Dash lettering / radio

[inxs]

Well its is 40? c out side, the cricket is finished so what else can a lotus owner do?

What started out as a few minor repairs has left my + 2 with no front suspension or dash, at least yesterday I felt a bit better as I put more parts back onto the car then I took off!!!

I am redoing the veneer on the dash, I cannot make out any of the lettering on the dash, this lettering I was going to do with "Lettraset" in between coats of 2 pac varnish (Paul Matty doesnt have any sticker sets available, any other suppliers??)

Can any one help me with pictures of a early + 2 dash lay out with lettering (1967 model / very early), and also if possible what would be the height of the lettering so I can get them fairly close to the original. With the original finish on the dash was this a high gloss finish?

I am also trying to replace the radio, I know there is limited room in depth but does any one know of "brand" name that might fit, or as I am veneering the dash should I just blank up the radio??

Thanks in advance,

Darren

[elanbaby]

Darren,
when I was in England the last time, I made a visit to Susan Miller. Lovely Lady, by the way! I bought a new Elan S4 dashboard there with the correct lettering on it. As fas as I remember, she also has self adhesive lettering sets on stock. Another dealer who has lettering sets for Elan on stock is Norbert Brammer in Germany. Brammer Parts, Tel 0049 2104 15777. I?m not sure if he?s got an website, but he?s very helpful and speaks english.
Hope this helps,
Juergen

[inxs]

Thanks Jurgen,

I have now sanded the dash ready for the new veneer, I am trying to source "letraset" lettering in Adelaide (South Australia).
I have been told that the lettering is around 3.5mm??
From all the pictures I have seen the lettering is white?

Cheers Darren

[fatboyoz]

Darren,
For my S4 dash, I used brand name S41 (made in Italy), style R14, white, 3.2 mm purchased from a stationary shop. I ended up with this size and type using a sheet from Christopher Neil (UK lotus dealer) as a sample. I very carefully put them on one letter at a time before puting on the last coat or two of varnish. By the way, I used Wattyl spray lacquer from a can for the dash. The can has a picture of a bell on the front and says it is for copper,brass and similar alloys, but worked fine on teak veneer.
Regards Colin.

[fatboyoz]

Darren,
Give me a shout if you can't find your lettering. I have some extra.
Colin.

[elanbaby]

Darren,
the lettering on my dashboard is 3.2mm too.

Juergen

[inxs]

Thanks Colin for the brand name, I will give them a try locally and see if I can source them. I have tried a few places with not much luck for the "letraset" brand.

I use the same estapol stuff on all the nuts and bolts I took off and cleaned up with a wire brush, I was going to use a full gloss finish on the dash, though I am open to other views??

Will get the veneer in about a week so I have a bit of time to ponder!!!

Cheers Darren

[Jason1]

Try Chris Neil

I rang him last year and they were out of stock, they told me they should be in in about 2 months so he should have them by now.


http://62.73.160.224/acatalog/Christoph ... or_35.html

LINT037
DASH DECAL SET

Price: ?5.03 (Excluding: VAT

[prloz]

Darren,
If you are going to use Estapol over Letraset, I would try a sample first.
Many years ago I made a panel using this combination.
The Estapol reacted with the Letraset causing all the lettering to wrinkle
Regards,
Peter.

[peter greening]

For Info.
The typeface / font is Helvetica

[gordonlund]

Darren,

You don't say if your car is RHD or LHD. According to the Lotus workshop manual it quotes a differant style of dash for the Federal version see Section M page 81. The early UK version had toggle switches not rocker switches as fitted to Federal and later +2s. Mine is a '68 UK model (RHD)as you can see from the attached photo. The seats and centre console are out of a later +2S. A recent topic on +2 radios did this to death with quite a few sets that would fit the limited depth available on your side of the pond. As you can see from the pic my radio CD player stands proud (sacriledge) My lettering on the dash is Letraset courtousy of Civil Engineers I worked with in the early '80s I think they were about 1/8 inch. I varnished over the individual letters with the last of 18 coats of 50/50 white spirit diluted Ronseal clear wood varnish. I did this over 20 years ago.

Best Regards

gordon

[inxs]

Hi Gordon,

My car is right hand drive and it is an early elan it is the 100th of the line so it has the toggle switches. I just picked up the burr walnut veneer yesterday and will have it fitted soon. With the lettering I will try and source the letra set style lettering and do as what you did and put it on between layers of the estapol.

With the radio I have an old phillips radio cassett player that sort of fits so I may persevere with this. The other option is no radio and listen to the exhaust note!!

I have your book and it is great to see you reunited with your old +2

I will post some pictures when i get it finished, i have made my own consul loosely based on the original (similar to your photo). Out of interest I have sourced a gear boot and suround from a MK 2 MGB, it is round but looks the part.
Cheers Daren

[gordonlund]

Darren,

The earliest +2 I know about belongs to one of our members in the North West of England. It is unit number 50/ 0007. It is one family owned from new as it was his fathers car. It has never been restored and is still run from time to time. It looks a bit tired but who wouldn't be after all this time without a spruce up.

You can probably modify a modern radio mounting chassis to fit the PHILIPS set and then set it in flush with the dash if you have the room. Failing that it will have to stand proud with a little imagination on your part as to how you will fix it in. My bracket picks up the two centre dash fixing holes which hides a cobbled up bit of carpentry which my dog could have chewed better. Not by me I hasten to add.

Regards

Gordon