I am currently building an Elan Plus 2 fast road “restomod”. I say restomod because it will be modified to fast road specs using nearly all Lotus components except for a Spyder chassis. I had originally intended to build a Zetec conversion but that is currently above my skill level. I also don’t like their apparent high stance and low ground clearance to the exhaust system. Instead it will be powered by a 1700 cc tall block motor or long stroke 1700 Lotus block. The body I am using has sat out in the weather for about 30 years but has no visible body damage (no bondo) but the surface is worn past the gelcoat in spots. Needless to say I have plenty of work to do but I’m really looking forward to it . The chassis and drivetrain are mostly complete but they are the easy parts.
Have fun with it, looks like a great project!
Wot Phil sed! Can’t wait to see it come together!
Reconditioned a couple of items today. The pedal box and steering support bracket. Both were rusty but repairable. I replaced the pedal box shaft with a stainless steel one and modified the top for a removable access panel.
Speaking of brakes, has anyone run a Plus 2 without the servos? Is pedal pressure required excessive? I would like to eliminate the expense and complication if possible.
Hi
Looks like a great project. I am just starting to build up my +2 Spyder chassis. Do you have anything to say about brake and fuel line placement and materials?
Many thanks
Berni
Berni
My chassis is almost complete except for the brake lines. I am waiting on my decision whether or not to add servos.
I have a kit to make the brake line flairs but I need to research the types of brake lines available before I proceed. I will keep you posted,
Chris
I run servo less on my car, have used 5/8" single master and just switched to 0.7" tandem master. Running ebc green stuff pads. I find pedal pressure fine, wouldn’t describe it as light but have never found myself thinking they are heavy.
On a rhd removing the servo also simplifies the brake line routing, just straight from the master to the multi way connector on the right chassis rail.
For pipes iif just use cunifer. Original fitment was bubble flares rather than the double flares used in US cars.
I ran 0170N for a very short period of time with no servos and a 5/8" bore master cylinder. It was a frightening experience with hopelessly inadequate braking and the sound of fiberglass cracking at the pedal box mounting. I did not use modern brake pads but I doubt they would make up for the nearly 3:1 servo gain.
That’s interesting, the smaller diameter piston should reduce pedal effort as well. I’m building a Zetec car (Sierra brakes) and wasn’t intending to use a servo, I’ll keep my options open about adding one.
It’s great to see another one of these cars being saved.
I hope it takes you less than the 32 years I took me!
I used copper brake pipes and cunifer fuel pipe. Have used both as brake pipes on earlier projects with no problem. Refurbishing the servo is not a great expense with the kit being around £100 and if you can refurb a master cylinder you can refurb the servo. If not fitting a servo Spyder sell a strengthening plate that fits round the pedal box to reinforce the GF.
I deleted the servos and switched to the .7 master as well. Pedal effort is completely reasonable; I can lock wheels if I really want to. Pedal FEEL, on the other hand, is rather lacking but I get used to it really quickly and seat-of-trousers input makes up for it.
Veg
What brake pads do you use? Maybe certain pads make for easier braking.
Aluminum sill members
I had some aluminum structural channel leftover from a work project. Replacement channels seemed heavy and expensive so I decided to try and fabricate my own. They weigh about 14 pounds each including the plates and hardware. It was alot of work
It’s not the ease, it’s the feel. I can stop easily, I just feel the feedback through the seat rather than through the pedal. The pads are whatever were on the car when I bought it and appear to have plenty of life left in them and all calipers have been rebuilt.
I’ve run out of excuses to not start the body work. I thought I would start with the trunk lid.
It looks like there were only two coats of paint applied. The original blue and then later a coat of white paint perhaps painted on with a brush . There is also a white primer, grey filler and also red primer between the two coats. The paint has also completely worn off in area, down to the gelcoat.
Questions:
- Is it safe to prepare the surface and apply primer over multiple paint and filler types or must it be all be taken down to the gelcoat?
- When repairing cracks with fiberglass mat and resin, must everything be kept below the surface or will high spots of fiberglass be sandable once applied?
This is the bible:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Restore-Fibreglass-Bodywork-Osprey-Restoration/dp/0850455561
Out of print, but every now and again a cheap copy surfaces.
As a general rule, the more layers of old paint you have, the more trouble you are asking for. The old paint reacts with the new thinners when the car is sprayed, and blemishes will appear where the old paint was. This can happen weeks or months after the car is sprayed. Were I you, I would remove all the old paint.
You can sand fibres, but ideally you want a coat of something sealing the fibres before the undercoat or the fibres seem to show through.
I believe the high end restorers sheath the car in tissue mat after all the repairs have been done to the body. This gives a solid, sealed surface to work on. Have a look:
https://www.option1sportscars.co.uk/restoration/
Good luck.
On the topic of brakes, I have just bought a +2 and it has the single line braking system with no servo. I think it is fine, it needs a good shove, not as much bite vs my Caterham, but it will need a fluid change and new discs and pads within a year which should sharpen things up.
If I was renovating I would go for a dual m/c, no servo and maybe Mintex m1144 pads.
I have a spare Caterham m/c so that’s a possibility when I renew the system but clearance is an issue so with elbow fittings it may be ok.
Your project is looking good!
Cheers
Alistair
Thanks for that Andy. I’ve read the Miles Wilkins book and will probably read it again.
Working within my skill and budget levels I don’t think an Option 1 type body restoration is practical. Taking the car back to gelcoat and reshaping without any filler might take me years I’ll just have to assess the risk of painting over a mishmash of stuff versus removing everything and smoothing with filler.
Like you Allstair I now plan to use a dual MC without servos.
I am a bit surprised about Option 1’s comments about not using filler. Lotus used polyester filler themselves to hide body imperfections, so I am not sure what the issue really is. They make reference to GRP behaving differently to filler - which I get, but the resin used for laying up is polyester, and filler is just polyester resin with a bulking agent (french chalk or similar), so I would have thought they would be compatible.
Edit:
I found this picture of bodies outside Hethel. Filler can clearly be seen in the panel in front of the door - I believe this is where parts of the mould joined. I recall reading that over zealous restorations remove this filler, which leaves a characteristic dimple when the car is painted.