A New Project Challenge for you - rev limit warning light

[Ultimatt]

I have been thinking about what little additions could enhance our Elan driving experience in the modern age; especially with some of the latest performance upgrades; and have been wondering whether some of the resident geniuses out there had the skills and inclination to put together the following:

In the type of twisty back-road environments that the Elan comes to life on and with the increased power many of ours are now putting out, I am concious that the less distractions we have from focusing on the roads in front of us the better.

With that in mind, what do you guys think of either a HUD (Heads Up Display) projected on the windscreen, and/or a dash or wheel mounted gear change indicator a la F1 etc, ensuring optimum rev gear changes.

Matt

[GeoffSmith]

HUD

Check out Ailwyn's!

Geoff

[Ultimatt]

That's a fair shout Geoof, but I guess i was more inclined towards the LED style change indicator than the HUD.

I think the HUD would be a fantastic system if it could be done well, as in modern jet fighter, but I'm guessing that the add-on technology is a little more limited.

Matt

[Doug]

. . . ensuring optimum rev gear changes.

Matt

if it's just revs you're after, I'd say go with experience in your ear and the top down

[Ultimatt]

You haven't spent much time in the UK have you Doug.

We may all be soft-top owners but, even the hard core few, get seldom opportunities to blast around with the top down!

[theelanman]

doug
dont listen to him.....he's from 'darn sarth'.....there are a good number 'up north' who get wet interiors all in the persuit of open top motoring......
the wetter the better...especially if you have a scantilly clad lady in the passenger seat
tha narse!!!!!
g

[Ultimatt]

I am perfectly accustomed to a wet interior I will have you know.... And that is with the top up!!!

I would blast around with the top down more often, but my distractingly beautiful other half is of the cold blooded variety and gets grumpy easily if she gets chilly... and that ain't worth it!

[GeoffSmith]

but my distractingly beautiful other half is of the cold blooded variety and gets grumpy easily if she gets chilly... and that ain't worth it!

Buy her a car then!

[Ultimatt]

Got her a nice practical Civic.

I haven't had the balls to ensure her on the Elan yet, although I'm sure she'd love to be. In fact, of the only thing I haven't shared in our marraige is ownership / use of the Elan.

Luckily she loves it as much as I do and wouldn't let me part with it, no matter what.

[ailwyn]

The HUD I've got also has an RPM bar, which can be programmed to flash when a certain RPM level is hit.

The sort of driving you're talking about, to my mind, is not suited to the HUD RPM indicator, just drive by gut and knowing what the car (and you) can do.

The reason I got the HUD is more for keeping an eye on my speed without taking my eyes off the road - if you're giving it stick on windy roads then you don't want to be looking at anything other than the road in front of you, even if it's projected on the windscreen.

The model I have is a VSD Basis, which does Speed/RPM, VSD do another one which has more instrumentation, but I felt it was too much for what I wanted and half the features would not be used.

Ailwyn

[Monty]

ailwyn,

Didn`t realise that u could set the light on u`r HUD for the revs, i was thinking of a shift light for pinky but the HUD would be good for me as it`s difficult to look at the cluster whilst on track.

Have u got a link to your thread on the HUD?

[ailwyn]

ailwyn,

Didn't realise that u could set the light on u'r HUD for the revs, i was thinking of a shift light for pinky but the HUD would be good for me as it's difficult to look at the cluster whilst on track.

Have u got a link to your thread on the HUD?

http://www.lotuselancentral.com/forum/v ... php?t=8679

I got mine from the states as it was around £50 cheaper, so if you want this search around for the best price.

Ailwyn

[lotusgirlmarie]

SHIFT LIGHT!!!!!! Are we drag racing now?!?!?!?! If your having trouble reading the gauges, try upgrading the gauges. Either with new faces or if your feeling adventurous with Esprit gauges. The HUD is a good idea too. Just Please!!!!! NO Shift LIghts!!!. Arrrgh. I can't believe I'm reading this ona Lotus site. Geeeeez.

[algirdas]

Dear Marie:

I agree with you that a shift light should be COMPLETELY unnecessary to any M100 driver. But I was surprised to see in this month's edition of Road & Track that the latest new street Ferrari has shift lights embedded in the top of the steering wheel rim.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[dapinky]

the latest new street Ferrari has shift lights embedded in the top of the steering wheel rim.

At risk of hijacking the thread, it's better than a set of teeth embedded in the steering wheel......

.... i once had the enjoyment of seeing a stolen Mazda go head on into an oncoming Volvo, guess who walked away and who didn't?

The Pikey scroat in the Mazda left all his front teeth embedded in the top of the wheel, but it got better than that......

..... as we all know, they usually get out and run away from all sorts of crashes, but on this crappy mazda 626 the drivers seat base collapsed and crushed the crown jewells

One was found in the drivers footwell, the other was never located....

I suppose it saves worrying about inbreeding!

Even the owner of the car found it very amusing

[Monty]

SHIFT LIGHT!!!!!! Are we drag racing now?!?!?!?! If your having trouble reading the gauges, try upgrading the gauges. Either with new faces or if your feeling adventurous with Esprit gauges. The HUD is a good idea too. Just Please!!!!! NO Shift LIghts!!!. Arrrgh. I can't believe I'm reading this ona Lotus site. Geeeeez.

Not Drag racing, but Pinky is on Track Don`t see the harm for a shift light for trackdays, i`ve hit the limiter a few times + i`ve just done the head gasket and don`t fancy doing again this year lol I`ve already got the white lockwood dials fitted but would love to do the cluster dials to something u`ve done Marie, but i`ve got to stop spending money

I believe the Elise and the Exige have a shift light

[Doug]

maybe you could drop in the automatic Isuzu/GM 76mm tranny and then you don't have to worry about shifting at all

[nitroman]

http://www.geocities.com/jharkola/Viku2.html
Rover V-8 in Mini, mounted transverse using Austin Princess tranny.

It would be really cool to have a V-8 engine in the Elan. Here's one that would fit easily yet still makes incredible power (2.8L/400HP):
http://www.h1v8.com/page/page/1562068.htm
http://www.hartleyenterprises.citymax.c ... 542333.htm
http://www.hartleyenterprises.citymax.c ... 547278.htm

Since adopting the new super-stringent CAFE rules this year, which begin to take effect in 1212, this will allow a future for the V-8 engine instead of just eliminating them (as Cadillac & Lincoln have done).

http://dpcars.net/ ---- click on "atom" to see Ariel Atom with this V-8
Guy who did the Ariel is installing the newer 3.0L/425HP V-8 into a DP1 & said...
While work progresses on the dp1, I'm also doing some other things. Most I can't talk about at this point but as part of one of them I recently had a chance to compare the Hartley V8 with a smallblock Chevy v8. Both are about 400hp in base form and both are capable of over 700hp with a lot of work. The Chevy is double the displacement but spins only 60% as fast. It is double the weight (at around 400 lbs dressed vs about 200 lbs for the Hartley with the same accessories), and despite being fairly compact due to pushrod valvetrain it is still a good deal bigger. It also requires much beefier (and thus heavier and bigger) drivetrain components.


100cc V-8 (dummy alternator)
http://www.conleyprecision.com/609.htm

[GeoffSmith]

This V8 may fit a bit easier.

[surfboardfiller]

There's nothing wrong with a shift light. My Lotus Elise S2 has one and I like it. I'm going to put one in the Cat! Better than hitting the rev limiter and loosing the edge.
You can't hear the engine when you are on track, you have everyone else's screaming at you and you have a helmet on.

LED; a clear and strait forward solution, gets my vote!

But how can it be done?