Hood

[Otus-L-Lane]

Sorry if this question has been put before, but I was generally advised a long time ago that it's pretty near impossible to stop water leaks due to hood fitting problems on the elan. Is this still true?
Thanks

[John_W]

Sorry if this question has been put before, but I was generally advised a long time ago that it's pretty near impossible to stop water leaks due to hood fitting problems on the Elan. Is this still true?
Thanks

Otus,
No it's complete bollocks.

There is no reason why anybody should put up with a leaking hood. The Service Notes contain a complete section on how to stop them. There are also numerous posts on this site containing tips on how to ensure the Elan hood remains watertight through all but a typhoon.

John

[Otus-L-Lane]

Thanks John. That is very interesting.
The reason I ask is that I was just about to clinch a deal a few years ago for a genuine Elan and the owner was honest in saying it had the occasional leak. I then phoned a well known hood company in London and they assured me they had many Elans thru their hands and just couldn't make them water tight.
Looks like I'll be watching the For Sale sections again.

[John_W]

When I bought my Elan it leaked. I bought one of the original Alan Betts showercapes as a solution.

I then spent a weekend with the section from the manual, some old LEC posts (which I can dig up if you like), Silicon sealant, rubber sealing strip from woolies, Evostik, Sikaflex, and some silicon grease and I haven't had so much as a drip on my knee since.

I now hardly ever use the showercape, and then it's when I leave the hood down.

It is possible to stop leaks. That said, please buy one with seals which haven't been chewed by the dog or abused by the previous owner (ie no lumps missing).

John

[Otus-L-Lane]

Thanks John. You've restored my confidence. I just have to convince my wife an Elan would look good in the driveway!

[GeoffSmith]

I've recently bought an S2 (one reason being that the hood seals appeared better than the SE and N/A) and haven't had a problem, even with the best that Bristol could throw at it. Like John says, make sure the seals are in good condition and don't forget the door seals!

My wife has to admit, the Elan does look good in the driveway ... or anywhere else for that matter so GO FOR IT.

[John_W]

The S2 hood is slightly wider at the front (so more "wrap-over" to prevent leaks) and has a slightly different fabric gutter at the rear of the windows. However mine is a bog-standard SE version, 15 years old and waterproof.

The replacement hoods available from Trim Technology are all S2 design - they provide a couple of metal plates about 1cm wide to add as "wings" to the SE header rail for it to fit properly.

As to it looking good on the drive, it looks so good that it makes me realise how much work I need to do on my drive.

John

[Otus-L-Lane]

Thanks all for the comments.
Whilst surfing the Internet for Elan articles ( and maybe a good elan!) the following came up.
Elan M100 F.A.Q.s
Issue 1, 1.10.99 -- compiled by Steve Privett.
Question: Does the soft-top leak?
Answer: Yes. The soft-top is notorious for leaks. It would probably be fair to say it is shower proof but not rain proof. The problem area is around the windows. Experienced Elan owners tend to carry a towel which can be draped across the ‘outside thigh’ to prevent ‘wet leg’ syndrome. You can improve things by ensuring the top is properly adjusted and the sealing rubbers are in good condition. There are NO adjustments on the soft-top itself, if it’s out of alignment the only adjustments are via the mounting points in the ‘B’ posts and the position of the latch plates on the windscreen header rail. The Lotus service notes should be consulted for details. The S2 hood is better as the rubber window seals were modified, however users’ report that drips and leaks are still very much a part of Elan ownership. Always check hood frames for corrosion when inspecting a potential purchase. The hood frame can also damage the hood material after time. Check that the cross members have strips of Velcro (hoops) running along the top of the frame cross-members.
This could put anyone off the elan unless they knew how superb it is !
Article well out of date??

[Ashaman]

Personally I agree with that article 100%.

If you compare the design of the hood with other convertibles, in all honestly, it is ridiculous. Keeping in mind I own a U.S. car of course...

There is very little "overhang" where the top meets the seals, and where the seals meet the window glass. If you look at other convertibles (Saab comes to mind, but heck - Chrysler, GM, whatever) you will notice that in most every case the top curves around/down more, and the seal is up underneath this. When the window rolls up, it goes more up & under the top, instead of just kind of meeting the seal like the Elan's does.

Of course as John said, having seals that are in great shape is very important, any damage will make the situation worse. Unfortunately, given the age of the cars it is also unusual. Even if previous owners took great care of them, old age causes the materials to break down/shrink over time, which makes an already sketchy system worse.

There are many reasons why/where they can leak, it just seems to be an area of the car that wasn't that well designed or thought out. If everything is in good shape, and you keep it adjusted well though, it is well, "OK." As always, the problem is more when it is sitting than in motion. I rarely get caught in rain, but when I do it doesn't leak while driving.

That article was written when the cars were newer than they are now, and the design hasn't improved since then, so no; it isn't out of date.