Late S3 airbox

[gjz30075]

I have two early, ie, rounded, air boxes with their backplates and I noticed the one on my 67 S3 SE, July
build engine, has the 'connecting' bolt (connecting backplate to fiberglass cover) going through an
unthreaded bobbin in the fiberglass cover into a nut welded on the backplate so the bolt comes in from the fender / wing side.

The other air box has the opposite. It has a threaded bobbin in the fiberglass and just a hole in the
backplate so the bolt comes in from the engine side.

Looking at this thread
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=24610

I see Brian's engine picture showing the bolt head on the fiberglass side.

Is there a correct way? Could someone have reamed out the bobbin and welded a nut on the back plate?

Could this be an S1 S2 vs S3 thing?

[elancoupe]

My late 66 has a threaded bobbin in the box cover- original as far as I know.

[elans3]

My '68 S3 S/E (one of the last 500 S3's), was as your first one, ie the bolt going through a bobbin in the GRP cover, into a nut welded onto the backplate. Both previous late '66 S3's were the same !.
One of those Lotus quirks.......

[gjz30075]

Just basic research on, ie, looking at period pictures, this looks like early cars, maybe up through the middle of the S3 run, has the bolt coming in from the engine side and later cars has the bolt coming from the fender / wing side, which makes sense, with less clutter to deal with. Thanks guys

[Craven]

90% same as MK1 Lotus Cortina clearly no room to fit cover from front.

lotus Cortina.jpg (26.45 KiB) Viewed 5312 times