300 sport shifter reinforcement

[benjamincalleja]

Hey will a 300 sport gear change shifter reinforcement plate that strengthens the chassis around the hole for the gear stick fit an 89 turbo?  And still allow me to shift?  Just aware the later cars had reduced shifting travel between gears...

[sailorbob]

Unfortunately you cannot simply just bolt the plate in place, you need to weld in a stiffening section first. See http://corner-carvers.com/forums/showpost.php?s=e10674e388f1ee1a41f4eb95333fff34&p=427139&postcount=16

[benjamincalleja]

Can't I drill out holes like the below?  (Taken from  the fantastic no25 s300 rebuild thread).  I just bought this....  http://www.ebay.com/itm/331673630269?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D331673630269%26_rdc%3D1

 

[sailorbob]

I suspect there's more to the later chassis than just a few extra bolt holes around the aperture but since I haven't seen one I do not know for sure.

A titanium reinforcing plate will have about half the stiffness of the OE plate if it's the same thickness.

[benjamincalleja]

Agreed, just read up on it....the item is returned for refund...

[Jacques]

Arn't there two stiffening bars, one each side, under stiffening plate (the bolted one), inside the chassis tunnel?

And secondly: Do the two stiffening bars, part no. 9 on the Lotus drawing (as in the fleabay add) exist on this model (sprot300), only, or can they be retrofitted to any car, say a 1990 Esprit turbo SE?

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[sailorbob]

There is a welded in diagonal instead of the bolt on bracing strut (LH part no. A082A4315F, RH part no. A082A4316F) on the SE chassis. I think this was one of the Eagle chassis changes as the parts manual refers to "front box to backbone gussets".