s2K seats and silver Lockwood dials fitted at last!

[enndee]

Fitted the Lockwood silver dial faces at the weekend - what a pig of a job!!!!!! Changing the faces was pretty straight forward though nothing else was!!!!
Also recently fitted some Grey and Red, Honda S2000 seats and I am absolutely delighted with how they look. The grey is an almost perfect match to the rest of the interior and I think they really look as though they were intended for the Elan. Also logo'd the head rests as can be seen in the photos. Just need some red carpet mats to finish it off now I think.
FInal job will be to fit a Tom Tom into the ashtray space.

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[Rice crispy]

Enndee, looks good really like the seats, found them much more supportive in mine. was thinking of doing the dials like yours but worried I will damage them with my ham fists , how long did they take ?

[enndee]

Enndee, looks good really like the seats, found them much more supportive in mine. was thinking of doing the dials like yours but worried I will damage them with my ham fists , how long did they take ?

Overall it took me 5 hours but only an hour and a half to change the faces. It's not a difficult job but you do need to be carefull with the main instrument cluster as you are supposed to be able to change the faces without disturbing the needles! Pah!!!! Both the temperature gauge and fuel guage needles popped out despite all my efforts not to disturb them! The only other tricky bit is the individual gauges. You need to work your way all around the outer bezel with a fine screwdriver gently bend the casing outwards. I went round 3 or 4 times until the bezel would come away from the main casing without applying force. You have to remove the needles on these gauges and much care is required in getting them off. Mine put up quite a fight!!!!!! What took far longer than I expected was getting the main cluster out and then back in again!!!! It comes out of the top of the dash but there is VERY little room and the shape of the cluster just seems to prevent it coming out at at every angle I tried. Eventually it came out but then when I came to put it back in, I had the same problem as I forgot how it came out and by that time I was feeling pretty pi**ed off with it The individual gauges were fiddly and time consuming to get out and putting them back it is best to connect all the wires before installing them which makes it even more tricky to get the tiny nuts on to the locating studs!!!!!!
All in all, I found it a pig of a job, but now I must admit it was worth it as I think the silver faces look much better than those awful black and orange ones!
Neil

[esprit888]

The seats and guages look great,Did you use an adhesive or silicon to apply the lockwoods ?

Enndee, looks good really like the seats, found them much more supportive in mine. was thinking of doing the dials like yours but worried I will damage them with my ham fists , how long did they take ?

Overall it took me 5 hours but only an hour and a half to change the faces. It's not a difficult job but you do need to be carefull with the main instrument cluster as you are supposed to be able to change the faces without disturbing the needles! Pah!!!! Both the temperature gauge and fuel guage needles popped out despite all my efforts not to disturb them! The only other tricky bit is the individual gauges. You need to work your way all around the outer bezel with a fine screwdriver gently bend the casing outwards. I went round 3 or 4 times until the bezel would come away from the main casing without applying force. You have to remove the needles on these gauges and much care is required in getting them off. Mine put up quite a fight!!!!!! What took far longer than I expected was getting the main cluster out and then back in again!!!! It comes out of the top of the dash but there is VERY little room and the shape of the cluster just seems to prevent it coming out at at every angle I tried. Eventually it came out but then when I came to put it back in, I had the same problem as I forgot how it came out and by that time I was feeling pretty pi**ed off with it The individual gauges were fiddly and time consuming to get out and putting them back it is best to connect all the wires before installing them which makes it even more tricky to get the tiny nuts on to the locating studs!!!!!!
All in all, I found it a pig of a job, but now I must admit it was worth it as I think the silver faces look much better than those awful black and orange ones!
Neil

[enndee]

[quote="esprit888"]The seats and guages look great,Did you use an adhesive or silicon to apply the lockwoods ?

Lockwood conveniently have some sticky strips on the back of the dial faces so that's all I used. Also, they have holes to fit onto the moulded pins in the cluster that the old ones are fitted on to, although I had to enlarge a couple of the holes in the Lockwoods to get a good fit

[Jamie N]

Looks awesome mate,you will find them really comfy on a run as well.

[Gareth]

The seats look great!

Just put a bid in for a pair of S2000 seats (All black : Red/Black VERY expensive on e bay)

If I'm successfull can you give me some advice on how to mount them?

[enndee]

The seats look great!

Just put a bid in for a pair of S2000 seats (All black : Red/Black VERY expensive on e bay)

If I'm successfull can you give me some advice on how to mount them?

Yes no problem, just PM me.
Neil

[Gareth]

The seats look great!

Just put a bid in for a pair of S2000 seats (All black : Red/Black VERY expensive on e bay)

If I'm successfull can you give me some advice on how to mount them?

Yes no problem, just PM me.
Neil

OK!

Will Do (if successfull)

Thanks

[Rice crispy]

Gareth,
posted the dimensions from the other post . these are the ones that i did to fit mine, would be worth waiting for Endee to confirm them though

download/file.php?id=13738

David

[enndee]

Gareth,
posted the dimensions from the other post . these are the ones that i did to fit mine, would be worth waiting for Endee to confirm them though

download/file.php?id=13738

David

Your dimensions were just about spot on David.

