How do you clean the tunnel of the Elan body?

Beauregard

Give?s him a nice shiny coat too

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If you didn’t see the tennis ball, look again. When the slime ball drags itself to a halt exacatly halfway he can only just touch the ball with the tip of his nose in through the trans tunnel, he needs to crawl under where the diff normally is and poke at the ball with his paw. This takes a few times, going from trans tunnel to under the rear wheel arch and under and back to the trans tunnel. Its quite a site with an 90 pound dog. besides, I don’t have to through the ball as oftern…

Any tips for cleaning the tunnel of an Elite, Gary? Jack Russle Terrier perhaps?

Mark

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Priceless suggestions from those in the know!

To be honest, Beauregard didn’t help much. I use a yellow plastic bondo spreader to squeegee off the heavy accumulation of engine, gearbox and diff oil. After the heavy is off, I attack with a dry cotton rag. Once the gelcoat is in view I work with more cotton rags and what ever solvent I have in stock, acetone, lacquer thinner, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, lestoil, dish washing detergent, etc.


As far as the Elite tunnel goes I used a lot of Lacquer thinner and the grinder right around the gearbox mount to prep it for a bit of extra fiberglass reinforcement. I don’t like to use cloth on elan?s or Elite?s but this area needed some extra. The lay-up schedule was 2 layers of 1 1/2 oz. mat, 2 layers of 6 oz. cloth 1 layer 1 1/2 oz. mat 2 layers of 6 ox. cloth then 2 more layers of 1 1/2 mat. The stack of pre-cut cloth and torn mat was wetted out on a wet out board and then the wet stack of fiberglass was picked up by the wet out brush and gloved hand and laid into place and stippled to remove any air.

The same reinforcement schedule was used in the footbox in the pedal area. There is not a lot of glass here so this bit of extra (nearly 3 mm) will ease my mind when hard on the brakes.

Maybe Jeff should create an ELITE section?

Good pictures and tips…

Two mornings ago Beauregard and I were up early at 4:30, kind of late for us really but it was quiet out and beau wandered off to do his thing and I went in and had coffee. I was uploading pictures to the Sports Car and Lotus Owner topic and finished the first cup and went to make another. Well I didn’t here the door shut so I looked for Beau and no-Beau, so I start calling at around 5:00 am and he comes over after a few minutes and we go inside and he just gets up in his chair, Later I look at him and he is all lopsided and looks like someone whomped him hard upside the head.

he’s feels fine and is starting to show the hit and it looks like the swelling is going down.

I still don’t know what happened and Beau’s not talking so I think its a tail that will never be told.

Gary,

Horrible thing to happen…glad he’s on the mend & hope he gets back to 100% quickly.

(Usual for traffic to be about at that time of the morning?)

Perhaps not usual, hence the bump on the noggin’?

Gary, I trust Beau is doing OK? You’re putting steak over it to help reduce the swelling, right? :wink: Probably would require lots of steaks, as the patient wouldn’t be very cooperative about leaving the “dressing” to do it’s work. Maybe you could hold it in place with a zip tie.

Seriously, though, I hope he’s recovering without too much discomfort.

Best to both of you. Oh, and if you’re serious about clean the tunnel, there’s clearly only one choice…a wire-haired terrier, of course.

Dave

Gary,
I hope Beau’s OK and that it was an accident rather thanan act of malice on someone’s part.

Art

It’s amazing what a dog will do just to get out of tunnel cleaning! :wink:

Beau does not seem to know that he’s been whomped upside the head other than that annoying leak that has developed over his eye. The swelling seems a lot less today but a new hemorrhage is opening up, he has a new one over his eye. Lots of red spots on the floor where he’s been lying.

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Vet visit?

Regards
John

I just looked at him and he gave me that “dead-eye” look!

I showed him the shovel and told him about this special spot, I may get down 6 feet before the water pours in. :frowning:

Gary

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With our animals, open wounds haven’t been such a problem…it was when they closed over and (sorry folks!) an abscess formed…BIG trouble ensued. A stitch in time and all that!

Take it easy, Beau… and get well soon!