Early +2 steering column.

[wotsisname]

Here's a couple of photos.. these are a '68 +2 .
I had forgotten that the bulkhead plate also includes the handbrake cable.

Hopefully you can make out the column mounting bracket Ok, despite the shadow.

In case you are wondering, the cables (from front, central interior light, aerial & the yellow/red is to allow me to change the RHS reverse light to a red LED fog light at a later date if desired.) are just temporarily wrapped around the bracket

[Bigbaldybloke]

Interesting to see the different methods of mounting parts in this area. I've taken a different route as my brake pedal box and handbrake mounting brackets were completely missing. My car is a very early one that has a much bigger pedal box and I could only get a later narrower one. My solution was to make up a 3mm thick alloy plate that covered most of this area on the engine bay side. This was secured in place with the existing pedal box bolt holes and additional ones. On the inside I mounted a 1" square tube running front to back that the handbrake was secured to using a triangular alloy plate at the bottom end. What I haven't done is extend this to the top steering column mounting bracket. I'll revisit it having seen this and check out the logistics of this additional bracing. I had already bought a second steering column mounting bracket from a later car with the idea of adding it part way down the column bolted through to my alloy strengthening plate, as just the sealing plate and rubber seal at the bottom of the column did not seem good to me. My one piece column had groves worn well into it where it rested and rubbed on this plate.

[Bigbaldybloke]

Just seen the additional photos above. My column bottom plate only goes around the steering column and not the handbrake cable as well. Not sure how the seal was originally around my handbrake cable, I'd been looking for a suitable grommet to seal it, or failing that some of the dreaded black silicon.

[TeeJay]

Bigbaldbloke.

This link has the correct info for the Steering Column Bulkhead Seal.

lotuselan-plus2-f51/replace-steering-flexible-joint-early-t39742.html

See the first photo by ?robbi? and the Parts Manual by ?billwill? ref items 25 & 26 Seal and Plate

These are as my early 1968 +2.

[Bigbaldybloke]

Thanks for the info and link, some photos of mine attached.

[TeeJay]

Making good progress, but I note that the Frame is missing for the Pedal Box.

Some forum members have made their own stronger frame.

[Bigbaldybloke]

I have a brand new reinforcing frame I bought from Spyder that I don't want, open to offers. My car is very early and had a wider pedal box so it didn't fit. It doesn't have the extra brackets on it for the handbrake mounting, but it's very solid, approx 3mm thick plate so easy to weld to if you wanted to add additional brackets. Similar ones are on eBay if you search for lotus elan parts. I can provide photos if required.

[Bigbaldybloke]

Probably took the previous comment the wrong way, thinking you were looking for a reinforcing bracket. As I could only get a later type pedal box for my early car I have a 3mm alloy plate right across the engine bay side where the pedal box fits so don't need the frame on the inside. The early versions such as mine didn't have it fitted originally and as mentioned, the later type pedal box is much narrower, if you look at my photos you can see the bolts in the original holes are further out than the studs on the newer pedal box now fitted. The alloy plate is also bolted right through the 1" square tube I have used for the handbrake mounting so adds strength to the area too.