August 1999 Message Board

Aug 1, 1999 - 09:09 - From: Dean
Title: Help - broken radiator drain plug
Message: I torqued the head off the radiator drain plug wile in the process or refitting it. I wasn't even putting that much force on it. 1. How can I get the screw portion out of the radiator? 2. Where can I find a quick replacement part? It's my daily driver.

Aug 2, 1999 - 11:29 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Exhaust Systems
Message: Not to sound like a broken record here, but we are still looking for someone around the Seattle, Washington area or someone willing to travel to the Seattle Washington area and lend their Lotus Elan M100 for prototying of a performance, 2 1/2 inch, mandrel bent, turbo-back exhaust system to include a pre-cat eliminator, down pipe, 2 1/2 inch ID high flow catalytic converter, Magnaflow brand high flow muffler, and chrome exhaust tip, built by noted hotrod and import exhaust specialist, Stan's Headers. Our Isuzu customers have found performance gains of 10 HP for the exhaust system, 12 HP for the down pipe and precat eliminator, and 3 HP for the high flow catalytic converter with our similar exhaust products for the Isuzu model cars with the same 4XE1 DOHC 1.6 liter engine. Easy horsepower with a very throaty and distinctive exhaust note much more appropriate for a car of the performance level that these cars are at. I'm willing to offer a free turbo-back exhaust system, in aluminized finish, from the first production run to anyone who is willing to lend their car for the prototyping of this product. These turbo-back exhaust systems will sell for $749.00 in aluminized finish and $999.00 in the Performance Coatings brand 2,400 degree ceramic finish. I would expect that a free $750 complete exhaust system should be incentive enough for even some of you Southern California guys to treck up the scenic Pacific Coast Highway. Please email me if interested at bills@isuzuperformance.com or telephone me at (314) 843-4666. Bill Luton

Aug 2, 1999 - 14:06 - From: charlie
Title: still alive!
Message: hey we made it back, the fans were stcuk on all the time so my battery was flattened again 8-), so i bought a new battery for $41 from pep boys and disconnected the fuses for the fans and give explict instructions to beth to watch the temp gauge while we were in traffic, of course we`re driving around century city car park the next day looking for a space, and i'm wondering whats that odd smell, hmm whats that odd white steam coming out of the bonnet 8-) then beth shouts hey look at the temp gauge , off the scale 8-) ... so i pulled over and reconnected the fuses, ten minutes later its fine again, but i lost a bit of coolant there.. i noticed though that when my fans were stuck on that the engine temp didn`t go above 1-4/1-2 even in traffic, though i`d imagine since the fans aren`t designed to be on all the time they`d burn out. also disconnecting them has cured the fault, it looks like the relays got jammed on, most have been those mullholland curves. anyway my windscreen has a beautiful upside down T pattern in it now, the crack reaches from the mirror to the bottom, and about 22cm either side 8-). according to the manual the windscreen is an important structural member for the car too.. anyway i`m going to post the few pics i took later today at my web site http://www.charliex.net

Aug 2, 1999 - 16:15 - From: charlie
Title: piccys!
Message: i`ve put my meagre collection of pictures from the meet at my web site, http://www.charliex.net if anyone wants me to host theirs let me know.. I`ve got some more coming from the old fashioned film type camera too. i also, thanks to doug, got the service manuals to scan too, so look forward to those in the upcoming month.

Aug 2, 1999 - 18:26 - From: Jade
Title: 50K
Message: We have reached a milestone. I turned 50k miles this weekend. I am not sure if this is good or bad. At least I have broken just about every thing I can, so there should not be to many more surprises. Speaking of broken what does the O2 sensor do? My machanic seems to think it is what is causing the engine to run rich at high rpms. Also I am still having that weird stall at 2700 rpm. It acts like I am hitting the rev limiter but you can drive right through it and no warning lights come on. Any one have a clue what this might be? Looks like you guys had a good time this weekend. Sorry I could not make the 4000 mile trip. Jade

Aug 3, 1999 - 11:46 - From: Roy Bailey
Title: Window seals
Message: Guys, A little tip for those of you who have slightly perished window. I don't know if any of you know the price of these things, but, let me tell you I almost fell off my chair when I found out !! - 120 ukp for the front seal and 70ukp approx for each and every other seal part (70ukp for a 12" length of rubber !!, Sounds expensive...eh ladies ??) So.... Do yourselves a favour... Get some cling film and some sikaflex (black silicon rubber in a tube)and DIY. Place some sikaflex over the affected area and then gently place a piece of cling film over the repair and smooth out. When the sikaflex dries you would hardly notice the repair (If you do it right and take your time that is !). Hope this saves you as much money as it has me. Regards p.s - Thanks for the 'parts for sale' board Doug

Aug 3, 1999 - 13:09 - From: Roy Bailey
Title: pps
Message: p.p.s - You take the cling film off the repaired window seal when the sealant is dry.......STUPID !!

Aug 3, 1999 - 13:30 - From: jason
Title: Sikaflex & Brakes
Message: Roy, good tip - where can you get the "sikaflex" from? Mine are ok but definately worth knowing about. How about doing an article with pics for the site? On the brake front, I've now received my parts. The disks look very impressive, as do the braided goodridge hoses. The car is going in to the dealers tomorrow for fitting so I'll post a report soon.

Aug 3, 1999 - 16:26 - From: Doug
Title: My New Wheels!!
Message: Hey All, if you want to check out my new wheels you can read the new page about them. To find this page, either click on the front page picture of my car (until I change it) or go to the Upgrades section and go to Wheels, and read about wheels and then click to see my wheels on the bottom. I'm still looking for my good roll of pictures from the Gathering (it has vanished?)--if anyone who was there wants to send me some shots, go right ahead!

Aug 4, 1999 - 03:42 - From: Jeff
Title: Hello and thanks . . .
Message: Just wanted to throw in my two cents about the Elan gathering . . . It was fun meeting everyone. I'm glad that I now have faces for some of the names that pop up on this board every now and then. The trip to Santa Monica was definitely worth it! A big thanks to you Carl, the manual boost controller you sold me has paid off handsomely. Now I find myself looking for those long straight aways to put the pedal down and feel the extra boost kick in. It fits and looks great. For those of you who are curious - I fit it closed and then painted one half of the handle black. Then I notched the base in the same place to get a starting point and then opened it up a full turn. The difference is phenomenal - definitely worth the paltry sum I paid for it. I'm still playing around with the adjustment but this seems to be the point of diminishing returns . . . And of course, due to Doug's wheel purchase I feel inspired to get new tires on the car . . . So many accesories; so little money. Oh well, such is life. Just wanted to say "hi" and thank you all for turning up, especially Seamus - who turned out to reminiss with us. Stay tuned for the pictures of the windbaffle and new seats. Film is at Costco awaiting my return. Talk to you all soon.

Aug 4, 1999 - 16:40 - From: Mike
Title: Wheel Alignment
Message: I seem to remember a description of how to adjust castor & camber. The import garage that I am using does not know how. Can someone let me know how to do it. Thanks. Mike

Aug 4, 1999 - 19:37 - From: Doug
Title: Alignment
Message: Mike, the alignment details are in the service manual. Mail Charlie and see if he can scan those pages in for you--I gave him the manual so he can scan it to online for everyone. Your castor and camber will likely be within service limits unless you've whacked the wheels before--so it shouldn't need those adjustments--it'll likely need just toe adjustments front and rear. Be sure the garage knows how to do those adjustments well (caster/camber)if you need them or they can screw it all up!

Aug 5, 1999 - 08:22 - From: Mike
Title: Short Shift Kit & Wheel Centers
Message: I was registering my Elan and I noticed in the upgrade section "Short Shift Kit", I would be interested in info on this option. As well as were to find the Lotus wheel centers. Thanks

Aug 5, 1999 - 09:13 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Short Throw Shift Kit
Message: We've offered a short throw shift kit for quite some time now, check http://www.isuzuperformance.com/bills/drivshift.html#bi

Aug 6, 1999 - 13:19 - From: Mike Littrell
Title: Vin #'s
Message: Anyone know where I can find a list of VIN numbers that were imported into the US??? I know that it is relatively unknown how many reached the US. According to randy's site however there is a list of specific colors that came here. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Mike

Aug 6, 1999 - 13:22 - From: Mike Littrell
Title: Oil Change
Message: Anyone have a prefference on oil filters? Part numbers would be appreciated.

