Plus 2 window frame/door sealing?

[The Veg]

I have noticed this black putty type of stuff in this spot...is it supposed to be there?

[stugilmour]

Yes, amazingly that is stock. Often thought we could use the fingerprints to determine provenance.

We opted to leave everything in place when repainting as saw no advantage screwing with the stuff. I think the body guys call the material dum dum. I got some similar material to seal any holes in the body.

Stu

[prezoom]

You can find it in the electrical section at Home Depot. It is used to seal duct work entering a building.

[The Veg]

Thanks, good to know. Not surprising at all really, given Lotus' history of half-ass methods in places. I know a guy who has found duct-tape securing wiring in his 21st-century Elise, so the heritage is alive and well.

[bob_rich]

Hi

I can also confirm that "stuff " is used around the quarter light to , I assume, stop water leaks.
I have attached a picture of how mine was done when I stripped it down back in 2011.

During the rebuild, I sealed my window rubber on the outside using as I recall Dow Corning Black 791 around the quarter light and did not replace the "stuff" on the inside . In the area of the "stuff" I drilled a few holes so any water could drain away. On my car the lower quarter light channels were corroded beyond repair so my thinking was that if any water gets through my outer seal then it can drain away quickly.

after 18 months on the road, though not too much severe rain, so far so good

Hope this helps

Best of Luck

Bob

[pharriso]

Guys, in the first picture I notice there is some kind of metal clip retaining the rod into the Nylon rod connector:

Not seen one before... is it home made or original fitment?

Could you post a better picture of it please? I'm tired of my rods releasing from the clips... I've experimented with tie-wraps (zip ties) but no 100% solution yet.

Thanks

[weddingcarclive]

Yes Dum Dum widely used in the motor trade during sixties like most things we are now protected against by health and safety with it having been made using animal fats etc. Now Banned ! Well my hands are still attached to my wrists !!!
I managed to find old stock this year but alas no more to be found, it worked well and never dried out keeping supple on the inside and could be re worked to re use like you would re work plasticine.

If you find some keep it safe Ho Ho

[The Veg]

Guys, in the first picture I notice there is some kind of metal clip retaining the rod into the Nylon rod connector:

Not seen one before... is it home made or original fitment?

Could you post a better picture of it please? I'm tired of my rods releasing from the clips... I've experimented with tie-wraps (zip ties) but no 100% solution yet.

Thanks

As I've only owned the car for a couple of weeks, I have no idea if it's original equipment or not. The car lives outside and the weather is a fright right now, but as the door-card is still taken apart I'll try for a better picture if there's a break in the rain.

[The Veg]

Guys, in the first picture I notice there is some kind of metal clip retaining the rod into the Nylon rod connector:

Not seen one before... is it home made or original fitment?

Could you post a better picture of it please? I'm tired of my rods releasing from the clips... I've experimented with tie-wraps (zip ties) but no 100% solution yet.

Thanks

Phil, there was a break in the weather today so I was able to get on the car for a brief bit of fettling. Here's a close-up of the clip:



It looks home-made to me, and it's been glued-up with something black. The black stuff is completely solid though, unlike the aforementioned dum-dum on the window frame, so I think it's probably a different substance. Whoever did this definitely didn't want the rod coming loose.

To compare, I used to have an '86 Esprit that used the same door-handle- but I never had any problem with the rod coming out of it, although I think I can chalk that up to the Esprit's handle never requiring removal or even disconnection. With the Esprit, to get the door-card off all you have to do is loosen the three screws in the handle and pop-out the two-piece trim around the handle, revealing enough of a hole in the card for the handle topass through as the card is pulled away. Everything is always right where it needs to be, so the rod really doesn't have much reason to loose itself from the plastic piece. I'd venture that this is more serendipity than the result of Lotus-engineers getting clever about how to keep things working.

[gjz30075]

Stock, with a mod to keep the rod in place. Here's a pic of how they should look.

Merry Christmas to all! Now back to your eggnog.

[pharriso]

Thanks for the pictures Mr Veg & Greg.

Greg, cannot see your mod in the photo... do you have a better picture?

[gjz30075]

Phil, I was referencing Veg's pic of the the clip thingy and what looks to be jbweld holding it in place, ie, the
mod.

[pharriso]

OK Understood.

My door lock rod pops out of the clip every now & then; it's then a PITA to put the rod back in the clip...

The Nylon clips are not available from Matty or Sue Miller without the rest of the door lock, maybe if I add a couple of holes in the Nylon clip & then safety wire or zip tie the rod in position it will hold together? Here's a mock up of where the holes would need to be:

[mbell]

My memory is that my car has some kind of fabric tape wrapped around the plastic piece and rods that I guess is meant to stop the rods popping out. No idea if its standard or a PO mod but seems like like a simple solution, have you tried some duct tape or similar?

Other than that small piece of Aluminum sheet could be shaped to cover the top of the plastic piece holding the rods and simple taped/tie wrapped in place.

[The Veg]

OK Understood.

My door lock rod pops out of the clip every now & then; it's then a PITA to put the rod back in the clip...

The Nylon clips are not available from Matty or Sue Miller without the rest of the door lock, maybe if I add a couple of holes in the Nylon clip & then safety wire or zip tie the rod in position it will hold together? Here's a mock up of where the holes would need to be:

DoorRod_Clip_CATIA.JPG

Now all you need is a 3-D printer. Between making those clips and the mounting bezels and internal bits for old Esprit switches, you could be the big hero of the Lotus world!