Request To Delete Mountain Chips Link

[scooter49]

No doubt this will go down badly with some members but in all honesty, what is the point in having the link on this site?

1. The owner has not been on this forum for over 4yrs

2. He does not reply to pm's

3. He does not reply to emails on his site

4. You can make an account up on the site but you never get the confirmation email

5. He has no stock.

We are dealing with a ghost.

I know some will say it is a hobby and is done in his spare time. A hobby does not have a full blown site with account set up status.
Most people at minimum have the courtesy to reply to enquiries on their site. Even an auto response is not forthcoming from elanchips.

There are at least 5 people on this site trying for months to make contact to make a purchase. (impossible) and there are at least the same amount again on the various facebook groups.

It is beyond excuse. It is ignorant. Such a shame.
It would have been great if the reigns were passed on so new owners (who ultimately will be the ones that keep the M100 going) could upgrade their cars. But all anybody gets is radio silence....

Even a request on this forum for any member who knows him to please contact for an update (of any sorts) falls on deaf ears. Is he even on this planet anymore? (Sincere condolences if he is not)

Please, take the link down as it does this forum zero favours. All it does is give members false hopes and headaches. RIP elanchips.


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[TorqueHorse]

@scooter49, there actually was an update in one of the other threads that you may not have seen...

I've been in touch with Alan and he sends his apologies. He is very busy with his full time job and has family issues as well as hardware issues with his suppliers...

I know it can be frustrating, but I think we can all give each other a little grace, especially in today's world. That being said, I do agree with removing the link in the top navigation to avoid further confusion, until the site owner is back to being able to respond and deliver these delightful additions to our cars

[marcoos_1]

I have to say I agree with the OP.

I, like many, have tried all forms of getting in touch with Elanchips and have been extrmemely patient in waiting for a response. I have emailed directly, pm'd on here, tried to buy online (I have been checking for stock every month for 6 months now) and I have tried creating accounts on his business website. Not even a single response or an autoresponder to let people know he has suspended business. It's not good for customers, for Elanchips or for the M100 in general.

As a new Elan owner and forum member I also made several posts on here and was told that it was a hobby for Alan at Elanchips and that he had a life outside the forum. I fully understand that (and support it), however what the OP is saying is correect - if we have a link at the top of the forum to his business page (and don't kid yourselves....that is EXACTLY what it is) then we are adding to the frustration and disappointment of new owners, which is the direct opposite of what an owners forum is supposed to do. I sincerely hope Alan is well and has just moved on to other things, or has priorities elsewhere - but who knows? 4yrs is a long time not to have been on the site......

So, I would propose the following:

1) Remove the link to Elanchips

2) Those who may know Alan could try, on behalf of all members, to call him and establish what the situation really is.

3) If Alan is still around but is busy elsewhere, we try as a group to see if he wants to pass on his knowledge, sell his equipment/business or whatever, so that we can continue his good work for new memebrs and future Elan owners. I see this as no different to the likes of body-moulds, jigs, tooling etc or any other piece of hard to get equipment that we would want to preserve as a group for the good of the cars and future owners. I for one would be willing to get involved if we did this, as it is unthinkable to let all his good work just die off in a sea of disappointed potential customers.

So........is there anyone on here that has a contact number for Alan or knows an alternative method of getting in touch to propose something? If he is not interested then that is his prerogative (or perhaps he is unable?) - in which case perhaps we need to look at a work around?

There are 3 cars now within 5 miles of me who have all tried to buy these.

First thing though........the link is redundant at this time so let's remove it until we find a way forward.

Mark.

[Simon_P]

The link contains a lot of useful information compiled over a number of years.
Alan has made a huge contribution to LEC over the years, having also developed elanscan and shared it for free.
I understand the frustration of not being able to get what you want, when you want or perhaps ever, but with all things that are a hobby we should be pleased that someone is willing to give up their spare time, and maybe if we are extremely lucky, one day he will have time to make some more. He clear doesn't do it for the money!

I don't see an upside to removing the link. What will we gain? I have used the information to indicate to my insurance company the likely increase in power amongst other things.

The reference to body jigs is spot on. I seem to recall that this expectation of what people do with their hobbies and the assumption that they are doing it for personal gain is exactly why we don't have hardtop available.

[GeoffSmith]

The link to Elan of the month took 10 years to disappear, so don't hold your breath.