I got a peice of MDF and drilled four holes corresponding to the subframe of the old seat and that made it much easier to get the new brackets absolutely right. The only issue I have found with the new seats is that with the hood up, the plastic A post cover is pressing quite hard against the seat belt guide on the seats. Obviously this depends on where the seat and the seat back is positioned, but I am only 5'10" tall so anyone taller is going to have the same or worse problem. I am going to remove these guides anyway as I think they spoil the look of the seat and I intend making up a pair of carbon fibre blanking plates to replace them.

Neil

[Rice crispy]

Yep I had the same problem and have been trying to think hown to replace them ?? wouldn't know where to start with carbon fibre was going to try and ben a piece of alloy but havent got round to it.
David

[enndee]

Yep I had the same problem and have been trying to think hown to replace them ?? wouldn't know where to start with carbon fibre was going to try and ben a piece of alloy but havent got round to it.
David

I was just going to buy a small sheet of carbon fibre off E-Bay, cut it to shape, drill a couple of countersunk holes and replace! Hmmm, bet it's not that simple, never is!
Neil

[kenich]

Those seats looks smart. Made me want to change my Sabelt recliners now Your whole interior looks spot on!

Uhmm.... Do I go for S2k seats or not? I don't think the red an black would be so nice with blue. Blacks always a winner I guess

[Nas]

The interior really does look spot on!

Makes me want a red Elan now for that interior combination..


I couldn't help but notice the bars behind the headrests of each seat. How hard/long/ was the process of getting that done. Does it clear the convertible roof without any problems?

download/file.php?id=13887

[enndee]

They are Kuching roll hoops designed and made by LEC member,Simon Carrier - search the forum and you will find a group buy from about 15 months ago. They are extremely well made and designed specifically for the Elan of course. Simon has the credentials that will reassure anyone that they are more than up to the task if the worst came to the worst and you invert the car!!!
They are a 9 point fixing and because of that, the fitting is a fairly involved process needing various bits of the body to be cut away to get access to the chassis. I had Simon fit mine to be sure it was done properly I also had him spray mine red rather than black.
Everything is a VERY close fit with the hoops installed, but the hood frame does clear them - just!!!
Neil

The interior really does look spot on!

Makes me want a red Elan now for that interior combination..


I couldn't help but notice the bars behind the headrests of each seat. How hard/long/ was the process of getting that done. Does it clear the convertible roof without any problems?

download/file.php?id=13887

[Rob P]

Fitted the Lockwood silver dial faces at the weekend - what a pig of a job!!!!!! Changing the faces was pretty straight forward though nothing else was!!!!
Also recently fitted some Grey and Red, Honda S2000 seats and I am absolutely delighted with how they look. The grey is an almost perfect match to the rest of the interior and I think they really look as though they were intended for the Elan. Also logo'd the head rests as can be seen in the photos. Just need some red carpet mats to finish it off now I think.
FInal job will be to fit a Tom Tom into the ashtray space.

Hi enndee,
just browsing a few posts and noticed this one, firstly nice job on the seats, however the main item that caught my eye was the comment about fitting a Tom Tom into the Ashtray space, as a none smoker |I was looking for something to do with this and that sounded like an excellent idea, did this ever get done and if so would there be any pictures around.

Thanks

[Mike T]

Hi Rob, I have just fitted a satnav mount (Garmin) in the ashtray location, however I wanted an approach that was completely reversible and didn't damage the dash in any way. I bought a secondhand ashtray off ebay and modified it by cutting off the 'finger pull' projection to give a flat face and a slot in the top for the power cable. Then I drilled a hole large enough for the 'ball' end of the mount to fit through from the inside. I used a air vent type mount available from ebay for about £3 and secured it with a couple of small nuts and bolts by drilling clearance holes through the face of the ashtray and mount. The power cable sits in the ashtray and the 'socket' part of the mount snaps on the ball projecting through it. When I want to use the satnav, I just swap the standard ashtray with the modified one, plug in the power cable snap the satnav in place and I'm good to go. I don't have any pictures as I'm not near the car at the moment, but hope that the description gives you another option to consider.

[Rob P]

Cheers Mike, think I can picture it, would be useful to see an example of this and enndee's option before I dive in headlong

[dapinky]

Hi Rob,

I've had a satnav fitted in that location for the past few years - I'll take a picture if you want it.

Edit:-

It was quicker to just grab a picture instead of waiting for a reply

satnav.jpg

Basically, there were a few considerations.....

getting the ashtray housing out without causing lots of damage to the facia panel - it is just glued onto the main part and can be carefully prized off - but i only found that out after I'd drilled a few holes through the thin plastic and mullered it!

the actual hole needed fettling a bit - I used a Garmin unit which has the wires entering from the bottom - a TomTom should be easier as it enters from the rear.

I used the plastic 'housing' which the satnav arrived in (bubble pack) as the basis for the housing, and just covered it in fibreglass matting/resin to give it a bit of body and then extended the flat bit around the edges so it is 'sunk' into the dashboard.

Once cured, I trimmed it up with a pair of scissors to fit into the hole from the outside, then glued it in with a bit of silicone.

The Satnav is held in place with a couple of sticky pads (bluetac would do!).

Then I made a cover out of a sheet of rigid carbon fibre which is held in with 2 blobs of silicone.

I took power from the cigarette lighter, so it is ignition fed.

Job done - it comes on with the ignition, and goes off with it when you stop the car.

The main issue (umless you already have a satnav unit to use) is finding one which fits the size of hole - most of the more recent ones have a larger (widescreen) body and wouldn't go in without a bit more fiddling.