S2 Crash Pad - junk or prize - what to do now

I was looking at this crash pad this morning in the shed attic. I thought I would see if I was saving it for a reason or just couldn’t stand to toss it out before.

glue looks thick

clamped onto the dash for support


Cyclo Carb Cleaner was the solvent I used to soften the contact cement, I had the solvent for contact cement some where but couldn’t lay my hands on it so I used the Carb Cleaner and it seamed to work fairly well.


It looks ok for recovering, just need to figure out a inexpensive way to do it now.

How about a little bondo filler and a can of that tough coat paint for pick up truck beds?

Eric

Hi Eric

I am thinking along those same lines, but instead of bondo I was going to try liquid vinal electrical tape. My friend used it on the boat trailers that get submerged on all of the electrical connections. Then, if it looks ok (realative term for a sows ear) paint it with rubber bumper paint.

Gary

Abit askew of the topic, but has anyone tried to pull a mold from a crashpad? I haven’t come across a decent replacement and am contemplating molding a new one in f/g and covering in vinyl. My s4 shell is currently stripped except for the crashpad so it should be in the proper form still. Thoughts?

Scott why go to the trouble when most of the dealers sell what you are suggesting.

There has been mixed reviews of what is available. The abs is generally regarded as too shiny and cheap looking, and the asking price is somewhat rediculous. I heard good reviews about the vinyl covered grp from sue miller, but gave up as everytime I called it was out of stock. I probably should call again, but I had been contemplating this for a while and thought I would ask the group if it had been done before. It looks like a straightforward mold to make, but…

Scott

I did some more hunting and found another pad from 26/4020. It sat outside next to a barn on Long Island for 25 years so the pad is no prize either. It doesn’t have any glue on it so I think the pad in the previous pictures (from 26/4045)will be for practice, if it comes out well (5 to 10 footer) maybe I’ll try the on from 4020

not bad from 20 ft but it needs work, at least there is no glue

this is one of the many issues

this crack is the other

I blew the dust off it tonite, it looks like a 2 piece mold is req’d as there is some undercutting at the front edge and heater vents that will cause problems with removal. I’ve got some old resin that I don’t trust to use on the shell, so…

Hello Gary, if you can bring that second one back, I say, go into the biz of Brit Dash Restores. I feature texturing issues in your future. It all comes down to how original a person hopes the thing will look like in the end.
Like you, I’ve heard all sorts of stories on the reproductions, many sound like modern replacement rotoflex stories ! My guess is… someone out there offers excellent replacements, but I’m no help as I’ve never bought one.
I admire your clamp collection.
Replacement Crash Pad Rating Topic needed?
Eric

Hi Eric

I would like to make both serviceble. Which ever pad come out looking the best I would like to install into 26/4020 which has the body painted and ready to assemble on new chassis, if I had one. The practice pad (with the glue) could be used on the other early S2 body from Don Tingles C production racer. If neither pad looks right when done, I guess I be in the market for some more Elan wrecks.

Gary

Gary,

Your crash pad looks to be in much better shape than mine…I have one of the GRP reproduction ones which is such a bad fit I wonder if it is worth even trying to use which leads me to the question of wether anyone here knows where I can get hold of a quality remanufactured crrash pad for an S3 DHC made in the traditional way.

Tony W

Low volume production is a tough business, there are 3 pads that I am aware of.
The S1 and S2 roadsters share one pad, the S3 and early S4’s both FHC and DHC share a second pad and the later S4’s with the mk1 Cortina defroster vents use the third pad. Which one would you make, the early pad would most likely be the one that would sell the most of but were the least abundant.

I’ve heard that Just Dashes (justdashes.com/Index.htm) does a great job on American cars, probably could do the same for a Lotus. No relation to the company, etc - might be worth a look.

Ernie

google.com/search?hl=en&q=%2 … o&oq=&aqi=

this google search gives 53 topics on “just dashes”

some of them seem to be dejavu…

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=10024&view=previous

elan-archive-f16/crashpad-t13823.html

elan-f15/interior-work-t979.html

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3246&view=next

viewtopic.php?p=32934

Except for the compound curves at the edges, I think you could use heat-shrink aircraft dacron to hold it together and apply a new surface to your heart’s content over that.

The fabric looks like fine fiberglass cloth but will finish almost transparent. It’s used by high-tech wooden boatbuilders as a skin over the wood frame. You glue it at the edges, heat shrink it, then (for a boat), varnish it. Comes out water-tight and translucent.

It isn’t cheap stuff, but it’s cheaper than a replacement crash pad. I think I paid $50 for enough to do a kayak, which would cover several crash pads.

Gary,

When I was restoring my S3-SS, I went to a friend, now a Morgan owner, but at the time had just finished a beautiful TR4. He had covered that dash pad in vinyl cloth, so I had him help me do the same. I repaired the structure of the pad, mostly with a pasty epoxy, but my pad was no where as bad as yours. Then, we carefully delaminated a piece of naugahyde, pealing the vinyl from the cloth backing. Don’t do this before you are ready to use it, because it looses all integrity. You are left with a clingy stretchy material that will conform to and cover the crash pad. It took lots of hands to hold it down to apply the contact cement to the sheet, a much easier job to apply to the crash pad, then lots of pulling and smoothing to apply. Its still there from probably 1983 or 84. Still looks good. And the only evidence is the straight pin heads at the bottom of the dash corners, one each side. My early FHC pad is much worse and will be a bigger challenge, but still nothing like what you’ve faced here.

Roger

Hi Roger

I actually like the pad with all of the glue, it seems to have lost none of its original sponginess and flexibility of the vinal. In the past I would just buy another junk Elan but I am out of room for new toys. I did a little more searching and found a roll of black vinal, I bought it at an outlet store 20 years ago. I think it cost $20 for 10 yards, I have most of it still with the paper backing. Considering the in-stock status of the vinal and the current condition of the pad it can’t be any worse. I need to try some sample pieces to see what I will be dealing with.


RD Enterprises has carried some ABS Dash Pads in the past. Does anyone have a picture of one? Especially if it’s for an S1 or S2

Gary you could always do similar to what I did, cover your existing horror in fiberglass tissue, might need 2 or 3 thicknesses depends on how strong your tissue is and then cover it in leathercloth probably the same stuff as your vinyl ,
its easier if you can find stuff that stretches in both directions, a lot of it only stretches one way
rod

The Type 26 Register has now had them remade, and they are as per original spec.

type26register.com/

Mark