Black Elite LHD

[Dion]

Yes, plug into the connector. I do nkt have a wiring diagram at hand but it should show there. Or I will unscrew the connexot and see what is on the other side. Will take a few days (having a short holiday) 😁

[EXCEL V8]

What is printed on the label on the steel box?

Pete

[EXCEL V8]

Found it!  It's the Federal Sequential Seat Belt Warning System.  The other bit on the steel housing is a buzzer.  So your car must have started out in the USA!

Pete 

[Dion]

Thanks Peter! Nothing to worry about then leaving it unplugged for now. 
I will recover the seats later and probably will find some wiring for the "sit upon" switches.

[Dion]

With my car Got the yellow Workshop Manual, with many Service Bulletins. These were scattered all around and I needed an hour or so to put the SBs into the back of the corresponding chapters. I hoped I would find an electric diagram for my car: a Federal LHD car with air con. But no, the WSM has four diagrams: LHD non federal with heater, LHD non federal with AC, RHD with heater, RHD with AC. Not one to fit my car.

Does anyone has the electric diagram: LHD federal with AC and can you make a copy please? 

[exeterjeep]

Is it this one:

 

[Dion]

Yes! Thanks a lot.

Will be most helpful this weekend as it will be Electric Weekend. To sort out the non-working electric things. 
- RH front sidemarker

- LH front 

- LH rear indicator

- RH brake light

- radio

- main beam

- interior light

- windscreen washer

and probably more 😀

 

[Doris the dog]

Hi Dion, have been doing similar electrics today.The wiring on my Elite has been altered over its life , so it’s not easy tracking which wire goes where.  I have no real knowledge of car electrics , so probably will not be able to help much. 
Today I’ve managed by more luck than judgment,to getthe indicators and side lights working. 
Hope it goes well for you. 
 

[Dion]

In the end I did not much to the electrics. Got the 4 poster lift available so put up the Lotus for the first time. Two interesting things came to light.

1. The holes in the uprights of the chassis where the upper front wishbone goes through, are reinforced. They have plates welded to the chassis uprights. As the uprights are made of fairly thin steel this in fact sound like a good idea. Just not sure this will pass the inspection.

2. A bit annoying really. I was told before buying the car that "a complete brake rebuild on the rear with new lines and wheel cylinders (entire rear differetial gets removed during this service)". Well that may be but he did not connect the brakes lines to the car brake lines.....  

[Dion]

Doh...  Beginners fault?
Was pleased to see at a more detailed inspection to see new flex hoses and new split pins in the hand brake levers. I can imagine now why the diff has to come out to do something with the rear brakes! 

[Tony D]

I think you've realised, but the pipework looks fine. The bleed nipples are routed to a more accessible location. 

One bleed nipple and a joint in the photo's above look wet though, and there's a drip built up on the diff leg flange. Hopefully you have an explanation, otherwise I'd be concerned. 

Tony 

[Elite 4.9]

Quote

I need to get the Elite on the lift to see if there are no holes in the exhaust. 

Make sure you check the top of the exhaust pipes for holes as this is where it corrodes first and they are right next to the frame and if so, it won't be long before the rust will damage the thin sheet metal frame.

My Elite, with just 28,000 miles on it when I bought it, had holes in the top of the pipe. No real damage had yet occurred on the frame but then mine was only 8 years old when I got it.

Nice find and really not all that bad to start restoring your classic Elite.

 

atb,

Richard

[Dion]

Apart from expecting the rear dampers to be empty instead of filled with absorbing material, I now found one more reason for the cr being loud. There is no middle damper! A straight pipe with a fairly well made, almost factory looking Y at the back.

[Dion]

Replaced the RH front side marker and repaired the RH rear side marker. This was corroded inside, a good clean got the lamp working again. Of course both fixing bolts broke when trying to remove the nut. I used two M4 bolts instead.

The number plate lamps both were not working. The bullet lamp stays are broken. I see that these Lucas L860 are still available new and not expensive so these go on the list.

Both front indicator / side lamps were not working either. Very corroded. I manage to dismantle them and got them working again. Not sure about the indicator lamps, at least now I know the units are not faulty. I do not have working indicators at the moment. 

Need to make lower front bumper brackets. I think the previous (USA) owner got a bad deal when he had European bumpers shipped over from the UK for a huge sum (> 800 dollars). Both bumpers have some damage and much corrosion to the metals (fixings and lights).  

[Dion]

When I took off the front bumper I was surprised to see there is no opening in the body behind the (bumper) grille. My car originally had the US Federal bumpers which do not have a grille opening in the bumper, I will fit the European bumper. Do the European cars also had no opening or is this is US Federal thing? Which would mean a USA body differs to a European body. 

I am thinking of making an opening in the body, matching at least the size of the grille opening in the (European) bumper. 

 

PS - extra points for naming the partly visible cars in the background!  

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by Dion

[exeterjeep]

Parts list for a full nose ..may help/hinder?

[pbharcourt]

Yes there is an opening in the front panel behind the grill, its just a rectangular hole that is then partly covered by the number plate.

Alvis, Interceptor, Stag?

[Dion]

Thanks for confirming Paul.
OK for Interceptor and Stag... 

[pbharcourt]

[Dion]

Indeed, that is a big opening. Also different to my car there are raised panels for the indicator units. Why? Unnecessary as these are only fitted to the bumper itself I think?  

[Tony D]

On UK cars the lights are fitted also into the bumper. The large holes you see are only for the rear of lights and cable to pop through.

Also, there are only 4 bolts holding the bumper on - two of them in that raised area you've spotted. Look closely and you'll see 3 holes in each side. The small centre one is for a bolt. 

Tony 

[Dion]

That makes sense. Where are the other two bolts located?

 

[Tony D]

They are two angle brackets fixed just above the large cut out if I recall. 

I'm not sure my car has quite such a large cut out at the front. Bumper is off so I'll take a look tomorrow. 

 

[Dion]

Well, I made a big gaping hole the size of the opening in the bumper and made lower brackets for the bumper.

Behind it, mounted to both vertical sides of the opening in front of the radiator, are four red air horns. Interesting! But, the hoses go to nowhere - there is no air compressor 😥

I do not see any normal horn(s) fitted - where should they be located?

Couple of other questions, see pictures.

1. What would have been fitted to the RH inner front wing? There are three mounting holes.
2. On the bulkhead, there are another three holes for something to be fitted. What would that be?

3. There is a 90 degrees big open hose in the middle of the engine. Should that be routed to an air cleaner or something like that?

4. A bracket in front of the timing belt holding nothing. What might that be for? 

 

[Doris the dog]

Hi, brake servo for second question. 

1 minute ago, Doris the dog said:

Hi, brake servo for second question. 

Bolts for cam belt covers for last question 

3 minutes ago, Doris the dog said:

Hi, brake servo for second question. 

Bolts for cam belt covers for last question 

Question 3 is that pipe for radiator?