Aug 7, 1999 - 20:24 - From: Doug
Title: Oil Filters
Message: Mike, regarding oil filters, I had been using the Fram Double Guard but am going to switch to the Purolator Pure One as it seems to be the best from what all I can read. Definitely worth reading is this online oil filter study!! = http://minimopar.simplenet.com/oilfilterstudy.html I don't know the filter number but Carl has used it and it is the one under "91 Impulse 1.6L"

Aug 8, 1999 - 13:41 - From: Vince
Title: Numbers & filters
Message: Mike, See http://www.gglotus.org/ggtech/index.htm#M-100 at the Golden Gate site. Seems like a reasonable VIN registry. I don't know how complete it is;for instance, my car's VIN isn't covered by the list.) The source of the list isn't provided either. Randy's page under FAQ as I remember has a US color distribution. Again, I don't believe the source is given. I've used FRAM for the AWD turbo Impulse RS too. Most recently FRAM has added a black textured, kinda rubberized paint to the filter end to improve grip in installing and removing. Simple idea but it works for me.

Aug 9, 1999 - 06:08 - From: Martin
Title: rude awakening
Message: Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come as our "English Summer" starts to fade, but I could have smashed my car to bits at 6.30 last Saturday morning. As many of you will know, the roof leaks.....no surpises there, and mine has a fairly consisent one that USUALLY drips onto the carpet in the drivers foot well. Well on Friday night I was parked up on my parents drive which is on a hill and this drip (as it was torrential rain) dripped directly onto the steering wheel, shorting the circuit and sending off the horn pretty much consistently. Again as many will know the Elan horn seems to be the loudest on any car made and as I can assure you when your trying to work out what the hell is going on at that time in the morning with your family standing behind you with arms crossed and heavy frowns it just seems to get louder. Anyway I soon managed to get the centre disk off and disconnect the horn, but I haven't dared connect it up again for fear of it happening again. I wouldn't have thought the horn would work at all without the ignition being on? Does any one know if there is a way to make this happen?? Finally can I take this opportunity to ask once and for all.....HOW THE HELL DO YOU STOP THE LEAKS FROM THE DOOR SEALS?. Cheers.

Aug 9, 1999 - 10:44 - From: Doug
Title: Martin's answer
Message: Martin, just move here to sunny Southern California and forget ALL your weather-related woories! ;-)

Aug 9, 1999 - 14:46 - From: charlie
Title: leeks and other welsh symbols of fertility
Message: a) buy the hardtop it`ll still leak but less b)get enough food and water, a cell phone , sleeping bag etc, laptop and some sealant, seal yourself inside the car. air might be a problem, so make sure the A/C works ok. c) i found that it helped when i put some tape across the top of the joints between the rubber blocks (from the roof to the top of the window) and making sure they were adjusted down as far as possible, theres a couple of torx style bolts that hold them on place, unscrew them and pull them down. I had thought of adding some silicon rubber inside the track between the seal and the window to help more, but since my drivers side window is busted anyway its not going to help much. theres not much you cna do to stop it 100% , since the roofs not sealed all the way round anyway, water will always get in. the seal blocks will move dues to the vibration from the car, so do it every couple of weeks i`ve though about just welding the bloody things in place 8-). e) buy a car cover for when the cars sitting on the driveway at your parents house. since the horn was going off, i`d check the fuseboxes for water damage, check the one under the dash and the one inside the dash, behind the instrument cluster, its possible a relay got shorted out.

Aug 10, 1999 - 03:45 - From: Rod Little
Title: Leaks
Message: Martin, I have a really good outdoor cover, its breathable material and quite thick. In all but thunderstorms water does not get through to the bodywork, hence water never gets in the car. It protects the car from people walking past and scratching it, cats sitting on the bonnet/roof and clawing, the nasty things that birds do just after you wash the car, and I guess keeps sunlight off the interior. Takes a couple of minutes to fit, makes the car look quite smart and when in its back takes up very little room in the boot ( =trunk ). I managed to get a complete set of seals from a dealer who was selling up, and replaced mine at 30k miles, but they really need doing again now. Its mainly the A-pillor ones that I find are the problem and these can be DIY replaced - heck I managed it :-)

Aug 10, 1999 - 05:23 - From: Colin
Title: Brakes etc
Message: Hi!, I'm new to this notice board and have just read July archive. My brakes would sometimes work and then scare me to death ( well close anyway). I fitted grooved disks and EBC greenstuff pads. I can now drive rapidly with confidence. The guy with long pedal travel after having new brakes fitted must be suffering from air in the system. Fitting both front and rear pads is fairly simple. The rears are more difficult as the top bolt for caliper removal is harder to get at (18mm). The piston is fairly easy to push back into the caliper and can easily be turned to adjust back the handbrake mechanism. (I used a normal file in the slots as a lever). I find that on a reasonably tight curve at around 120mph the car does not track as well as it should. Not as well as my Ford Mondeo even. Does anyone else have this problem? CU Colin

Aug 10, 1999 - 07:51 - From: Rod Little
Title: Wheels
Message: It may be of interest to people that I have found a place that will tool up and make wheels to any specification ( that magic 60 offset Doug ! ) A bargin at 18000 ukp for tooling ( which the comapany would pay half of ) then 340ukp per wheel, min 40 wheels. This is for magnesium wheels weighing 12lbs for a 16" x 7". Maybe with the 22k ukp I will go get an Elise instead of the 40 wheels :-)

Aug 11, 1999 - 13:50 - From: Steve P
Title: More Brakes
Message: Well, I've finally decided that my Elan's brakes just aren't upto the job. I'm just about to install the EBC grooved discs and GreenStuff pads from Chris Neil, a UK Lotus specialist who were very helpfull. They've a fairly new web site at www.chrisneil.demon.co.uk. The complete set of discs and pads is about £100(ex. VAT) UK pounds. I'll let you know if I'm as impressed as Colin once they're bedded in! I've just returned from a day at Thruxton motor circuit trying the MG-F, Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Martini Renault. MG-F is OK but no Elan, (the brakes are better however on the MG-F!), the Formula Ford was quite fun but the Martini Renault an absolute blast on the slicks. It hangs On Just like the Elan in the corners! I've got to say (unbiased as I always am ;-)) it has just reinforced to me how good the Elan is. It really does drive just like a comfy single seater. Happy Elanning!

Aug 12, 1999 - 15:15 - From: Steve P
Title: Yet more brakes......
Message: Just to let you know that the EBC pads and discs really work! Although they are Kevlar based they don't seem to need too much warming up. The car finally feels like its got some anchors! The discs do generate a little more noise, being grooved, but to be quite honest who cares if you have a whole lot more confidence in the car stopping. They will probably improve after another 100 miles or so, but already they are SO MUCH BETTER. I don't know how some of you guys survive with overboosted engines and standard brakes?! The other good thing is you're not adding to the unsprung mass, as they appear to weigh the same as the standard discs. Guess I'll give them my recommendation, and call it £150 well spent. :-))

Aug 12, 1999 - 15:19 - From: Steve P
Title: £150?!
Message: The original price is correct, £100 + VAT. I'd also ordered some new rear wheel bearings!!!

Aug 13, 1999 - 10:07 - From: Bob Layman
Title: Car Cover
Message: Periodically, the Elan must sit outside the garage for a day or two. Consequently, would like to hear any recommendations for a car cover (manufacturer, how/where to purchase, $, etc.). During the Summer in Michigan, the weather is highly variable so I need a cover that not only protects from the sun and breathes but also can handle a heavy rain. Thanks in advance.

Aug 13, 1999 - 19:25 - From: Doug
Title: Track Times
Message: So I was flipping thru the latest R&T Mag when I see an article comparing the Honda 2000, Boxster, and MZ3. They took them around "Buttonwillow" track and gave the track times for each car--Now my question is: does anyone know what the Elan's time might be at this track from ever being there or knowing how to find out if an Elan has done this circuit? I want concrete proof for my sanity that an 8 year-old car could show them all up!!

