S3 Rearlight Rims

[alexP]

Several years ago at the Club Lotus gathering in Donnington someone was showing NEW rearlight rims. Not of a mazak-casting but made of some sort of chromed copper. Does anybody know if they are still beeing made. I think it was someone from the USA that manufactured them.

It would be nice to get them because my restoration will not be complete with the horrible (pitted) original ones
AlexP

[john.p.clegg]

While we are on the subject does anyone out there know if these plasti-chrome items can be "rechromed"?
John

[bill308]

alexP,

Dave Bean used to show a reproduction rim, made of polished aluminum alloy on his web site, but I don't see it up there now. Never the less, I would guess it's still available and would contact him. I have a set of his aluminum alloy trunk hinges for an S2, and they are very nice.

mrjxc09,

I'm not sure what the original material was for the tail light rim on the
S2/S3 Elans, but it is chrome plated metal, not plastic.

[lotus67]

Several years ago I got a set of the above mentioned rims from Dave Bean. They are very nice and fit the lenses perfectly(as perfectly as any Elan bodypart fit). Several years later they still look new. Don't know if they still have them.

[bill308]

lotus67,

Do you think the alloy rims are more durable than the OEM chrome pieces?

Bill

[lotus67]

Bill: With 30 years of unknown exposure on the origionals they were pitted but still had reasonably good chrome. The replacements are stampings rather than castings and therefore not nearly as "meaty" as the origionals and the car has been in the garage much of the time for the past 8 years, so I don't really know how they will hold up long term. Just that they do look nicer now.
BTW: My filler cap is slightly pitted. Anyone know if a replacement is available, or if it is possible to re-chrome the origional?
Thanks