Mazda MX5 headlamp conversion. Working drawing for Elite 75?

[soldave]

I can get the parts from Ebay and others; it's just the cutting of holes and things that I have trouble with.

[Mark Wainwright]

the Excel (and late eclat) used toyota MR2 motors, which are as far as I can tell the same as MX5 ones,  and the pods are the same as elite eclat i think, I have the complete setup, including loom to fit on mine when i get the time, It ought to fit right in, there are some brackets inside the lamp housings themselves that arent on the vacuum operated elite/eclat pods. the mounting brackets look pretty simple to replicate, but i`m pretty sure you could get all the stuff for this from a breaker like lotusbits?   I got everything including pods and loom for a good price from David - http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/lotuselan17?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

 

Edited December 1, 2016 by Mark Wainwright

[Grizzly]

To complete the wiring discussion earlier in the thread for a motor with red-white, red, yellow, black and white-black wiring. For bench testing the motor the black wire and white-black wire need to be kept together and both connected to the ground wire (battery -ve). The supply (battery +vd) is connected to the white - red wire. Nothing will happen until you touch the red wire or the yellow wire to the white-red  wire when the motor will spin 180deg.

Brian

[Dunc]

On 01/12/2016 at 15:04, Mark Wainwright said:

the Excel (and late eclat) used toyota MR2 motors, which are as far as I can tell the same as MX5 ones,  and the pods are the same as elite eclat i think.

My eclat S2 has Lucas motors from a Tr7 and my eclat excel used the same.

On 01/12/2016 at 15:04, Mark Wainwright said:

 

 

[rjwooll]

Dunc's right.

The S1 Elite and Eclat used vacuum operated headlamp lifters.

The S2 Elite/Eclat and the early Excel (up to '86 model year) used the Lucas motors, as used on the Triumph TR7.

From '86 model year, the Excel used Toyota headlamp motors.

ATB Richard

[EXCEL V8]

3 hours ago, rjwooll said:

Dunc's right.

The S1 Elite and Eclat used vacuum operated headlamp lifters.

The S2 Elite/Eclat and the early Excel (up to '86 model year) used the Lucas motors, as used on the Triumph TR7.

From '86 model year, the Excel used Toyota headlamp motors.

ATB Richard

And the pods themselves are different between the Elite/Eclat and the Excel.

Pete

[rjwooll]

3 hours ago, EXCEL V8 said:

And the pods themselves are different between the Elite/Eclat and the Excel.

Pete

From a quick look at the parts lists:

The Elite and Eclat S1 each have different part numbers - no idea why?

The Elite and Eclat S2.2 use different part numbers from the S1, but there is no Elite/Eclat difference;

The early Excel has different part numbers to the Elite/Eclat S2.2;

The Excel SE has different part numbers to the early Excel.

Not a lot of help really!

ATB Richard

[Doris the dog]

Will be doing this soon.  Mazda mx5 motors.  
just posting so I can find the thread. 

[black eclat]

Best conversion ever. My setup is still working away with no issues.

[Doris the dog]

19 minutes ago, black eclat said:

Best conversion ever. My setup is still working away with no issues.

It’s a shame that your photos a long gone. But your information will save so much time.  Thank you 

[mikeeech]

Headlight mechanical conversion starts on page 12

[EXCEL V8]

I'm hoping Simon's reading this thread and offers to get some more of his excellent brackets laser cut!! Pretty please Simon!  😀😉 .  Beer tokens available!  I've downloaded the pdf but it says "do not scale" on it.

Pete

[mikeeech]

I took 2 peices of sheet stainless steel 1.5mm thick roughly 200mmx100mm, Bent one end over, drilled 4 holes to hold the motor and 2 to hold it to the body. Jobs a good'un... Light, easy to fix, cheap to make, easy to make with simple tools, will last forever!

[Rsalcedo]

. Is there any way that you could send me a description of what you've done to convert the Eclat pop-up headlights to the Mazda 1991 pop-up headlights system. Even if you need to charge me something. I have no issue paying you so long as the system has been proven to work let me know thanks Rick

[Straker]

The remains of the light pod bump stops are either seized in place and/or the rivnuts have come loose.

 I’m going to replace the rivnuts but haven’t found a suitable replacement for the bump stops. Has any one found a suitable replacement?

 

many thanks 

Rob

[mikeeech]

I don't have them on mine. The motors rotate through 180 degrees so they need to be flush with the body at their lowest point of travel and she. Open the bottom of the pop needs to be flush with the body at the top of their travel. No bump stops required just good geometry.

[Straker]

Good point! + one less thing to do

many thanks 

R

[mikeeech]

11 hours ago, mikeeech said:

I don't have them on mine. The motors rotate through 180 degrees so they need to be flush with the body at their lowest point of travel and she. Open the bottom of the pop needs to be flush with the body at the top of their travel. No bump stops required just good geometry.

Autocorrect on my tablet is a nightmare.

[EXCEL V8]

If you really wanted bump stops you could buy rubber "bobbins" - anti-vibration mounts - with a parallel rubber section and cut one end off.  I'm going to fit a "down" bump-stop, not to limit the travel, but just to take some of the pressure off the motor since the pods will be down 99% of the time.

Pete

[rjwooll]

The only thing I would say is that 'up' bump stops prevent the pod vibrating. If there is a spring on the MX5 actuator rod, this will happen.

Cheers, Richard

[EXCEL V8]

The MX-5 has up and down buffers.

Pete

[Straker]

Thanks for the rubber ‘bobbins’ suggestion they work perfectly as buffers when cut down

[EliteEV]

I didn't see the printed conversion instructions in the above thread, so will post them here. Yes, very worthwhile project...no more winking Elite! I made the brackets out of composite (foam core wrapped with fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin). Hope this helps.

Scott

 

Headlight pod conversion (2020_01_03 04_40_18 UTC).docx