Attempting to build the world's quickest UK road legal Elan

[nalesutol]

Feb 23, 2016 11:10:23 GMT steveg said:

I've done a small amount of composite work in the past and have been thinking about the marks on the seat left from the vacuum port. The ones we used to use were about 4" in diameter. I'm trying to remember now what we did exactly as it was a while back.

Could you run some breather off the side of the seat and put the port there so it doesn't leave marks perhaps. Another thing I was shown was to put pleats or tucks in the bag to help insure you don't get rips. This was mainly on flat panels. If you can imagine an inverted T of the sealant strip stuck to the bottom bagging sheet, then you follow this with the top sheet.
You may well do this already but if it doesn't make much sense I will do a drawing ! I think the idea is that it gives you some spare bag to make getting rid of creases easier, you have to pull it flat as you apply the vacuum.

 That's exactly what I now do, keep the port away from the carbon :-)

Yeah, the bag needs to be much bigger than the item so there is no chance of it bridging areas. Creases aren't a problem, in fact they are good as it shows you have excess bag available.

[nalesutol]

Feb 23, 2016 13:43:28 GMT kevins said:

Superb work.

What is it you have done to replace the lower trunion on the front upright?

Thanks

I simply replaced the uprgights with ones from Canley Classics. I had to do this in order to be able to adjust the caster.


www.canleyclassics.com/suspension-steering-and-brakes/trunnionless-front-suspension-kit

[Dez]

Quite an interesting project. Do you have much competition in your goal, or is pretty much a given once it's on the road?

[nalesutol]

There are quite a few tuned twincamed Elans around but nothing, as far as I am aware, with the power I will have.

[kevins]

There are also a few rover v8 plus 2s out there but at best they are only(!) going to make 300 bhp.

[nalesutol]

Feb 24, 2016 6:40:21 GMT kevins said:

There are also a few rover v8 plus 2s out there but at best they are only(!) going to make 300 bhp.

Are there? Amazed that the engine fits. I will have to do a search.

[kevins]

This is one, a 4.6 L as well, not sure how much he has had to modify the chassis but is does not look radically altered, footwells look a bit toasty though.


www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-twincam-f39/topic-t27803.html

[SmokeEm]

That sir, is gonna scare you silly when finished!

My pal has approx 550bhp in his RS2000 and having been out in it.... Lets just say he likes Superbike baiting!

I take it 9's at around 125mph is your goal?

[nalesutol]

Feb 24, 2016 9:35:56 GMT SmokeEm said:

That sir, is gonna scare you silly when finished!

My pal has approx 550bhp in his RS2000 and having been out in it.... Lets just say he likes Superbike baiting!

I take it 9's at around 125mph is your goal?

Hopefully :-)

Roughly same power but a lot lighter :-)

To start with, yes.

[nalesutol]

Feb 24, 2016 9:22:04 GMT kevins said:

This is one, a 4.6 L as well, not sure how much he has had to modify the chassis but is does not look radically altered, footwells look a bit toasty though.


www.lotuselan.net/forums/lotus-twincam-f39/topic-t27803.html

That's a nice bit of kit.

[blackpopracing]

Feb 19, 2016 23:25:56 GMT fer4l said:

Isn't paint heavy though?!

Not if you paint it in a 'light' colour

Just found this thread - impressive!! automotive porn

[bjornagn]

Thank you for the details on how to reinforce an Elan. I thought my project was a bit off the wall,but you take the cake. In a good way of course!

[nalesutol]

Feb 24, 2016 14:23:25 GMT bjornagn said:

Thank you for the details on how to reinforce an Elan. I thought my project was a bit off the wall,but you take the cake. In a good way of course!

I'm just modifying a single car, you are joining two together. In comparison to mine, your project if off the wall, across the street and on to another wall :-) 

[crafty1]

Amazing build, and I thought I had a modded Lotus ! Apologies if you already mentioned elsewhere but do you have a target weight for this ? I'm trying to work out bhp/tonne...

[nalesutol]

Feb 24, 2016 16:02:23 GMT crafty1 said:

Amazing build, and I thought I had a modded Lotus ! Apologies if you already mentioned elsewhere but do you have a target weight for this ? I'm trying to work out bhp/tonne...

Hi. You have, that is a nice little beastie. What does 400bhp feel like in one of them. I had a 450bhp Sierra Cosworth for a while and that was very quick, easily spun the wheels in third.

Below 650kg

[crafty1]

So we are talking 800 bhp/tonne, seriously impressive.

I had an original Elise back in the late 90's with 118bhp so this feels very different, being supercharged the power delivery is quite linear but likes to rev (8,250 rpm rev limit) and weighs about 850kg so it's just over 400bhp/tonne or roughly half of yours! It doesn't have any traction control but does have a lsd, in the dry traction is very good, it's also on Avon ZZR track day rubber which probably helps a lot, at the moment the gearing is a bit too short for my liking but most impressive I think is in gear, 4th or 5th, it flies.

Look forward to seeing updates on your build, good luck.

[chubz]

hats off to you mate, and this build!

its going to be fairly epic to say the least

[nalesutol]

Feb 24, 2016 17:34:30 GMT crafty1 said:

So we are talking 800 bhp/tonne, seriously impressive.

I had an original Elise back in the late 90's with 118bhp so this feels very different, being supercharged the power delivery is quite linear but likes to rev (8,250 rpm rev limit) and weighs about 850kg so it's just over 400bhp/tonne or roughly half of yours! It doesn't have any traction control but does have a lsd, in the dry traction is very good, it's also on Avon ZZR track day rubber which probably helps a lot, at the moment the gearing is a bit too short for my liking but most impressive I think is in gear, 4th or 5th, it flies.

Look forward to seeing updates on your build, good luck.

I always thought that the original Elise was very underpowered. In fact, IMO, all Lotuses are underpowered so can't do their superior chassis and suspensions justice. I didn't like the Elise when it came out as I didn't think CABC would have allowed such a 'messy' body. However, over the years it has grown on me, especially the Exige.

40bhp/tonne isn't to be sniffed at in a daily driver :-)

We have the option of VP's Q16 or similar for strip action which will add 80-100bhp. In this configuration we are approaching the magic 1000bhp/tonne :-) I think that I have ticked the power box, the traction box is a trickier one to tick. 

[nalesutol]

My second attempt to make the driver's floor. The first attempt failed as the vacuum pump packed up.

Relase agent cured (the dark areas are where I had to repair the agent as there must have been some contaminate in those areas. The yellow is a wax used to radius the sharp edges.


Two layers of carbon (with an extra layer around 450mm long at the narrow end to add additional strength in the pedal box area) and one layer of 5mm dense foam.


Two more layers of carbon plus another 450mm piece in the pedal box area. Then peel ply, perforated release ply,3 layers of breather cloth and finally the vacuum bag. The vacuum pulls the resin through the perforations and it is soaked up by the breather cloth. This will be kept under vacuum until tomorrow morning.

[nalesutol]

New driver's floor has turned out a little better than the first attempt. Not brilliant but not bad. The crease marks were caused by the peel ply rucking up under vacuum. However, this is the underside so hopefully the top face will be better. As soon as it has fully cured I will remove it from the mould and tidy it up. It will be interesting to see the weight difference between the vacuumed and unvacuumed floors.