Spyder Zetec+2 question

[alex.mcguffie]

Hi,

I've just inherited my late Fathers +2 Zetec. Would anybody out here know what donor radiator Spyder used back around 2005?

He'd owned the car since '78 and went the Zetec route for reliability as it was his daily driver into his 80's! It's a bit tired but I'll be going through it all over time. I originally rebuilt it with him in the late 80's but then we lost touch.

One thing on my list is the Spyder/Emerald ECU wiring, it could be much neater! I design F1 wiring harnesses for a living so should stand a chance!

Alex

[The Veg]

Welcome Alex!

I can't offer any advice re the rad, but the car looks nice in the picture and I'm sending you best wishes getting everything sorted. You don't necessarily have to stick with the same radiator either, though if it's beyond repair I suppose just dropping in the same type would be an easy way to go. Post a pic of it and somebody here may have a sure answer.

And don't be dismayed when others chime-in about the headlights or the high ride in front, they're really a good helpful bunch who mean well.

You're in the right place for a great supportive community for all things related to the Elan & Plus 2.

[berni29]

Hello Alex

Welcome, and lovely car. I am just doing the engine wiring for my own Zetec conversion at the moment so am very interested to hear that you understand such things haha.

Hope you will keep and enjoy the car! They are great!

All the best

Berni

[stugilmour]

Welcome to the forum Alex. Great looking car. Of course we absolutely need more pictures!

Take a look at Spyderfan’s car on this recent thread. He just posted an under-bonnet picture that shows the radiator in his car. Is yours the same?

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=53969&start=15

Although not 100% sure, the radiator in Spyderfan’s picture looks like a Tony Thompson 26R style unit. The first link below looks similar to one I have unused as it will not fit in my Plus 2 because the top inlet nipple fouls the brake booster in my Federal car. I am assuming your Zetec doesn’t have the brake boosters and the 26R style with side tanks would fit.

https://www.tonythompsonracing.co.uk/pa ... kness-26r/

https://www.tonythompsonracing.co.uk/pa ... mperature/

https://www.tonythompsonracing.co.uk/pa ... ith-order/

Hopefully Spyderfan will be along shortly and confirm whether my guess is close to correct. Note after you have posted a few times, the forum software will allow you to send a private message (PM) and ask Spyderfan directly.

Another popular aftermarket radiator supplier for our Lotus cars is Coolex. Here is a link. I am just in the process of installing one in my car. Perfect fit for my Federal car and very good quality. Perhaps they have something that will fit.

https://www.coolexperts.co.uk/brand/lotus/

I would offer my surplus 26R radiator to you at a fair price if it fits, but honestly the shipping from Canada probably makes it a bit silly.

Stu in Calgary

[Spyder fan]

Thanks Stu,

The radiator in my +2 zetec is a Tony Thompson item that has been adapted for use with a Zetec it's not the standard offering from Spyder. There isn't a specific off the shelf item, most of the radiators fitted to Spyder Zetecs have been fabricated especially to suit the installation.

I had a Tony Thompson radiator fitted to my +2 before it was converted to Zetec, it made financial sense at the time to have the inlet and outlet pipes altered to suit the Zetec.

There are lots of fabricators who will make an aluminium radiator to suit, cost is in the region of £400 - £600

[prezoom]

While probably not much sense financially in the UK, I used a DYI crossflow aluminum from Wizard Cooling, located in New York. The smallest one offered is still huge compared to what else that is available. The radiator comes with no filler neck, inlet/outlets, or thermostat bung attached, but all needed parts are included in the package. This gives complete freedom to where these parts can be attached. The only part that was welded to the radiator was the drain plug bung. I have a TIG welder, so attachment was not a problem.

I placed both the outlet and the inlet on the left side tank, as those match the the engine. To gain the maximum cooling, I made a slit cut in the middle of left side tank and welded in a plate that directed the water flow across the top half of the radiator and then to the opposite side, and then back to the opposite side, to match the inlet to the water pump. This outlet opening to the water pump did create a minor problem as the outlet, if welded directly to the left side tank would be pointing directly towards the steering rack. An equal sized piece of tubing was welded between the tank and the supplied opening, to direct the inlet upward to clear the rack.The bung for the temperature sensor was placed opposite, front side, of the inlet from the thermostat. I created a expansion tank separate from the radiator for the filler neck and cap. The only other modification that I needed was re-directing the water pump inlet from pointing towards the rear of the engine, to pointing straight out away from the engine. This was done to simplify hose selection.

Other modifications made to the cooling system involved replacing the multi grooved crankshaft pulley with a V belt pulley and installing a water pump impeller and pulley that changed the direction of flow, as the water pump was no longer driven from the back side of the belt system.

All of this was to create a cooling system that would keep the engine cool under all conditions encountered in the reclaimed desert where I live. It has proved to be a total success as it doesn't matter when or where or how the vehicle is driven, the engine never exceeds 192f, matching the installed thermostat.

[alex.mcguffie]

Welcome Alex!

And don't be dismayed when others chime-in about the headlights or the high ride in front, they're really a good helpful bunch who mean well.

You're in the right place for a great supportive community for all things related to the Elan & Plus 2.

To be fair, the headlights generally stay down quite well. The original solenoid has been replaced with two modern ones. One opens to raise the lights while the other closes to keep the remaining vacuum in the chassis tank.

I also agree the front looks a bit high. On local back roads near me it does bottom the exhaust out though! I'll decide which way to go there when I strip and re-build the corners.

[alex.mcguffie]

Hello Alex

Welcome, and lovely car. I am just doing the engine wiring for my own Zetec conversion at the moment so am very interested to hear that you understand such things haha.

Hope you will keep and enjoy the car! They are great!

All the best

Berni

Thank you for the nice comment. I do plan to keep it as I grew up in the back seat of it as a kid many years ago!

My plan is to do a new loom behind the dash for the Emerald ECU, going to a bulkhead connector for the engine bay and then a dedicated engine harness. The Spyder wiring to the injectors etc looks very bulky and could be tidied quite a bit.

I'm also considering doing a dedicated rear end harness from the dashboard to the boot. this would include all the original lights etc and also the fuel pump, a handbrake light switch.