Shower Cap

[steble]

Hi All,

I have read all of the old posts regarding a shower cap for the Elan and they all seem to be out of date now. None of the recommendations are available anymore it seems.

The only shower cap I have found is this one

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lotus-Elan-M100-S2-1989-1985-Half-Size-Car-Cover/253206590352?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Before I order one does anybody know of any others that are still made for me to check out?

Many Thanks
Steve

[Rambo]

The original shower cape, purpose made for the M100, was originally available through WillB. You could try PM'ing him to see if he still has any

The one you show looks a little bit flimsy. The WillB cape was attached by about 10 suckers to the window and body. It also had an elasticated band and rucksack clips to go round the wing mirrors. It is absolutely bomb proof and mine is still working well a dozen or so years later.

[Fredjohn]

The one you show from ebay looks similar to the one I bought. Although it doesn't have many ties (mine has four, elasticated), you can put it under the windscreen wipers as added retention.

It has never come off in wet/windy conditions and stores easily in a small bundled bag in the upper reaches of the rear wing cavities.

[steble]

The original shower cape, purpose made for the M100, was originally available through WillB. You could try PM'ing him to see if he still has any

The one you show looks a little bit flimsy. The WillB cape was attached by about 10 suckers to the window and body. It also had an elasticated band and rucksack clips to go round the wing mirrors. It is absolutely bomb proof and mine is still working well a dozen or so years later.

I will send him a message thanks

Although that doesn't sound the quickest to put on.

I am using the car to go to work everyday now, and want to put it on when I get there in the morning.

[steble]

The one you show from ebay looks similar to the one I bought. Although it doesn't have many ties (mine has four, elasticated), you can put it under the windscreen wipers as added retention.

It has never come off in wet/windy conditions and stores easily in a small bundled bag in the upper reaches of the rear wing cavities.

That's good to hear thanks.

It is looking like my only option atm

Is it quick to put it on?

[Fredjohn]

Yes, provided it's not too windy or there are 2 of you!!

Just put hooks under wheel spokes or under bumper and lift wipers and place under them.

[Kathryn]

I'm looking for a new shower cap too! The elastics are no longer elastic and now I've ripped a massive hole in it!
I've got a Classic Additions one that looks like that eBay one. It's the second one I've had, and whilst the first fitted like a glove, the second one is bigger and not so tight fitting and as a concequence hasn't lasted so long. I was going to email them before ordering to see if they'd changed it or had more than one size XS as the second one was labelled XS(A).

I was hoping to find a different one but there doesn't seem to be any others available. Let me know if you have any success with WillB.

(The classic Additions one is really quick to put on once you get the hang of it, but I don't use my wipers to hold it down since both my wiperblades split)

[Kathryn]

This is my current cover. The previous one (supposedly the same) was a tighter fit to the roof and didnt come down the side of the car so far. It does have front elastics too, but I've tied them round the wipers so I don't damage my new paintwork!

IMG_1397.JPG

And that little git sat on the spoiler isn't mine! You can't see in the picture the muddy paw prints he leaves all over my rear deck!

[Giniw]

It's a cat on a cat on skates! (I hope he doesn't leave too much scratches on your paint! )

[Kathryn]

It's a cat on a cat on skates! (I hope he doesn't leave too much scratches on your paint! )

So do I! I haven't noticed any scratches, just paw prints and hairs.

[Saltire]

You could at least have chosen a colour-matched moggy. You need a Norfolk Mustard Lotus, clearly

[Rambo]

The original shower cape, purpose made for the M100, was originally available through WillB. You could try PM'ing him to see if he still has any

The one you show looks a little bit flimsy. The WillB cape was attached by about 10 suckers to the window and body. It also had an elasticated band and rucksack clips to go round the wing mirrors. It is absolutely bomb proof and mine is still working well a dozen or so years later.

I will send him a message thanks

Although that doesn't sound the quickest to put on.

I am using the car to go to work everyday now, and want to put it on when I get there in the morning.

On the contrary. The WillB shower cape can be attached in less than a minute. And it only takes one person

I rate it as one of the best investments, pound for pound, I have made on the M100. (the other is ESM's Everest chip)

My shower cape is now approx. 12 years old, used daily, still 100% waterproof and virtually as good as new. It makes that EBay one look distinctly Mickey Mouse

[Kathryn]

I’m looking for a shower cap again!

