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To save production costs Lotus
has used many parts from other car manufacturers if they fit the bill in
terms of weight and cost. It's common practice in the car industry and
essential if Lotus is to survive as a small
car manufacturer. If you know of any additions or part numbers to add to
this page then please send me some feedback. The switch gear e.g. is from
a Peugeot 106. The number plates light is
from a Rolls Royce (standard Lucas part). The door mirrors are from a Rover
100/Metro. The windscreen wiper motor is from a Citroen AX. The Radio aerial
is from an Opel / Vauxhall Corsa. The engine and transmission are from
an MGF.
| Keys: | The Elise door and steering lock can be cut from a GM blank |
| Window winders: | Austin Mini - replace with tasty Ally ones! |
| Engine + Transmission: | K-Engine from ROVER MGF / Freelander- so oil/air filters plugs are all identical |
| Oil Filter: | Unipart GFE 280 |
| Indicator and switches: | Peugeot 106 / 205 |
| Wing mirrors: | Rover 100/ Metro |
| Radioaerial: | Opel / Vauxhall Corsa |
| Windscreenwiper motor: | Citroen AX |
| Alarm: | Cobra |
| Speakers: | Alpine |
| Number plate lights: | Rolls Royce - Yes its' true! |
| Headlamps: | The headlamps are not from a Renault 4 as is often quoted. Although both are of Cibie Valeo manufacture and 5.75" in diameter, there are a number of differences (info from posting to Lotus mailing list): The glass in an Renault 4 light is a lot plainer than the Elise, this could affect the efficiency of the lights. The Elise has a built in rubber fitting for the parking light, no R4 light (except pre 1968 AUS and UK versions) have this fitting.The R4 bulb fitting is a P45t base. The Elise has a H4 type bulb base. |
| Paint matching: | The newer cars use the
Dupont system although
some colours are based on the Glasurit system.
The paint codes I have so far are:
Azure Blue (B20) - Matches Ford Europe Imperial Blue Mica Calipso Red - Inferno - Norfolk Mustard Yellow - Lotus Racing Green - New Aluminium - |
ELISE TWEAKS:
"The Elise brake system has been specified to optimized high speed performance and minimize brake fade. When used under other conditions, a certain amount of brake squeal may be produced, which is not harmful to the brakes, and does not affect break performance."You have two choices here:Rust:a. Have a decent phang on the track and get some temperature in there.
b. Have a lotus dealer install an anti-squeal pad backplate.
Source: Lotus Service Bulletin 1997/02 Issue 2.
Although most components can't rust it is worth checking some. Check the bolts in the use of fixing the rear and front clam shells. The service manual specifies zinc coated bolts and washersand nuts. I have replaced many of mine with stainless equivalents. You might not mind now but how about in ten years time?Clutch squeak: .
If your clutch pedal starts to squeak a dose of WD-40 (CRC in the underworld) will cure it!Window Winder Stiff:
Just relax and lets in go There is a Lotus bulletin relating to this regarding fitting shims to adjust the position of the window in the frame.Stone Chips:
Face it - it's a low car and you will get them! Give trucks a bit of distance as they seem to cause the most damage. Lotus Dealers stock a set of touch up paints. These are the base colours. Apparently the trick is then coat the in clear nailpolish once dry then cut back using a cutting compound. Armourfend is offering a protective film for the Elise (I think it is 3M-stuff) I will inform you about my experiences with the Armourfend-stuff later.The Exhaust: .
Sports car - baah - doesn't sound like one! Several companies do tuning bits, see their tuning pages. But a K&N 57i performance kit is a good start.Sun visors:
See Bausch & Lomb web page!Soft top:
Too slow to erect? Just get yourself a decent car cover and throw it over the car to protect the paint and dash from the elements. I use a PVC one with four elastic straps, if I decide to leave the ELISE overnight in the driveway. It takes less than 1 minute to remove / put on the cover. With a little bit of practice I can erect the soft top in less than two minutes now, but using the cover is still less bothersome.
I have decided to go through last year's winter with the standard soft top only and really have to say, I am glad that I have saved the extra £ 1.000,-. No problems with heating the interior to 25 degree celsius at -15 degree outside temp, keeping the windscreen free of ice during the first 5 minutes was a problem, though.
Performance:
Some people think that the standard Elise needs more power and this section covers the ways to improve the performance of the standard Elise in terms of handling, top speed, and acceleration. The Elise is also available with three other engines; the 135 Sport, the Sprint (VVC), and the 190 Sport. The Elise models and specifications are listed in the prices section.Air filters
The performance figures:
for the standard car are; standing quarter mile 14.4secs/93mph, standing kilometre 26.6secs/113mph, 30-70mph through the gears 5.8 secs, and the in gear timesare (source Autocar 17th July 1996):Petrol:
Filling the Elise with super-unleaded petrol will not make a noticable difference. The octane rating does not change the calorific value of the fuel but changes the point at which detonation occurs allowing an engine to run at a higher compression, thus improving performance if the engine is set up to use a higher compression.Air Filters: .
