1976 Elite restoration.

[Angus553]

 

[Doris the dog]

Well if you could add an hourly rate to the value of your car for the hours working on it , I’ve just doubled the value of my Elite converting the lights from vacuum to electric motors. 
Big thanks to Angus for his knowledge on the electrics, which I thought was going to be a nightmare, works perfectly.  The nightmare turned out to be the mechanical linkage, and as a ex fabrication and machining engineer all my working life , it was rather embarrassing the time it took my to crack it.  
Just need to do the limit stops and it there. 

[Doris the dog]

Further on with the fitting of the MX 5 motors my final dimensions are different to the one that Angus put up on here.  Which is a bit strange as I made his brackets at the same time as mine. 
The crank arm hole centres on my finished up at 12mm. And connecting rod finished at 200mm between centres.  Not too much difference but many hours to get there.

 

[Angus553]

The dimensions for my bracket and motor are.....crank arm extended 20mm with the connecting rod 203mm with the bracket flush at the floor and back .Secured using the original hole from the vacuum pod. The down buffer was moved back around 10mm so if yours wasnt moved at all it could explain the difference as my arc would be longer and the distance travelled would be longer, and the position of the crank arm was changed to make all this work. Anyway the important thing is that they both work properly. Still working yeah.

[Doris the dog]

Brilliant Angus, did notice from your photo that your crank arm is bolted on to the motor and mine is held on by a nut onto tapered splined shaft.  
One mounting bracket I didn’t modify it, the other one I cut it several times under stress from pod bottoming out many times. 

[Doris the dog]

[Tony D]

Looking good.

Like the body coloured bumpers. Takes a few years off. 😀

Tony

[Denis247]

On 05/02/2022 at 16:16, Doris the dog said:

Number plate will stop a lot of air through the rad. Do you have the air dam fitted?

Edited February 7, 2022 by Denis247

[Doris the dog]

High Denis247, air dam /spoiler only arrived last week so not fitted yet. 

 

[EXCEL V8]

I've been wondering about the airflow into the radiator void as well.  Am I right in thinking that Federal spec cars didn't have the opening in the bumper?  There doesn't seem to be any problem with cooling on those cars.  The Excel doesn't have the hole in the bumper either so I've been wondering just how important it is to keep the airflow to a maximum at that point.  I'd like to keep my original style number "plate" at the front - separate letters/numbers clipped to the grill - but I don't think the regs allow them any more for 1974.

Thoughts?

Pete

[Denis247]

22 hours ago, Doris the dog said:

High Denis247, air dam /spoiler only arrived last week so not fitted yet. 

Ah ok, just mentioned because it's considered part of the cooling system design.

 

[Doris the dog]

Hi everyone, your help is again needed please. The horn on the elite, are they normally two tone , high and low ? And are they mounted behind the grill in front of the radiator ?   I have a spare pair of wires in the near side headlight pod , drivers side pair of wires go into radiator opening.  

[Tony D]

I recall two tone horns, mounted in front of the radiator to the side boards (the ones that rot away). One each side. 

Tony 

[Doris the dog]

Thanks Tony that makes sense to the position of the wiring.  But you and Angus have now both mentioned (wood) boards.  Angus saying maybe headlight fouling a board in pod and now you about boards rotting.  Mine must have rotted away!!!!  They are not coated with anything are they to hide the wood ? 

[Benco]

Hi, just refitted my two tone horns. There is a signal and earth wire from the loom above the radiator that goes to the air pump on the drivers side in front of the radiator.The pump is mounted through the wooden board on the drivers side and the air hose runs across the front of the car, next to where the bumper brackets bolts are. The horns are fixed on the passenger side board.

[Angus553]

Hi Tony yes 2 tone horns are fitted to the wooden board which is part of the crash structure. I believe originally 1 was fitted on each board but mine now are both fitted to the nearside board and are powered by 2 cables running across the top of the radiator and through the n/s light recess. The 2 horns are connected via piggy back terminals and looks like a po addition which ive improved upon as when i first had the car only 1 horn worked!!! (badly corroded terminals)

[Doris the dog]

Hi Angus , out working on the horns now.  Mine both fitted drivers side, but there is a pair of wires going into near side so will put one on each side. Have also discovered the wood boards, hadn’t taken much notice of them thought I’d was fibreglass.  Had to give one horn a smack as points stuck.  
both working but no power from stalk to horns. Guess there will be a relay under dash.  

[EXCEL V8]

No relay on the horn - just a multi-circuit fuse.

Pete

[Tony D]

18 hours ago, Benco said:

Hi, just refitted my two tone horns. There is a signal and earth wire from the loom above the radiator that goes to the air pump on the drivers side in front of the radiator.The pump is mounted through the wooden board on the drivers side and the air hose runs across the front of the car, next to where the bumper brackets bolts are. The horns are fixed on the passenger side board.

Air horns on later cars, certainly late Excels. Early cars had direct wired FIAM style two tone units.

Tony

[Doris the dog]

Today definitely finished the MX5 light motor conversion.  After getting it up and running last week , I’ve now done a proper job. Making the connecting rod into a turnbuckle, so no need to dismantle the end joints to alter overall length.  
All working well.  
Seats off to trimmers tomorrow.  
That just leaves a hundred or so jobs to do  to finish the project.  

[Doris the dog]

Just ordered rear seat belts, but need mounting brackets. On SJ Sportscar.com 

there are two different brackets , one in st

steel.  But completely different design.  
Are they for different models ? Again your help is required please. 

[exeterjeep]

This may help.. the small part says it upper rear seat belt....may be if inertia reel not lap belts?

Certainly in the past have used the longer one with a bolt hole/captive nut in both ends as the whole thing fits under the glass fibre seat shell.

[Tony D]

As stated. Early Elites only had the lap belt (just the bottom picture).

I've got a feeling though there are very slight differences between the lap plate for Elites and the later Excels. Sure SJ or Lotusbits would be able to confirm though.

Tony

[exeterjeep]

I recall having to hammer them around a bit to get them in - but this was 25-30 years ago. I fitted lap belts to my first elite and then on my 1st excel. 

[EXCEL V8]

Yes - that top photo looks similar to the upper reinforcing bracket that goes at the top of the rear wheel arch on the Excel.

Pete