I was delighted to get one of the WillB ones on eBay recently, it fits so well, but it doesn’t half condensate, especially if it rains (it is waterproof, I’ve hosed it down). Last weekend I had to de-ice the car even though it was covered.

Previously I had a couple of the Classic Additions ones but I don’t consider them good value for money. The elastics stretch and after two years of daily use the fabric ripped until it was no longer fit for purpose. The elastics and bottom of the cover scratched the paintwork too.

Whatever cover I get I plan to add suckers to it rather than use straps.
I want one of these https://cabrioshield.com/uk/mgf-premium.html but I’m not going to buy an MGF! I want to know if it would fit the Elan (before anyone says anything I’d attach suckers to secure it!). Of course it wouldn’t be a perfect fit. I can’t find the MGF roof dimensions to compare, I’m not sure about the angle of the windscreen. Can anyone help?

If that doesn’t fit, I see some people have one from Hamiltons, these look to be a different fabric to the Classic Additions ones so maybe would last longer.

[dapinky]

I have to say having owned both the Will.B and the Classic Additions ones, that the Will.B was definitely better..... but neither are bulletproof.

I had to replace the suckers and re-proof the Will.B one after a fair few years.

The elastic on the CA one stretched out over a period of 2 yeras to the point that it no longer held securely.

Unfortunately I lost the Will.B one when the red car got taken away by the insurance company after being written off (they 'lost' the contents of the car and boot whilst in "secure" storage).

I have replaced the elastic on the CA one with stuff designed for rucksacks - it is far more durable, and time will tell if it lasts - but the actual fabric is still intact (Fabsil'd it a year or so ago to keep it waterproof).

I'm hoping that it will survive this Winter until the garage is built, and then spend it's life in the boot, unused!

I have had a Hamiltons one for the Triumph, and it was very good (well-fitting) - but don't know how well one designed for an MGF would fit the Elan - I'm sure it would go over the car, but not sure iff any seams may put undue pressure and rub on the Elan bodywork due to the differing shapes.

[Kathryn]

I’ve bought an MGF cover (Cabrioshield). Doesn’t fit too badly. Fabric is good quality. Next step is to attach some suckers. I’ll leave the magnets in it for now as they add a nice bit of weight to it, but if it rubs I’ll remove them. There’s some bits designed to fit in the door jambs that I’m going to remove. Potentially you could cut a strip of fabric from the back and add it to the front if you wanted it to come right down the windscreen but I don’t think I’ll alter it too much.

59449C3C-8769-4D30-9C70-7FF4F7B54BBF.jpeg

578FEFD6-FA45-4FBB-99DE-627A44DD0371.jpeg

5A3285C7-9CFB-4BE8-A74B-E81E3F161260.jpeg

(Sorry pics aren’t great quality!)

[John_W]

Sure you don’t have it on back to front?

[Rambo]

Sure you don’t have it on back to front?

And upside down too

Magnets on a fibreglass shell will work really well

PS I can really recommend the WillB shower cape. Mine is over 15 years old and still doing well

[Rambo]

Rambo's top tips...

Put both washer blades over the cape. It will help keep it in place

Sew on some back elasticated tape with plastic rucksack type clips round both mirrors, as per WillB design. They are excellent for stopping flappage (is that a real word ??)

Get rid of the magnets asap and replace with rubber suckers

[Kathryn]

Rambo's top tips...

Put both washer blades over the cape. It will help keep it in place

Sew on some back elasticated tape with plastic rucksack type clips round both mirrors, as per WillB design. They are excellent for stopping flappage (is that a real word ??)

Get rid of the magnets asap and replace with rubber suckers

If you read my post properly you would know that I am going to add suckers! I have a WillB cap and will use that as a guide. I don’t want to use the wipers to keep it in place, last time I did that both blades split - I will use suckers! It fastens under the mirrors too with velcro.

The magnets are stitched into the edges and don’t need to be removed. Do you really think I’m stupid enough to think they are useful? But as I said in my post (which you didn’t read properly) it does add a bit of weight around the bottom so actually, could be useful after all.

It does look a bit back to front though doesn’t it? Need to get the positioning corrected, maybe I can alter it a bit. It’s folded up back in its box now until I get round to adapting it.

[Rambo]

I was merely suggesting to get shot of those magnets asap in case they damage your shiny paintwork. I have heard of someone else who left them in place and found his side panels were rubbed after a period of time.