Also in the category of not_what_God_and_Colin_Chapman_intended,
but definitely worth considering for any specification Elan where it
would be legal, be it road, rally, race, autocross, etc, is a Spyder
frame. I would say this should be one of the first upgrades to be
considered, for any Elan which the owner does not mind modifying.
(Unless applicable rules do not allow....)
The difference in handling is remarkable, and among other things
the motor mounts work much better, and the diff strut rod mountings
are greatly improved. There is no down side that I'm aware of,
except for a small weight increase.
Andres you wrote:
1. Replace "Silentblock" bushings with nylon or similar.
-and-
4. Install Spyder tubular A-arms at the front <snip> Install nylon
bushes on these.
-and-
5. Replace rear A-arms (probably dented by a previous owner) with
more carefully built alternatives. <snip> Nylon bushes again.
I found it interesting that your implication here is Nylon (or possibly
Teflon, or Delrin?) bushings are a good setup in a road car. I've heard
others say that stiffer bushings should not be considered except possibly
for seriously competitive race cars, because of the resulting tendency of
the suspension to beat itself apart, and the remarkably good accuracy of
the suspension location with stock bushings on Elans.
I've heard, for example, people recommend that with rod-end outboard
links on the rear A arms, stock (or at least rubber) inboard bushings
should be used, to retain some shock isolation and avoid hammering the
suspension unduly.
Comments?
Regards,
Erik Berg