Tidy jack location in boot

[richardcox_lotus]

You can tell I've too much time on my hands at the moment.

For years, I've been wondering where the jack should be stored in the boot. I can't seem to get it to fit alongside the spare wheel. Standard Wheel/Tyre sizes & Jack / toolkit for a Sprint - & it just doesn't fit enough to allow a wheel to fit as well.

So it ends up between the rear turrets (Sort of).

No details in either workshop manual/bucklands book/parts manual or owners handbook. Anyone got a photo of where it should go ?

Thanks

Richard
'72 Sprint

[elanmac]

I had the same problem with my S3 so I bought a small modern scissor jack to carry with me, it fits with my tool kit in the spare wheel. When I bought the car it had a trolley jack fastened in the boot.

[alexblack13]

I dont bother carrying the jack (or spare wheel) Saves weight and allows more space for more important things. I carry a 'spare in a can' puncture repair/emerg' tyre inflator ..A la Halfords.

I took the runflats off my Z4 when I discovered BMW dont use them on the M version of the car. I am told the cars carry an emerg' get u home repair system very similar to the one I bought for the Elan.

With any luck I wont have to test / try either...

I have had no more than two flats in god only knows how may miles. I used to do 40 - 50 K mls / year!

Should not have said that.

Alex B....

[richardcox_lotus]

I agree it's not the end of the earth. I did have a flat in the Elan en route to Le Mans many years ago. Changed the wheel on the verge of the D50/N138 or some such with French arctics thundering past. Hmmm.

Found the equivalent of kwik-fit near the large Carrefour in Le Mans, who managed to fit a rather luvverly Uniroyal complete with a replacement "chambre d'air"

Richard

[richard sprint]

Alex

I used the same principle on my M5 bmw, successfully for two years and enjoyed the weight saving - then of course I had a nail find its way through and the spray lube did not work!

I've since reverted to putting back the spare and peace of mind you never know when and where a puncture will ---k up plans and appointments!

Air in the right place is a wonderful thing!

Getting back to topic - where should the jack go I also will have a need to know?

Richard

[Bruce Crowthorne]

Bear in mind that modern Lotus don't have a spare - just the Halfords spray repair and inflate in a can.
There is even a clip in the S1 Elise under the "front bonnet" - so you could be kind of original and use a genuine Lotus clip!

But I share your original problem of where to keep the jack.
I have one of the original jacks, but I have never used it and knowing the lattice structure in the sills I must admit I don't fancy using it!!!
Now a small scissor jack sounds like a good idea...

Must go for a wander round a scrapyard.....
Any suggestions on which cars have a suitable jack?

[bcmc33]

The jack I have for my car seems to be perfect for application and stowage.

[collins_dan]

The Lotus jack that came with my car was twisted and unusable. I tried a number of different jacks and none would fit under the center frame, where I prefer to jack. I tried the one from my VW and it was perfect. Bought another off ebay for near nothing. It's tiny, fits inside the spare with my knock-on hammer and jumper cables, and I came fit it under the frame in front or next to exhaust in rear.

Dan

[Mazzini]

I'm going to resurrect this old thread.

Are there any type 26 owners out there that can tell me where their jack was originally stored?

[pharriso]

I'm going to resurrect this old post.

Are there any type 26 owners out there that can tell me where their jack was originally stored?

& I'm going to enlarge the scope of the question & ask where was the jack originally stored in a S4 or Sprint?

[Mazzini]

I have a couple of jacks, one of which is broken - the U section has become detached, without it the jack fits perfectly in front of the spare wheel. If I weld on a threaded bit onto the rivet (welding the rivet down first), then if I have to use the jack I'll have fasten the U section onto the jack and presto...this still doesn't answer my question as to how Lotus did it originally?

[trw99]

I’m not sure there is a definitive answer to this. I suspect that the jack, tools et al were thrown together at the factory, shoved in the boot and it was then left up to the dealer to decide how and where it went.

Besides, as we know, the majority of U.K. cars were delivered to owners in component form, so either the jack was chucked into one of the boxes or somewhere inside the car with other parts. Then it was up to the first owner to decide where to put it.

Tim

[Mazzini]

I’m not sure there is a definitive answer to this. I suspect that the jack, tools et al were thrown together at the factory, shoved in the boot and it was then left up to the dealer to decide how and where it went.

Besides, as we know, the majority of U.K. cars were delivered to owners in component form, so either the jack was chucked into one of the boxes or somewhere inside the car with other parts. Then it was up to the first owner to decide where to put it.

Tim

So shove it in a box and let the customer sort it, that sounds like a very Lotus like solution.

[elanner]

A fun topic that I'd never noticed before!

I think the original jack is a hopeless mess and totally unsuited to the car. As everybody has noted, there is nowhere suitable to put it. In my case at least, the best place to store it is gently rusting away under a load of junk in the garage. And apparently it's worth a fortune! Heck, should I clean it up and paint it, or is the patina part of its value?

Anyway, my Elan also came with a tiny scissor jack that fits easily in the well between the petrol tank and the right wing. And with its flat base against the fibreglass it doesn't do any damage. And it fits under everything.

What were Lotus thinking? It must have been the cheapest jack available.

Nick

[Mazzini]

With the Lotus specified 145 tyre for the type 26, the original jack tucks in in front of the spare wheel.