1976 Elite restoration.

[EXCEL V8]

You need to come up with a pantoscopic version Tony!

Pete

[EXCEL V8]

I'll assess mine in the near future.  If the sweep of the wheelbox can be increased - an old Mini one, for instance, has only 22 teeth - then altering the length of the wiper arm so that the blade doesn't touch the offside trim could produce good results.  Maybe a combination of a quicker wheelbox and slightly less throw at the motor end might be needed to get it just right.  Good project!  The correct combo could produce a 180° sweep 🙂.

Pete

[Doris the dog]

44 minutes ago, EXCEL V8 said:

I'll assess mine in the near future.  If the sweep of the wheelbox can be increased - an old Mini one, for instance, has only 22 teeth - then altering the length of the wiper arm so that the blade doesn't touch the offside trim could produce good results.  Maybe a combination of a quicker wheelbox and slightly less throw at the motor end might be needed to get it just right.  Good project!  The correct combo could produce a 180° sweep 🙂.

Pete

I’ll wait for your development on that.  
Thought it might have been designed like that to satisfy the American market.  Then noticed a photo of a left hand drive model and it has the same issue.  
So it’s the position of the motor , has to be passenger side, as dash / gauges get in the way. 😂😂

[Trunnion 74]

Hi @Doris the dog,

Lets see if we can muddy the waters a bit more shall we? 😁

The following stills are from a Film/documentry taken at the lotus factory of the making of the Elite....

No1 Car driven fresh out of the factory being examined by two blokes.  Wiper on drivers side.

 

No2 Same car close up. Drivers side

 

No3. narrator saying test car driven over to the continent for extensive testing.  Looking closely it looks like a right hand drive car, but, wiper on passenger side.

 

No4 Actual footage of promtional work for launch brochure. Right hand drive car but wiper? On pass side? clearly not on drivers side

 

No5  Launch brochure on the pasenger side

 

No6 Launch brochure cover. Passenger side

 

No7 Footage of some early Jeremy Clarkson testing car round test track. Left hand drive but wiper on right!

What is the conclusion of all this extensive research?  Even Lotus couldn't make their minds up which side was best 😂😂😂

Having said that it is interesting to note that the wiper blade is never hoirizontal when at rest....😉

Roland

 

ps. Mine when I first got it

 

[madmax]

Who knows?

Mine is a 1978 RHD UK car and the parked wiper sits low on the left or passenger side

[Doris the dog]

14 minutes ago, madmax said:

Who knows?

Mine is a 1978 RHD UK car and the parked wiper sits low on the left or passenger side

Very good looking car. 

32 minutes ago, Trunnion 74 said:

Hi @Doris the dog,

Lets see if we can muddy the waters a bit more shall we? 😁

The following stills are from a Film/documentry taken at the lotus factory of the making of the Elite....

No1 Car driven fresh out of the factory being examined by two blokes.  Wiper on drivers side.

 

No2 Same car close up. Drivers side

 

No3. narrator saying test car driven over to the continent for extensive testing.  Looking closely it looks like a right hand drive car, but, wiper on passenger side.

 

No4 Actual footage of promtional work for launch brochure. Right hand drive car but wiper? On pass side? clearly not on drivers side

 

No5  Launch brochure on the pasenger side

 

No6 Launch brochure cover. Passenger side

 

No7 Footage of some early Jeremy Clarkson testing car round test track. Left hand drive but wiper on right!

What is the conclusion of all this extensive research?  Even Lotus couldn't make their minds up which side was best 😂😂😂

Having said that it is interesting to note that the wiper blade is never hoirizontal when at rest....😉

Roland

 

ps. Mine when I first got it

 

When in driving position ,wiper stops at an angle across top of steering wheel. I’m short so taller drivers might not be bothered so much.  Still gives passengers a complete clear screen. 

[Trunnion 74]

On 09/04/2024 at 15:50, Doris the dog said:

It basically touches windscreen trim drivers side.  So no further travel possible. B

If it touches then is the blade too long?  Looking at the photo's and also the one Madmax posted it looks like the tip of the blade at rest is level with the bottom windscreen trim where it meets the A pillar trim. Looking at the picture on yours it appears to go a little further towards the corner?

To my mind, moving the arm to a higher start postion as per the photo's will give you a better sweep radius on drivers side. The only thing after that that will stop it getting there i.e hitting the drivers side trim, would be the length of the blade.

Roland

[Doris the dog]

11 minutes ago, Trunnion 74 said:

If it touches then is the blade too long?  Looking at the photo's and also the one Madmax posted it looks like the tip of the blade at rest is level with the bottom windscreen trim where it meets the A pillar trim. Looking at the picture on yours it appears to go a little further towards the corner?

To my mind, moving the arm to a higher start postion as per the photo's will give you a better sweep radius on drivers side. The only thing after that that will stop it getting there i.e hitting the drivers side trim, would be the length of the blade.

Roland

That makes sense Roland.  Will see if I can try it tomorrow, after I finish fitting new master cylinder. And the brakes hopefully work. 

[Denis247]

6 hours ago, Doris the dog said:

 

 

Edited April 14 by Denis247

[tom kilner]

On 14/04/2024 at 16:54, Trunnion 74 said:

Hi @Doris the dog,

Lets see if we can muddy the waters a bit more shall we? 😁

The following stills are from a Film/documentry taken at the lotus factory of the making of the Elite....

No1 Car driven fresh out of the factory being examined by two blokes.  Wiper on drivers side.

 

No2 Same car close up. Drivers side

 

No3. narrator saying test car driven over to the continent for extensive testing.  Looking closely it looks like a right hand drive car, but, wiper on passenger side.

