Spyder Roll Over Bar Removal

[Steve G]

Does anyone have instructions on how to remove the Spyder Roll Over Bar? Is it possible to unbolt the Roll Over Bar but keep the side impact protection bars in place or do they bolt to the roll over bar?

I have done a search on here and the internet in general and have also contacted Spyder but had no luck so far.

[Mark B]

Hi Steve,

I spoke to sean @ spyder the other month reg their roll bar as I'm thinking of going for one myself.
There's 2 systems- A full roll bar with side and footwell bars (which you seem to have)
A side impact and footwell bar system only.

With the full system the roll bar will unbolt from the side impact bars but you would then need some additional bars to bolt them back upto the chassis, as the roll over bar is now removed. It may be possible to buy them off the shelf from spyder, otherwise you could always fabricate some yourself, or chop the top section off the roll bar perhaps?

Here's a link to the footwell & side bar system which hopefully will help...

http://www.spydercars.co.uk/elan_side_a ... otecti.htm

I found sean very helpful @ spyder, perhaps worth a call to him to see what they can do for you.

Cheers,
Mark.

[Steve G]

Hi Steve,

I spoke to sean @ spyder the other month reg their roll bar as I'm thinking of going for one myself.
There's 2 systems- A full roll bar with side and footwell bars (which you seem to have)
A side impact and footwell bar system only.

With the full system the roll bar will unbolt from the side impact bars but you would then need some additional bars to bolt them back upto the chassis, as the roll over bar is now removed. It may be possible to buy them off the shelf from spyder, otherwise you could always fabricate some yourself, or chop the top section off the roll bar perhaps?

Here's a link to the footwell & side bar system which hopefully will help...

http://www.spydercars.co.uk/elan_side_a ... otecti.htm

I found sean very helpful @ spyder, perhaps worth a call to him to see what they can do for you.

Cheers,
Mark.

Thanks Mark, and also Carrot for your pm's. Very useful info. I think I will fabricate the bars that Spyder sell, or just buy them from Spyder to link the SIPS directly to the chassis. I don't suppose I can just 'leave them dangling' until I've modified the roll over bar and refitted it? You both suggested chopping the top off the bar which would be a neat solution but I'd rather not as it was a fair bit of money and also I will need the roll over bar for track days and hill climbing which I plan to do at some point. The chassis and roll over bars are also one of Spyder's firsts, number 0006 I think!

I will give Sean a call when I get the car home.

Just three more sleepless nights to go!

[Mark B]

Hi Steve,

You could just leave them where they are with the roll bar removed, although they obviously wouldn't offer much side protection and may rattle around inside the sills slightly...

Best of luck with the car, I'm sure it'll be fun trying to drive it with your height, thought I had problems at 6'3" with size 14 feet.....
Wouldn't mind seeing some pics of the car when you get chance?

Cheers,
Mark.

[Steve G]

I forgot to post a picture up with all the mayhem, these were taken just a few hours before the engine's untimely demise...

It will eventually get a respray, I'm probably going to return it to it's original Colorado Yellow, but I quite like the Gold Leaf livery in the mean time, even if it will make the purist's baulk at any car meeting it goes to! Before the full respray I'm going to respray the bumpers as the gold is fading quite badly. Maybe I'll just get those Sprint wing badges that are on eBay...

[ppnelan]

Wow! Looks great! Very Sprint-like!!
A good example showing why the bottom edge of the sill should be black.
Funny how it's frequently the best presented ones that are mechanically sub-standard...

Matthew

[elansprint71]

Steve,
Really bad start to your Elan ownership. You mention Colorado Yellow, do you actually mean Colorado Orange? I'm no expert on paint colours, but there is a comprehensive list on here somewhere. I've never heard of Colorado Yellow before, and it seems a bit unlikely that they would use Colorado for two different colours.

The orange was one of those funky 70s things (like Pistaccio or Tawny Brown) which everyone sort-of likes but they might prefer to own something different! I actually love the colour (but then my first car was a bright orange Renault 5).

A Colorado Orange car features on the front (and inside) Duncan Wherret's Elan picture book.

Keep us posted with the engine.

[Steve G]

Steve,
Really bad start to your Elan ownership. You mention Colorado Yellow, do you actually mean Colorado Orange? I'm no expert on paint colours, but there is a comprehensive list on here somewhere. I've never heard of Colorado Yellow before, and it seems a bit unlikely that they would use Colorado for two different colours.

The orange was one of those funky 70s things (like Pistaccio or Tawny Brown) which everyone sort-of likes but they might prefer to own something different! I actually love the colour (but then my first car was a bright orange Renault 5).

A Colorado Orange car features on the front (and inside) Duncan Wherret's Elan picture book.

Keep us posted with the engine.

Oops, newbie error! I meant Norfolk Yellow. It was definitely Norfolk Yellow. I don't mind the orange though, my favourite is the Pistachio, but I would like to return it to it's original colour.

This car wasn't mechanically sub standard, I just had an unfortunate accident and over revved the engine. It was more the other way round with only cosmetic bits needing attention.

[Elanintheforest]

Steve...it will probably be Lotus Yellow, as Norfolk Mustard wasn't around until the 80s.

Mark

[elansprint71]

Steve...it will probably be Lotus Yellow, as Norfolk Mustard wasn't around until the 80s.

Mark

Colman's might disagree.

My black 68 car was Lotus Yellow underneath, not sure if my '72 yellow car is Lotus Yellow, I think it is a bit "brighter". But it has been painted a few times.

[Steve G]

L07 Lotus Yellow it is. Every day's a school day.

[Elanintheforest]

It could of course be L10 Bahama Yellow!! Quite rare now, but looks good on an S4 and Sprint.

Pete's right though...if you see a few Lotus Yellow cars together chances are they are all different. But the formulation for the colour is well known and used by PROPER paint shops

Get it sorted, Pete. You've only got a third of a car to paint.

Mark

[trw99]

Mark

"Get it sorted Pete, only a third of a car to paint"

Have you got it in for Sprints at the moment?

Tim

PS At least with a Sprint you get one third more Elan!

[Elanintheforest]

Not at all!! But with a black folding roof and a white underneath there isn't much left to paint!

A couple of cans of Duplicolour should do the trick.

I must confess that when I started looking for an Elan to buy in the mid 70s, the object of my desire was a Sprint...in Yellow over White. Way too expensive for me at the time though, as they were virtually a current car. Still the best colour combo for me, and I still have a soft spot for them, but I wouldn't tell Pete that.

One day......

Mark

[trw99]

Ha! They we have it, in black and white - Mark's first love was a Sprint!

I too sought my first Elan in 1976 - the start of that very hot summer - and I ended up with a Colorado Orange over White DHC (of course). I wasn't too fussed about the colour, just wanted a Sprint!

Had some adventures in it too. The PO had painted over the gold decals in black, filled in the Kamm tail in black and painted the bumpers and wheels silver! It looked like a wasp or bee! And this was only five years after the poor thing had left the factory. It had an ammeter fitted, not where most would fit a supplementary gauge, but just below the fuel gauge. It had one of those early and very sensitive car alarms that you turned on and off with a key - the key hole was one inch below the bonnet badge! Inevitably it did not have an original steering wheel either, or the correct round wood gear lever. Oh dear .... but it was my Sprint! Pulled my first wife with it too!

I recall making a night journey from Liverpool to Hampshire with headlights drooping whenever I went over 70 mph (lack of vacuum). I was too tired to stop and sort it out as I had been best man at a wedding in N Ireland.

Sorry, ramblings of an incontinent old fool.

Tim