Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Just continuing on my body repairs on the Plus 2, and I've got a question for the expert here.
My boot hinge holes in the top deck are both around 14mm in diameter - much larger than the stud on the hinge, but they look clean and undamaged. Is this standard to allow some wriggle room when fitting the boot lid, or are they larger than they should be - if larger what size hole is standard?
Thanks in anticipation of enlightenment

I have a baby Elan so may be different. Mine has a u-channel bar under the fiberglass, inside the trunk that is through bolted with the hinges. It is the bar not the body that provides precise location. Maybe yours is missing. I have met owners who were unaware of them missing the bar.

'73 Plus 2S130 has a brace on one side that connects to the boot light switch bracket. Right hand hinge bolt passes through it.



On the left there's just a washer spreading load directly onto the bodywork. Another good resin not to slam the boot shut.

When you fit the hinges fit new Gaskets (sjsportscars) and sometimes you need to fit 2 gaskets to adjust the height. So no stress on grp.
Alan
ps use Studs into Hinges

My hinge holes were filled in when the body was stripped to bare fibreglass and sprayed so I had to re drill them, I drilled them with just a small clearance around the hinge stud, so I guess about 3/8? diameter. As already mentioned one hinge attaches to the support brace and that governs the max hole size I could drill there anyway. As best I could see my final holes were in the same position and size as the originals so about 3/8? I would suspect for the original holes. Use a ?penny washer? to support the side without the brace.

Thanks for the replies - but does anyone know what he hole size in the GRP is? I've got he brace bar (just had it blasted and stoved so its still nicely wrapped up in bubble wrap), but I'm doing the myriad of small repairs needed to the bare body so need to know if I leave the holes as is or fill them and then redrill.
Thanks
Matt

Matt Elan wrote:Thanks for the replies - but does anyone know what he hole size in the GRP is? I've got he brace bar (just had it blasted and stoved so its still nicely wrapped up in bubble wrap), but I'm doing the myriad of small repairs needed to the bare body so need to know if I leave the holes as is or fill them and then redrill.
Thanks
Matt

On the 2 seater I sort of recall the hole size was that of the stud, adjustment being on the lid side - but on the retainer side the fiberglass had been damaged by the extra stress, the washer working its way through it : it had no reinforcement then, so added one in shape of a U profile, snug and glued into the chanel, extending beyond both studs. If there has been some play around the hinges you'll likely see some cracks in the gelcoat (one can use some acetone or lacquer thinner to make them more visible on sanded fibeglass).
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actually, I took some photo at the shop and there is indeed an adjustment possibility on my '68 s4se, mainly in the longitudinal direction