Aug 13, 1999 - 19:46 - From: Doug
Title: Info from Chris Neil
Message: From: donbroughton@chrisneil.demon.co.uk (Don Broughton) Thanks for the email, info on disc/shox is as follows. The discs are grooved and spotted made by a company called "EBC" .The braking is improved as the pads do not "glaze" up. When fitting the sports disc the superior brake pads must also be fitted standard stock line BRA191. The "AVO" shox supplied are adjustable in both ride height (perch) and adjustable on bump and rebound(damping) fronts have 10 adjusatments and rears have 22 ,the units are fully rebuildable. The units carry a 24 month warranty. Another new stock line is the braided stainless goodridge brake hose kit (set of 6). Stainless mufflers are also a stock line. A catalogue is on its way to you; any other questions don't hesitate to contact me. Best regards, PAUL

Aug 13, 1999 - 22:48 - From: charlie
Title: brakes
Message: i thought i`d ahve a go at changing my brake pads, doesn`t look too complicated, any tips doug ? ps does anyone know for sure what the equivalent GM part is for the US elan?

Aug 14, 1999 - 00:03 - From: Andy Y
Title: Brakes
Message: Charlie, we must be on the same wavelength...I just checked Autozone for Pontiac Fiero pads...they look close, yet different...The only way is to take'em off again and verify...(This mission was started by a RUMOR on the web). OEM pads are around $110!!! Must be metallic pads (Gold metallic). Seems like everyone wants to stop faster...Hell, if you're auto-crossing...the stocks are way better! It allows you to carry more cornering speed! I agree that they stink...Even my Subaru used to stop faster!!! Andy.

Aug 14, 1999 - 01:41 - From: charlie wallace
Title: pads
Message: i had `heard` from the ferrari dealer that the back pads were off a fiero.. though who knows anymore.. i`ve seen em listed as GM and thats all the info i have. Am i the only one who doesn`t think the brakes are that bad (i use a lot of engine braking though), they`re not 911 brakes by any standard but they seem ok., i think i might not have the stock pads though coz they are *real* dusty, and i wear and glaze them pretty fast.

Aug 14, 1999 - 15:40 - From: Gregory A. Smith
Title: Searching for the perfect Elan
Message: I'm looking for the perfect yellow Lotus Elan with LOW MILES. The car will be driven on summer weekends only. Will consider a perfect RED one. My search will take me to the mid-west through the East. I will arrange to have the car shipped back here to Connecticut. I look forward to your reply Gregory A. Smith

Aug 14, 1999 - 19:45 - From: randy maurer
Title: after market wheels
Message: I recently ran across a 1998 CEC wheel catalog. Lotus Elan was listed. I have not tried to verify the information or check to see if any/all of the wheels were 60 mm offset. But according to their chart, they carry the following wheels for our Elans. 16 x 7.5 - types 109, 121, 123, 129, 139, 143, 161, 169, 941, 951 and types A, B, C, E, F 17 x 7.5 - types 109, 121, 129, 141, 143, 145, 161, 169, 951, and types A, B, F, H Any additional questions should be directed at your local CEC dealer, not at me. Good Luck, Randy

Aug 16, 1999 - 13:02 - From: Mark Hains
Title: charlie, I agree!
Message: Charlie, I must agree that to me at least the brakes don't seem that bad. I am careful to warm them up in the morning before agressive driving though. At some point I'll probobly try the mintex pads but don't plan on a major upgrade at this point. I'm going to take Bill Luton up on his free exhaust offer as the shop is only a few blocks from where I work and he seems to know what he is doing . I'll post what I think of the system after it is installed if anyone is interested in hearing about it (probably early Sept.). Also, I wish to extend my sincere thanks for your writeup on the CAS. It was well written (and funny) and I've had no further problems. thanx very much~Mark Hains~

Aug 16, 1999 - 21:06 - From: charlie wallace
Title: yes i`m and idiot, and thanks mark!
Message: so of course some of you know i wore down my front pads, well i left it too late and went to carmel for the weekend, OOPS!, metal to metal wore a groove in the rotors, quite amusing driving around carmel trying to find a brake place, a) open b) not busy, no chance + about 4 million tourists crammed into a town no larger than an 18th century enameled bathtub, with hills and traffic aplenty. So i took it in this morning, at first it was no problem we`ll turn the rotors and change the pads , $100! cool thought me, with only a little worrying.. anyway they call me later to tell me the rotors are shot, and they can`t find the pads, and boardwalk lotus say a week and a 1/2 to get the pads from lotus (yeah right), so i called around, including mr bills isuzuperformance, searched the web, my god no-one knows where these things come from ! or what they are 8-) so i called FLG and they had in them in stock and shipped them up overnight, at $150 for the front set , corkers i thought topend sell the carbon kevlar for $159 !! . so anyway to cut a short story long, i thought i`d ask about the cost of the rotors, after all i was sitting down and had been heavily tranquillized already, another shock! the rotors cost the same as the pads! approx $140 ,of course disbelief ensued and i pointed out the difference in manufacturing cost between GM pads and rotors, still it seems true, something from lotus doesn`t seem to be vastly overpriced! of course the pads are about 70% more expensive than they ought to be. So there you go rotors for $140 i kid you not. thansk for the comments marks, better than seamus saying, that no-one can understand any of it 8-)

Aug 17, 1999 - 01:41 - From: Doug
Title: bad luck
Message: Chaz, you seem to be plagued with bad luck! And you've passed up an opportunity to put those Power-Slot rotors into place! You could have just used the e-brake for a week while you waited for the front brake parts!(JK) Well I know the Top End non-carbon pads work great so maybe you should get "some spares"--I wonder what will happen to your poor car next?? Perhaps you need to spend some quality time with your car. My motto: love your car and it will love you back! BTW what's up with those service manuals, dude!

Aug 17, 1999 - 09:46 - From: Steve P
Title: Braking Efficiency...Data Required!
Message: I've just had my car MOTed. It passed OK, and I'm now interested to know if any of you can tell me what braking efficiency your car achieved when it last had its last MOT? They seem to work a figure out based on the car's weight and the total braking force on fronts and rears. I thought it might be interesting if we could perform a survey and come up with some objective data on which Pad/Rotor combinations perform the best. If you could e-mail me with this info I was thinking that I could come up with a table of results that Doug could post. Please let me know the following:- Front: Rotor Make/Model, Pad Make/model. Rear: Rotor Make/Model, Pad Make/model. From the MOT checksheet under Brake Efficiency the figures your car achieved for: N/S Front, O/S Front, N/S Rear, O/S Rear. Plus the Weight! I don't know of any non OEM rear Rotors so please put "Standard" if that's the case. I also don't know what the equivalent MOT test in the US, but if you guys' have some figures too that would be great. Many thanks, Steve. PS Please let me have details even if your car has completely standard brakes!

Aug 17, 1999 - 13:22 - From: charlie
Title: luck
Message: yeah well i drive it every day, i`ve done 29000+ in the last year so i`m not that suprised. Its kind of unfortunate it all happens at once though 8-). I have borrowed an automatic document feeder for the manuals from david, but i can`t get the bloody thing to work 8-) it seems to need windows95 which i don`t have.. hopefully i`ll get it sorted out soon, otherwise i`ll go back to scanning one sheet at a time . i`ve done a lot of it, but its sloooooow going. On a completely different subject, what about trying to arrange a lotus owners track day at laguna or something, maybe even a skip barber day or something, i bet if we get enough people we can get a reasonable discount, maybe even join up with a couple of the other lotus groups to see if we can get more people to come along. get some friendly communication going between the m100 elans and the elans.

Aug 17, 1999 - 17:36 - From: charlie
Title: MOT in the states
Message: as far as california is concerned if your car passes a smog test every two years( i think ) you can drive it, if you can, the only thing that would stop you is the cops if its a complete wreck. Oh i forgot they added a test to check your filler cap pressure this year.. Since most cars with an ECU can pass a smog test fairly easily its a non brainer you wouldn`t believe some of the cars i`ve seen driving (barely) around... theres no brake tests or anything for cars, that i`m aware of , possibly a cop could ask you to prove they work, but thats it.

