Another "Small (probably not) project. 91 elan"

[Tuga2112]

Im not sure this should be in the minor projects thread. but since my definition of a "major" project is a project where the car doesn't run and/or the engine must come out. ill keep it here.

Well. I have made the mistake of buying another elan, also from 91, H Reg.

Its a project and I believe it needs more work than my first project in order to be properly on the road. (although to pass the MOT it does not appear to be an unreasonable amount of effort)

I'm going to try and structure this post with all pictures at the bottom and hyper-links to them after the written sentences that refer to the picture
EDIT:
unfortunately the forum BBCodes does not allow to specify anchor tags and goto hyperlinks.
so the original plan is down the drain. I have posted elsewhere asking if anyone can think of another way to achieve the same goal.

NOTE:
if the image is too large for your monitor. most browsers let you hold ctrl and scroll up and down the mouse to change the zoom level of the page to see the images.
to return to default zoom level ctrl+0 (zero) should work. (it does with firefox)

This car was in Exeter, from another LEC member (although not a very active one) who had it since late 2012, he bought it as a non runner and made it run. currently the car starts fine but its still far from a good condition.

basically i saw the car on sale and i though the price was right for another project considering the low-ish mileage (67k)
the car does not have an MOT. failed on handbrake, EML and emmissions.

the following To Do list includes the points the seller told me the car needs as well as initial observations from a quick inspection of the car.

Todo list
1 - the radiator is leaking. the seller was very generous to include a replacement in the price of the car so that one is just a labour job. (image included)
2 - engine light is on. according to the seller, although i didnt see it and we didnt get a code out, the seller told me its one of the most common codes, which i have no clue what it could be (i never had to dig into engine light problems on the Yellow one)
3 - previous owner fixed the handbrake just before selling and it locks up fine at 4 ticks. so that should be good enough, although the description of the fix was not the ideal way of fixing. but im pleased with the fact i don't need to worry about the car rolling down hill
4 - The clutch bearing is noisy, but the car seems to drive fine, and it pulled itself up the ramps to the trailer without any issues therefore im classing that as a lower priority issue.
5 - the paint work is rather poor. there is lacquer peel in most panels and some severe scratch marks as well. this may prove to be another complete respray job. (images included)
6 - the front bumper is far from a good state either, it looks like it had a minor accident and the fibre glass was repaired in a bodged up way.(images included)
7 - the exhaust pipe is not centred. i'm really hoping this is just a matter of adjusting the hooks. if its that simple it will be fixed soon. if not, then I will be addressing the matter at a later stage (image included)
8 - the allows are original SE alloys plenty of scuff marks. i assume none is buckled, at least visually they all seem "straight" (image included)
9 - the passenger side weather strip needs replacing. luckily i kept the strips i removed from the old car. i plan to refurbish them at home and hopefully save the small fortune that another new pair would cost (image included)
10 - the passenger side mirror has a fold up paper bit holding it in place. I got a bad feeling about this. but haven't actually confirmed if its an issue or not. (image included)
11 - the seals around the windows seem to be in "OK" condition. ideally i will be contacting Jamie for a set of seals for this elan as well. (even tho i haven't fitted the first set on the yellow one yet) (images included)
12 - i believe the spoiler or possibly the boot is badly aligned. this is probably the easiest fix i have ahead. (image included)
13 - Im pretty sure the radio antenna is broken. i think ill be ebaying for a generic small 5-10cm universal one to replace it. (image included)
14 - the rear light cluster has a bit chipped off. we all know the costs of these... but is in good enough condition for now. this one may end up with a whole project thread around it (image included)
15 - The car has full leather seats. with yellow stripes. This is likely to be swapped into the yellow elan, and will be fixed up "in the fullness of time, at the appropriate juncture" (images included)
16 - No Radio, i will be buying 2 single dim android radios that fold out the screen for both elans in aliExpress. I have one fitted on my celica and for the 130 quid they cost im really pleased. (image included)
17 - Vents are missing If i recall correctly, the previous owner told me he has them somewhere lost in the house. im hopping he will find them and contact me, but if not. Im guessing its another Cavalier/carlton part therefore not "impossible" to source (image included)
18 - there is a crack on the wind shield that is not an MOT failure at the moment but is likely to grow and became both a MOT failure and a replacement job (im not looking forward for the cost of a wind shield)

FINALLY for all those who think i just painted my elan blue again and ruined it. here is proof the Yellow is still yellow. (last picture on the post)

---------------------PICTURE FROM HERE---------------------
Ready for the trip




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radiator leak

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bumper readjustment and scratches

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Exhaust alihnment

wheel needs some attention

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weather strip needs replacing

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passenger mirror

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hood seals seem ok



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spoiler or boot needs to be re-aligned

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radio anteena seems to be broken

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rear light cluster has a hole

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lacquer peel and scratches






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Bumper issues that need addressing



not sure why both elans have these lines in the paint. same place


low mileage


seats condition


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vents missing and radio

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My preciousssss!

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[lotusflasherman]

Now we know where it's gone ! Thread got deleted but I said it has to be worth a project to restore with only 67K miles on it... Well Done!

