1975 Lotus Elite renovation

[steve clack]

Here's a question: are there more men that have walked on the surface of the moon than have taken out the radiator and air conditioning unit, out of a Lotus Elite....Second question: which was more complicated...

Anybody done either, let me know. And you don't count if you have sawn the front off the car.

[SimonOmeara]

Hi Steve 

There 4 bolts, 2 at bottom of the radiator which are removable underneath the car. There 2 at the top on a bracket attached to the light pod fixings.

Remove them and the radiator and aircon rad come out together through the engine bay.

No need for NASA or Elon. Lol

Cheers

Simon

 

 

 

[steve clack]

Simon,

It was not that easy, the two bolts on the bottom, one came off the other stayed put. The top radiator hose was fowling the body, cables, vacuum hoses etc, the bottom brass radiator tube was fowling the body, the sides of the radiator were fowling the body. The radiator was too big to come out, I had to practically rip it out. It took nearly two hours to get it out.....

[mikeeech]

I remember this problem. From memory there is only one way in and one way out so I hope you made a note of it... 

[89esprit]

I pulled mine out from the top but that's because it was junk anyway. There was no way it was going in from the top, so up from the bottom it went. Easy peasy. (Compared to the top anyway) I should've pulled it out that way! 

I got mine out leaving the AC condenser still in place. Some of the bolts were a pain to access but nothing that couldn't be handled.

[steve clack]

Managed to get the car out today and took some pictures.

[EXCEL V8]

Looks great!  Is your waistline trim just chrome without the central black bit (like the original has)?  It looks really good.

Pete

[steve clack]

6 minutes ago, EXCEL V8 said:

Looks great!  Is your waistline trim just chrome without the central black bit (like the original has)?  It looks really good.

Pete

Pete, yes just chrome, cost me £10 and took ten minutes to put on. One of the easier parts of the restoration. 🤪

[EXCEL V8]

So pretty flexible over the wheel arches?  That's the bit I worry about!  Purchased off fleabay?

Pete

[Tony D]

Lovely colour and looking great. Nice job. 

Tony 

[steve clack]

1 minute ago, EXCEL V8 said:

So pretty flexible over the wheel arches?  That's the bit I worry about!  Purchased off fleabay?

Pete

Perfect round the wheel arches, didn’t even need to heat up. Yes, off fleabay.

[Painterdave]

Steve car looks great I'm glad you didn't give up it looks really good👍

[EXCEL V8]

Thanks Steve.  I'll take a look.

Pete

[steve clack]

13 minutes ago, EXCEL V8 said:

Thanks Steve.  I'll take a look.

Pete

This is the eBay listing, £7.45 for 15metres x 10mm.

26 minutes ago, Painterdave said:

Steve car looks great I'm glad you didn't give up it looks really good👍

Thank god for the Lotus Lockdown, otherwise might not have got done.