Lotus Elan Central

I am working with the same firm who did the hubs on this one (they are really happy and confident and a regular Lotus supplier) but as ever, I will need an idea of interested parties before I can get a quote.

Worldwide shipping is NO PROBLEM.

I need an idea of numbers first, so with no commitment, could anybody who wants a set of new rear wishbones please post their names below?

There is no commitment right now, I just need to know if we are looking at 10, or 20, or 50 sets. So if you think you might want some, please post up and lets get a ballpark figure together. I am packing up a clean set tomorrow to send to them, and we'll go from there.

The only consideration is that they are handed, so we will be working in pairs.

Bushings on these are hard to get in rubber, and easy in poly. General consensus is that poly is fine (and for now its the only realistic option), but rubber is better, and we are looking very seriously into restarting production on the rubber bushings.

But nothing can happen until we get a rough idea of numbers, so for now, with no obligation, please copy the list and add your name, per pair of L/R rear wishbones.

Details will be confirmed once rough numbers are achieved, and guide prices for bones with and without bushings will then be provided.

Please be signed up by the 18th May.

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Yep I'd be interested Jeemy

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Is this upper or lower wishbones. I am assuming lower, but could you confirm

There are ONLY lower rear wishbones. The upper bit is simply an arm or rod (depending on whether you have an SE or S2).

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2. Rob P
3. JohnB
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1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
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1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
5. Lansledj
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What material are you looking at making them from?

1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
5. Lansledj
6. Dave Griffiths
7. tweetdriver63
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+1
What material are you looking at making them from?

1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
5. Lansledj
6. Dave Griffiths
7. tweetdriver63
8. Pearman00
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What material are you looking at making them from?

1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
5. Lansledj
6. Dave Griffiths
7. tweetdriver63
8. Pearman00
9. Lotusnut
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What material are you looking at making them from?

1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
5. Lansledj
6. Dave Griffiths
7. tweetdriver63
8. Pearman00
9. Lotusnut
10. nutsnbolts (price dependant)

What material are you looking at making them from?

1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
5. Lansledj
6. Dave Griffiths
7. tweetdriver63
8. Pearman00
9. Lotusnut
10. nutsnbolts (price dependant)
11. Fred Flanagan

Re: material specifically it will be whatever the engineering firm advises, and I'll post that info up when I have it. Generally, it will certainly (or almost certainly) be fabricated steel rather than aluminium, unless anybody particularly wants me to pursue the aluminium, given the rear hub process I am keen to just keep things simple and as original as possible.

Jeemy wrote:Re: material specifically it will be whatever the engineering firm advises, and I'll post that info up when I have it. Generally, it will certainly (or almost certainly) be fabricated steel rather than aluminium, unless anybody particularly wants me to pursue the aluminium, given the rear hub process I am keen to just keep things simple and as original as possible.

Jamie: I believe the question is more along the lines of Mild Steel or Stainless Steel or like Lotus (FGS) currently offer, Galvanized. I suppose Aluminum could be considered, but nobody has done that yet (to my knowledge).

As we discussed, the request will be made for them to be galvanised (and I hope I have my nomenclature right) and method to be zinc through welded with the weld through the primer. But it all depends on what they say is best as they have produced wishbones for Lotus already.

Can I ask if it is something that you would recommend having as spares?

Each time Iv'e had a service the question is asked to check wishbones and so far everything has been fine.

Any idea on cost?


Trevor

1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
5. Lansledj
6. Dave Griffiths
7. tweetdriver63
8. Pearman00
9. Lotusnut
10. nutsnbolts (price dependant)
11. Fred Flanagan
12. DavidEJM (good to have as precaution)

Its hard to say, about recommending to have them as spares. Some people have found theirs rotten to the core. I've got 3 cars with 130k or so on them and they are all solid. And some of the other parts on those cars are rotten, so I don't think its down to them being cared for particularly, although with multiple owners, it only takes one guy to give them some TLC and the life could be extended by 10 years.

What we are really hoping to build towards is enough people who want these, to get a reasonable cost on them, and then hopefully more will want them. Also if enough people want them that may give manufacturers enough of a spur to get behind us to produce rubber bushings again.

Guide costs are impossible to say. The only way to get these OEM is to spend £500+ per side. I don't think this will get much movement unless we can bring them in for £150-£200 per bone. A pair of wishbones for a mass production performance/off-road (i.e. more than light duty) car seems to run about £170 + VAT per pair. If we were paying over double that I think more than a few people would have concerns or second thoughts….

I can't get a cost until I have some numbers, so I will have a pair of bones down with the manufacturers for the 18th and at that point we will know more.

With the hubs, I ended up with about 25 people signed up, a good 10 of those dropped out and were replaced by another 10, so I am pretty hopeful that if you say you MIGHT be interested and I end up with 25 names for this, we will end up with 25 sets or more produced, even if a few drop out, I am sure they will be replaced by others once this has some legs. I hope thats in some way helpful.

1. Jeemy
2. Rob P
3. JohnB
4. Epipete (Price dependant)
5. Lansledj
6. Dave Griffiths
7. tweetdriver63
8. Pearman00
9. Lotusnut
10. nutsnbolts (price dependant)
11. Fred Flanagan
12. DavidEJM (good to have as precaution)
13 stevebow (price dependent)