S1 Project car - part 2 - the continuation

[Advantage]

For the moment am stuck regarding the wooden piece that fits at the top of the windscreen under the roof to hold the sun visor trim. It's missing on the car and I've never seen it before? If anyone has a picture that would really help?

I hope these are of some help. The interior pics are all taken from the RHS of the car looking upwards and there is no windscreen fitted, so it might take a little while to get your head around the orientation.

The leading edge of the beam does appear to be tapered where it meets the roof/windscreen ledge (like a skirting board in the house) and I guess it's like that simply to allow the wood to sit flush and clear the irregularities of the fibreglass corner:

 

 

 

 

From the outside and underneath the screen's bonding, the wooden beam is held in place by five of these grotty looking screws to compliment a beading of adhesive:

 

[Lotusfab]

Thanks for the pictures, they're really helpful.

[Lotusfab]

Have found a replacement for the engine cover straps. Had a bit of the original strap its about16mm wide. Got this from Woolies trim. It's pretty close to the original. have all the attachments for the straps but only one of the strap hooks. Had them powder coated. If anyone has any spare hooks for the strap end I could use three of them? Lotusbits next call!

[Lotusfab]

Had some luck with the wood. Steve Fulcher had an original piece which he kindly lent me to copy. Here's the details for anyone in my position in the future.

Depth 12mm

Top 25mm

Base 33mm

[Lotusfab]

Will shortly put the brackets back on the engine cover. Were they originally riveted or screwed? Been thinking of putting heat reflective material, which Vin recommended, on the inside of the cover. Then though maybe this will increase engine bay temperature and might not be a good idea?

[Paul Coleman]

Fabian

 

Do you have the Woolies part number for the strap material please? I also need to restore mine. Is it elasticated?

 

Those engine cover straps are as rare as rocking horse s**t - it took me about 2 years to find some and they cost me a small fortune.

 

The brackets were originally riveted to the engine cover.

 

Paul.

[Lotusfab]

Price: £3.50 Per metre

In stock

Part No: 79

Can't get a link but look up bonnet tape part79, as above. It's not elasticated, but the original strap wasn't either. The colour is slightly different but otherwise it's good stuff.

[Lotusfab]

This is the backplate for the internal door handle. The screws are 3/16 UNF.

Have spent quite a while attempting to adjust the new door handles. Have come to the conclusion they are pretty poor quality and it would be much better to use the original handles. As mine are in a poor state will try swapping the entire mechanism first. Have only swapped half the parts across so far. Have got it to work but it's pretty poor and is unlikely to stand the test of time. The build quality of the old parts is superior.

Hope all this stuff is of use to someone, it's pretty boring! Will continue posting if it's of use?

[TAR]

Boring? Never!

 

I love reading all this stuff and its invaluable to the next person who decides to do a total restoration.

 

[DaveyT]

^

seconded. I'm only doing a light refurb by comparison, and it's taking 10 times as long.

Reading about this kind of progress gives me the inspiration to keep going

Dave

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Tim, will carry on till it's all back together then.

Paul, I only have a small fragment of the original strap. On closer examination it does appear to have an elastic qualities, although my fragment is badly decayed. The bonnet tape I have may not stretch enough to be able to hook the clip on. Will post when I have tried it.

[Lotusfab]

Have to say I don't seem to have made much progress the past few months. The parts are either broken, don't fit, don't work or are missing. Latest problems are the door locks( new but close to useless), Heater cable sleeve - which Is the wrong diameter and more screws and bolts joining the draw of leftover bits. There was a lot more work than I could have anticipated. The seats have just joined the list of things that have to be redone. At least I've nearly finished scraping glue!

[Paul Coleman]

Paul, I only have a small fragment of the original strap. On closer examination it does appear to have an elastic qualities, although my fragment is badly decayed. The bonnet tape I have may not stretch enough to be able to hook the clip on. Will post when I have tried it.

Yes the original must have been elasticated to some degree or it wouldn't have worked? 40 years on they probably don't seem to be elasticated but undoubtedly they were once.

 

My car only had one strap when I got it and SJ sold them for about £10 each. I had them on my list of things to buy and when I finally got around to it they had gone obsolete!! It then took me about 2 years to find some and I had to pay a ridiculous amount for them.

 

Paul.

[Freemason]

Hope all this stuff is of use to someone, it's pretty boring! Will continue posting if it's of use?

 

Are you kidding? This thread is a Godsend, in many instances much more useful than the Workshop Manual!

[Freemason]

Have come to the conclusion they are pretty poor quality and it would be much better to use the original handles. As mine are in a poor state will try swapping the entire mechanism first. Have only swapped half the parts across so far. Have got it to work but it's pretty poor and is unlikely to stand the test of time. The build quality of the old parts is superior.

 

 

 

 

Great, so I paid GBP127.50 for a pair of new black door handles from SJ and it appears they are rubbish. What have you pinpointed is poor quality compared with the originals?

 

And why don't you completely refurbish the old ones? Must be possible to take them apart completely and powdercoat/chrome/zinc plate etc everything.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Freemason

[Lotusfab]

I got the new locks with the car. The poor quality bit, is the bit that is assembled back to front and the rest of the Mechanism behind. It's flimbsy compared to the original and the metal peg guide,that goes through the slots, is not the same design as the original - it has a step. So fitting the old part onto the new bit behind results in poor operation. Good news though, I have just taken the door locks apart again. This time I removed all of the original mechanism from the old lock. This is very easy as you just remove the top circlip and unscrew the rest. I then fixed it all to the new black body and reassembled. It works perfectly! Would recommend switching all parts over hope you have kept them? The handle from outside looks great compared to my old one and the key barrel is much better.

[Lotusfab]

I have started to look in more detail at the engine cover straps. I only have a small fragment but it appears to be woven fabric covered in grey rubber, the Woolies strap is woven only and stretches very slightly but not very much. I believe the original is made the same way as an upolstory strap. It has upolstory staples holding it together at the ends. If anyone has any further info, or a detail picture of a strap that would be helpful.

[Lotusfab]

[Lotusfab]

Pirelli made woven webbing that was elasticated in the 70s. It's still available now and have ordered some. It can be cut to width and comes in black. A small clue is the staple and plate. This is identical to the Pirelli seat webbing staple but smaller. Here's a picture of the Pirelli webbing and staple.

If anyone has a picture of the engine straps in better condition hat would be really useful. Also were they black or grey?

[Freemason]

Here are mine as removed from car. As you can see, unfortunately not complete either.

 

 

 

 

 

[jonroberts]

Here are mine. Complete but I have no idea if original.

They are a black stretchy rubber like material.

[Barrykearley]

Now they look like they have been made out of an old inner tube????

[jonroberts]

Bit thicker, but you could be right. Obviously a factory original then !!

[vintaylor]

Hi Guys,

 

Has anyone sourced replacements for the fuel tank banjo bolts?  The ones actually screwed into the tanks 

[Nelly]

SJ reproduced them so you can get them from Steve.