 

No4 Actual footage of promtional work for launch brochure. Right hand drive car but wiper? On pass side? clearly not on drivers side

 

No5  Launch brochure on the pasenger side

 

No6 Launch brochure cover. Passenger side

 

No7 Footage of some early Jeremy Clarkson testing car round test track. Left hand drive but wiper on right!

What is the conclusion of all this extensive research?  Even Lotus couldn't make their minds up which side was best 😂😂😂

Having said that it is interesting to note that the wiper blade is never hoirizontal when at rest....😉

Roland

 

ps. Mine when I first got it

 

I imagine the production team might have flipped some of the images.

Surely that proto-clarkson is British - and therefore would refuse to drive a LHD model

[ChrisJ]

1st image - car is LHD -

wiper on passenger side. @ 8:21 

video is 

The early Jeremy Clarkson is John Bolster. Car is LHD - @ 23:20 you can see the gear knob and his right hand goes to it.

[Doris the dog]

On 14/04/2024 at 16:54, Trunnion 74 said:

Hi @Doris the dog,

Lets see if we can muddy the waters a bit more shall we? 😁

The following stills are from a Film/documentry taken at the lotus factory of the making of the Elite....

No1 Car driven fresh out of the factory being examined by two blokes.  Wiper on drivers side.

 

No2 Same car close up. Drivers side

 

No3. narrator saying test car driven over to the continent for extensive testing.  Looking closely it looks like a right hand drive car, but, wiper on passenger side.

 

No4 Actual footage of promtional work for launch brochure. Right hand drive car but wiper? On pass side? clearly not on drivers side

 

No5  Launch brochure on the pasenger side

 

No6 Launch brochure cover. Passenger side

 

No7 Footage of some early Jeremy Clarkson testing car round test track. Left hand drive but wiper on right!

What is the conclusion of all this extensive research?  Even Lotus couldn't make their minds up which side was best 😂😂😂

Having said that it is interesting to note that the wiper blade is never hoirizontal when at rest....😉

Roland

 

ps. Mine when I first got it

 

When in driving position ,wiper stops at an angle across top of steering wheel. I’m short so taller drivers might not be bothered so much.  Still gives passengers a complete clear screen. 

What !!!! That’s not the workshop, or my garden.  Parked there for for years.  
 

 

 

[Doris the dog]

More work to finish the interior needed. 
 

 

[Doris the dog]

Drivers side sun visor fitted today. Got to come up with a ply boot floor next. 

[Doris the dog]

Didn’t think I’d get this far , but now thinking about the boot floor.Is it a false ply floor supported on wooden battens? With the same vertically to cover rear lights?

[Trunnion 74]

No battens, just panels.

 

[Doris the dog]

The joys of working on the Elite to get it back on the road over the last four years.  
The phrase “one step forward two steps back” comes into play the longer you take to finish it. 
So over the years I’ve fitted new German fuel pump priced at close to £80 , only for the plastic diaphragm to disintegrate.  New diaphragm they wanted £50 , so purchased a different pump without diaphragm.  
Exhaust rubber mounting rings, think I’m on third set ( car has only traveled 10 miles). 
Rear brake cylinders , just replaced them today after leaking on return from that drive. What a job that’s been.  
Oh and for peace of mind the timing belt I fitted when I first got the car home I just had to replace that.  
 

[EXCEL V8]

Your experience with sub-standard parts is exactly like mine - so frustrating.  

Pete

[Doris the dog]

3 hours ago, EXCEL V8 said:

Your experience with sub-standard parts is exactly like mine - so frustrating.  

Pete

Oh and the Landrover brake master cylinder that I purchased at the start causing no brake pedal and loads of head scratching , when ordered another, turns out was not the correct one. So another  £80 wasted.  New one is fine.  

[Grizzly]

On 10/04/2024 at 14:38, EXCEL V8 said:

You need to come up with a pantoscopic version Tony!

Pete

 The front wiper on my Elite is from  a Mercedes and is their eccentric sweep wiper that extends itself to reach the corners of the windscreen. It also travels completely from side to side. The installation took me ages and required a lot of modification both to the wiper mechanism and the front scuttle on the passenger side.

The rear window wiper is a pantograph arm taken from a boat windscreen. You can just make it out through the rear glass

I thought I had pictures of both wiper systems working off a battery to prove them, but apparently not.

 

 

[Doris the dog]

Hi 

New key works a well.  

[Doris the dog]

Has anyone changed the original steering wheel for something with a bigger diameter grip.  It might all be fine as it is after I’ve clocked up some miles , and can relax.  

[EXCEL V8]

I'm fitting a slightly smaller diameter wheel with a thicker grip.  Certain MGBs have the same splines, and modern hubs come in two parts - I'm just using the bit that fits on the splines and making an adapter to match the mounting pattern for the wheel (Momo).  Other than buying the hub I've made no progress 🙄 - busy building what might be the world's narrowest Salisbury 4HA axle for the Elite (7HA not up to it).

Pete

[Doris the dog]

Well the Elite is basically back on the road.  

There is still many small things to fix, but mechanically it’s a runner.  
Four years for it to get back to life (3 years really I fell out of love with it for a year).

Thanks for all the help from you all over the past years . Thank you   
ps I’m sure more help will be needed  

Anyone got a Harrier Jump Jet I could borrow to recreate this photo ?

 

[Doris the dog]

Hi Williamtherebel seems a long time ago that I supplied you with. Windscreen dash vents.  I’ve finally got mine on the road( not 100% finished) but drivable.  Only done around 20miles , need to relax  behind the wheel.  Keep checking gauges etc.