Cheers -rd

P.S. How much of the outside can you see from behind the wheel? Which, IMHO, is the best viewpoint for any Elan.

[Spyder fan]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I really would like to have stripes of some sort,
the gold goes so well with pistachio over white. Adam, (pastapesto) does signs and graphics for a living
and is local to me, he dropped off some gold vinyl samples which are much nicer quality than the ready
made stripes which generally have the white lettering printed on. His idea is to use a solid gold vinyl
background and then apply vinyl white
lettering and stripes over the top which will be much crisper than the standard offerings. I think a non
controversial lettering arrangement would be best I'm leaning towards ELAN SPORT at the moment.

Stu, the duratec will fit in a +2, just for fun Andy trial fitted a +2 front end onto the S4 chassis, as its all exactly the same
at the front it was a logical exercise to try it out while he had the chance.

Mark, I'm pulling your leg about the Westie photo, looks nice work as always. To get 220bhp on the duratec
you just need rod bolts and cams, the rod bolts will be changed ready for the cams, but you are correct that it will
stay standard for now and will pump out approx 190 with 220 in reserve.

[Mark B]

Thanks for the comments on the westy, I wish I hadn't sold it to be honest. It does spur me on to finish the elan though as I don't have a sportscar at the moment.

The duratec is a good motor & is about 12kg lighter than a zetec, but don't believe some of the tuning figures (as usual) they are quite optomistic.
A standard 2ltr duratec on throttle bodies will put out approx 175 -185bhp usually even though some tuners claim 200 (this has been proven time again on the standard weber alpha setup fitted to the 2ltr duratec westfield).
With cams, uprated valve springs and a rolling road session you should see between 195 -210bhp if you're lucky.
The crank isn't keyed so it's a good idea to get this done & along with a bit of headwork will see 230ish and after that it gets very expensive as the standard pistons, rods etc aren't built for it and need to be changed.
Quite a few guys on the wscc have tuned them (some of which I know well) & they are the "real" numbers usually acheived. One guy has a 280bhp 2ltr but it cost over 20k to get to it! They're an economical engine to get upto 220-230bhp but beyond that it gets silly tbh.
Any rolling road figures should be taken with a pinch of salt and there's no substitute for a proper engine dyno but most of those figures attained were on a reputable rolling road.
The 300bhp + guys are using the 2.3 ranger engine but are having to use quaife sequential gearboxes at ?5k as the torque rips apart the quaife type 9's!
It'll still be quick though whatever state of tune and will give more torque than a zetec, so you should still be flying past elises, exiges etc on trackdays! I'd be interested to hear your comparison with your zetec +2 (even though that's heavier) as I've always intended on putting a duratec (probably 2.3) in a caterham at some point.

Btw I went for the yokohama S drive tyres in the end in 185/55/14, they juuussst fit, so if you're thinking of having a set of ao48's I'd try one from your +2 first as I believe they're usually a tad wider than they say on them like toyo R888's.

How about "duratec sprint" on the stripes?

Or Elan Kermit.....