Aug 18, 1999 - 17:14 - From: charlie
Title: am i the only one here 8-)
Message: has anyone dealt with new dimensions in santa clara ? they carry momo and mintex stuff, mainly a VDub house but they seem to have all the gear. http://www.newdimensions.com/

Aug 19, 1999 - 12:42 - From: Colin
Title: filters
Message: Charlie, Thyought your 'Long arms and good vision' on the other notice board was a nice touch. - and no you are not alone. Colin

Aug 19, 1999 - 13:12 - From: Michael
Title: Steering Noises
Message: Brandon wrote on Randy's board... my steering makes weird noises like compressed air blowing out. Has anyone else experienced this. Mine does this sometimes and did it alot when I test drove it. Any ideas. Also... when turing the steering wheel, about a quarter turn before lock, there is a weird vibration and noise. Not loud, or too noticable, but I see it an feel it all the time, like when parking or just turning the wheel lock-to-lock for some other reason.

Aug 19, 1999 - 14:25 - From: charlie
Title: steering noise.
Message: If the noise is when you turn the wheel only, its probably low on powersteering fluid , if the noise is on all the time, it might have too much.. WARNING: Don`t do what i did and mix up the brake and power steering fluids 8-) make sure you get the correct power steering fluid, (ATF), you should never have to top off the fluid since its a closed system.. so a lot of loss needs to be investigated. even with the correct level you`ll still get some noise. its normal. (usually this is the first of two questions, along with the temp guage being at 3/4 in traffic) thanks colin, i try 8-)

Aug 19, 1999 - 14:30 - From: charlie
Title: new dimensions
Message: i got a new momo shift knob to replace my other momo, it was getting a little worn, i got the F16 i`m not sure if i really like it yet, its more pointy than the other. still they carry a lot of them in stock, but its pretty mcuh a VW place only, shame since they have mintex, and slotted rotors etc in stock, turbos too. theres not that many places in the south bay for that kind of stuff. If you`re interested in changing your shifter knob its really easy, stop sniggering you brits, i think the original lotus one screws on, after you`ve got it off, just find the correct sized rubber for the top of the shaft , then put the black ring at the base of the shaft,(remove it from the replacement knob first) theres 3 little grub screws that go into the base of the knob, put the knob on the gearstick and turn each of the grub screws a little in turn until it centres correctly, screw the black ring back onto the base of the knob and thats it, takes about 5 minutes, or less if you already have an aftermarket knob.

Aug 19, 1999 - 19:30 - From: Dean
Title: cartalk.com
Message: I just finished filling out the cartalk.com survey for my Elan. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to stuff the ballot. I noticed that the Lamborghini folks did it for the Diablo.

Aug 20, 1999 - 04:12 - From: Colin
Title: Stability
Message: Has anyone fitted a cross brace between front suspension struts. If so did it cure the high speed instability?. I find at over 100 on a less than smooth surface it doesn't cling to the road as it does when enjoying a twisty road at 60 ish. I don't think its my shocks as the car has only done just over 20K miles. When Norman has his hardtop seals sorted out, we should prevail on him to produce a T-Top. This could be used all the year round and the hood (top) could be removed to free up quite a bit of boot/trunk space. It would also reduce the wind buffeting with the top down once over 60/70. Colin

Aug 20, 1999 - 04:42 - From: Colin
Title: PS
Message: Has anyone fitted different seats? Mine are the normal leather and I find them slippery and they do not hold well when cornering. Colin

Aug 20, 1999 - 13:27 - From: charlie
Title: sway bars
Message: seamus had sway bars fitted to his car, i think topend fit them. I haven`t really noticed any problems with my car, and the car is supposed to be very stable. Still seamus said it helped. can`t hurt i suppose, cept the old wallet. As for the seats, i like the fact it lets you move a little, put seat covers on see if its better before going to the expense of buying new seats, or do what i was going to do and when the leather goes have it replaced with that fancy man made material that mercedes uses for its seats, much cheaper and leather and very durable, as an added bonus it doeesn`t get blistering hot after sitting in the sun for a while either 8-)

Aug 20, 1999 - 13:29 - From: charlie
Title: Quick Poll
Message: Ok david and i were chatting, his boost gauge goes up when hes not in gear or moving and he revs the engine, mine doesn`t, so we are wondering is it a chip thing ? what does yours do ?

Aug 20, 1999 - 13:33 - From: charlie
Title: turbo struggling
Message: ok in my continuing saga of things to go wrong with my car, and posts to the board, i`ve noticed recently that if i`m about 4000rpm in say 3rd gear, and floor it, the turbo kicks in then it seems to struggle and hesitate, in fact it actually slows the engine down, now it only does it in a very specific rev range, otherwise its just fine. So i wonder if i`m overboosting and my manual boost controller needs resetting//calibrating does anyone know how to accurately measure the boost.If you say me on 101 this morning, you`d have seen me dropping down to 40 then zooming off, and doing it again, with puzzled looks 8-) ps. IAN hows the ALDL thing coming 8) i can`t wait to start writing a real time engine display thing for the dashboard.

Aug 20, 1999 - 20:35 - From: Andy Y
Title: Boost Guage
Message: Charlie + David, if the boost guage is not performing like normal...check the ground @ the vaccum sensor...possible loose ground...remember: since the body is plastic& fiberglass...a ground wire has to be contacting the base of the sensor. Let me know how it goes. Cheers Andy.

Aug 20, 1999 - 21:11 - From: charlie
Title: to clarify.
Message: sorry andy, what i really meant is that the turbo spins up and creates boost, even when parked. (on davids), and doesn`t (on mine)

Aug 21, 1999 - 01:56 - From: Andy
Title: More on Boost...
Message: Charlie, thanks for clarifying...David has an unusual problem...maybe were not getting all the info...Find out if the boost guage is active w/ only the key on the "run" position and the engine off...My boost guage had a problem w/ over boost and boost @ idle; found out that the guage was operating fine, just had a bad ground on the sensor. Either way, we're all learning... Andy.

Aug 21, 1999 - 06:50 - From: Rod Little
Title: Stability
Message: I have the cross brace on order from Topend Colin, I was more concerned about twist when on boost during cornering. I have heard reports of getting one of the front wheels off the ground when powering out of corners if you get beyond the .65 boost. Will post a write up once it arrives and I get it fitted.

Aug 21, 1999 - 12:20 - From: David
Title: boost, boost, and more boost
Message: Andy, I think you may be right about the gauge, where is the vacuum sensor that I need to check the ground wire? this whole thing started after i put the Top End K&N filter kit on my car and immediatly noticed that when I shiffted at higher RPMs I would get this stuttering sound When I pushed In the clutch. I also got the same chuffing when not in gear and reving to about 4500 RPM. I called Doug and he said that occured due to back pressure through the turbo causing it to stall, hence the sound and the reason to buy the Top End blowoff valve kit. (Did I get that right Doug?) SOO I may be assuming wrong that the turbo is kicking in when the car is not in gear because i still get the blowback sound. One things for sure there is a performance gain but also a big increase in noise. Hopefully when I get the blowoff kit next week it should quit it down.

Aug 21, 1999 - 22:04 - From: Andy
Title: Location: Vac. sensor
Message: David, facing the car w/ the bonnet/hood up look in front of the passenger strut tower...in front is a small orangish/red rubber boot w/ a spring on it (sorry, that's just my description!) The bracket is held on by two philips #2 head screws -- just tighten the screws and check your guage w/ the car running...let me know how it goes...As for the intake noise...I realize that it may sound faster, but is it? I'm a skeptic because I have added & tested many myths on motorcycle engines w/ my dynojet dyno (sorry, won't fit cars...) and the conclusion is..."Don't beleive the hype!" I've tested different brand/octane of fuels...special plugs, exhausts...I believe one can also De-Tune a car just as easily as improving...One thing that I learned through the years is...torqueing the heads...on one 2 stroke motor...overtorqueing made it lose around 20% HP!!! I know it may not apply to our cars, but the bottom line is, "Buyer beware!". Andy.

