Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: Runningwild on Monday,October 19, 2015, 07:02:01 PM
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I'm restoring a early 68 S2. While working on the front suspension I noticed at the rear portion of the front wheel well there seems to be a body part missing. There are rivet holes in the wheel well. I can look straight through to the back of the car. What is this part and are they available. Hope I explained this well enough, can't get the photo small enough to post. Thanks. Tom
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It sounds like the "dust shield" that keeps road crap from getting caught in the body. They are mounted behind the front wheel wells and in the front of the rear wheel wells (see picture below. It is a snippet from Section BB - Body - Attachments in the parts manual. Look above part #13, the number for the dust shield didn't come out very good). You're not going to be able to get those. You should find a sheet of something (fiberglass, plastic, etc.) to fill that hole. They are pop riveted on the inside edge and sealed with something to keep water, etc. from getting in.
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That's it. Thanks. I'll try and fabricate one
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It should be pretty easy. I still had the ones on my TCS when I rebuilt it, but they seemed to be made of cardboard covered or soaked in some sort of tar or something to make it water proof and more durable. You just need something that won't be degraded by being hit by gravel or weather.
Edit: You need to make sure you can take it off in case you need to get back there for some reason. The ones in the rear cover access to the fuel tanks and I THINK the door latches. I don't remember what the front ones covered up besides that gap in the body.
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To add to what BDA has said, if you're missing ones at the rear arches, I'd clean out the sill and check the seat belt mounting plates which are just ahead of the fuel tanks. Mine had rusted away, one of those "out of sight, out of mind" things about these cars.
On the wheel arch shields, I made mine from 1mm Aluminium and used hefty stainless self tappers to hold them in place. A bit of tape over the screw head to keep off the dirt and it's very easy to remove them should you ever need to.
Brian
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The fronts can really be riveted in place but the rears it can be useful to be removable for access, originals were riveted I think