RESTORATION LOTUS PLUS 2 ZETEC CONVERSION
Building Up The
New Chassis
After remarkably little work, we're now fitting the new Spyder chassis with strengthened suspension and modern brakes. David Lillywhite explains how.
PART THREE
THESE PRACTICAL CLASSICS Project cars are a bit embarrassing sometimes. We start with a car that, on the surface, looks pretty good, then spend the next few instalments ripping it apart and cutting out more and more metal, until there's nothing left. It's real life but it ain't pretty.
But this Elan Zetec conversion is different. In the first instalment we got the ropey original ready to remove its body from the chassis, which was great fun. In the second part the body and chassis were stripped of all their useful parts. And now we've already built up the new chassis, to the point that it can be rolled about on its own wheels. The modern Ford engine and box won't be going in until the next instalment but everything else is on. Now that's inspirational! And, back to that real life thing, this would be your third weekend of working on the car. Really, it would, and that's not counting on you to work like a demon, or through the night, or risk divorce.
We're seeing serious progress here, the sort of progress that should have you grinning from ear to ear every time you step into the garage. The chassis and suspension come in lots of parts, it's true, to the point that you have to assemble the wishbones and even the wheel bearings, but none of it is too taxing. In fact, Spyder seems to go out of it's way to make it unfeasibly easy. It even clears all the threads in the many mounting points around the chassis. The hardest part of the job for you is to decide on the specification you're going for and to source the parts that Spyder doesn't generally supply, like the engine, gearbox, differential and hubs. For example, the Spyder chassis will take all the original Lotus suspension and brakes. But you're better off going for the much stronger Spyder equivalents - the wishbones are tubular instead of pressed steel and you can opt for an upper rear wishbone conversion kit to overcome the old Lotus weakness of using the strut top to help locate the rear suspension. And if you go for the Spyder brake conversion kit you get discs all round, ventilated at the front, and new hub carriers that use balljoints instead of the old Triumph Herald - family trunnions. Much stronger, much lower maintenance .
We fitted all the suspension and brakes in just one working day, including breaks for photography. That was with Spyder's Andy Widnall doing all the hard work, because he's already built so many of these conversions.
There are a few things you need to remember along the way, though. First of all, don't tighten any of the wishbone pivot nuts at this stage - you need to wait until the car is complete and the suspension settled before they're done up fully. That's so the rubber bushes don't have to twist to assume the correct position. And think about maintenance in a few years; use copper - based grease on all moving parts and on the backs of the brake pads (just a thin smear) so that if you have to remove any part in the future, it won't be hideously seized.
That's it. No big secrets, no amazing tricks, just straight forward, enjoyable, assembly work. In the next issue the engine and gearbox will be going in, which will be exciting.
PRACTICAL CLASSICS APRIL 2003