Part of my decision to get myself a Series 1 Lotus Elise was driven by all the journalists chat about how good they are to drive and it hasn’t disapointed. They’re as good as they say they are! I love it, nothing I have ever driven has steering weight and feel like it. That alone […]
lotus elise
S1 Elise – Clutch Slave Cylinder Replacement
It was finally time to get the Elise out of hibernation once again and start with a quick check over and oil and filter change. Undertray off and hang on, not this again. Not water this time but hydraulic fluid. Didn’t take long to find the source. The clutch slave cylinder is up there. I […]
S1 Elise – Front Brake Pads
Time for some new brake pads on the front. I chose Carbone Lorraine RC5+ Sintered Metal Pads from eliseparts.com. This is about as simple as a car servicing jobs gets. Some pics of the job… I got the apprentice to do the other side. Yes it’s that simple even a 4 year old can do […]
S1 Elise – Polyurethane Upper Engine Mount Bushes
While I was replacing the timing belt and water pump I had a look at the upper engine steady bushes so I could work out what to order to replace them with something a bit better. I got some polyurethane replacements from an MGF parts supplier on eBay.
S1 Elise – Rear Lift / Jack Blocks
Having to remove the rear undertray everytime I want to get the Elise on the lift was getting pretty tedious and it was easily solved with some blocks that fit between the undertray and rear section of the chassis where the Elise must be supported from when being lifted. A guy sells them on the […]
S1 Elise – ITG Air Filter
Yes I’ve been here before but the fancy carbon ITG air box and filter I fitted really stifled the great sound I know a Rover K series is capable of. So it had to go for a redesign of the induction and ITG air filter setup. I started with some plastic gutter downpipe and some […]
S1 Elise – Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Hoses
While replacing the brake master cylinder (see previous post) I replaced the original brake hoses too with some Goodridge stainless steel braided items. I don’t have the time I used to to go into too much detailed explination but I’ll stick a load of photos of the job here. The main thing I’d like to […]
S1 Elise – Brake Master Cylinder Replacement
Well driving the Elise one Sunday I applied the brakes to slow going down a hill and the pedal went to the floor. I’d had no warning of a long pedal or spongeyness in the pedal prior to this, I just applied the brake as I had done moments before but this time the pedal […]
S1 Elise – Wheel Decals
Some new centre cap decals as the existing ones were a mess. Untidy looking. Can’t leave them like that. Much better. Wheels need a clean though….. Thought I’d add some decals to the spokes too. I measured out and used masking tape to make a guide for fitting the decal. I marked around the guide […]
S1 Elise – Steering Rack Raiser Plates
As with any car, when the ride height is changed the suspension and steering geometry will be effected. I have set the Elise ride height a bit lower than standard and though I’ve done a full alignment including the front camber and toe. This doesn’t do anything to compensate for the hubs having effectively been […]