Lotus Steering Wheel

[jono]

My Jan 1970 +2s has the dished plain aluminium Lotus wheel with thin vinyl covered rim and domed boss.

I actually like it but the rim is a bit thin and flimsy and in any event could do with recovering.

Has anyone attempted to 'upgrade' it? Ideally I would like to have the rim stiffened, made a bit ticker and covered in leather - does anyone know of a UK specialist who could do this?

Jono

[Coupe]

Nick Fulcher:
http://www.coachtrimmer.co.uk
Nick used to do all the early trim work (and F1 cars) for Lotus before setting up in business himself. He is most helpfull.
Also the Lotus trim shop at Hethel are worth a call.
Ben

[gwiz22]

Jono,
I picked up a card from a chap who does steering wheel refurbishment at the Lotus show the other year. His contact details are:

Len Chandler
3 Tufthouse Lane
Chobham
Surrey
GU24 8LL
01276 865 591
[email protected]

He had some beautiful examples at the show.
Regards
Graham

[gwiz22]

Jono,
I picked up a card from a chap who does steering wheel refurbishment at the Lotus show the other year. His contact details are:

Len Chandler
3 Tufthouse Lane
Chobham
Surrey
GU24 8LL
01276 865 591
[email protected]

He had some beautiful examples at the show.
Regards
Graham

[triumphelan]

I`ve seen Lens work it looks good

[jono]

Thanks for all you comments guys.

Jono

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Hi Jomo,

if you like the wheel you have, why not leave it "as is" & buy a new aftermarket wheel that suits your requirements.
Your "original" wheel sounds very original & I would consider it worth while leaving it like that & hanging it up on the workshop wall (I did )

Cheers
John

[jkatthehelm]

Anyone any experience of cost for these jobs?
JK

[triumphelan]

E-Mail Len

[Elanintheforest]

Len charges about ?100 to re-cover a Chapman wheel in leather. The results are superb...he uses the same stitching pattern as used originally. He also restores woodrim wheels, for your S1 & S3 JK.

Mark

[leedsj]

Nick Fulcher:
http://www.coachtrimmer.co.uk
Nick used to do all the early trim work (and F1 cars) for Lotus before setting up in business himself. He is most helpfull.
Also the Lotus trim shop at Hethel are worth a call.
Ben

wow - that Espirit S1 interior looks amazing! i'd love them to do something to my +2S's..!

(wonder if they'd partially exchange work for a web-site upgrade...)

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Len charges about ?100 to re-cover a Chapman wheel in leather. The results are superb...he uses the same stitching pattern as used originally. He also restores woodrim wheels, for your S1 & S3 JK.

Mark

So I'm quite fascinated now about what was "original"
Were Elans supplied with "Chapman wheels" plastic & / or leather covered?
When I bought my S4 it had a very grotty leather covered example, even bits of the rubber padding were missing.
A second "Chapman wheel" that I sold at Stonliegh a few years ago had a very thin well used plastic covering (with a small split)

Sorry for the "hijack"

Cheers
John

[trw99]

John

There were a large number of different steering wheels used in Elans and Plus 2s. Add in those used in varieties of Sevens, Cortinas and Europas and we would be here for ages!

I can quote from my web site with regard to S4 and Sprint styles, though:

'The Sprint steering wheel centre boss became larger, flatter and incorporated a smaller Lotus emblem. The steering wheel was covered in a plastic material, not leather. Leather rims had been an option on S4 SEs, though. The steering wheel also had small black covers over the smallest holes, closest to the rim. Early Sprints had S4 steering wheels, which had a more protruding boss of smaller diameter and lacked the small hole covers. Then the new pattern wheels were used but the protruding boss retained, presumably as stock was used up. The final style was in use for all Sprints by December 1971. All had the signature of Colin Chapman etched into the down spoke.'

As I recall, leather covered rims were options on S2, S3 and S4 Elans. I also believe that the Chapman signature was used from the introduction of the S4 onwards. I am not sure that any Plus 2 steering wheels had the signature though. Perhaps someone else on here does?

So wood with slitted spokes, leather with slitted spokes or round holes, vinyl with round holes and various horn bosses were all used on Elans of one sort or another! Does get confusing, eh?

Tim

[Elanintheforest]

I?ll have a go with my understanding of the wheels:

The early Plus 2 did have a Chapman signed wheel, 15 inch rather than 14 inch, and plastic covered, small boss. Mine has had this from new.

The S1 had a wood rim only, but there were two versions with different spoke to rim fixings and ?grip? pattern at the back.

The S2 had a wood rim wheel only, the same as the later one for a S1. Mine has had this from new. There was an S/E version of the S2?not sure if that had a different wheel.

The S3 started off with a wood rim (as per S2), then a leather rim (same slotted spokes as the wood rim) for S/E cars. My S/E has had this from new. Then, for the last few months of production, S/E and non-S/E had a leather rim Chapman wheel with small boss and holes in the spokes.

The S4 had the leather covered Chapman wheel with small boss, as per late S3.

The early Sprint had the same as the S4, and at some time went to a plastic rimed wheel (not sure if it was at the same time as the big boss).

So between Tim and me we may have some order?.but awaiting other theories.

Mark

[M.J.S]

Spoke to Len Chandler today.

He has quoted ?120 to recover my +2 wheel in leather, plus postage.

Additionally if required a further ?50 to redo the padding underneath the leather rim which on my wheel has crumbled at about 2 o'clock where someone has had a heavy right hand grip.

Whether or not it makes the grip any thicker I cannot be sure.

Recently contacted Nick Fulcher and he does have available a thicker moulding for the rim which costs approx ?100 plus approx ?200 for the retrim in leather, so not cheap at twice the price of a new Moto Lita, but his work is supposed to be very good.

Think I will be unhanging my wheel from its display hook on the garage wall to send to Len. Although I have a nice thick rimmed Mota Lita at the moment there is something special about driving with the original wheel, skinny or not.

Mark.