I'l read this and look at the photos properly tonight...

[dapinky]

I'm glad you got it home okay - and now I can stop making cryptic comments about where this car has gone

I've got the old (but servicable) radio aerial which came off mine when i put a new one on if you want it. If I remember, I'll put it in the car to bring to the C&H on 18th.

[John_W]

João,
You are a glutton for punishment.


Don't forget to bring your new car to one of theelanman's curry nights when it's ready. This time you might recognise me in the restaurant.

Have fun and good luck.

John

[Tuga2112]

I'm glad you got it home okay - and now I can stop making cryptic comments about where this car has gone

I've got the old (but servicable) radio aerial which came off mine when i put a new one on if you want it. If I remember, I'll put it in the car to bring to the C&H on 18th.

care to point out the location of such comments? i got a feeling they will be rather amusing from this seat.

[clemo]

Glad to see its on its way to being restored .

Well done and good luck

[Steve A]

If you keep the same colour that will make it easier
Good luck, looking forward to seeing your progress

[bbjon]

Good luck with your project - looks like it'll be a fun one!
The vents are still available from Lotus - check them on Deroure - they're on the latest cheap list. If they've run out I've got some spare -give me a shout.

[Tuga2112]

Managed to start some work on this now.

first thing was to remove it from the Trailer.
I had a small incident with the ramps. and the bumper caught on, breaking the bodged up fix that was there.

Bumper
some progress was made on that as far as removing the excess fibreglass and aligning the bumper again. (image included)
The plan is to use fibreglass mesh (or whatever is the right name for it) and resin to patch it from the rear (image included) in order to maintain shape. then make a V shaped cut in the front and fill that with resin, Sand it and paint it.
I think even if there is a bulge of resing, sanding it will give me the final flat surface i need, and using enough coats of primer the end result should not be noticeable where the crack was.

Power Assisted Steering
The second thing that happened, was just after getting the car down on the ground, i had to turn the steering wheel.... which proved to be a challenge. So i found out the PAS doesnt work. Luckily I have a spare PAS Pump that works from the other elan, (replaced it in the hope for improvement but then realised both pumps were fine)
I've checked the fluid level and seems a bit low, so first will top that up and give it another go, if its still broken. I will probably end up removing the clam shell to get access to the PAS

And now for the progress part.

bumper
I Have successfully removed the front bumper off the car.
the 2 top nuts were missing
all the 4 side bolts came out without any major issues
both small nut adjusters from the sides came out without any issues either.
the bottom nuts were a pain again.
one sheared off the bolt in order to come out.
the second got rounded while trying to pull it out... it bent the bolt as well. and i ended up using my dremel to cut a nudge on the side which then release just fine.

at the moment i need to remove both top brackets from the bumper in order to clear off the bent/sheared bolts and get some new bolts to weld in place.

the bumper is ready for the fibreglass work, which i will be taking up "in the fullness of time, at the appropriate juncture"

Radiator
and the car now also has a new radiator. Removing the radiator was a failry straightforward job using the tips from the youtube channel. i dont know this fella, but im sure he is here in the forum. so. Thanks
one thing to note. My car as AC and there was little extra work compared to the video. I had to remove the left Y braket completely in order to remove the radiator as with the condenser in the front you cannot pull it out because the top water hose metal plate is stuck in the Y shape plate.
it was an extra 2 10mm bolts out and the job was done

putting the new radiator in place was a bloody nightmare, alighning it and making sure that all bolts went back it took me the whole afternoon. But now. the job is done Just need to fill up with some coolant mix (which i still need to order from eurocarparts)

Engine Codes
I have not double checked engine codes. however i trust the previous owner checks.
I was told the car has codes 33,34 and 42

I have questioned the usual suspects outside of the forum (WM meeting and fakeBooks pages) to be pointed in the direction of these wires
Mr kitty fiddler said to check the wires for voltage and i did so.
I suspect the middle wire is not connecting at all as Geoff mentioned it should have a constant 5v feed and i could not get any reading out of it at all.
more investigation is needed in here, i will be starting by looking into the manuals and probably will follow up to confirm the middle wire is broken.

Clutch noise
I am now in the process of getting some stuff from rockauto, posted on fakebook asking to confirm my shopping list will fit the elan, and onse confirmed i will order 2 clutch sets and 2 timing belt sets in order to have supplies for both cars when needed (yellow needs timing belt, blue needs clutch, and getting a spare as both will need replacing the other 2 parts at some point in the future)

if anyone reading this wants me or get them a timing belt or clutch set, just PM me and ill add it to the order, hopefully we can save a couple of quid on the postage.


As usual, any and all help is welcome, at the present moment, i have a good idea of what to do next. its just a matter of getting the time and patience .

