Lotus Elan Central

by **Candles** » Mon 03.03.2008, 18:23

Here is the thread for my project to replace the dashboard.

This is where I am currently:

All the wires are labelled and I've done a bit of work modifying the insides to take my brainchild.

This is my template for layout. It is MDF, but the planned dash will be thick plywood members behind, supporting brushed aluminium and black plastic panels with the instruments and switches in them.

There will be lots of simplifications: No cigar lighter, clock, windscreen wash bottle warning, handbrake on warning, seatbelt light. The heater controls will all be along the bottom and any switches will be chrome toggles. I'm using AutoMeter gauges:

The central portion of the dash, where the radio/vents are currently will be taken up with an LCD, connected to a Carputer in the boot:

All the bits are ordered and I'm just waiting for them to arrive to start fabricating. I also need advice on a small but decent amplifier and front speaker combo.

Candles.

by **Monty** » Mon 03.03.2008, 18:40

Whats the Diameter of the Speedo as you don`t want it to small

you could always compare sizes with LGM i`m sure she`ll enjoy it :wink:

and is that built in digital oddometer?

by **Candles** » Mon 03.03.2008, 21:02

It is slightly smaller than LGMs at 86 vice 100mm. I wanted to be able to see the whole thing through the aperture in the steering wheel, and the tacho as well. The way I'm planning it, in the steering wheel hole you should be able to see speed, tacho, boost and fuel simultaneously. Oil P, Water T and Volts will be slightly harder to see. Besides, you'll be able to repeat anything you like on the LCD via Elanscan!

Candles.

by **Candles** » Mon 03.03.2008, 22:48

Update:

The steering lock and keyswitch are also GONE! Replaced by an immobiliser (hopefully!)

Also, the steering column will retain the tilt mechanism, but there will be no lever and it will be hidden behind the fascia. Thus, you can adjust it to suit you, but not on the fly. This way, I can have a really snug fit around the column.

The column is back in now and attached to the new steering rack. Hmmm.... I can't wait to drive it, it maybe some time though!

by **MattDon** » Tue 04.03.2008, 01:12

would like to eventualy do the same thing myself, and a touchscreen and pc were high on the list, have you managed to sort out any issue you might get with glare with the top down? would love as much detail on whats involved in installing the pc. :-D

by **Candles** » Tue 04.03.2008, 08:16

I'm really just taking a gamble with the glare: I went for a high brightness screen and I'm going to install it slightly recessed into the panel. Other than that, I'll just have to hope!

The PC install will, I'm hoping, be straightforward. It will involve dismantling the centre console and battery compartment, but nothing outrageous there. I'll post pics when I get to it.

Candles.

by **GeoffSmith** » Tue 04.03.2008, 08:45

It might be worth angling the screen down slightly.

by **Sy V** » Tue 04.03.2008, 09:57

Candles

Good work.

Allow me to add some feedback ref the Phantom gauges (especially the FBT).
Turbo Boost gauge is great and means you can get shot of the troublesome transducer (assuming you've ordered a pressure/vacuum operated gauge).
Voltmeter is also a good alternative and is as near to a straight swap as any, but the wiring terminals need changing for all gauges.
Oil Pressure - this is the problem child. If fitted with the OEM sender on the rear of the engine it reads backwards. Change the sender (just above and behind the starter motor IIRC), which is a complete bastard of a job, and the gauge will work fine but the Oil warning light is now illuminated when good and goes out if a problem occurs. Mine's been like that since I did the swap.
Rob Brookes (long since disappeared) drew a circuit diagram for a box of tricks to install behind the instrument binnacle to reverse the operation of the Oil light, but it meant nothing to me and I'm not sure I can find it again.
I will look though, 'cause if you can knock one up, you might want to knock two up!

Alternatively, if we had any electrical engineers who could mash a couple together...

Sy

by **GeoffSmith** » Tue 04.03.2008, 13:51

Sy V wrote:Alternatively, if we had any electrical engineers who could mash a couple together...

Oh bollocks! :-D

I know you're the alternator king and could probably do it blindfold, but rather than mucking about with your hands in amongst the dirty bits changing the sender, why not go for a box of tricks to invert the sender signal. If you've got any technical info, drop me an e-mail.

by **GeoffSmith** » Tue 04.03.2008, 14:19

Sy V wrote:Change the sender (just above and behind the starter motor IIRC), which is a complete bastard of a job, and the gauge will work fine but the Oil warning light is now illuminated when good and goes out if a problem occurs.

