The Zetec 'Ropacane

[Chuck Nukem]

Lahi,

I flipped it with the help of a friend. I was at the front, he was at the rear. Thankfully there was no cracking. The front wheel arches are sensitive to stress, but I have never had an issue moving my TC.

One of my S1 cars had damage to the front wheel arch due to improper frame removal of a PO and this car needs 4 people to move it, the front two must lift with the trailing edge of those wheel arches.

[lahi]

Lahi,

I flipped it with the help of a friend. I was at the front, he was at the rear. Thankfully there was no cracking. The front wheel arches are sensitive to stress, but I have never had an issue moving my TC.

One of my S1 cars had damage to the front wheel arch due to improper frame removal of a PO and this car needs 4 people to move it, the front two must lift with the trailing edge of those wheel arches.

Ok, thanks!
I asked because I would need to flip mine upside down later on to take care of the underside too. I'll ask a friend to help me out and if I'm not confident it will hold together after the first "test lift" I'll call some more friends 

[Chuck Nukem]

Lahi,

I flipped it with the help of a friend. I was at the front, he was at the rear. Thankfully there was no cracking. The front wheel arches are sensitive to stress, but I have never had an issue moving my TC.

One of my S1 cars had damage to the front wheel arch due to improper frame removal of a PO and this car needs 4 people to move it, the front two must lift with the trailing edge of those wheel arches.

Ok, thanks!
I asked because I would need to flip mine upside down later on to take care of the underside too. I'll ask a friend to help me out and if I'm not confident it will hold together after the first "test lift" I'll call some more friends 

I think you will be surprised at how easy it is to pick up. These bodies weigh nothing...Its kind of scary!

[Chuck Nukem]

Update for the week pt 2!

Why are there so many voids and pinholes in this thing?!?!?! I think I am almost done with my underside repairs. Hope to flip it right side up and prime soon. Door repairs are also tedious. Many voids and pin holes.... were these pinholes visible on new cars?

I got a new dynabrade 5" PSA sander with their most aggressive 3/8 orbit. It chews through build up pretty quickly with 40 grit. I have now discovered that it is actually quite a nice luxury to have a roughing and finishing (3/16 orbit) sander at hand for doing this kind of work.

[Chuck Nukem]

Back on the ground!

More little stress cracks around the front bonnet lid opening. Hoping to get it ready for primer next week. TCS doors are just about ready to prime but it decided to rain this weekend.

I am starting to get a little freaked out that this stage is wrapping up! It is coming boys!!

[Chuck Nukem]

Twin Cam People - Can you tell me if this is normal? When resting in the car, the front bonnet lid does not sit too flush with the body. Is this normally fixed with padding to bring it to level so the panel is under tension at all times? The front part of it seems fine, but the sides are low and the windshield side is high.

The S1 fits almost perfectly when resting in its respective place. S1 panel does not really fit in my TCS well.

I am asking because the car was hit by a tree and the left fender was totally obliterated. If I need to reshape these now is the time to do it. Also I am using a bonnet out of another car because the original seemed even more distorted. That bonnet is assumed to be good... I am more concerned about the side fit rather than the fit by the lock. With pressure everything fits OK there and I am thinking I can fit the lock so that it clamps at the correct height. Right now I am tempted to reshape the car to fit the bonnet rather than the other way around.

[BDA]

Yeah, I think that's about par for the course. Neither my bonnet nor boot fit exactly right. I thought the boot was being distorted by the rubber trim at the front under the rear window (I think it's used to keep water from getting into the spark plug valley), so I took it off. So far, it still hasn't relaxed to be flush. I'm planning on popping a piece of aluminum angle there so the water will run off to either side of the engine.

My theory is that the older cars were made more exactly with thicker fiberglass. It seems that the Elans (except for their doors), Elan+2s, and S2s fit better, but that's just my thought. You could section out the high parts to make the fit better. It wouldn't be that difficult. Sometimes I wish I had done that, but I didn't.

[Chuck Nukem]

Thanks for the quick response BDA. I think I will shave the fenders down to meet the bonnet.

[EuropaTC]

I'd second BDA, the fit of Lotus panels does seem to have quite a variation. My doors fit reasonably well, the front bonnet is ok front & sides but with a slight kick up at one corner. A distorted panel I'd guess. The rear deck is hopeless, get it to fit at one edge and the other drops or rises from the shell, it's a case of getting the best you can. Original panels, no significant crash damage, it's just that cottage industry that was 1960s Lotus !

They'll have changed moulds several times during the production runs and that's probably the reason for variation in fit, they'll have had some dimension drift as new moulds were made.

As BDA posted, the Elan the S1,S2 & S3 doors were good until some time in the S3 production they started to move outside the body. No amount of adjusting would get them to fit properly so most folks went for a good fit at the front and top rear with the lower rear sitting proud of the body - as Lotus did at the time.

When the cars started to get restored to higher standards then you'd cut the panel to bring the outer skin in line with the body. After 40+ years of decidedly un-aerodynamic doors I decided to do mine a few years back and now, at 52yrs old, the doors fit.....     Lotus & cottage industries y'know     

Brian

[Chuck Nukem]

I'd second BDA, the fit of Lotus panels does seem to have quite a variation. My doors fit reasonably well, the front bonnet is ok front & sides but with a slight kick up at one corner. A distorted panel I'd guess. The rear deck is hopeless, get it to fit at one edge and the other drops or rises from the shell, it's a case of getting the best you can. Original panels, no significant crash damage, it's just that cottage industry that was 1960s Lotus !

They'll have changed moulds several times during the production runs and that's probably the reason for variation in fit, they'll have had some dimension drift as new moulds were made.

As BDA posted, the Elan the S1,S2 & S3 doors were good until some time in the S3 production they started to move outside the body. No amount of adjusting would get them to fit properly so most folks went for a good fit at the front and top rear with the lower rear sitting proud of the body - as Lotus did at the time.

When the cars started to get restored to higher standards then you'd cut the panel to bring the outer skin in line with the body. After 40+ years of decidedly un-aerodynamic doors I decided to do mine a few years back and now, at 52yrs old, the doors fit.....     Lotus & cottage industries y'know     

Brian

Brian,

Thanks for the reply! I feel that Lotus left it up to us to dial things in on these beasts. It was part of the design intent

I mean how many car manufacturers publish control arm dimensions in the service manual so that owners can verify the tolerance when necessary or remake their own as needed? To me that is owner involvement!!

After I marked a sharpie line on the body it and reviewed old pictures it appears that there was a generous amount of bondo on my old bonnet, so I may just split the difference between the two. The TC doors are another story! My next project is to turn up a set of hinge pins because holy hell I am going to have quite a time getting these to look decent if they are not actually fitted to the car!

I also checked the rear deck lid, and reading your comments made me laugh because mine is exactly as you describe.

[Chuck Nukem]

Got a bit of priming done today. Wanted to hammer out a few coats before the temp drops so I have something to do for the next few days. Hoping to get the body prepped and in primer this week! The car that covid built... I guess it's only fitting that the Chinese own Lotus now 

[BDA]

Looks great, Chuck! I really like the roomy work area, too! Well done! 

[Chuck Nukem]

Looks great, Chuck! I really like the roomy work area, too! Well done! 

Its only roomy because the body panels are so small

[Chuck Nukem]

It was a beautiful day to paint and smell the fumes! First coat of primer is down on the Twin Cam...It shows the way forward!

[BDA]

I was about to say she was looking pretty good and then I saw the last picture! Did you not wash the car well enough before you shot the primer?