Bumper

Bumper rear

wires

[Tuga2112]

Some progress on the bumper now
I have the rear part of it re-enforced with fibreglass (will add picture tonight) and this weekend plan of making a ridge and fill with resin the front.
hopefully i will find the patience to prepare for primer and paint soon

I have purchased plenty of coolant fluid for the car. but not filled up the tank yet reason being that i wanted to ask the board something.

as im going to change the clutch on the car (parts already shipped from rockauto)
Im wondering if i should do anything else before filling up the radiator fluid ???

any jobs that should be done while the transmission is out ?

EDIT
adding picture of the bumper inner side now with the fibreglass repair.

[John_W]

any jobs that should be done while the transmission is out ?

Do you know that the starter motor works OK? If not, it could be a good time to check and clean/replace the internal contacts like these.

[Tuga2112]

any jobs that should be done while the transmission is out ?

Do you know that the starter motor works OK? If not, it could be a good time to check and clean/replace the internal contacts.

Ive only started the car 3 or 4 times, out of that small sample it started perfectly fine everytime.

[rip]

Regarding your comment about the lines on the bonnet in photo 25:
Mine has that too. It is where the bonnet frame is attached on the other side. I am not sure if the adhesive or heat from the engine causes that.

[Tuga2112]

Regarding your comment about the lines on the bonnet in photo 25:
Mine has that too. It is where the bonnet frame is attached on the other side. I am not sure if the adhesive or heat from the engine causes that.

well, that explains the mistery.
Im currently in research mode referring the codes 33/34 issue with the car,

looked into the engine management manual V6 and found this little nugget


I have done a check previously using the multimeter on those terminals following Geoffs advice and found a ground, a constant 5v and another 0V wire.
although the middle wire did sometimes record 0.4 as well.

My suspicion is that the scotch lock is making a bad connection which triggers both 33 and 34 codes.

MY intention is to remove the scotch lock and solder the wire back together. although i am not too sure how to do that given how hard is it to reach the place
im thinking maybe one of these toys would be of use ?

[Saltire]

Joao, I haven't used the cordless iron you link to, but my experience of them in general is that they don't get hot enough to produce a satisfactory joint on a car cable or terminal. OK for smaller work such as PCBs and the like. This one may be better (and it's cheap), but be warned.

[Tuga2112]

Joao, I haven't used the cordless iron you link to, but my experience of them in general is that they don't get hot enough to produce a satisfactory joint on a car cable or terminal. OK for smaller work such as PCBs and the like. This one may be better (and it's cheap), but be warned.

thasnks for the input Jon.

I have other pretty small/portable butane torches which claim to reach 1500c temp in the flame. but im not sure soldering with an open flame is at all advisable tho?

im not sure i can effectively use my soldering station (without burning miself) in the location of these wires.
the alternative is a heat gun, but i never had any success with those in the past.

[dapinky]

I've got a Rothenburger butane iron (£25ish from Screwfix). It claims to be the eqivalent of 20-70W electrical iron (depending on gasflow).

I like it for doing car jobs, and the variety of tips it comes with seem suitable for most jobs. It has always worked for me, and is good in confined spaces.

I also like the 'hot air' function on it - ideal for heatshrink - and works hot enough to do plastic welding..... not as cheap as the one you found - and tha cheap one *may* work just as well.

[Tuga2112]

I've got a Rothenburger butane iron (£25ish from Screwfix). It claims to be the eqivalent of 20-70W electrical iron (depending on gasflow).

I like it for doing car jobs, and the variety of tips it comes with seem suitable for most jobs. It has always worked for me, and is good in confined spaces.

I also like the 'hot air' function on it - ideal for heatshrink - and works hot enough to do plastic welding..... not as cheap as the one you found - and tha cheap one *may* work just as well.

you know me, if the difference in price is big i will try the cheap option first, on failure, backtrack to the "standard DIY" solution, So far never had the need to pay a professional to do anything in neither of my elans .
I have good experience with cheap butane torches, they have a good (very hot) flame and some adjustability, i know from experience the cheap butane torches can melt solder without dificulty, their downside is durability, I have broken 2 of them in the gas reservoir just by keeping them in the toolbox with everything else, My current torch has some buble wrap around the reservoid held in place with elastic bands. still going strong a year later.

im going to have a go with my soldering station, on failure give this butane iron a go. on failure i can always visit screwfix.

[Tuga2112]

Small progress report today.
While waiting for the small torch/soldering iron and the clutch kit.
I went back to look into the bumper

after spending an hour fiddling around 6 bolts. I managed to remove the 3 of the brackets that hold the bumper, now i just need to grind out the bent/sheared bolts and ask someone who can do some welding to weld replacements.

I could do more today as the weather is rather pleasant, but the lazy side took over...

some pics of the brackets in the end.

My plan for tomorrow, assuming i arrive from work with enough energy is to take the angle grinder and drill to brackets, find suitable bolts (most likely will replace with stainless steel) and get in touch with the neighbour who does welding.

Im wondering since im already replacing 3 brackets with stainless steel bolts, maybe i should also replace the 4th in order to keep all bumper front supports extra weather proof.
Any suggestions

[B_land]

Tuga2112
My clutch has failed today and looking for a clutch kit missed out on your offer to join your purchase from RA, could you confirm which kit you bought?

Thanks