S1 Sill repair???

[nomad]

Well I've read the archives till my eyeballs hurt and haven't found any thing about what I'm contemplating.
I am thinking of either welding in stainless steel repair sections to original dimentions or welding in mild steel repairs only moved up about 4 inches and building a fiberglass box section beneath that repair. The seatbelt mount would be moved up as well.
If I repair to original with SS I will have to cut windows in both the front and rear wheel wells but if I do the other repair I can bend up the original rods at the ends and do all the welding away from the fiberglass.

Any input much appreciated!
[ Also would anyone be interested in SS repair sections?]
Kurt.

[types26/36]

Well I've read the archives till my eyeballs hurt and haven't found any thing about what I'm contemplating.
Kurt.

Is this post of any help to you?
elan-f14/elan-door-surround-latice-yours-rotten-too-t15161.html

[europatek]

And this:

elan-photos-f18/aussie-elan-recommission-t19855-15.html

I had to make the same repairs to my car. I don't think SS is needed. I replicated mine in the same size reo and MS rods. All easily formed into shape by hand/vice etc....
Much FRP later and the sills were good as new.

[nomad]

Thanks for the references.
I had read Garys repair before and that is where I got the idea of cutting port holes in the wheel wells. I thought my idea to use stainless steel was original but maybe I came up with it from Brian's post. He's across the state from me but I may have to look him up.
Gary mentioned that the one he was working on was the worst he has seen but, unfortunatly, mine are worse. I was planning on doing the job pretty much as he did but with stainless and I planned on welding the triangular bracing in the middle of its span to keep the heat away from the glass. If I do it the other way I planned on bending the good ends of the large diameter outside rods away from the glass at the wheel wells and making up the same section only two or three inches higher up. I would then build a fiberglass box section up to it.
Again, thanks for the references.

Kurt.

[nomad]

Perhaps stainless is overkill.....the car is almost 50 and I'm sure I won't be around in another 50.
Still, for the next generation.
Kurt.

[AnthonyBelcher]

Please excuse my ignorance on all things Elan at the moment but I have only just bought my S4.

Does an S4 have this lattice work too? If so perhaps I should have checked it out before buying the car. Still there's a lot of finger crossing when buying such old vehicles.

Another query running through my mind when reading all these threads is why does this lattice work rust away when it all appears to be in the confines of the inside of the car. Is it from condensation? I bet there are several interesting theories on this.

[UAB807F]

Hi Anthony,

Yes, I would think your S4 is no different from the other Elans, my S3 has exactly the same sort of framework and I thought it carried on through all the cars. But don't get the impression that they all rust away; mine is '68, has spent all it's life in the UK with our fine, bracing weather and it's fine.

I'd guess the reason they corrode is because there's a stiff card section fastened to it onto which the carpet is glued in place. Once this gets wet it's just going to hold moisture for some quiet, gentle rusting during our summer months. Also the fibreglass floor almost forms a small trough there, you could hardly design better for corroding away the bottom sections of the wire.

But this corrosion would be very difficult to spot when buying a car as you've got to do a fair bit of dismantling to see it and I'm sure your average seller isn't going to be happy with that, regardless of the state of their car. However on the plus side it's not a big deal to fix as it's very a low-tech construction.

Brian

[Maulden7]

When I came to restore my S2 in the late 80's, on removing the trim side panels I found that the lattice metal was virtually non-existant. It had simply almost all rusted away, & what was left had no strength whatsoever.

The car came with an MOT, but when I tugged on the seat belt mountings on the drivers side it came away in my hand (& I'd been driving it on the road) The passenger side was not a lot better! There was no doubt that the seat belts would have been totally useless should I have hit anything, ...... even gently.

