How Far Would You Go?

[Sy V]

...you've only got to ask the right person for an Engine, Nigel.

And part with some of Her Britannic Majesty's hard-earned wonga!

[Nige]

...you've only got to ask the right person for an Engine, Nigel.

And part with some of Her Britannic Majesty's hard-earned wonga!

Now who might that be I wonder

I don't have the problem with the wonga, what I might have a problem with is approval from the boss!

[surfboardfiller]

I happen to have an M100 Bodyshell and would be interested in your developments/ideas Mr Kuching.

[lotusgirlmarie]

Here's a thought. What about removing the soft top and building a rolbar utilizing the former's mounting points. From there you could use one of the hard tops and end up with a nice race ready coupe'...... or better yet you could build or modify the hard top to appear like the 2+2 prototype that Kia build back in the late 90's. Very elise-ish.

[surfboardfiller]

Here's a thought. What about removing the soft top and building a rolbar utilizing the former's mounting points. From there you could use one of the hard tops and end up with a nice race ready coupe'...... or better yet you could build or modify the hard top to appear like the 2+2 prototype that Kia build back in the late 90's. Very elise-ish.

Such a crazy idea! Who would do a thing like that!!!!

[lotusgirlmarie]

I was considering it........ then I though....." I'd rather buy and build a better turbo setup. I'm an addict!!! ...to raw, un-bridaled power!!!!

[Elanlover]

Great thread with some good ideas and thoughts. Personally, I separate mods into the visible and invisible.

Visible mods I like to keep to a minimum. I like the look of the car and with very few alterations, it can look very modern. The only things I'd consider doing are LGM's rollbar (already in the garage ready to go), a new taillight concept and some minor interior changes. Maybe the wheels if I see a set with our specs.

On the invisible side, there are perfomance and "other" upgrades. Other upgrades include replacing the headlights with xenon (which I'll do at the end of this year hopefully), upgraded stereo system and the like. Not really a true noticeable or stand-out difference (visually) from the original like adding the rollbar or changing the tailighhts is. Performance upgrades like brakes, air intakes, etc. are pretty standard but are "add-ons" in my book. Not wholesale replacements of major parts (like ripping out the engine). Not sure I'd consider any wholesale replacement of major subsystems that are completely different than the original. I wouldn't change out the engine, I wouldn't replace the suspension system, I wouldn't remodel the entire body and change the look dramatically.

Our Elan is approaching classic car status. Any changes I'd consider would have to be completely reversible in the event that i sell it later to a collector who wants it in its original condition.

Track Elans may be a different issue althogether though. I'd say the mod list for track Elans is unlimited.

[Kuching]

In fact, lots of good postings

Judging by the comments, it seems there needs to be a clear distinction between modifications that add to the appeal of the Elan as a fun road car, or otherwise treating it as a dedicated track project.

I'm inclined to explore the track project route (I can't help it, I'm incurable) but this may well produce some mods that would also work well on a road car, such as aero improvements etc.

Replacing the backbone chassis may still be controversial, but once you have a well designed rollcage that reacts the suspension loads, the original chassis becomes virtually redundant so there's the potential to save all that weight. To me, it's just too good an opportunity to miss.

[surfboardfiller]

Bring on the space frame chassis!

[Nige]

I do like the idea of the space frame and integral roll cage. I've always had an inclination to build a kit car but never have because whilst there are some good ones many are really quite poor and the replicas however good are just that, replicas. However, a rebuild of an Elan into a purpose built track car around a spaceframe has great appeal (although I'm not sure it would be an Elan anymore in anything other than general appearance). I suppose I'm currently in the fortunate position of having the option to keep one car as a road car adapted for the occasional track day and another car that is orientated entirely towards the track with road use either very secondary or possibly not at all. There are a lot of potentially expensive ideas now whizzing around inside my head that might not go away.

[Darren]

For my 2p worth, I've added specific items that were left wanting from the orginal design or to make things safer. Specifically, Wilwood brakes, rear strutt brace, roll over hoop & ESM chip.

I've also added an element of engine detailing in the area of carbon fibre parts etc but these styling options have always been available and dare I say, accepted by the majority.

So whilst I'm happy with the above, I wouldn't dream of changing the outer/inner styling &/or the cars basic/standard handling.

Well other than the rear lights (Marie?) & the white lockwood dials which for my 2p really date the car.

Darren.

[Nige]

Those ideas still won't go away and I've been tring to rationalise at what point a car that looked like an Elan but based around a space frame ceased to be an Elan. I have a spyder spaceframe chassis in my 1968 Elan, is that still an Elan and is the Spyder chassis'd Zetec engined Plus 2 that is sold still a Plus 2? So I came to the following broad conclusions.

I assume that when designing the spaceframe chassis the option exists to mount the engine ahead of the rear wheels so making the final car transverse mid-engined? That to me no matter how much the car looked like an Elan externally would have lost an essential element that makes it an Elan (quite like the idea though) so working from there I've concluded, for my benefit only, so disagree all you want, that to still be an Elan or have what makes an M100 an M100 the following would have to apply:

Front Engined (ideally the original Isuzu unit, we know it can produce the power))
Front Wheel drive
Basic suspension configuration remains unchanged (I would still expect to see the 'raft' in the front suspension). Springs dampers bushes and mounting points are all subject to change as necessary.
Physically recognisable as an Elan but aerodynamic modifications are in, more extreme modifications as per the M200 are also ok but would be dependant on the intende use of the car.

Other than those I think everything else is open to change with the degree of change being based on the intended use of the car, the more road orinetated the more the car would resemble the Elan we all know, the more track orientated then the further removed from the original road car and in essence a sillouhette model.

[Elanlover]

I think there's another point to make that impacts how far people want to go. Comfort level.

There's a lot of people here that have a greater knowledge of how cars are put together than I. For them, it would be nothing to build a new chassis, swap out or modify the engine heavily, etc. I'd not be willing to go that far as I'd be way out of my comfort zone.

The limit on how far someone would want to go is impacted not only by their desire to keep the Elan an Elan. Its also impacted by their understanding of cars. One is pretty black and white. You either want to keep it as much of an Elan as you can or you don't. The other has infinite shades of grey.