+2 Spyder Zetec Ground Clearance / Ride Height
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:29 am
This topic has arisen from a test drive taken by new member "Olia" of a Spyder modified Elan +2 that is currently for sale. With a fresh pair of eyes and no axe to grind he noted that the ride height doesn't look right and wanted to know if there is a solution. You can read the original topic here http://www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotuselan-plus2-f51/first-post-here-spyder-elan-driven-t30822.html
Spyder have been modifying Elan +2's to their Zetec specification for some years now. To fit the Zetec into their spaceframe chassis they remodel the front crossmember to allow some clearance for the front pulley of the Zetec motor and use a front wheel drive Zetec sump originally fitted to UK Ford Escorts / Orions.
For the exhaust manifold they use a tubular 4 into one design with all 4 pipes swooping below the front of the chassis, both items can be seen in the photo below, and as can be seen from the the other photo up top it looks very similar to the type of manifold you would have on a Lotus twin cam
Rohan spotted what is probably an obvious mistake with the manifold in that it should really go 4 into 2 into 1 before it starts going under the chassis and that this would be a good way of ensuring maximum ground clearance, he also noted that the sump appears much lower than on a standard car.
Therefore the questions for discussion are, how to improve the design of the exhaust manifold and is there a better sump available from the growing number of specialists involved in Retro Ford cars and kit cars that use the Zetec engine.
Spyder have been modifying Elan +2's to their Zetec specification for some years now. To fit the Zetec into their spaceframe chassis they remodel the front crossmember to allow some clearance for the front pulley of the Zetec motor and use a front wheel drive Zetec sump originally fitted to UK Ford Escorts / Orions.
For the exhaust manifold they use a tubular 4 into one design with all 4 pipes swooping below the front of the chassis, both items can be seen in the photo below, and as can be seen from the the other photo up top it looks very similar to the type of manifold you would have on a Lotus twin cam
Rohan spotted what is probably an obvious mistake with the manifold in that it should really go 4 into 2 into 1 before it starts going under the chassis and that this would be a good way of ensuring maximum ground clearance, he also noted that the sump appears much lower than on a standard car.
Therefore the questions for discussion are, how to improve the design of the exhaust manifold and is there a better sump available from the growing number of specialists involved in Retro Ford cars and kit cars that use the Zetec engine.