Another worry with this old +2

Following on from my “Job started thread” I have now fitted the h/brake cable (But short of the two springs in the calipers) and I’m now on the fuel line. (By the way thanks for all the help recieved)

The one thing that is now looking a pig is my steering column mounting which Brian kindly posted on the thread for me (see pics)

I just can not get it to fit sensibly on bulkhead and after swapping pics with my mate who’s also doing a +2 have realised its an opposite image of his and is totally different.
This set me thinking is it for a left hand drive car?, so I dug deeper…I now find that my car has a plate over where pedal box would have been on LHD vehicle and also there is a grommet in passenger footwell where column would have gone. Wiper motor is also mounted high up in passenger footwell. Is this sinister?

Could this be a hybrid or were the very early cars made and pre-drilled etc for both markets.

How would I find if the body has always been with this car did the bodies carry the chassis number?. As I say its a pre 50/0800 chassis number and it does seem to differ from other later cars of only a few months newer.

And I thought this would be a nice easy little project :blush: But I fooled myself into thinking this car was almost there :frowning:

Kenny,
if its still there, the unit number should be on the bulkhead, set in the grp at the back of the bonnet opening, I believe originally it was dymo tape, mine was illegible (eleventy million layers of paint) and me being a bit brutal with the chisel removing said paint!!LOL
Ive got some clear pics of the column bracket fitted to the bulkhead on an rhd car if that helps you?
I cant post pics as mine are too large!!

I’ll create a link so you can view them or i can pm them to you

Mark

just had a look at your earlier post, your column mount bracket is “arse about face” so must be for a left hooker, the link below should enable you to have a gander at my bracket, you should be able to zoom it in as well as its a big file. Also theres a pic of the bracket mounting bolt positions from the engine bay side

regards

Mark


Tower, Thanks for reply mate, I’m studying your pics now. I take it yours has no blanked off holes for LHD.

Thanks once more,
Kenny

Yep Tower, mines the opposite of yours. Thanks for pics.

Kenny

no holes in mine for LHD Kenny,

have you got the workshop manual for the car? there are exploded views of all of the sub assembleys and thier LHD equivalents? Its a real god send, I’ve got a spare if not and you want one?

Mark

Kenny, It should be moulded into the top left corner of the bonnet appeture as stated above but if it’s not there (quite common if it’s been painted in the engine bay) look at the inside of the doors you will find the chassis number written in there, it’s also on the headlamp pods (it’s engraved on them).
I realise these could have been fitted from either original or replacement shell but if you have the headlining out you may well find it written there along with the original colour.
HTH and let us know what you find.
I recently stripped a 69/70 Plus 2 back to glass and found that the holes for both lhd and rhd had been in the shell as moulded and the lhd holes had been filled in before the paint process. so I would say that the plate over the holes indicates a conversion.
Regards
Dave
PS I have a correct rhd column bracket laying round if it’s any good to you

I wouldn’t put it past ACBC to have converted cars from left to right or right to left hand drive, rumour has it that even dealers were advised to paint roofs silver to cash in on “latest spec” advertising!!

it sounds like your car would have been a dealer conversion as opposed to factory, or even an owner has done/paid a garage to do the job themselves. Having worked on a '67 +2 (XWC56F where are you now?) the dash could even be easily reversed on the early cars, and whats the betting that the rack is the same, just turned over?

Mark

Mark, Dave some really interesting helpful and useful points made there in the above posts. Working on these cars is like an archeological dig :wink:

I’ve done what was suggested and the plot thickens. With the headlining removed there is a chassis number in marker pen on the roof…guess what?, it does not match but the stange thing is its only a few cars (numbers) out from it’s official number. This does lead me to believe as suggested that this deed was done back in the factory many years ago for reasons only known to the “Old Man” as I think it would be just too much of a coincidence for the car to be reshelled years and years later with a shell numbered just a handful of cars later. The numbers really are that close both being in the very late 50/x700’s

Digging even deeper with lotus I’ve discovered that my car was supplied in the September of 68 to it’s dealer, yet the slightly later number on my roof was supposedly supplied 3 months earlier :confused: Doesn’t make sense.

Anyway I’m learing more about the car as each day passes and hopefully soon will be in a position to contribute to this great little site by answereing questions rather than asking them.

Dave if you did manage to find the RHD bracket it would be great as I was about to fabricate the one I have to fit, I’ll PM you later.

