I live in a world where Lotus do no wrong, but this made me mad!

[Colin P]

My car is a Dec 2010.

 

This is the state of the bracket holding the mudflaps and arch liner to the car

 

 

And what makes me really bloody mad, is that the damn things are made of unpainted/protected mild steel (what muppet though that was a good idea) and the drivers side on is on back order (despite the fact they make them themselves) and I have been waiting a month for one now and no sign of so much as a date for it.

 

Part No A132U4400F in case anyone can help source one, for which I would be forever grateful

 

This is what the passenger side on should look like:

 

Rant over, guys, I suggest you all take a butchers at yours.

[Simon350S]

Shameful, no excuse for that in this day and age!

[Mark Blanchard]

Some things haven't changed.  I wonder why they didn't powered coat it at least.

[softlips]

That's terrible but doesn't surprise me. Looking under my 3 year Evora there you could find lots of such parts rusting already.

[ramjet]

Or gal dip them. Not difficult really.

[Colin P]

That's terrible but doesn't surprise me. Looking under my 3 year Evora there you could find lots of such parts rusting already.

Not too bad really, the brackets under the headlights have a little surface corrosion on them, which I'll clean off and paint up. Some of the bolts I will replace with stainless, but it's only really these brackets that are crap. I have had the diffuser off and looked around the back (when doing the decat/exhaust) and didn't see anything of concern other than the paint on the diffuser isn't brilliant. All easily rectified so a bit unfair to say its a major problem. These brackets are the only thing I've seen that falls into the "piss poor" category.

[slewthy]

How 'bout other manufacturers?

Think I have seen Audi and Volvo mud flap stiffners looking the same?

[mdw]

That disappointing  and a little slack.

[Advantage]

Thats been laser cut. I would get one laser cut in Stainless.

 

Buddsy

I agree. I'd be tempted to take that to a local engineering firm and explain you need two, one the reverse of the other.

 

Or start experimenting with carbon fibre at home...

[The Pits]

Very poor.

 

If you want a job done properly...

[Vulcan Grey]

Is it due to the RoHS requirements in the EU?  I know that hexavalent-chromium (also in zinc-chromate coatings) and cadmium plating aren't allowed anymore...  Although automotive uses are supposed to be exempt.

[MHC]

I seem to remember that part of the rear chassis is galvanized steel, so that wouldn't explain it.

[Colin P]

Guess what arrived in the post this morning!

I'm not a massive believer in coincidence, so if someone saw this post and oiled the wheels, thanks muchly.

[Simon350S]

Nicely done, funny how that happens isn't it. I've had surprising things rock up on my doorstep too

[blueg33]

Any fitting instructions? My freshly painted new brackets are waiting for me to fit them

[C8RKH]

Nice you're now all sorted re the new parts. It's posts like this that will scare off others from buying an Evora as it just gives them the excuse they need to say it's not as good as a Porker / Audi etc.

 

It's a shame really and the Lotus is the better car 

 

Had a guy in work lecture me on how my Lotus would be a lot of trouble when he found out I had an Evora. He was on his second Audi TT. Then got in the bosses PA's Audi TT, she told me all the little problems she'd had with it since she got it, then told me not to listen to the other guy as his last TT was always breaking down and his new had been back to the dealer a few times already. Funny isn't it how Lotus get's the bad rep and Audi get's away with it. RS4, RS5 and RS6 all slated for reliability and all more expensive than my little old Evora.  Ho hum...

[Suddabym]

I agree. A rant over a nothingness sends out the wrong message and will serve simply to reinforce stereotypes for those that want such a stereotype reimforcing. Not a well throughout through topic, if you ask me.

I have owned 9 Lotuses and only one has dropped me at the side of the road and that was a '57' Europa when the radiator hose popped off (I don't count writing it off a few months later, as that wasn't the car's fault). I have friends with X5's, ML250's and Boxter's and they seem to have no end of dramas, and yet I get the piss taken out of me for owning a Lotus.

Why? Because of posts like this.

Not awesome,

Sudders

(Okay, still awesome)

[Colin P]

Yes this was a bit of a rant, I note 2 members have some feelings about that, but everyone is entitled to make their views known and I don't believe such a small thing will put anyone off buying an Evora. I do my share of promoting the brand, promoting Evoras for the brilliant cars they are and dispelling the real problem (and unwarranted) rumours (the clutch).

Beside the rant this post served 2 purposes, to get other owners to look at theirs and potentially rust proof them before they went the same way and also my primary driver, to try and get a minor part I needed to get my car back on the road. It served both these purposes.

As far. As instructions are concerned, it is relatively straight forward.

Remove sufficient scrivets from the wheel parch liner to enable you to peel it back once the mudflap is off.

You won't be able to undo the 4 screws in the mudflap because they will be rusted solid. By all means try, but I don't think I got any of mine out. What you need to do is carefully wiggle the mud flap back and forth until the remaining metal snaps. You can try getting some tin snips or wire cutters in there as well.

Getting the remnants off the wheel arch lining is the most difficult part of the job, I managed to get most off by carefully using a junior hacksaw to cut through the bolts.

To remove the A panels, there are 2 bolts under the car, re,I've these. You then need to pull out the foam from inside the wheel arch. There are 2 bolts inside the wheel arch at the top of the panel. Remove these (note, there are spacers held in by these bolts so take note of where they are or you will be fiddling with them on reassembly to line up the panel.

The A panel can now be removed.

Next stage, drill out the rivets securing the old bracket. Rivet on new one.

Reassembly is reverse of removal.

Simples.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Colin P

[Suddabym]

Another thread title could perhaps have achieved these aims without the melodrama. Nuff. Said.

[Miguel]

If anyone has a spare, or access to a CAD drawing, I could possibly make these in mild steel with powder coat, or stainless steel. I can try to get mine off to copy but it's my daily drive and I'm not so confident mechanically.