Aug 22, 1999 - 08:55 - From: Colin
Title: Boost earth wire
Message: If the earth wire on the vacuum sensor becomes detached then with the ignition on, engine running or not, the boost guage goes off the clock. Mine became detached from the sensor body (not the other terminal). Attaching it back to the metal of the housing or bracket returned the guage to normal working. Revving the engine when stationary ie. with no load, shows no boost. It only registers in normal driving conditions.

Aug 22, 1999 - 12:56 - From: charlie
Title: wastegate noise.
Message: David, i think the noise level will go up when you fit the new wastegate, at least when shifting. IIRC seamus had one fitted on his bmw 2002 and it was really noisy during shifts. Perhaps doug or someone with it fitted can clarify. also more air to the engine definetely helps performance, its just `how much better and how much extra air is getting in.` ? just don`t be getting into fitting forked sparkplugs, using wonder additives, and expensive spark plug cables ;-)

Aug 22, 1999 - 17:40 - From: Rod Little
Title: Care of the roof - UK
Message: Whilst on a trip to Halfords ( UK car place ) for a trolley jack ( long story about trying to remove the air filter housing ! ) I noticed they sell a soft top care kit for 14.99 ukp. It includes cleaner, protector and cream for plastic windows. You also get applicators and brush. Considering the cost of a new roof, it appears a good investment. I got as far as using the cleaning stuff and it does a great job. Will be protecting/creaming later in the week.

Aug 22, 1999 - 23:32 - From: Doug
Title: clarifying things
Message: David, you heard me right. The stuttering sound is now readily heard thru your filter but nothing has changed. You will not produce boost without the car in gear, but since the intake air travels directly thru the turbo's turbine on its way in it can spin the turbo a bit just by passing thru it (like your radiator cooling fan turning while moving without it being engaged) and I guess this could stall the turbo too when you stop the reving out of gear. David the bypass valve is the loudest part of the "intake symphony"! You will find it amazing to hear the energy stored in the excess boost come shooting out the bypass valve! This is the same gas that it backfiring thru your intake NOW when you shift since you don't have the bypass valve. With the open filter on you hear the air being sucked into the filter when the turbo spins up and you can hear the turbine sound of the turbo more as well (very cool I think)! Charlie, the surging turbo problem sounds weird--why don't you look it up in the service manuals I gave you to scan!! If the turbo does "spike" when you hit it the boost will go real high and then drop down low before stabilizing and this may be your problem--but it should be apparent if so. Regarding the strut brace, it goes between the front strut towers and is supposed to stop the motion that happens when the car corners and the front end "flexes" (changing the distance between the front struts by a few milimeters). Knowing how "rigid" and fluid the Elan's suspension geometry is I doubt the strut tower will do that much in our Elans--and it's not a cheap item. Other cars can benefit greatly from this device but luckily we have the best suspension already! Seamus did install a strut brace and said he noticed a difference in cornering to the effect that he could whip around corners even faster. Now the rumor about the Elan's wheel coming up on cornering I'm sure are wrong--I can easily explain the likely truth as the wheel "slipping" due to the engine's power thru the corner and the fact that we do not have a limited slip differential--drop the clutch from a standstill and listen to all the wheel slipping from the differential!! Hey, Bill, is that exhaust system ready yet---I'm getting anxious!!

Aug 22, 1999 - 23:45 - From: Doug
Title: F.Y.I.
Message: While browsing the DuPont Registry this weekend I saw an ad for a Norfolk Mustard Elan with only 1800 miles for sale--just wanted to pass on the info. This is at a dealer in Massachusets at "www.astonmartin-lotus.com"--I checked their site and they list 2 yellow Elans for sale, one at $25K and the other (likely the 1800 mile one) at $29K. Now where did I put that extra $29K?? ;-p

Aug 23, 1999 - 11:56 - From: charlie
Title: lotus for sale
Message: odd they are listed as SE`s, which I doubt , imagine a lotus dealer getting the model number wrong 8-) Doug!, the manuals are being scanned, page at a time 8-) i can`t get the automatic document feeder thing working, so i might pass it back to david, and get him to do them, see if it gets done any quicker. Plus the fact my isp has screwed up the firewall, and no-one can get access to my site, I`m in crunch mode at work at the moment too 8-) my stalling thing went away again, i think it might be just a tune up thing... Getting ready for the windscreen change soon, lets see how it goes, they claim to have been doing lotus and ferrari windows for years.. I kept the old pads for the brakes, and i`m going to wander round a few stores see if i can find someone who spots them, i`m not taking the one that wore down as it has no pad and about 2mm of metal was eaten in too by the rotors 8-) (all in one weeekend) far too embarassing.. I passed bv a white lotus elan last thursday on santa clara, i waved, two seconds later there was a three car smash, right in front of me, i`m glad i slowed down to wave , if you`re here thanks!

Aug 23, 1999 - 12:32 - From: David
Title: scanning and stuff
Message: Charlie, no problem just pass the stuff back to me this week and I will teach our intern how to scan (he he he) As for the new filter setup, I have noticed that on certain sections of hwy17 where I used to have to downshift to make a safe pass I can whiz by just fine in 5th. I am not sure if there has been a change in 0-60 but it definitly sounds neat. Next stop,, bypass valve

Aug 23, 1999 - 15:17 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Shipping to Greece
Message: A Greek Elan owner telephoned me and asked me to fax him a quote on shipping cost of something to Greece, but the fax number he gave me is not going through, so if no one miinds, I would post that information here in hopes that he will find the information he needs: Parcel Post Air, 4-7 days, $27.00.

Aug 23, 1999 - 15:22 - From: Steve P
Title: How many BHP????
Message: Please to say that my brakes are now FAB! Those Kevlar Greenstuff pads and discs from EBC are amazing, and cheap. The kevlar pads were only £24 UKP! Anyhow, two things... Firstly do check your ignition timing. If it's out, it DOES affect the maximum boost pressure. My boost guage has always given a low reading, never been over 0.5bar. My timing was 3/4 degrees out! After a bit of tinkering and adjusting it to 16degrees the performance has improved (particularly abouve 3500 rpm) and the boost guage now nudges well over 0.5! I reckon that incorrect timing must cause premature 'Knock', reducing the ammount of boost that the ECU will allow?? Secondly, I'd be interested in how many BHP the Elan engine will produce once its been fully sorted by you engine tweekers? Has anyone had their car on a dyno after mods??? Thanks in advance. Steve :~)

Aug 24, 1999 - 06:36 - From: Andy
Title: Boost and other Issues
Message: I've been having similar boosting problems as those mentioned above (Aug 20, 1999 - 13:33 - From: charlie Title: turbo struggling) When the car is first up to normal running temperature it boosts correctly and the acceleration is amazing, but as soon as the engine has been running for a while and things have 'warmed up a bit' (yes my temp gauge flys to the top as soon as i stop at a set of lights too!) my boost seems to have a mind of its own and the cars performance is very hit miss. Also, i've been told that from outside my car is very noisy on acceleration, but inside it sounds fine, and despite having changed my fuel tank because of bad fuel smells in the cabin (tiny splits in filler neck) i still get fuel smells in the cabin after hard acceleration or 'enthusiastic' driving! Any idea's anyone ? By the way Steve P, I had my car dyno'd when it was first chipped up and it was pushing 221bhp.

Aug 24, 1999 - 07:42 - From: Dimitri
Title: For Bill Luton
Message: Hi Bill, I am the Greek Elan owner who telephoned you. Thank you for the information (shipping cost).I found the order form and I will soon mail it to you. Thanks.

Aug 24, 1999 - 14:16 - From: Thomas
Title: Intake housing
Message: Hi all, can someone tell me exactly how many screws/ bolts are there for the intake housing/ garbage can?? I'm trying to replace it with an K&N filter from TopEnd....yeah..... I'm currently enjoying my newly acquired stainless exhaust and it sounds so great!! By the way, is there an alternative to the Blow Off Valve assembly that cost less than TopEnd's??

