130/5 (1974) - going from RHD to LHD

[Blattmann]

Hello.
I'm new at this forum.
Wanted to ask your help to find out what are the necessary parts to change my Elan+2 130/5 (1974) from RHD to LHD.

I have the time and want to do it as a DYS job.

Where can the parts be sourced?

Thanks.
Jo?o

[garyeanderson]

Hello Jo?o

This has been frequently discussed in the past, The topic in the past is with the Elan and not the Plus2. Here is a link that searches elan.net for "LHD RHD", some may be applicable. The pedals may be the same but the Rack and Pinion is a definite swap, I have not even looked a RHD plus2 so someone else will need to step in with that knowledge.

Gary

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=LH ... s&aq=f&oq=

[gerrym]

Gary, I have a LHD (classic) Mini Steering rack fitted to my RHD Plus 2 (as do Syder's conversions).

Does this mean a RHD Mini Steering rack would work for a LHD Plus 2??.

Jo?o, worth a look in a catalogue?

Regards

Gerry

[CBUEB1771]

A quick look through the Service Parts List shows that the steering column and associated brackets, steering column switches, and brake, clutch and throttle pedals are handed. Oddly the pedal box is not handed. I recommend you get the Service Parts List and Workshop Manual to work out the entire list. Hmmm, I seem to make that recommendation fairly often.

[Tintin]

Does this mean a RHD Mini Steering rack would work for a LHD Plus 2??.

Yes, it does.



Tim

[Blattmann]

Ok. Thanks for all the info.

Step 1. - get the Service Parts List.
Step 2. - start to disassemble and check what is there.
Step 3. - come back to the forum and cry for help.

Jo?o

[Blattmann]

Hello.

I'm trying to find a speedometer in Km's but no luck yet. Paul Matty doesn't sell them also.

Any ideas?


thanks.
Jo?o

[Blattmann]

Hello.

I'm trying to find a speedometer in Km's but no luck yet. Paul Matty doesn't sell them also.

Any ideas?


thanks.
Jo?o

[gerrym]

Years ago, a work around was to attach stickers on the speedo face with the critical km values (eg 50 km/hr, 100, 130 etc).

The face glass comes off fairly easily so the stickers could be put directly on the instrument face rather than the glass.

Would that be legal for you?

Regards

Gerry

[mikealdren]

Jo?o,
There are a few people who recondition, repair and recalibrate Smiths instruments. Why not try ringing to see if they can help.
Speedograph Richfield Ltd and Speedy Cables would be good starting points.

Mike

[gerrym]

Jo?o, Mike is right. Speedy or Speedograph should be able to reprint the face of the speedo with km devisions. Whilst they are at it, thay can of course re-calibrate the instrument.

Regards

Gerry

[ringe]

Jo?o,

I had my Elan S2 speedometer converted to km/h by Speedycables about one year ago. It cost about 140 Euros including shipping to Germany and turn around time was six weeks. The work is excellent from my viewpoint.

Since someone in this forum mentioned that before: I got the housing yellow chromate coated while the original surface was galvanized zinc. Just in case you are into originality. Another minor issue is that the lighting in the speedometer is now slightly brighter than in the other gauges.

Hope that helps,
Matthias

[Blattmann]

Thanks for the ideas. Just to make legal in Portugal I'm going to take a photo of the speedometer, work it with photoshop, print it, remove the glass and stick the print there. This will allow me the make the car legal in Portgual since I have limited time to get it thru import inspection. After that I will be able to disassemble it and sent it for conversion/overhaul.

You all say it's easy to remove the glass. Can it be done without removing the speedomenter from the dashboard?


regards
Jo?o

[CBUEB1771]

You all say it's easy to remove the glass. Can it be done without removing the speedomenter from the dashboard?

At the very least you will have to ease the speedometer away from the dashboard by a couple of cm. You need to rotate the bezel with respect to the instrument housing until tabs on the bezel align with reliefs in the housing. When the tabs and reliefs align you can lift the bezel and glass off of the housing. It will be easier to take the speedometer out of the dashboard so that you can see what you are doing. Do not be tempted to bend the bezel tabs away from the housing as they will likely break off. Good luck, your Photoshop idea is very clever as a temporary solution, you can make one that tops out at 400 kph!

[Blattmann]

Had to drive 150 miles and everything was ok except:
-hazard lights don?t work. Quite strange because both indicators work but when I press the hazard lights switch the nothing happens and the indicators don?t work anymore. Switching off the hazard light switch and the indicators work again.
-Horn doesn?t work.
-Can?t get the water to the windscreen. Only the wipers are working.
-Presence lights don?t work. They only light when I turn on the normal beam or high beam.
-Fog lights don't work.

These are the 5 problems that I have to get fixed to go thru inspection (MOT) to import the car to Portugal.


Regards
Jo?o

P.S. car has a lot of vibration maybe coming from the non calibrated wheels. All the instruments lights are not working, so I will have to check the fuses or wiring loom.