Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

PO had gone to the pin through the bonnet attachment on my S1 and I am going back to factory stock. I will have to do a bit of fiberglass work and replace the stainless steel skids that the bonnet latch hooks slide over when closing. Wondering if those are available anywhere for reasonable money or if I should hit up a friend who is in the food equipment manufacturing business oorrrr if anyone has a bit of SS lying around.

Kurt

Kurt, the "bonnet skid plates" are available from SJ Sports Cars at about 5 pounds each.
http://www.sjsportscars.co.uk/

Thanks Greg.
Little steep for a couple little strips of stainless but I guess no one works for free. Not sure I would go to the trouble to make them up for that.

Kurt.

Kurt,
The ones on my S2 look like a couple of strips of ss shim stock folded over the fiberglass and pinched at the edges, works fine. If you have a tool and die shop locally could probably get for next to nothing as ubiquitous in that environment.
Cheers,
Jack

Thanks Jack...I have a friend who makes specialized equipment for the food industry....probably hit him up first when I can get to it.

Kurt.

nomad wrote:Thanks Jack...I have a friend who makes specialized equipment for the food industry....probably hit him up first when I can get to it.

Kurt.

For heaven's sake they are less than $15 for a pair... Is your time (& your friend's) worth nothing?

pharriso wrote:For heaven's sake they are less than $15 for a pair... Is your time (& your friend's) worth nothing?

Do you ever drive your Elan for fun, Phil, which is just a waste of your time? $15 would get me enough petrol/gas for 100 miles and waste two hours.

It's like this guys.....I have plenty more to do on the car and am not in a hurry. I see my friend usually a couple times a month and when I do he will probably have a piece in his scrap pile. if not I now know where I can get them for little money!

Kurt.

Quart Meg Miles wrote:Do you ever drive your Elan for fun, Phil, which is just a waste of your time?

No it is not.... it's my entertainment, therapy etc... I can't see bothering my friend to spend an hour or more making a $15 part as entertainment... each to their own I guess...

Just to add something of value to this thread... my car/hood came without the bonnet skids, when I bought skids from Matty I thought they were too long & cut them down.... only afterwards did I realise that they wrap around the hood edge. Here is a picture of the incorrectly fitted (green) & correctly fitted (red) skids:


& yes the OCD in me forced me to buy another pair of skids & correctly install them

Well, perhaps I am frugal to a fault but I think the whole community could stand to get Gary Anderson back on here with his "Sows Ear". These cars are becoming far too much collector and not near enough just fun to drive IMO. Easier to obtain and cheaper parts wouldn't hurt either but I know the limited market would mean anyone providing parts would have to have another source of income. I would bet that most of the parts supplier's now are doing it for the love of the marque.

My .02!

Kurt.

OK, folk's, I don't need the hinge skids but the little bit that the latch hooks contact when closing. It appears that a U shaped piece is being marketed for that job and I am at a loss as to how that would work. What I come up with will be a fabrication of some sort to hopefully strengthen the area.

Also the PO had fitted hood pins as I see many owners use so am I making a mistake to go back to the stock latch system???

Kurt.

There are some pictures of the catches in this thread.
lotus-chassis-f36/bonnet-catches-t15156.html#p73470
...,,,,,,,,and yes ......come back Gary.

Ah-ha! Thank you Brian....I now see how the riveted on one's are supposed to work but I'm not exactly sure if that is what I want to pursue. A little reinforcement with glass and the original system look's like it should work just fine.

Kurt