Re-drilling Elite / Eclat wheels

[choc-ice]

Forgive me, for I have sinned....

Much as I’d love to burst onto the scene here and introduce myself with a new Eclat project, the truth is somewhat different. I’ll shuffle in, head bowed in shame and ask for Lotus help on a non-Lotus car.

To get my fibreglass thrills for a few hundred quid I recently bought a Ginetta G26, seating for 5 is important for me! It’s a great 80s wedge shape but it came equipped with horrible Ford wheels, and I’d love to put some Elite or Eclat wheels on. 4x114.3 onto 4x108 doesn’t go, as my O level maths teacher might have said. Getting the hubs re-drilled looks tricky, but I wonder if getting the wheels re-drilled is feasible?

I could get them drilled 45 degrees out of phase but then I’d have to plug and dress the 4 original holes, or I could get the holes stretched inboard by 3mm and get some crescent shaped plugs made to fill the gap and tigged in place.

Does anyone have a few close-up photos of the front and back face of wheels to see if this is possible? And the length and diameter of wheel stud on the Lotus?

Thanks in advance!

[Guest mkelite]

love Ginetta too! cant help with your wheel saga but the Ginetta G15 and G33 are great cars........... want them too! regards. DC.

[andydclements]

I recall there is an engineering firm that specialises in adjusting PCDs on wheels, so I'd guess it's possible, maybe worth google search to find that (or another) specialist who will be able to advise.

[choc-ice]

Thanks chaps!

I haven't found anywhere that can adjust wheel PCD, but enlarging the wheel hole and fitting sleeve bolts could be a simple answer.

Does anyone happen to have a photo of the back and front of the wheel with a ruler next to it….? And a vernier showing the spigot size.

[simonb]

hub adapters?

[choc-ice]

Hub adaptors would push the wheels out onto the arches, the Lotus ET is almost exactly right.

I appreciate your help here, have a pic for your trouble!

Shortly after rescuing

With its painted bumpers and better height suspension

Edited April 29, 2010 by choc-ice

[Guest mkelite]

hey she looks ok. wish u luck sorting her. (nearly bought one of those a few years back when i had intense Ginetta fever - then i fell for the G33 so that was that!) yours the ford fiesta door model. whats the intersting car nosing out your garage tho? looks familiar. i know its another fibreglass jobbie just cant see/remember. regards. DC.

[frommerstop]

I'm going to guess... a Peerless GT? What year? I'll guess '58 (right in the middle of their three year run). It would be much harder to nail down from the rear! Very cool, not likely to find one here in the states, let alone such a nice looking example.

Cliff

[Guest mkelite]

i think your right Peerless. think they had the Triumph TR2 engine? fibreglass body with some Aston Martin cues of design. actually nearly bought one about 20 years ago.................... DC.

[choc-ice]

You're correct, it's a 1958 Peerless, chassis number 37. I'll deduct a point because it's TR3 running gear except for the rear suspension which is de-dion.

Now sold because it didn’t make sense to have several thousand pounds worth of old car in the garage, with lots more needed (sound familiar to any of you?). With finances looking tight, the sensible thing was to sell it.

The Ginetta is its replacement at something like 5% of the cost

[Guest mkelite]

oh wow! the Peerless is a great lookin car bet u miss her tho? regards. DC.

[lostcause]

there was an article in Practical Performance Car magazine about changing the pcd on alloys, have a look at thier website or call them, IIRC the existing hole is machined out, a machined plug is glued (aerospace loctite product, not UHU) into the hole and then re drilled to suit. the same can be done at the rear if the centre hole needs reducing.

hope this helps

Mark

[EliteMike]

Two possible solutions I feel. buy some nice alloy wheels with correct pcd, easy fix if not quite what you wanted, or if really want lotus wheels, distinct possibility of re drilling the hubs to correct pcd, and welding in the wheel studs, have seen that done on a Mitsi Colt rally car. Much better chance of that lasting longer than trying to redrill wheels, welding them will probably crystalise the alloy around the weld and it could break if put under cornering forces,would not be good for car or driver, me thinks!!

Good luck

Mike

[eclat22]

Why weld in the studs? they normally press in from the back into suitably drilled holes.

[EliteMike]

Hi Dan

If you check in the stud holes and the shank of the stud itself they are usualy milled to stop the stud turning, when you do the wheel nuts up or even worse undo them.

Agree if you get the hole just right right size, and press in the studs, on a press, you will probably find the milling on stud will cut through the hole in hub and leave a mild groving, but if it doesnt there is good chance of stud turning when you come to undo it,which makes it a bit awkward to get wheel off, so quick spot of weld at the back ensures it stays tight and does not turn.

Dont often have to be replaced and if by chance you were to break one, a bit of angle grinder magic and out it comes.

Regards

Mike

[eclat22]

Hi Mike Ahh, just a tack weld, you gave me visions of puddles of weld! I have to say that I have done quite a few stud upgrages and have had no problems with the studs turning but they have allways been larger diameter and have needed the original holes drilling out to suit, have normally pressed the studs in using a bench vise and spacer tube protect the stud,but on the other hand if I where to get caught, I would be cursing.

I also saw the article in PPC mag, but would be more inclined to adapt the hubs rather than the wheels.

Regards Dan

Edited April 30, 2010 by eclat22

[EliteMike]

Hi Dan

Yes could have explained my self a bit better perhaps regarding the welding bit. Guess its the old rally bit coming out if in doubt, Pin it, wire it, or weld it. Agree re wheels, if it was just a case of enlarging holes slightly to accomodate nut

Have you started racing yet, if so hows it going this year so far.

Mike

[eclat22]

Hi Mike, I have just about finished the rebuild and conversion of the rear end of the car, modified diff etc, pictures of modification on this website http://lotusdriversclubonline.org.uk/index.php?app=garage&do=view&tab=images&id=5. Not sure when I will be racing next but hope to book general testing at Silverstone soon, will let you know how things go. How's your project going?

Dan

Edited May 1, 2010 by eclat22

[EliteMike]

Hi Dan

Slowly at the moment , there is no rush, but would like to get it back in a roadworthy state by end of summer, wont be sprayed by then but hopefully running, if I get the time. Have stripped the front suspension off, God arnt the springs long, really gratfull to last owner, when he put chassis in he copper slipped and greased every nut and bolt, so that makes it a bit easier, going to strip rear suspension and brakes out next and take the lot to be sand blasted and then repaint.

Turned engine over by hand and all seemes to be working ok, all valves are moving freely.

Not sure about the clutch, as have read they are prone to rusting on, but pedal works ok, as does release lever, just hopeing that clutch plate is letting go of flywheel.

But as will many of us the lawn need cutting, garden doing, and a million other things around the house that have to be done in the summer months, so we will have to see how we progress.

Good luck on your test days

Regards

Mike