Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Wow just found this thread, am super impressed with your engineering skills and build ideas and more BHP the better, am sure you will figure out how to keep it on the road later . I did something similar many years ago probably started about the same time I think except I went for the Rover V8 engine in a +2 and didn't have anywhere near the budget you clearly have. I hope you finish it soon so you can post some videos. I think if mine is any indication you will find the steering very scary from 130mph onwards. and keep checking your chassis especially around the engine mounts for rips as I had to sort mine a couple of times.

Nice job. What was the bhp/lb.ft with and without the gas? I like the one piece flip front but why did you change the shape so radically? I assume from the tone of your post that you no longer have the car?

The chassis has been extensively strengthened, including around the engine mounts, but I take your point about keeping an eye on this area.

As for budget, it isn't as big as you may imagine. The build has been spread over 12 years so far which eases the pain Funding has come from selling the parts of the Elan I wasn't going to use (most of it) - nearly ?10,000. Part time jobs also help to fund the build. The main reason I can afford to do this is that most of the work is done by me. Making stuff myself has saved thousands.

Hobbies cost money. I don't drink much and don't smoke. A friend spends over ?5000 a year on fags, which means he has to earn ?6250 just to fund his habit. The money he has spent on fags since I started this build would have paid for it.

stevebroad wrote:As for budget, it isn't as big as you may imagine. The build has been spread over 12 years so far which eases the pain Funding has come from selling the parts of the Elan I wasn't going to use (most of it) - nearly ?10,000.

You have confirmed what I have long suspected, my Elan which I still hope to one day restore is worth more broken as spares than its current value as a restoration project.

So so sad that the values of original parts should have risen so much.

Chancer wrote:

stevebroad wrote:As for budget, it isn't as big as you may imagine. The build has been spread over 12 years so far which eases the pain Funding has come from selling the parts of the Elan I wasn't going to use (most of it) - nearly ?10,000.

You have confirmed what I have long suspected, my Elan which I still hope to one day restore is worth more broken as spares than its current value as a restoration project.

So so sad that the values of original parts should have risen so much.

And most of the parts were sold over 5 years ago. But at least my parts helped to keep many cars around the world on the road. My Elan should have its own donor card

stevebroad wrote: A friend spends over ?5000 a year on fags

Totally different meaning over here...

Started on sorting out the area behind the seats. I need to widen the wheel tubs to match the back sections in the boot and cover the dampers. However, I need access to the dampers so part of this panelling will have to be removable which makes design and fabrication a little more interesting. More designing on the hoof methinks

pharriso wrote:

stevebroad wrote: A friend spends over ?5000 a year on fags

Totally different meaning over here...

Good point Probably add a nought to the ?5000 then

Hi Steve I have never had it rolling road figures but should have about 280bhp without the NOS and 380 with and not sure on the toque but being a V8 its plenty for road use. I will never sell the car as it has far two much blood and sweat in it and I'm not finished I want 4x downdraft webbers with 8 little trumpets sticking out the bonnet etc etc etc and on it will go. Like you I did most of the fabrication myself but its no where near the quality of yours and most parts are second-hand. the front end is a 60s lotus elite with the bonnet glassed in and a triumph gt6 bonnet bulge for extra clearance. The main issue I still have is high speed stability due to the fact the faster I go the lighter and more vague the steering becomes I suspect a different rack and a front splitter would sort but at the minute its a case of clench and go for it
Specs:
4.6ltr in from the range rover p38. The LT77 gearbox that came with the engine was heavy and crap so the TVR chimaera borg warner t5 gear box could take the power and was lighter, the lotus drive shafts could not take the 280bhp and 360lbs of torque that?s a guess by the way so I modified the chassis to take the Sierra Cosworth 7" LSD diff and used the cosworth short drive shaft on the passenger side and had a custom short one made for the drivers side along with custom hub carriers so I could fit the sierra rear brakes and a hand brake that actually works. etc etc etc

munro1969, your exhaust system looks wild! Clearance issues I assume?