Aug 24, 1999 - 14:48 - From: Rod Little
Title: Compressor Bypass Valve install
Message: I am just trying to install the Topend Compressor Bypass valve, anyone know where the long small rubber pipe connects to ( I know its - The Bypass Valve actuator tube is then spliced into the boost gauge sensor tube, but I don't know where the boost gauge sensor is ). I also notice there is a place to attach a small tube to the HKS part - anyone know what I connect here ?

Aug 24, 1999 - 14:52 - From: Rod Little
Title: Intake Housing
Message: Thomas, I am not sure I understand what you are asking, but maybe if I explain that to replace my stock Lotus air filter setup with an ITG one and new pipe; remove air filter element, jack up car and then with 10mm socket on a LONG extension you can get under the car ( torch may be required ) and remove the 4 bolts from underneath. I removed the big pipe feeding air to the underside of the can to give me better access. I was told that it can be done from above with a very short spanner, but I found it easier to tackle from underneath. HTH

Aug 24, 1999 - 15:42 - From: Andy Y.
Title: Name
Message: Andy, I'm sure there is a possibility of confusion btwn. our similar names, so I'll be posting "Andy Y" if I can remember...Cheers

Aug 24, 1999 - 16:34 - From: Dean
Title: Clutch Longevity Questions
Message: I have been experiencing some vibration (30 cycle per second or so) when starting out if first gear. This is especially prevalent for the first start or two of the day. Additionally, I might experiencing some slippage when doing a high effort hole-shot. The car has 38,000 miles on it. Is it time for a replacement? The car is due for some service by a not so local dealer (200 miles away) should I have them do the clutch? If so should I go with stock components? Does anyone have a feel for the longevity of a clutch?

Aug 24, 1999 - 16:40 - From: Rod Little
Title: Clutch
Message: Dean, my clutch has done 50k miles and at about 30k my dealer claimed it needed replacing, as they were at the end of the adjustment. However at 50k its still fine, does not slip nor judder.

Aug 24, 1999 - 21:12 - From: Doug
Title: Stuff
Message: All those recent typos made me nuts so i fixed them--he he he ;-) Rod, your answer has been posted in a new web page about Bypass Valve installation linked to the bypass valve page! Dean, I noticed my car doing that recently too and attributed it to the first full clutch engagement--after that there have been no problems. You can look on the Owners' List for those with replaced clutches (only very few)! It seems the clutch lasts very long. If you do replace the clutch consider putting the Quaife Limited Slip Differential and a better clutch (like Centerforce)in there with an aluminum fly wheel--not only will it cost you a bundle, but it will give your car more response, handle the power better, and make me hella jealous!! Andy H, get yourself some Red Line Water Wetter--see my coolant write-up! Thomas, tell us more info about your stainless exhaust!

Aug 24, 1999 - 21:35 - From: Doug
Title: Updates
Message: Okay Guys, who's got update suggestions for the site?! No one seems to want to send me any contributions :-( I am planning to put up a "Reviews/Gripes List" where you can rant and rave about your upgrades, repairs, dealers, etc. Any other ideas? . . . . . . . . .

Aug 25, 1999 - 12:28 - From: Thomas
Title: Stainless Exhaust
Message: My stainless exhaust is made by A'pex. It's a turbo version, straight through pipe. It's not very loud but gives a very solid feel while accelerating. It did however increase the performance a little bit. Wait till I put in my K&N intake tomorrow... :) Doug, do you know of a good alternative to a blow off valve application??

Aug 25, 1999 - 13:30 - From: Doug
Title: Bypass Valve
Message: Thomas, there is NO alternative to a bypass valve or alternate way to do the same thing! Without one you are increasing wear on the turbo bearings each time you drive and shift. Sure your turbo may last forever without one, but it's the principle of it that makes it great: Free performance and decreased turbo wear ;-)

Aug 26, 1999 - 22:18 - From: charlie
Title: yellow elan
Message: that yellow elan in the crash was spotted again, this time on a flatbed truck, the fronts all mashed in, possibly frame damage, i`d imagine it went to boardwalk lotus, it was heading that way. no news of the driver though..

Aug 27, 1999 - 11:26 - From: Roger
Title: Fuel Gauge
Message: My fuel gauge just stopped working,no other instruments just that! Anyone had a fuel gauge go bad? Thinking it may be the sender unit but low fuel tell tale works(at least when i turn on the ignition it does). Anyone know where to get a new set of weather strips? Oh and the metal cable on the drivers side of my soft top has snapped any suggestions? Thanks Roger, NH

Aug 28, 1999 - 02:02 - From: Roy Bailey
Title: Weatherstrips & Soft-top cables.
Message: Roger, See my earlier message regarding the price of weather strips/repair of weather strips. Metal cable running through soft-top can be replaced with not too much hassle - Buy new cable from good hardware store and get hold of some alumininium alloy 'crimpable' thingamajigs. I'm sure you will understand what I mean when you take a good look at the cable assembly. Be VERY careful when undoing the roof tensioner grub screws, both of mine sheared off !! Hope this helps - Regards to all.

Aug 29, 1999 - 02:34 - From: randy
Title: turbo boost
Message: prior to the socal summer gathering (thanks again, Doug et al) my boost came on like a rocket, but at .5 on the gauge everything shut down, which made passing an interesting experience. Since the meet, I cranked the my valve all the way clockwise, and have slowly been cranking it back a quarter turn every couple of days. I think I am now 2 full turns counter clock. The boost comes on more often and more slowly and smoothly than before, but the gauge now goes up to 1.0. Tonight I was doing 90 mph in 5th, mashed the accelerator, boost hit 1.0 and stayed there till 110 when I ran out of freeway. I haven't gotten it to cut out like it always used to. I am going to mark this at TDC ground zero, then keep going counter clock to see what happens. I know this isn't too precise or quantitive, but maybe it will get us all a step closer to figuring out how to set this all up.

Aug 29, 1999 - 14:27 - From: charlie
Title: we`re gonna need some work to keep up 8-)
Message: so it looks like over this year and next year, we`re going to be tinkering with the performance again if we want to keep up with the latest group of cars.. BMW for instance, are coming out with much faster cars than they ever have, currently the Z3 m roadster is 0-60 of 5.0 (tested), and then theres the Z8 ok so its $120k , then theres the new merc and the honda 2000 with its wow 9000 rpm and typical honda efficiency.. Even the poor midrange boxster is getting up to its bigger brothers performance, then new model is not bad performance wise, and then new 911 GT4, though its doubtful we`ll see many of these around (esp.in the states).. It looks like we`ll be aiming for mid 4 secs stay ahead 8-).. Can it be done ?. The top speed is not going to get up to the current crop of cars, without some major work. I`d imagine you`d have to replace most of the drivetrain etc. so we should work on 0-60 , 0-100 speeds that way , we won`t be getting overtaken by z3`s and boxsters ( the shame ;-) ) ..

Aug 29, 1999 - 21:55 - From: charlie
Title: two aardvarks die in near death experience, police baffled.
Message: my rear wheels were a little wobbly so i follwed the instructions on the repair section, a few additions. when removing the dust caps gentle vibration works better than brute force, i found that if i just coaxed the caps out by putting the blade of a flat screwdrive between the hub and the cap, and slowly removed it, turning the wheel around so as to make it come out evenly, its goes a bit deeper than you`d expect. You`ll probably need two screwdrivers, but one behind the other when the cap comes out too far to get any leverage. Next the split pin, carefully straighten them, then put a long shafted thin screwdriver through the eye, and rotate it gently whilst tapping the shaft with a blunt object, i used the lotus tyre iron, you may want to use something else 8), work it out slowly, patience will win over cut fingers and scratched hubs. you`ll notice that the nut is notched and that there are a couple of cross drills through the centre pin, i found that moving it around one notch to the next drilled hole for the split pin was more enough, this is the least you can move it without drilling a new hole., which you wouldn`t do. reverse the procedure for the split pin after straightening it out, gently rotate it back and forward as you insert it and it will deploy easily. Bend over the longer of the two "pins", it should go neatly over the nut and into the centre of the wheel. make sure that the shorter is not protuding too far, as it will hamper the dust cap, bend it back a little.. It took me about 30 minutes to do both wheels. It does make a difference, the steering is tighter , i`ve benn getting some excessive steering wheel vibration which i suspect is the brakes, perhaps a rotor, since i can feel it on the pedal and more when i brake, but theres definetely less of it at lower speeds. I guess the thing about problems like loose wheel bearings is that it takes a long time to happen, so you probably don`t notice the gradual drop in performance of car, but you`ll notice it when you`ve taken up the slack. Drive the car around the block a few times after you`ve done it and check the wheels for heat, they ought to be slightly warm, (that is if you live in california, god knows how long it takes for the back wheels to warm up in ossett, yorkshire) if they are more than lukewarm, you`ve overtightened the nut, loosen it up again. I drove about 20 minutes on freeway about 90mph and they were warmish, unlike the fronts of course which you could happily fry eggs. I`d take the temperatures with my two digital thermometers but someone washed them in the sink, with the est of the dishes, i`m not saying who for fear of reprisals. next slotted rotors 8-) or caliper painting..