Clearly, replacing the lattice metal itself is a very major job, & my solution was to remove all the bonded-in lattice metalwork (a total back to gel coat body repair was being undertaken anyway) & cut out (from sheets of 1/4in aluminium) shapes similair to the trim panels (only a little smaller of course - the same outline profile as the lattice metalwork)) & glass these into the body, with a large washer & bolt welded onto the outside to secure the bottom seat belt mounting bolt.

When I later modified the car further for track work, & wanted to install a roll cage with side impact & footwell bars, I was able to cut a hole in the aluminium sheet & feed the side bars through.

I think that this has also contributed to the increased rigidity of the car overall, but I guess that this may have in fact been due to the cage & side / footwell bars?

[AnthonyBelcher]

Hi Anthony,

Yes, I would think your S4 is no different from the other Elans, my S3 has exactly the same sort of framework and I thought it carried on through all the cars. But don't get the impression that they all rust away; mine is '68, has spent all it's life in the UK with our fine, bracing weather and it's fine.
I'd guess the reason they corrode is because there's a stiff card section fastened to it onto which the carpet is glued in place. Once this gets wet it's just going to hold moisture for some quiet, gentle rusting during our summer months. Also the fibreglass floor almost forms a small trough there, you could hardly design better for corroding away the bottom sections of the wire.

But this corrosion would be very difficult to spot when buying a car as you've got to do a fair bit of dismantling to see it and I'm sure your average seller isn't going to be happy with that, regardless of the state of their car. However on the plus side it's not a big deal to fix as it's very a low-tech construction.

Brian

Hi Brian

Thank you for your reply. I'm sure mine should be fine (I hope fingers crossed) the car is in good running order and appears to have been well maintained. I must admit after reading your reply that it suddenly dawned on me that the cockpit of the car got soaking wet the first time I tried to change from tonneau to hood in the pouring rain. The large puddle of water on the tonneau fell onto the pasengers seat. I must make sure that all the carpets etc have dried out properly. How ever easy it is to replace the lattice work prevention is better than cure.
Regards

[europatek]

"Thank you for your reply. I'm sure mine should be fine (I hope fingers crossed) the car is in good running order and appears to have been well maintained."

Anthony - re your comment. My car appeared the same way however the lattice was stuffed and the seatbelt mounts broken. Best to remove the trim and have a good look at the condition of the frame. If it needs replacing it can be done. It's not rocket science - it just takes hours of work and it a little fiddly. If I had my time over I would remove all the lattice and " box in" the side frame as described earlier. Taking this further I'd also incorporate crossmember sections to properly mount the seats and build in the side intrusion bars like Spyder offer.

[europatek]

"Thank you for your reply. I'm sure mine should be fine (I hope fingers crossed) the car is in good running order and appears to have been well maintained."

Anthony - re your comment. My car appeared the same way however the lattice was stuffed and the seatbelt mounts broken. Best to remove the trim and have a good look at the condition of the frame. If it needs replacing it can be done. It's not rocket science - it just takes hours of work and it a little fiddly. If I had my time over I would remove all the lattice and " box in" the side frame as described earlier. Taking this further I'd also incorporate crossmember sections to properly mount the seats and build in the side intrusion bars like Spyder offer.

[AnthonyBelcher]

I think you might be right a quick? look may be the order of the day.

The problem is I have not had the car long and I want to use it. I've had a 'quick' look at cars I have bought in the past and they have been off the road for months for one reason or another. I was going to use a bit of - if it ain't bust don't fix it on the Elan.

[nomad]

Anthony, let me mention that if you drive old sports cars long enough you learn to keep an eye open for hiway overpasse's, gas station's with canopy's, and car washe's, when the wheather is treatening. Car washe's are my favorite since they are never busy in a rain storm and they have roll down doors that will keep the wheather out if necessary. Needed one a couple of years ago while transporting a car with no top [hood!]. Car spent the night in the car wash while my helper and I had a good meal and good nights sleep at the local motel.

Kurt.

[AnthonyBelcher]

Thanks Kurt more sound advice from LotusElan.net
Regards Anthony