Rear deck brace.S3 DHC.

[RogerFrench]

I have discovered that I'm missing a brace that supports the rear deck, and fits between the boot hinges.
Does anyone have one, preferably in the US, or a good drawing, please?

[pharriso]

Here's what I drew up last year:

LotusElan_BootHingeBrace.pdf

(38.55 KiB) Downloaded 659 times

Sue Miller does stock them.

[RogerFrench]

Thanks Phil, and much though I like Sue Miller I'm not planning to visit the UK for a while (my daughter lives not far from Sue) , so I think I can make that for the cost of the postage!

[Elan45]

I currently own 3 S3s from an early pre-airflo coupe 'til a Super Safety DHC. I also owned another S3 for several years, but sold it (now in Italy) and I've never seen one of these.

Early coupes used the same hinges as the S1 and S2 models The recesses in the body and boot lid and bolt spacingis are different for the 2 styles of hinge. Adding the spring device to hold the boot lid open I would think would interfere with this brace. In fact, II had a problem with installing the boot lid support, so I made an extended nut from hex stock. It is round on the end where it touches the support and hex on the other end so it could be tightened.

Roger

[RogerFrench]

Verrrry interesting....my S3's boot lid doesn't line up with the body. The body is less curved, and it seems to me that such a brace, with suitable padding, could restore the arch.
I'll make one and see.

[661]

Verrrry interesting....my S3's boot lid doesn't line up with the body. The body is less curved, and it seems to me that such a brace, with suitable padding, could restore the arch.
I'll make one and see.

Not sure about that. I'd suggest the boot is warped! There's not a lot of curve on the body and I wouldn't want to try and make one by forcing it upwards.

[Elan45]

I wonder if someone may have replaced your bootlid. I have my coupe and SS DHC side by side and like someone said, there's not much curve. IIRC, there is little relief molded into the later lid, but a fair amount in the early one and of course the shape of the hinge is vastly different. And the bolt spacing is different.

The later hinge has 1 bolt into the body and two in the lid, whereas the early example has 2 bolt in each leg of the hinge. I can put a straightedge on both cars and measure, if you'd like; PM me.

Roger

[RogerFrench]

As Cilla might have said, there's norra lorra curve, but there's a bunch of repair to the body.
I think a brace, with a bit of padding, might get them to match. The boot lid seems to be in fine shape.