Aug 30, 1999 - 00:40 - From: charlie (again)
Title: brit car meet
Message: http://www.gglotus.org/gghotn/pabcm_99.htm anyone going ?

Aug 30, 1999 - 07:11 - From: Steve P
Title: This & That
Message: I'm a bit worried that there is some concern about keeping up with everything on the road. The Elan was never the quickest car on the road and never will be. I feel privileged to own one of these rare masterpieces and almost feel dutybound to preserve it as its makers intended! One of the great aspects of the car is that it has useable power, and in the UK where there are plenty of corners my feeling in that the Elan has just about the right level of performance/handling for the public highway. I've driven quicker cars and come away frustrated because you have to be traveling as such insane speeds to get any real buzz from the experience. There also comes a point where the chassis/drivetrain can't cope, and from my experience of overboosted FWD cars in damp conditions (nearly always in the UK) they're actually slower! I don't know about the USA but the current crop of UK Subaru and Mitsubishi sport saloons are far quicker than any BMW on the road. The key is Four Wheel Drive, and that's exactly what Lotus's engineers had made allowance for in the rear suspension setup of the Elan!! So I'm sorry to say I won't be trying to keep up with anything too fast in my Elan (fun as I'm sure it is :-)) Guess we'll have to wait for the new Lotus 'E?' in 2001 or 2. Due to sell between the Elise & Esprit and use a V6 version of the new V8! The artists impressions look stunning.......hurry up Lotus.

Aug 30, 1999 - 10:21 - From: Don Messerli
Title: Headlights not working
Message: My headlights aren't working. My problem has been going on for a while. I've been too busy to do anything about it (getting engaged and buying a condo). I've been working around the problem by not driving at night. I have another car that I do that with (Volvo 850 Turbo). But my fiance is selling her car as we speak and will be driving the Volvo from now on. When I turn the headlights on, the taillights and the driving lights come on. The headlights do not pop up. If I pop them up manually, they don't illuminate. I don't think it's a fuse. Maybe a relay. I did some work under the dash a while back (pulled out the computer, sent it to Superchips, and re-installed it). That is about the time the headlights quit. I'm thinking that I might have knocked something loose. Any ideas? Signed, "In the Dark"

Aug 30, 1999 - 13:17 - From: Thomas
Title: turbo boost
Message: Randy, what valve were you talking about exactly to increase the turbo boost??

Aug 30, 1999 - 13:51 - From: charlie
Title: 4wd is the key ?
Message: tell it to porsche then with one of the fastest cars around a rear wheel drive setup. their 4wd is much slower. which subarus are you referring too, i hadn`t realized they`d gotten up into the 4.x 0-60 range. The thing about the UK is, thats its so wet and the roads are so small, no wonder you don`t want to drive fast there 8-) move to the states like i did, its liberating, 6 lane freeways pretty much all to yourself at night. As for BMW the new Z8 is a pocket rocket.. Sports cars are just that, its competitive otherwise wheres the sport ;-)

Aug 30, 1999 - 16:30 - From: Steve P
Title: Info for Charlie
Message: Charlie, I love motoring in the states! I don't know how long you've been an 'alien', but the roads in the UK now have more speed cameras than anywhere in the World. They can even calculate your average speed over a distance of motorway and uplink/downlink from a satelite to issue you a ticket! However for your information: Subaru Impreza WRX Sti 4 0-60 in 4.6s, Mitsubish Lancer Evo VI 0-60 4.4s. Figures from AutoCar. I've seen both these cars on the track against most other sports cars and they are simply incredible, particularly in their speed through corners where the rear wheel drivers struggle to keep balanced. AutoCar have recently rated the Evo as the fastest road car A-B its ever tested (and they don't cost the earth)! Shame it looks like my dogs dinner and has room for the kids! The Elan looks great and goes well. Cheers Steve 8-)

Aug 30, 1999 - 16:47 - From: charlie
Title: aha
Message: IIRC its in grand turismo for the PSX, so i ought to have recognised it 8) The states is really behind on a lot of technology compared to europe, read cell phones, detectors, cameras etc. in the case of gatso cameras its a good thing. though a lot of cops are using the hand held lasers here now, though here you can have a flat road that you can see all the way to the horizon (practically) 8-). Still I think 4.5 is an achievable time for the elan.. even if its just for the strip, shame NOS isn`t street legal huh ;-) has anyone had a garret upgrade done ?

Aug 31, 1999 - 01:00 - From: Doug
Title: Elan
Message: Charlie, perhaps you can get an Esprit V8 to fit under the Elan hood--that's how the other companies do it right? You could call it a Elan8, Sport, SE, V-powered or something dumb like that. Well, I agree with Steve P's Elan philosophy! It is still the best car out there: mine has 120HP per liter and gets 30MPG-name any other car that can do that please--while looking like a million bucks!! There are faster cars , but there are not better cars! Let's not turn this into the roadster spec comparason board ;-) Steve, tell us more circuit stories, and don't spare the shame of those Elise drivers either.

Aug 31, 1999 - 05:26 - From: Andy (London)
Title: Elan
Message: When you've got a car that looks as classy as the Elan, you just want to cruise gently around and let the world admire!

Aug 31, 1999 - 09:07 - From: Jason
Title: Brakes, Steering Noise, Window, Roof Protector, Car cover
Message: Good to be back, Lots of interesting stuff to catch up on. Having just got back from my honeymoon, thought I'd take the car out for a spin. Put the roof down, drove off, dropped the drivers window and BANG! The window won't budge. I took the door panel off and it looks like one of the plastic clips (the one in the middle of the window) that holds the glass to the runner has broken. I know this because of the shattered bits of plastic in the bottom of the door. Also, I think the cable may have snapped. Does anyone know the GM part number for this. Will I be able to get the plastic (milky white colour part) bit or am I going to have to buy more? Pleased to see so many of you are happy with the EBC set up I wrote about a while ago. The performance is so much better. I did do brake lines as well, but I'm really impressed with the performance increase for relatively little money. The noisy steering could be due to a dry joint in the steering column. A bit of lube cleared this up on my car. Is the Halfords roof protector OK to use? Does it damage the fabric? I was warned off the waterproof covers. They apparently have a tendency to wear away paint where wind constantly rubs the fabric against the bodywork.

Aug 31, 1999 - 09:56 - From: Bill Luton
Title: Performance
Message: A few words on increasing performance. The drivetrain will not be a limiting factor. The Isuzu 76 mm transmission is the same used by GM since 1985 in everything from Fieros to Cavalier Z24s with the Quad Four engines. Right off the showroom floor, that transmission has been mated with 180-200 HP engines, but the true test comes in when the Fiero guys start swapping in built Chevy V8 engines. The transmissions easily handle over 450 HP and a lot of torque with no problem. ##### Turning up the boost is going to become a problem over 200 HP as the little IHI turbo maxes out somewhere around 220-230 HP and the injectors do the same about 220-240 HP when in perfect condition. You can run the stock block up over 300 HP with a larger turbo (Garrett), larger injectors, and some piggeback computers to override the OEM computer safeguards. That bumps performance up to the 12 second quarter mile range. ##### AWD is not the solution for performance. Mitsubishi has dropped AWD from their offerings for 2000. The fastest Eclipses on the drag strip are FWD Turbos because the reduction in weight and drivetrain loss is significant and a good differential and suspension setup does more to reduce tirespin than adding an AWD system. AWD works real well from 0 to 60 foot, and you can get some really impressive 1.6-1.8 sixty foot times easily, but after that, the FWDs dominate. The Mitsubishi AWDs have never been successful on the autocross track or even in road racing (and neither have the Subarus or Isuzus). As far as can be told, the only place the AWDs really dominate is in rally racing, and I would hate to see someone beat an Elan to death in a rally. XXXXX Bill Luton

Aug 31, 1999 - 12:20 - From: steve_w
Title: window mechanism
Message: Jason.. I had a similar problem with the drivers door window, and it was a plastic pulley that had broken. The only course of action was to replace the motor which comes with the pulleys, cable, central slider and runner. That will set you back over a hundred quid ! Dont know the GM part number, but all dealers/specialists have them.... its a common problem.

