Lotus Europa Community

Wrapping up the wiring harnesses new home under dash. A few more hours of uninterrupted unscrambling of the four main levels. Then adding a closeout to cover the left side under das area.
 Then the fun begins, I added two cars to my Hagerty policy.  Then my wife was happy when she found out a car carrier is considered a shelter, so she will get a spot back in the garage. The funny part was the Hyundai just fixed a recall that they suggested the car be parked outside.
 

Dakazman

Very nice setup! Putting the gas part of the strut at the bottom also reduces the weight the strut needs to act on (I was going to say on the margins but the engine cover is so light, it might be more significant than it sounds!) so that should aid their longevity.

I already installed struts on my car so I don't need another set but I would also like to know where you got them.

Saw (somewhere) a posting from Michael Murray-John regarding his engineered boot lid strut system.  Looked interesting, so, contacted him (again, my mind is going soft sometimes...) and signed up.

Big box arrived with all the bits...lower strut brace, upper attach mounts, spacers, nuts, bolts, a spreader bar (more about that later) and 2 20lb gas struts.  And an extra clip for the strut ball joint (in case one on the strut goes walkabout...).

Couple comments:  you need to follow the directions; the orientation of the upper mounts' rear bolt drilling is specified as 17" as shown in the photo below, 3/16" below the top of the deck.  Once you drill the 17" point, the brace can be used to site the forward hole.

I mounted the struts with the gas cylinders at the bottom; he shows them as being mounted at the top to the deck.  Thinking it's a matter of taste; they work either way.

The lower braces are not physically attached to the seat belt cross-brace bar, but are a soft 'press' fit.  Persuasion with a deadblow hammer to set them in place then tap the front to move it side to side works.  When you drill the hole through the seatbelt rear brace through the body...the spacer that you use will set your rear side-to-side...just tap the front so it's parallel to the centerline of the car.

The spreader bar is about an inch short to really let you tighten down the nuts that hold it in place on the upper mounts, and is soft aluminum besides.  I suggested that Michael lengthen the bar a bit and provide aluminum nuts vs the stainless...or do the spreader out of a harder alloy.  Mine stripped quite easily; I just JBWelded the stripped nut on, tightened down...no once can see it anyway.

Anyway...all in all, very pleased with not having to carry a bracing stick to keep my deck open after a drive (I open the bootlid when I put her away after taking a spin), the struts are strong enough but not so overpowering that you have to sit on the lid to close it, and the quality of the metalwork and fasteners is top shelf (aluminum spreader bar notwithstanding...).

No financial interest...but was a lot less expensive than some of the alternatives coming from some of the usual suspects.  Apologies for quality of the first photo...I had painted the lower brackets black to blend in...and had to fiddle with the settings on the phone camera to make it stand out. 

Bryan,

They were for the S2. Sorry.

Dan

No worries.  Thanks for looking.

  I LOOKED AT IT WITH A NEUTRAL EYE,
        I see at least 5 years of work, maybe more. 
  Dakazman