[dapinky]

As Simon says (or at least, alludes to) above.....

1) the link is far far more than 'just' a link to a shop
2) it contains a lot of other useful stuff - much of which could well be the basis for someone who is suitably interested in doing something with an Arduino-based system to create a usable "map". (Hey, maybe I'm talking out of my hat, I know nowt about it really).
3) if nothing else, it will remain as a tribute to someone who has helped 'the community' in a huge way.

Similar could be said about the great work done by many others in the past -

Simon (Kutching) - creation of Hard Tops, roll-hoops, etc
Marie (LGM) - creation of roll hoops, rear elise lamp panels
Surferphill - creation of the UK spec rear lamp panel, and other fibreglass items.
Brian (F1Lotus) - many engineering projects including big brakes, pretty oil filler caps and other stuff
Dave (DeeAitch) - the short-shift gear linkage

This is only a small selection, and please don't be offended if you've done good stuff and not on the list.... there isn't room for everything!

The one thing which jumps out at me from the above list is that the people on it all gave a lot to the rest of us - as a hobby, not a job....... and all started to do it when they were active members of LEC.

And that is really the point - LEC has been going for 21 years.... at it's 'invention' (thanks, Doug ) the car was still in it's 'young' agegroup... like the Evora would be today - and had been out of production for only 5 years.... the owners tended to reflect that fact, and would perhaps be described as 'new car owners' or 'Lotus enthusiasts' much more so than 'bargain hunters' or 'classic restorers'.... and maybe had a different disposable income than many of our members today - and diufferent expectations from a group such as LEC.

"We" have tried to evolve with the times, but do not advocate removal of historic data/information/posts etc as it contains a wealth of stuff useful today.

There are very very few people who were active members 15 years ago who still regularly post, many have sold up and moved on, many have tragically passed on, many have been replaced by a newer 'breed' looking for something different....... ask yourself, if someone wanted something YOU created for a car which you used as an "everyday driver" 20 years ago, and you no longer owned or had any interest in said car, how far would YOU go to help them?????

[Simon_P]

The link to Elan of the month took 10 years to disappear, so don't hold your breath.

and the link to the weather forecast disappeared nearly 20 years ago and still hasn't been put back - Didn't Alan also have a hand in writing this site? I'm still waiting!

[lotusles]

So frustrating for some of us "newies" to not even get a reply even after joining the link

Don't want to cause any issues, but please don't advertise a product that you no longer are able to support, or at least tell us when we inquire.
I have not had a response in 2 years.

Found a chip elsewhere, but would have loved to support a fellow LEC Member

[TorqueHorse]

Alan has made a huge contribution to LEC over the years, having also developed elanscan and shared it for free.

Wow, that is amazing. I hadn't put 2 & 2 together to realize that.

For a newbie like me, it's just a link, so no big deal, links get updated all the time, but I see the context better now. And while not the circumstances I would have hoped for, it has been nice to read about 'a concise history of LEC' in this thread and learn more about the cool journey that car and its devotees (from whatever walk of life) have taken over the decades.

[scooter49]

So frustrating for some of us "newies" to not even get a reply even after joining the link

Don't want to cause any issues, but please don't advertise a product that you no longer are able to support, or at least tell us when we inquire.
I have not had a response in 2 years.

Found a chip elsewhere, but would have loved to support a fellow LEC Member

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[dapinky]

This same post also appears in the "Everest chip availability" thread, just for avoidance of doubt.

Right, I'm writing this with my Admin hat on, but using my own account just so there can be no accusations that I am hiding behind an anonymous forum account.

I am not happy with the way this thread has progressed, from starting out as an enquiry, to ending up where "we" are basically being told how to run this site, and what links we can and cannot allow to be on here.

I have answered the points raised as to why the link remains, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN.

Alan has done some great work for all of us - and now YOU are demanding that I delete a link to his website because YOU can't buy something from him, and somehow, that is OUR fault for allowing a link?????

Let me spell it out really simply - IT AIN'T HAPPENING!

Maybe you think that I am being autocratic? Well, tough! This is NOT a democracy, and if you don't like it, you don't have to be here.... I'll even refund every penny you have paid to be here, and it'll come from the wages I receive for doing this "job".

