+2 sill members

[spridget]

Hi all
I?m currently switching my old and rusty sill members for new galvanized supplied by Spyder.
I have study all the thread about it on the archive but I can?t pull out the old ones so I wonder if I must unscrew all the small screws and remove the black plate?

Thanks !

Franck

[Peter +2]

Franck,

Yes you need to remove all the screws that run along the bottom. You will need to remove the inside carpets to get at the nuts. It is likely they all will be seized. If you are lucky the screws may snap off, otherwise you will need to revert to the Lotus owners best friend - the angle grinder!

Peter

[spridget]

Many thanks Peter,
That's exactly what I need to know
The carpets won't be a problem :

I'm finishing the rebuild after converting the car to LHD. Do the plates an screws have to be black ? Maybe I have to make them sandblasted and powder coated ?
I note you own a 1968 +2 BRM... Nice car !

Franck

[KevJ+2]

Interesting with the black strips, never seen them, and not on my car I must say, the spyder members you have in the car seem quite good! My sills were just filled with powdered rust. Don't forget to pull any wires away from the inside to save drilling through them when you remove the screws. Kevin.

[TonyJ]

Have fun drilling out the old screws , drove me nuts - I went and bought a more powerful drill!

Do you mean do the screws and washers have to be black? They were originally painted black but not powder painted. I think they were painted as per the fibreglass they go through - not sure which one - either matt black or satin black.

Good luck. The dash looks great.

Tony

[spridget]

Kevin, I?m not sure the strips have to be black. Yes, the members look not too bad but the inside plates were very rusty and the screw broke ?Thanks for the advice but I hope to unscrew or better if they snap off.
Tony, do you mean the strips have to be black ? I assume they weren?t powder painted but I suppose it would be more resistant.
Yes the dash is great, it was made by Margaret Cuthbert, she did a fantastic job

Franck

[TonyJ]

By strip I am meaning the piece of the body that the screws go through before they go through the sill member. It should be painted black rather than body colour. Strip, screws and washers al painted black. Hope that makes sense.

Would include a pic but I haven't got round to painting my washers and screws yet
Tony

[spridget]

Well yesterday, I watched my different magazines when the new Elan +2 was introduced to see how these strips were painted. I?ve found most are painted as body color.
I ?ve noticed that sometimes there was an upper alluminium strip but not every time !

On this picture from an article from Car september 1967 issue no strips

in Sport Auto September 1968 : the strips are there

However it?s the same car : LPW120E !!!

Does that mean only the number plate is the same and the car was swapped between the 2 articles ? Or maybe they had been add later ?
Any thought ?

Franck

[TeeJay]

I would think that the Body Strips have be added later. My 1968 +2 has them fitted.

Also the sill lips, fasteners and part way up the sill (just the curved part) should be painted satin black.
The above is as original.

Although some prefer to leave them as the body colour. Each to there own.

[Dave240]

If you haven't finished the job yet, have a read of my write up on the sill replacement:
http://www.myautoproject.com/2013/08/si ... us-elan-2/

I drilled out the little screws as I didn't want to bother messing with them.

[Bud English]

"...maybe this was all part of Chapman?s plan for simplicity. He wanted all nuts and bolts on his cars to be able to removed with one universal tool ? a drill."

Dave, I love it! (Insert huge smile here, like I would have had they been working)

[fittielan]

Photo take in the Spanish coast.Probably Ibiza where Colin Chapman had a Villa
Seems to have stripes ???
Also note chromed wheels and white band tyres