Mark do you have a spare as well, I did not know whether you meant you had a spare bracket or manual…its me I’m thick :laughing:

Once again lads thanks for the invaluable input.

Cheers,
Kenny

Mark, after studying your pics last night is your steering the collapsible type or the fixed type. I can see that there is another “exhaust” type clamp lower down column attatched to bracket which does not look like the impact clamp on a colapsible column.

Mine is the fixed type with the large plastic binnacle and horn on indicator switch…there was no lower clamp on mine (as shown in section H Steering page six in manual) so that’s another bit missing I think.

Manual also states that there are 2 location holes in outer column for location of bushes…somebody has nicked my holes then :wink:

Cheers,

Kenny

Kenny, The bracket I have is from a solid column model so should fit yours fine. I have all the bits associated with the column assembly other than the shroud around the top of the column which I think came from a cortina of the period (mk2or3??)
Keep up the resto and the detective work
Regards
Dave

Hiya Dave, I sent you a PM earlier this morning.

Hope to speak shortly

Regards,
Kenny

From looking at my own early car (chassis no less than 300), I can confirm the plate fitted on the passenger side where the pedal box would fit , but no hole in the bulkhead for the column!Interestingly the wiper motor is mounted onto a raised boss on this plate which suggests that it is a factory fitting rather than a later bodge. I can also confirm that there is no lower clamp fitted to my solid column. As for the missing bush holes , I think that you will find these are fitted to the later , collapsable, column.
Cheers , Brian.

Brian thanks for that info. I feel a touch more easy now I know somebody else has a similar car. You are also correct, my wiper motor also bolts through pedal box blanking plate. Do you think it’s feasible to move motor onto bulkhead in engine bay like some others, I’m weighing that one up at present.
Out of interest Brian, does your car have the old one piece (barrel incorporated) exterior door locks with the none flush bladed chrome handle inside the car?. I’m 2 lock barrels short and I’m told they are Riley Elf or Austin 1100…I have yet to confirm this though.

Regards
Kenny

Kenny, I’ve got a spare work shop manual, a local chap gave it to me in exchange for a ride when the car is finished! I’m more than willing to lend it to you.

regards

mark

Mark, thanks very much for the nice offer. I actually got a manual with the car…it’s just a pity none of the diagrams and descriptions match the car :wink:

When do you hope to have yours up and running. Is it a long term project or do you have a timescale.

I thought when I bought mine it was a 5 week doddle…I’m now aiming for Donnington Lotus Festival 2022 :wink:

I wonder if poor sods like us will be grovelling around for Nissan Micra horn pushes and MX5 handbrake trees in 39 years time.

Regards Kenny

PS Its funny how much I sting in the shower now with all the grazes and friction burns from having arms in horrible positions through chassis holes and over diffs etc…Mrs. says I need to grow up :blush:

LMAO Kenny!!! My aim is to be on the road for the summer (i win several cash bets if I do!!). I’m behind my schedule by a couple of weeks now tho (spent too much time with my lady!!) I should be ready to hit the shell and panels with hi build over christmas, then lots of rubbing down, spray primer, more rubbing down, then top coat. I’ll fit the car out before polishing it. Still got the doors and off side rear wing GRP repairs to do. I need to work out the flywheel/clutch to take the MT75, and the prop, need new loom,dash,door/screen rubbersand engine to assemble!! Another couple of months then!!LOL

I’m loving it, but having a nasty reaction to the GRP dust/fibres

Mark

Kenny, door handles and lock as described! presume you also have the external boot lock and transverse silencer.

I recommend buying a full parts manual in addition to the Workshop manual. Some of the gobbledy gook in the workshop manual is more of a hindrance when you find after several attempts to take something apart or fit a new widget and discover that your particular model had something completely different for a few months in 1968, and again when they found a stock of the old part in 1971 and were a bit short of the newer bit (or short of cash). I’ve lost count of the bits I have sourced, only to find that mine is ‘different’…

The parts manual is also great for finding out how all the bits of trim go together. You need the worshop manual and the parts book… and the Miles Wilkins engine book… and the Robinshaw book… and the Haynes manual etc etc…

Its a different world

Jeremy

I agree with Jeremy,
the more sources of information you have with these cars, the better, there are many variations in the detail in my experience, as well as combinations of old, intermediate and updated/modified/improved parts/assemblies!!
often a close chassis number to your car is a great help when re assembling a car.

mark