Changing the air filter can improve performance by about 2-6 bhp on a standard car and more on a tuned engine. Motobuild sell a Pipercross cone filter which connects directly to the throttle body (involves removing the airbox). K&N also do a filter (57i) which is easier to fit. These will also make the car sound louder due to the greater air induction (YES, she sounds much more like she should, now) . Several owners have noticed a drop in the mpg returned with a K&N 57i fitted. In order for the air filter to improve performance it must not sit in a warmer air stream than the standard filter and must offer improved air flow. Because of this Lotus don't recommend changing the standard filter box because it is hard to keep incoming air cool without it.Brakes:
If you are going to make the Elise go quicker then you ought to make sure it will also stop quicker too. The MMC disk brakes are no longer supplied as standard but I've covered these in the options section. Lotus sell cross-drilled, ventilated disks (as used on the Sport 190) in their Original Performance Products catalogue. The standard cars brakes are simply excellent and the Elise stops quicker than any other car I've driven.Catalyst:
Replacing the catalyst with a straight through pipe is illegal in the UK and some other European countries, but will improve performance and reduce weight. It is the most cost effective way of improving the power to weight ratio and on a standard car, about 2 bhp can be gained (more on a tuned Elise). It will make the car much louder and you will have to put it back on for the MOT. This is covered in more detail in the accessories section. Personally the Elises I've driven with a catalyst replacement pipe and sports exhaust have been too loud.Exhaust: .
The exhaust is the single most important thing to change to improve performance. The standard exhaust maintains back pressure to get the catalyst to optimum working temperaturequickly. Changing the exhaust will reduce the back pressure and mean better air flow through the engine (but the catalyst will take longer to reach working temperature). Most sports exhausts for road use are not much lighter and stainless steel exhausts are usually heavier. Only race exhausts will give much weight saving and these can be too loud for road use. This is covered in more detail in the accessories section.Engine Management System:
The Rover MEMS unit is taken straight off of the MGF and has not been remapped to suit the exhaust, due to time and cost constraints. It is also notoriously difficult to reprogram and hence the various 'interceptor' tuning packages available. This means that improved fuel economy and performance will result from a remapping even before trying to improve performance.Close Ratio Gearbox:
A close ratio gearbox will make a big difference to the acceleration of the Elise. This is highlighted in the results from EVO magazines tests by comparing the Sport 135 and the standard Elise with a Stage II engine upgrade. The Elise Sprint and the Sport 190 also have the close ratio gearbox and all ratios are listed in the statistics section.
Lotus sell a close ratio gearbox as used on the Sport 135 and 190 and this is listed in the Original Performance Products. Motobuild also sell a close ratio gearbox for the Elise for £895 + VAT (assumes exchange of old box) and they sell a limited slip differential for £1595 + VAT (also assumes exchange).Suspension: .
Lotus offer a sports suspension upgrade for the Elise and this is listed in the Lotus Original Performance Products catalogue. It provides fully adjustable dampers and uprated springs. The ride height is also adjustable.
The approved tyres have changed from Italian spec Pirelli to new UK spec with regards to wet weather grip. The UK spec must be coded as 357 or later. Michelin Pilot SX-GT may be fitted at service as these use a slightly wider rear type section in order to provide a more stablehigh speed handling characteristics.The optional wider Pirelli type 225/45 ZR16 is the subject of on-going development.Leaking roof:
Source: Lotus Service Bulletin 1997/02 Issue 3
If the leak is coming from the front corners of the roof, and appears to run down the inside of the windows or drip on the ledges, it is because the trim at the front of the flap that has the pop fasteners on it is wicking water from outside the roof to inside (if you follow me). Easy fix which has worked on my Elise that is kept outside is to remove the roof and spray a water repellent, like Scotchguard, over the front corners of the fabric, paying particular attention to the front trim on the flap. Repeat this about once every few months and the only water that gets in is when you open the door.Adjustments to the height of the wind up windows: .
The best wayto get the adjustments right is to put the hood up, so you can align the window with the side roof bars.
Once you've taken off the winder handle & the interior panel, you need to pull off the clear plastic rainguard to get proper access. What you will see inside the door is the window mechanism, fixed partly to the fiberglass door, & partly to the aluminium side impact beam.
On this beam are the two window height stops (one toward the front, one to the rear). Each one is fixed to the beam by two m6 bolts, which when slackened, allow you to adjust the height of the fully closed position.
The other adjustment is in the mech itself. On the large toothed arc that operates the window up & down, there is a circular aluminium 'stop', held in place by an off-centre bolt. This 'stops' the winder moving the mech too far, and is adjusted by a 10mm nut on the back of the stop.
Window operation can be *greatly* improved when lubricating the feltwindow runners with silicon spray (you can use WD40, or spray oil but not as good)Standard Seats: .
There is no need for me to switch the standard seats, as they fit like a glove, but if you feel uncomfortable or are looking for a more 'Racing' look, there is a variety of seats available.Steering Wheel: .
If you like the 'Mr.Bean'-effect in front of your favourite street-café, this removable steering-wheel is surely your first choice, available at your Lotus dealer.
What do you want to see on these pages? me at: [email protected]
You are Visitorsince June 15th 2000
Updated June 15th 2000
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some info taken from The LOTUS Mailing List and Robert Collingridge's page