The elanchips site is there for everyones benefit.... those with chips, and those who use 'elanscan' - which is pretty well everyone on here. How much has any of that actually cost you? - and then Alan gets grief (which he may or may not see, but I can assure you that he will become aware of it) from someone he doesn't know.

YOU also say that "we" should archive the link into WikiLEC????

Oh, okay - but why don't YOU do it - it's a bloody Wiki FFS!

As another way of explanation, I will state that I have no control over the 'appearance' of the LEC website, and no access to control ANY of it's contents.... I cannot get into the server to add, delete, alter or replace anything. The site was set up well before my time, and I have never been given the "keys". I am an Admin on the Forum (which is part of the website), and that is as far as my authority goes.... in much the same way I cannot change the way that the Google search website looks.

Clearly, I know someone who can - but it is NOT any of the 3 active Forum Admins.

You ask "How does this help the advancement of our cars? Or the forum? Eveything on elanchips is now legacy." Basically, as long as ANYONE on here uses "elanscan", then it is helping the advancement of the cars, forum and community.

There are hundreds, thousands or even millions of 'dead-end' links on the internet, I have no control over any of those either, so will not be removing any of them.

However, I do have control over a fair few websites, and am happy to maintain those in my own time, for free, for the benefit of others (including YOU).

[alan e]

This same post also appears in the "Everest chip availability" thread, just for avoidance of doubt.

Right, I'm writing this with my Admin hat on, but using my own account just so there can be no accusations that I am hiding behind an anonymous forum account.

I am not happy with the way this thread has progressed, from starting out as an enquiry, to ending up where "we" are basically being told how to run this site, and what links we can and cannot allow to be on here.

I have answered the points raised as to why the link remains, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN.

Alan has done some great work for all of us - and now YOU are demanding that I delete a link to his website because YOU can't buy something from him, and somehow, that is OUR fault for allowing a link?????

Let me spell it out really simply - IT AIN'T HAPPENING!
Maybe you think that I am being autocratic? Well, tough! This is NOT a democracy, and if you don't like it, you don't have to be here.... I'll even refund every penny you have paid to be here, and it'll come from the wages I receive for doing this "job".

The elanchips site is there for everyones benefit.... those with chips, and those who use 'elanscan' - which is pretty well everyone on here. How much has any of that actually cost you? - and then Alan gets grief (which he may or may not see, but I can assure you that he will become aware of it) from someone he doesn't know.

YOU also say that "we" should archive the link into WikiLEC????

Oh, okay - but why don't YOU do it - it's a bloody Wiki FFS!

As another way of explanation, I will state that I have no control over the 'appearance' of the LEC website, and no access to control ANY of it's contents.... I cannot get into the server to add, delete, alter or replace anything. The site was set up well before my time, and I have never been given the "keys". I am an Admin on the Forum (which is part of the website), and that is as far as my authority goes.... in much the same way I cannot change the way that the Google search website looks.

Clearly, I know someone who can - but it is NOT any of the 3 active Forum Admins.

You ask "How does this help the advancement of our cars? Or the forum? Eveything on elanchips is now legacy." Basically, as long as ANYONE on here uses "elanscan", then it is helping the advancement of the cars, forum and community.

There are hundreds, thousands or even millions of 'dead-end' links on the internet, I have no control over any of those either, so will not be removing any of them.

However, I do have control over a fair few websites, and am happy to maintain those in my own time, for free, for the benefit of others (including YOU).

[scooter49]

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My reply is here:
forum.lotuselancentral.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=28411

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[lotusflasherman]

I'm totally against this suggestion to delete... because of a delay in supplying new chips, I bought an ECU with Everest Chip fitted from a breakers that advertised on ebay. If the link was removed where would I go to find all the information needed to know whether that would suit my car, closed loop, open loop, etc, etc . It's not just a link to a shop, albeit temporarily closed, it's a mine of useful information.

[Simon_P]

Same here Phil, the blue car came with the chip I'd be stuck without the site... history, map comparison, design explanation, service bulletin, dyno run comparison etc that it contains.

[steve matthews]

Keep the sight. A lot of time, effort and $$$ (Dyno) runs went into those maps. Ask me how I know.

[simonbuk]

Does anybody know where these dyno graphs have gone ?!

[TorqueHorse]

Looks like they've fallen into the abyss of time. Wayback machine to the rescue (for now)
https://web.archive.org/web/20160220134 ... -data.html