Steering wheel need recovering?

Post by: **pereirac** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 5:13 pm

My Elan steering wheel is damaged (the plastic trim is split) and I have been looking around (in the UK) for somebody to recover it in leather.

In my search I contacted Bell & Colvill (remember them!) and have just been emailed back by Andy their parts manager ([email protected]). It appears he has spoken to the Lotus factory and they are willing to recover steering wheels for a very reasonable sum of money (under ?100)! This compares very favourably with other restorers and you can alway say that the work was carried out by 'the factory'!!

If any of you have steering wheels which need recovering please contact him and he will give you details of where to send your steering wheel. It's probably a good time of year as, if you are like me, my Elan is safely tucked up in bed for most of the winter.

I can't say anything about the quality of the work as I have not sent my steering wheel off yet (but I will soon) but if Lotus themselves are doing it I would expect the quality to be good.

I will let you know more when I send my steering wheel off.

Carl

Post by: **steveww** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 4:21 pm

Please post back the quality of the results when the wheel is returned from the factory.

Post by: **pereirac** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:18 pm

I would 'hope' the quality would be 'excellent'....!!

I certainly will

Carl

Post by: **M100** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:20 pm

My only concern with using the factory is that they are more used to working on the more modern cars with chunky wheels. I hope it doesn't come back looking like a Lotus Motorsport Elise wheel. It might be worth talking direct to Mel Broome in the factory trim department just too see what you will end up with.

http://www.grouplotus.com/generic/gener ... page_id=40

[email protected]
01953 608153

Post by: **pereirac** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:40 pm

To be fair I would like a slightly thicker steering wheel.

Funnily enought he is the person I have been asked to send the steering wheel to... Small world!

Carl

Post by: **pereirac** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 1:14 am

Sent steering wheel off to the factory today, will let you know when it returns...

Carl

(I have some 'before' photos..)

Post by: **thor** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 11:18 am

Great. Please post the results when you get it back. I'm thinking this would be a good thing to squeeze into the Xmas budget.....

:-)

Post by: **pereirac** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 9:27 pm

Jeff,

My thoughts exactly...

Post by: **trw99** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 5:47 pm

Me too.

Do you think we would get a discount for sending them in bulk?

Post by: **pereirac** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:08 pm

Now you tell me!!

Although I sent my wheel to Lotus directly the whole thing was arranged by Andy at Bell & Colvill. You could email him at: [email protected] and ask him

Just heard that Lotus will not be able to do my wheel before the end of the year (which is not unreasonable as they only received it on Tuesday), so I will not be able to 'report back' this side of Christmas...So I hope some you you have birthdays coming up, or ask Father Christmas for cash....

Post by: **thor** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:54 am

I've thrown caution to the wind and sent off the steering wheel yesterday, and hope it won't look like an Exige wheel when it comes back... :lol:

Your wheel won't have come back yet I suppose, has anyone else done this and have a pic?

Post by: **pereirac** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:18 pm

Brave man...
Sorry but my wheel has not come back yet (although I do know Lotus received it). As soon as it comes back I will get some before and after photos (I already have the before ones)...

Carl

Post by: **thor** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 2:25 pm

very exciting indeed... The cost was way too low not to take this chance, I'm sure it'll look fantastic.

Thor

-4degrees on Sunday, the +2S in my mum's underground apartment garage with about 8degrees, started after 2 1/2 months after the 6th try on the Webers without using the choke... I'm never ever having a classic without electronic ignition again, anyone persisting with points is a fool....

Post by: **rgh0** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:56 am

Thor

I dont think you are a fool if you use points ignition just some one who likes working on your Lotus more than is healthy for the rest of the relationships in your life. I have to run points on my competition Elan due to the racing regulations. With a good quality distributor and the system in top condition this gives identical performance to a modern electronic system up to 9000 rpm. The downside is it is not "fit and forget" like modern systems and being buried under the carbs is not easy to get at.

For my race car I have 2 distributors and swap them every 3 meetings and check it out once removed. For a road car easier to just fit an electronic system but if you look after a points system you will get just as easy starting as you describe for an electronic system.

Rohan

Post by: **thor** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:06 am

this is all very true.. I'm just happy to have peace of mind, with friends with Endless ignition problems that never seem to come my way..
I have actually in my last 3 classics not have one with points. GT6 with Aldon Ignitor, TR4A with Magnetronic, and now the excellent +2S with a brilliant older Lumenition system and a sports coil.

COMPLETELY off the topic but never mind..

:-)

Steering wheel need recovering?

Total Online:

Recent Forum Topics

Support LotusElan.net!

Recent Wiki Articles