I've had a quick scan of the circuit diagrams and the oil pressure transducer and oil pressure switch are shown as seperate items. Do I take it the oil pressure warning light you're refering to is now integral with the new gauge? It's the only way I can see how you've got this problem and if so it's a piece of 2204159398133720289741067354.6147 to fix.

by **Sy V** » Tue 04.03.2008, 14:40

Well if it's that easy you can do it in the car park on the 29th! :wink:

Am I the only one who hasn't got a Scooby's what he's on about?

by **Candles** » Tue 04.03.2008, 19:59

As I was doing the steering rack, I've left the access ready for the oil pressure sender swap. I'm just waiting for the bits. I want to keep the warning light, which is, according to the circuit diagrams, a separate function of the transducer: Brown/White for the switch and White/Brown for the transducer output! I may have to place the two senders on a t-piece, space behind the starter allowing!

I also have a practice engine on the floor of the garage to rehearse my blind sender-swaps!

Candles.

by **Candles** » Tue 04.03.2008, 20:02

One thing I've yet to struggle over is the fuel gauge. I've ordered one which goes from 0-90ohms between empty & full as this is the GM standard, but I don't know whether the Elan will be these values. I was planning to correct with a little 1/R=1/r1+1/r2 circuit if the problem arises.

Candles.

by **F1 LOTUS** » Tue 04.03.2008, 21:17

Interesting project :smt023

Brace yourself for 'Group buy' requests... :lol:

by **Candles** » Wed 05.03.2008, 21:26

Update

I've been spending the odd moment on this here and there whilst waiting for the gauges and LCD to arrive. I think the biggest job for the whole project (I hope) is the modification of the heater vents and controls. I was just going to scrap the vents, but then I remembered how cold it was in winter and designed them in.

Here is the modified plenum which guides the air from the heater matrix/mixer to the side and centre vents. I did this by heat-gunning the original and hand moulding the outlets into 50mm pipes to accept my new ducting:

The other more complex area is the controls. You can't really move the temp selector as this controls a rod behind the dash, but you can move the airflow selector as this is just vacuum lines. I cut the whole lot up and have glued them into a strip which will go along the bottom of the dash. I have then refitted them with M6 bolts instead of their original shafts so I can fit my own knobs on the ends rather than the Vauxhall Astra affairs:

As you can imagine, this is all very time consuming Dremel, hacksaw and glue work! I have a box of bits now to start assembling switches etc:

This all came from www.cbsonline.co.uk/index.asp

The steering rack is in, so hopefully soon I can have it back on wheels to continue the interior.

by **johnny** » Fri 07.03.2008, 19:57

Whack an Astra GTE digi dash in there... :-)

Would one run in our car

Cant wait to see wen its finished :wink:

by **Candles** » Sat 08.03.2008, 10:16

I don't know whether an Astra GTE digi-dash would work but it isn't the kind of look I'm going for. I'm heading for simple, uncluttered, un-bling & functional: More of what I perceive the Lotus ethic to be as opposed to some supermarket-sweep of a fancy parts bin. The other thing is that it has to be completely custom; a one-off.

Candles.

by **Candles** » Tue 11.03.2008, 22:32

Well the gauges and various other bits have arrived and I've got some way in making up the new wiring looms: You can now switch on the ignition, start the car and operate the headlights again.

Although hanging from their wires, I've also proved the tacho (works on the ECU signal), speedo (running from a Hall sensor on the speedo drive!), volts (easy!) and I've tried the fuel gauge, but I'm showing 80ohms across the sender, which should equate to nearly full, but shows empty on the gauge....

I'm still mulling the oil pressure owing to Sy's experiences above: I really would like to keep the warning lamp so I may have to have a t-piece on the back of the engine for the two senders.

I've also moved from prototype MDF panel to cutting out the aluminium blanks. Pictures to follow soon. I'm off on holiday shortly for two weeks so this'll be on hold for a while.

Candles.

by **johnny** » Tue 11.03.2008, 23:20

F1 LOTUS wrote:Interesting project
Brace yourself for 'Group buy' requests...

Completely custom, a one-off.. :cry:

Money is a magic thing thou.. :-D

Put ya feet up and have a lovely holiday.. :-)

Thanks for the reply to my pm. :wink:

by **Monty** » Wed 12.03.2008, 00:14

The wiring side would just do my head in, so a big :smt023

for taking this project on.

BTW it might be worth asking Marie how she did her oil pressure gauge

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