Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

661 wrote:The only thing I think I could do as well as you is 'beer time'.
But you do put seeds of thought into the 'composite' lobe of my brain.

Beer time is an art form not appeciated by many people and resuires a certain amount of dedication and constant practice to become anywhere near proficient at it

With regard to composites, they have their own little place in the petrolhead's brian but it is unfortunately rather shrivelled up in the metal car fraternity's grey matter.

Tweaked the passenger door so it fits the opening a litle better. Todo that I cut through the frame, twisted it, held it in place and carboned over the cuts. Look naff at the moment but I will trim it up once cured.



With regard to the driver's door, I have worked out how to secure the base of the lexan window and made a couple of aluminium moulds which are at present covered in carbon and cooking at 120deg C.

While that was going on I rumminated on how to fit the two parts of the door together. I think that I will butt join them with a 20mm carbon strip holding the two sections together. Watch this space

Are you going to have sliding lexan or a solid non-moving piece?

this composite door approach appears a very efficient design (incl. considering the tooling effort/weight gain ratio), and the door skinning is an inspiring approach in itself... I might try some local weight saving that way myself (using S-glass for reskinning - carbon or other modern materials being mostly banned under FIA rules, except very locally for passive safety enhancement)

nmauduit wrote:this composite door approach appears a very efficient design (incl. considering the tooling effort/weight gain ratio), and the door skinning is an inspiring approach in itself... I might try some local weight saving that way myself (using S-glass for reskinning - carbon or other modern materials being mostly banned under FIA rules, except very locally for passive safety enhancement)

The door re-skinning came about purely due to the mess I had made of the door trying to to reduce its weight with 400 holes, making it very difficult to use as a pattern.

S-glass can be better than carbon in some situations and be of a similar weight. Also it doesn't explode on impact!

One Elan flat pack door kit. Some assembly required.

Passenger door now has all its parts. 2.1kg, 1kg heavier than the driver's door which is 100% carbon. Just sitting in the hole with no hinges or locks.

Sometimes you have to buy something just for one job. Having trimmed the door hinges I needed to clean up the threads. I didn't have a 3/4" 16tpi tap, but I have now OEM hinges weigh a total of 930gms, these now weigh 351gms, over 1/2 kg saving just on these small items.

OK, anyone come across this issue before? Went to fit my new (had them many years) nylon door adjusters this morning. One fitted fine but the other three are very tight. So tight, in fact that the square adjusting tool spins in the hole and I had to use mole grips to get one of them out. On measuring the diameters there is approx 5 thou difference between the one that fits and those that are too tight. I have ordered a 3/4" 16TPI die to solve a problem I didn't expect to have, especially as I had cleaned the threads up with a tap. (ignore the frayed top to the smaller one, this is how it was before I fitted it).

Would a little clean up with a Thread File do the trick
Alan

Hi Steve

Project is looking good. Been following progress and I love the lightening solutions - and the workmanship.

I had a similar problem with inconsistency of The nylon hinge mouldings and I tried to clean the threads but all that did was to stretch the square socket in the moulding.

I ended up being brutal and locked the nylon in a vice with a pipe adapter (the ones with the moulded in recess for tubing) just up to the start of the thread and turned the hinge around the nylon until it was close to where I needed it. I then spent ages fine tuning.

There may well be a better way but I didn’t find it!

Keep up the good work

Gavin

alan.barker wrote:Would a little clean up with a Thread File do the trick
Alan

That is an option, but I have ordered a die which should solve the problem. I usually buy taps and dies together but didin't this time for some reason

I've had similar issues with the black repros, lots of undue aggravation : after running short of tricks, knuckle skin and english cursing incantations, I eventually salvaged original translucent nylon ones, redoing a ball with a file when required (that shortens a bit the range, to be used on the top where there is less pressure).

Thanks, it is at least reassuring that it isn't just me

stevebroad wrote:

alan.barker wrote:Would a little clean up with a Thread File do the trick
Alan

That is an option, but I have ordered a die which should solve the problem. I usually buy taps and dies together but didin't this time for some reason

Or a Thread Chasser on a Lathe (back to being an Apprentice)
Alan