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Garage / Re: Lower dash trim question
« Last post by TurboFource on Today at 10:13:44 AM »It’s 3/4”
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2
Garage / Re: Uprights - What would you do if you were making new ones?
« Last post by BDA on Today at 09:50:10 AM »I'm not familiar with the relative costs of cast vs fabricated parts but If you are to redesign the rear uprights, I would definitely include a way to incorporate EuropaTC's suggestions. It may end up that a fabricated piece might be a lot stronger and easier to include twin link suspension and brake caliper mounts.
On the other hand, I agree with EuropaTC that I don't consider them to be a wear item either but it has attracted some attention (e.g stainless steel "lined", I guess you'd say, bearing seats). If the bearing seats do get damaged, I would think it would be a pretty simple task to press in some heat treated aluminum or even steel seats to repair them.
On the other hand, I agree with EuropaTC that I don't consider them to be a wear item either but it has attracted some attention (e.g stainless steel "lined", I guess you'd say, bearing seats). If the bearing seats do get damaged, I would think it would be a pretty simple task to press in some heat treated aluminum or even steel seats to repair them.
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Garage / Re: Lower dash trim question
« Last post by BDA on Today at 09:36:21 AM »I think I'm describing what 4129R said but I was unfamiliar with his terminology. I think it's just a strip of about 3/4" square foam (or whatever the width of the aluminum strip is) covered in vinyl.
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Garage / Re: Distributor rebuild
« Last post by jbcollier on Today at 07:15:34 AM »We used to often rebush, repair, and recalibrate distributors. I still have a distributor advance machine in my basement. I now run 123igntion distributors in both my Lotuses. A lot less work and programming the advance curves is super easy.
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Garage / Re: Lower dash trim question
« Last post by 4129R on Today at 06:34:13 AM »I used foam rubber from window draught excluder, and just black vinyl leathercloth trim.
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Garage / Lower dash trim question
« Last post by TurboFource on Today at 06:22:14 AM »The black goo (what is it?) inside my lower dash trim is distorted and of course the vinyl is too, what have people used as a replacement for the lower trim?
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Garage / Re: 1970 s2 0453R - A new Beginning
« Last post by SilverBeast on Today at 03:51:34 AM »Glad you had a great time. It does look good, and at home with its descendents!
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Garage / Re: Uprights - What would you do if you were making new ones?
« Last post by EuropaTC on Saturday,November 09, 2024, 11:42:44 PM »Hi,
I'm not going to discourage anyone from opening up a new parts supply for our cars but if none of the mainstream suppliers are planning another production run then maybe the market isn't as big as we imagine ?
If you think of the UK, there's Lotus Supplies, SJS, Paul Matty, Kelvedon as big players plus the guys on your side of the pond who could band together for a production run and share costs. The moulding will presumably be in place now so it's a casting program and you'd leave machining costs until someone actually wants to buy one, just keep the rough castings in stock. If they aren't interested then maybe it's because they expect to have them on the shelf for years and prefer faster moving stock ?
I'm not convinced they are a service/wear item, mine are the originals from '72. The bearing surfaces are good and the only issues have been one radius arm bolt needing to be helicoiled. That turned out so well that I did the rest and hopefully that's sorted for my ownership. I'd guess that my car isn't unique and the only time folks replace them is if there's been lack of maintenance, the car driven with worn bushes, bearings breaking up, loose lower link bolts, etc.
It's going to be tough to come up with something lighter or better designed for the OEM suspension, but you could consider a carrier with facilities for a twin link suspension for anyone fitting different transmissions. LIkewise somewhere to bolt on a rear caliper, maybe with an adapter to allow different caliper makes/bolt spacings/disc diameters ?
I think you'd have a larger market with something like that rather than a straight replica of the OEM carrier. It should be usable with the OEM suspension/brakes but also for those wanting discs, etc.
Stronger stub axles and internal spacers are an entirely different case, I reckon you'd have no problem with that market. I think you'd need to sell as off road/race components, I don't know how product liability would work if you sold as road use parts.
Brian
I'm not going to discourage anyone from opening up a new parts supply for our cars but if none of the mainstream suppliers are planning another production run then maybe the market isn't as big as we imagine ?
If you think of the UK, there's Lotus Supplies, SJS, Paul Matty, Kelvedon as big players plus the guys on your side of the pond who could band together for a production run and share costs. The moulding will presumably be in place now so it's a casting program and you'd leave machining costs until someone actually wants to buy one, just keep the rough castings in stock. If they aren't interested then maybe it's because they expect to have them on the shelf for years and prefer faster moving stock ?
I'm not convinced they are a service/wear item, mine are the originals from '72. The bearing surfaces are good and the only issues have been one radius arm bolt needing to be helicoiled. That turned out so well that I did the rest and hopefully that's sorted for my ownership. I'd guess that my car isn't unique and the only time folks replace them is if there's been lack of maintenance, the car driven with worn bushes, bearings breaking up, loose lower link bolts, etc.
It's going to be tough to come up with something lighter or better designed for the OEM suspension, but you could consider a carrier with facilities for a twin link suspension for anyone fitting different transmissions. LIkewise somewhere to bolt on a rear caliper, maybe with an adapter to allow different caliper makes/bolt spacings/disc diameters ?
I think you'd have a larger market with something like that rather than a straight replica of the OEM carrier. It should be usable with the OEM suspension/brakes but also for those wanting discs, etc.
Stronger stub axles and internal spacers are an entirely different case, I reckon you'd have no problem with that market. I think you'd need to sell as off road/race components, I don't know how product liability would work if you sold as road use parts.
Brian
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Garage / Re: Uprights - What would you do if you were making new ones?
« Last post by Richard48Y on Saturday,November 09, 2024, 10:52:21 PM »Two more old threads found.
https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=3085.30
https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=1283.msg11145#msg11145
I looked up Kelvedon too, it seems they do offer a setup, but over £1,470 per side plus shipping!
My hope is to be about the same, maybe a little less, in U.S. dollars.
I got a little bit of LOL! from the Japanese billet parts price.
I guess I am cheating, essentially no overhead and I work too cheap.
Back to my CAD practice now.
https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=3085.30
https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=1283.msg11145#msg11145
I looked up Kelvedon too, it seems they do offer a setup, but over £1,470 per side plus shipping!
My hope is to be about the same, maybe a little less, in U.S. dollars.
I got a little bit of LOL! from the Japanese billet parts price.
I guess I am cheating, essentially no overhead and I work too cheap.
Back to my CAD practice now.