You did Ted. Needed to arrive around noon. Next time!
It was a couple of days ago actually, but I got the bushings and dogbones onto the anti-roll bar, which I’d been dreading doing. Will mount it on the car when I get home from this biz-trip.
Today was headers, day two. From the PVC mock-up into mild steel (I don’t TIG weld). Pre-bends are your friend. 
Tucked her into her nice dry carcoon until spring.
It is not welded in to the chassis but is a fully welded unit that can be lifted in and out and bolted down.
The mock up here is not T45 and has every possible option. The cage I will eventually have will be T45 and one or two bars removed. I’ll let you know the weight then…
please do, thank you (I have to say I did not fully understand some of the tubes - usually in tubular cages axis coincide as much as possible).
Fitted the sway bar on my Europa. What a pig of a job! Brake bleeding next and then it?s time for a test drive.
Cool photo Ted!
Drained the sump and put winter weight Castrol GTX 10W-40 in. Finally got a nice torque wrench which reads up to 250 lb-ft so I can accurately torque my octagonal nut spinners down to 200lb-ft instead of being close by standing on a breaker bar! After a test drive, I may have solved /improved a driveline vibration issue…? Also, after crawling about underneath checking various bolts for tightness, found loose proximal intermediate pipe at the y-pipe connector level-have ordered new S4 muffler and connector, clamps, straps, etc. for exhaust update. stainless header is in nice shape. Now it will be nice and loud after the old Sprint muffler is gone! Plus, a nice drive in Northern Virginia sunshine today.
Cheers, Mark Whitaker
69 elanS4dhc
45/8396
I put the roof up, but not until we got back from fetching the newspaper. Its just far enough to warm the car through, a good idea throughout the winter, I think. Laying the car up for months is not too good and must be like sleeping in separate bedrooms for half the year. My youthful navigator didnt feel the cold but is was a bit nippy, just like the car.
Jim
Checking the wiring connections on my Elan S2. First Lotus I have ever owned had where the wiring wasn’t “modified” by the previous owner. Amazingly original and in very good condition.
While the city was on fire yesterday, I managed to sneak out my white S4se from the painter after a bit of detailing (flattening and polishing a couple of orange peel areas) : quite pleased, remaining parts due in a week.
I still have some work ahead for reassembly (including chassis swap)…
I bonded the plastic chrome trim to my new Sundym top tint screen for my 130/5. A messy tricky job. I used yards of 4" tape but still not confident of the result. Tomorrow will be interesting!!
Mic
Took the car out for a run for two reasons:
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Try to decide on fitting a 5-speed (Voigts) gearbox. Leaning this way as highway speeds are really not very comfortable at 4500 rpm (75 mph). (3.77 and wide, low profile tires). Might get in the Voights queue (and long wait and $$$) but want a modified 1st gear on the T9. Also, concerned about getting it to the US and any chassis mods (not clear to me from all the various old threads).
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And to enjoy the beautiful December day before I start to decommission the car for its respray in January.
Hit a small snag on my carburettor rebuild, so took the time to clean and part out my collection of unmatched Strombergs so I’d have a ready parts bin for the future.
Left my S4 with a paint shop and discussed some details about door removal. They have painted a Europa, but no Elans, so the Elan doors will be different.
I’ll be taking them diagrams and parts as things progress. It will probably be quite a while before I have to chose a color. Been thinking about Royal Blue or maybe white. I want something bright so other drivers can see the little Elan.