Aug 31, 1999 - 14:27 - From: Thomas
Title: spark plug wires
Message: has anyone upgraded their spark plug wires?? what is the differences in terms of performance??

Aug 31, 1999 - 17:29 - From: Steve P
Title: OK,OK,OK!
Message: OK,OK,OK, I can see that we’re about to have a heated debate about FWD vs AWD!! I can only speak from experience of what I’ve seen on UK circuits and read in the motoring press. The Elan was as one time rated as the quickest car over ‘give and take’ British ‘B’ roads. The Elan has never been rated as the quickest car on a circuit. It simply has not got the power to weight ratio for the straights. In the UK TVR sports cars have over 400bhp and weight much the same as an Elan! I regularly meet TVR’s on the road, given a series of tight corners with adverse cambers and bumpy tarmac I can show one of these baby’s a clean pair of heels, and with only 165bhp! In the wet the Elan is even more devastating!! For any TVR owners reading this, I always let you past on the straights (they are quick 0-100 in 8.9s). The Elise is not good in the wet. Again, there are plenty of these on the UK roads and the Elan has no problem keeping up. Also, on circuits the Elan is far more effective through the corners. The standard Elise is fairly easy to spin, the Elan is not. Top end power seems better on the Elan (over a standard Elise) so you can reel the Elise in down a long straight. Now, given all this I cannot under any conditions keep up with the Subaru and Mitsubish AWD cars through the corners or down the straights, on the road (dry/wet) or track. They have better power to weight, grip and traction. The AWD Subaru weighs less the a Boxster S. I don’t necessarily disagree with Bill’s comments, but on real roads in varying conditions AWD does make a very strong case for itself. My information is that the Elan’s ‘chassis and rear suspension where designed from the start with AWD in mind’. At some point Lotus must have seriously considered this taking the Elan forward (please excuse the punn). Still we’ll never know.If only we could turn the clock back ;-).

Aug 31, 1999 - 18:16 - From: charlie '`devils advocate' wallace
Title: tee hee
Message: I knew that would get some messages going i was getting bored ;-) Yup i agree with you a 100% on the TVR`s there steve, i went through the grif and chimera and boy did those suck in the wet, i was going through manchester one day and floored it to pass a cheeky VW, and it flipped out sideways. it straightened up easily enough afterwards, but the VW got away laughing all the way into his cup-o-soup ;-) Nice sounding engine but cramped inside and even worse than lotus for hand built disease. I`m interested in bills comments though , the garret turbo was what i was thinking too, remember some of us like to go to the track too, so all this performance isn`t just for chasing vipers up 280, i`ve been doing this regulary and although it can easily pull away on a flat line i always catch up as soon as he turns the wheels.. I had heard from david that vipers are overrated in 0-60-100 times though, but not by much 8). I don`t go nuts everywhere i drive, but occasionally on a nice wide dry road, i like to let go a little, i`m not the only elan owner to do it either , i have the pictures to prove it :) I used to race at a twisty track in wales and i liked the RWD as you could slide them out of corners real good, I even think the miata handles really well too, around bends. but i`ve never been next to a car going around a tight bend that i couldn`t overtake or keep up with, i find it highly amusing to pass shiny new 911s going around a hairpin and waving at the driver. i`m thinking of installing a camera to take pictures of their dropped jaws, especially when they pull out of the corner expecting to zoom off and don`t..

Aug 31, 1999 - 18:33 - From: Steve Mason
Title: FWD Vs AWD
Message: I happen to be the proud and lucky owner of a Elan and a Subaru Imprezza Turbo. They are chalk and cheese. There is no doubt that under ALL circumstances the Subaru will leave the Elan for dead, but it's a Subaru.......if you know what I mean. The way I look at it the Subaru is moonshine and the Elan is a fine wine, both have there place depending on your mood. If I had to sell one it would be the Subaru, it's just not as special, bloody quick though...... Bill's comments seem based on going in a straight line, in this instance his comments are true, a fwd car or rwd car has less weight than awd so in a straight line will outperform after the initial traction advantage. But, put some bends in the equation and no fwd or rwd car I've ever driven will keep up with awd given similar bhp. Point to point the new generation of awd turbo's are frankly unbeatable in the hands of a normal to good driver. Let's face it rally cars run on every surface known and are designed to be as quick as possible, all the top runners are 4wd. The only time a 2wd car had a chance is on dry tarmac with a hefty weight advantage over 4wd, even then it's close. I digress, I'm sure lot's of people will disagree with my comments, fine, every one has a opinion, but if you've ever driven a 4wd turbo with 200+bhp I think you'll agree ? Can't wait for comments............

Aug 31, 1999 - 18:38 - From: charlie
Title: elan as AWD
Message: i have to disagree with you again there steve, nothing personal ;), my info is that John Miles and Jerry Booen designed the interactive wishbone suspension specifically for a FWD, its patented too so you can look it up. the rear suspension is just basically the excel`s modified for the elan (which isn`t AWD either). the chassis was deisgned for the elan too, and what a chassis it is 8-) (which is why i for one have a heard time believing the car needs yet another front anti-roll bar)

Aug 31, 1999 - 18:59 - From: Dean
Title: What batteries fit an M100?
Message: What batteries fit an M100? My current battery is a Delco Freedom Battery with the makings 20-55 and 1980824. Unfortunately it appears that this is no longer available. Oh, my clutch judder seems to have cured itself. Go figure. Dean D. Giacopassi email: giacopassid@asme.org web: http://home.att.net/~giacopassid/index.html

Aug 31, 1999 - 19:36 - From: Jade
Title: window parts
Message: Jason the parts that you are looking 4 can be purchased without buying the entire package. I have purchased 2 window regulators and do not plan on ever doing that again. There are 2 parts you might need. The first is the slide this is what attaches to the center slide post. Drivers side is A100B6211SH, Passenger side is A100B6210S these cost about $7 us. Remember these are u.s. sided so in the uk it is most likely opposite. There is also a white clip that looks like a butterfly. This hold the window to the slide the part # is A100B6271S it costs $9 us. I purchased mine from the Lotus dealer in North Carolina. Doug I am going to be in LA for a couple of days in Sept. for business it would be great to hook up while I am out there. I will email you with more info. Doug what did you ever find out as far as HP goes from that Gtech? Jade

Aug 31, 1999 - 20:06 - From: charlie
Title: battery
Message: in the US its known as a `group 42` i got mine from pep boys the sku was 811093-8 a pro start no idea how good it is as its sitting on top of the washing machine. but you can pick and choose from the ones available

Aug 31, 1999 - 20:12 - From: David
Title: fast is goood ough ough ough
Message: your all right when you look at the numbers from the right angle, power to weight, road conditions, fwd, rwd, awd. Bill is correct about the performance advantages of the fwd vs awd in the Eclipse and its Talon clones, the fwd's beat the pants of the awd in all conditions save wet and curvey. lets not forget the most important component, the driver, a good driver in an elan should be able to stay with or even surpass an average driver in any super car out there. As for increasing the performance of our cars, whats wrong with that... I for one would love to squeeze as much out of this great car as I can. If cars were not upgradable then companies like AMG, Dinan, skunkwerks, Billizuzu, and Top end would not exist. As for the Vipers get em on hwy 17 instead of 280 and you can torture them all day long. Drive Fast and Prosper --DPS--