Black s.e. re-shell and chassis

[jimbob]

Well 5 months and 3.5 tons of steel later the booth still is not finished

I have to say I'm surprised with the time its run away with, but it is taking shape.

Still got to finally position it in the corner of the garage but before I can do that I have to seal where the roof meets the walls and insulate the whole thing with kingspan oh yes and make the large doors at the front which will house the extraction unit. Already have a good centrifugal fan sorted for the heated inlet but still got to make a housing for the inlet filtration.
Booth enviroment will be controlled by a dual photohelic switch/gauge controlling inlet and exhaust fans to maintain negative pressure within the booth.

Hell of a lot of hassle just to finish off my Elan, but I've already earmarked other things requiring painting !

Here's some pics of the progress so far....

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[tigerdog]

There's a 640x480 max size for inline photo display, I believe. Anything larger gets inserted as links.

[Specky]

Or you can do it this way....

Horses for courses and all that....







TTFN

[jimbob]

Cheers for the help guys, I kinda forgot, its been a while !

Mind you I still can't get them that big ?

[Monty]

Nice setup


Do LEC`ers get a discount for a respray

May just have to drive over the boarder

[Doug]

Jamie is certainly one man of impeccable standards--and patience!

Can't wait to see the final progress of your beautiful restoration

[jimbob]

Monty how long do you want to wait ???

Just as well I'm patient Doug, with the time I'm taking to finish the Elan !!

[jimbob]

I found a good electroplaters only 150 miles from me

I have had a mountain of bits re plated to original spec (zinc and yellow passivate) most of which turned out really well.
I say most because my bonnet stay and 4 brake bleed nipples started to dissolve, a small number of fatalities for the return !

The finish your going to recieve varies on the amount of corrosion the part had originally, also if the part has to be blasted this will take some of the sheen from the part although the finish on pressed steel parts seems outstanding - like they just came out the factory

One thing I will say, for the optimum finish I would reccomend brake calipers are blast cleaned (aluminium oxide or fine glass beads) prior to sending off as you will be able to spend more time on them as one or two nooks and crannies may be missed, that said my calipers were pretty good when I got them back.

On the whole I would say it has been a very worthwhile excercise, bearing in mind all these parts only cost £40 (minimum order) to get done and were turned around in little over a week !

Their name A.D. Platers Ltd Arbroath 01241 871562 Ask for Andrew Duncan

[Songbird]

On the whole I would say it has been a very worthwhile excercise, bearing in mind all these parts only cost £40

A billy bargain... I Absolutely agree

[jimbob]

Spent the last few nights rebuilding the calipers since I had them re-plated, the rears were fun but made a lot easier with Bob's piston tool (cheers Andy). I could have gone out and bought reconditoned calipers or even new but way more satisfying doing the whole job from start to finish yourself, at least you know everythings is spotless and I even gave the piston and sliding pin bores a polish with a honer!

I've decided to go down the route of stainless hoses after much debating to stay original for concourse, since there are many advantages to not rear ending someone ! At least the ends will stay nice and shiny.

[Doug]

I'm still an Elan nerd, as I can recognize many of the above parts in those pictures...

[ashm]

I'm going to have to see this car when it's done. Amazing.
Adam

[Andy_J]

I'm going to have to see this car when it's done. Amazing.
Adam

Saw it last night (second time in as many weeks), basically looks like a new car....probably better than a new car

[Mike Y]

Any recent news about JUFs Jimbob???

Cheers Mike Y

[Mike Y]

To all LEC members.
It is with great sadness I have to announce the death of Jamie Benzie to everyone on Lotus Elan Central.
Jamie passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in 2013.
I know a lot of people watched in amazement as I did the endless attention to detail Jamie was putting into JUF’s his ex concourse winning Black Lotus Elan SE. Although I only spoke to Jamie a few times and conversed with him over the internet I quickly built up a lot of respect for him and the skills he turned his hand to. Jamie never ceased to surprise me with the energy he seemed to have completing multiple projects while resting from the extraordinary restoration of his Elan SE. The fact he built a spray booth while doing various projects still has me amazed!! Not to mention building his own house and switching from one skilled profession to another seemingly easily during his life, how do you do that???
Having talked with Cheryl (Jamie’s wife) and Anne (Jamie’s Mam via emails) it seems Jamie was indeed a man to admire and respect for being a loving family man with a can do attitude to all aspects of life. This attitude to life allowed him to deal with the most terrifying illness CANCER. Even cancer could not stop him this was a man cancer smply could not beat.
I am sure everyone on LEC will join with me in offering belated condolences to his family. I have copied below with the permission of Jamie’s family a brief history of Jamie’s life. I am sure you agree Jamie was an extremely remarkable man.
Rest in Peace Jamie.
Mike Y

Jamie
• His schooling was at Keith Primary then Forres Academy
• Age 7 loved tools and taking things to bits and finding out how they worked
• As a teenager he built bicycles and a ramp for his BMX, he mastered so many stunts and pleased his son Zack by showing him now and again
On leaving school at 16 he knew he wanted to be a panel beater so pursued his chosen career
• The first car he built was with his grandfather, a Windowlene pink 3-wheeled Bond Bug
• He loved motor bikes and cars
• He loved the west coast and camping in solitary places he didn’t rely on other people
• Enjoyed fooling around with his son Zack and generally having a laugh
• He had a witty dry sense of humour
• Perfectionist in everything
• When he took something on he threw himself into it whole heartedly
• Head hunted as a top grade panel beater from one garage to another around Inverness
• Set up his first business lasting 5 years having converted an outbuilding into a garage and spray booth to continue his chosen career
• He missed the workplace banter so went back to working with others in the motor trade
• Sally, his rescue collie of 11 years was never far from his side
• He met Cheryl in 1997 and they had their son Zack together
• He loved soppy Romantic Comedy movies, much to everyone’s surprise
• Jamie was never out of work his entire life
• He always had at least one project in hand
• Bought a derelict house with land in Strathconon then proceeded to knock it down and start again, drawing up his own plans. The build took 4 years during which time he was diagnosed with cancer which knocked him for 6 but not for long – he had a mission
o Loved collecting and maintaining his tools for all his trades and hobbies
• He converted another Bond Bug from a 3-wheeler to a 4-wheeler
• A Road Buggy was the latest project he finished
• He still had an unfinished project – a concourse condition Lotus Elan which he was going to show
• He was always ready to get into the guts of something to sort it
• He started a new business 1 ½ yrs ago in Domestic construction, repair and maintenance working locally and loved the variety and freedom it brought
• His motto was “Quality Matters”

• Clean living
• Independent
• A very gentle loving soul
• Always saw a funny side
RIP Jamie

[Mike Y]

Please PM me with any enquiries regarding Jamie and this thread and I will answer any questions I can and pass on any suitable messages to Cheryl, Jamie's partner.

Cheers Mike

Would the moderators please contact me ASAP.

[GeoffSmith]

For the sake of continuity: This project was taken on by Mike and is documented here.