munro1969 wrote:Hi Steve I have never had it rolling road figures but should have about 280bhp without the NOS and 380 with and not sure on the toque but being a V8 its plenty for road use. I will never sell the car as it has far two much blood and sweat in it and I'm not finished I want 4x downdraft webbers with 8 little trumpets sticking out the bonnet etc etc etc and on it will go. Like you I did most of the fabrication myself but its no where near the quality of yours and most parts are second-hand. the front end is a 60s lotus elite with the bonnet glassed in and a triumph gt6 bonnet bulge for extra clearance. The main issue I still have is high speed stability due to the fact the faster I go the lighter and more vague the steering becomes I suspect a different rack and a front splitter would sort but at the minute its a case of clench and go for it
Specs:
4.6ltr in from the range rover p38. The LT77 gearbox that came with the engine was heavy and crap so the TVR chimaera borg warner t5 gear box could take the power and was lighter, the lotus drive shafts could not take the 280bhp and 360lbs of torque that?s a guess by the way so I modified the chassis to take the Sierra Cosworth 7" LSD diff and used the cosworth short drive shaft on the passenger side and had a custom short one made for the drivers side along with custom hub carriers so I could fit the sierra rear brakes and a hand brake that actually works. etc etc etc

Glad to hear that you still have the car. I thought it was an Elite front I am tempted to make a one piece carbon front, maybe once the car is up and running. How did you do the hinge?

The rack is probably OK, you certainly don't want a higher ratio one. Air dam/splitter would help. Maybe reducing the high pressure under the wheel arches would be an idea. Tyre choice and tracking can affect high speed running. Once my car is running I will build up speed gradually as I have no idea how it will handle.

I had bespoke shafts made. Same length with an aluminium spacer to make up the difference - standard race car practice as this gives you even twisting on the shafts and only one size spare needed As my car is old enough I fitted a hydraulic handbrake.

I was going to use the T5 from a Speed 6 as the lever was is the same place as the Elan box.

It's a shame that you are so far north

Sometimes, things don't go to plan.

6 coats of release agen applied. I decided to add a gelcoat prior to adding carbon in an attempt to get a better finish. It went on fine but after 10 minutes it started to react with, I assumed, the release agent. The agent and gelcoat came from the same company and are supposed to be compatible.

On going back to EasyComposite's site I realised my mistake. I added a black dye to the gecoat in order to disguise the weave. However, the dye I have is for epoxy resin and is not compatible with the Polyester gelcoat!

T.W.A.T.

Oh well, Once it has dried I will sand it off and try again.

Why hide the weave? It is one of the features of CF that makes it so appealing...

RedS4 wrote:Why hide the weave? It is one of the features of CF that makes it so appealing...

Not to me. It is the least important feature as far as I am concerned. Strength and weight are the only features I am interested in. If I can hide the carbon I will. Or maybe I should cover it in carbon vinyl as a double bluff

Posers like the weave, racers like the weight and strength...........IMO

Been researching rear wings as I may need one. Can't find anything suitable that has a decent profile. Most of the eBay offerings, for example, must have been designed by someone who skipped aerodynamics in primary school The decent wings are a lot of money - ?1000 plus

Anyway, found a NACA profile that I like so I imported it into AutoCad and scaled it to 250mm chord length.



My idea is to make a pattern out of foam board shaped using CNC mill cut profiles so the next task was to create a G-Code for the CNC machine - done.

I will use the pattern to make a fibreglass mould. From this I will make the carbon fibre wing. Still have to work out how to secure support brackets and end plates.

I am looking into making it movable so it can act as an air brake at the end of the 1/4 mile. As I already have compressed air on board I am thinking of using pneumatic actuators. They are both lighter and quicker than linear actuators and I need it to move quickly to be of any use.

The wing will be set up to aid stability at high speed with the option of the increasing the angle of attack so it acts as a brake. Brake light pressure switch will be used to activate it.

stevebroad wrote:

RedS4 wrote:Why hide the weave? It is one of the features of CF that makes it so appealing...

Not to me. It is the least important feature as far as I am concerned. Strength and weight are the only features I am interested in. If I can hide the carbon I will. Or maybe I should cover it in carbon vinyl as a double bluff

Posers like the weave, racers like the weight and strength...........IMO

Agreed! I don't find the stuff that pretty either, but would totally have it as long as it had a nice paint-job or something over it.