Refit body and mount the electrics…
This is the final part of the build, by this stage you should be well versed in the world of Lotus and Honda - you’re Type-R iVTEC K20A engine is purring and you really want to drive it.
Torque the drive shaft nuts (its important)
Torque up the drive shaft nuts as per the Lotus manual.
Body refit
It’s basically a simple clam re-fit, but you also need to bolt on the stainless heat shield.
As you can see I’ve marked it up, then removed the clam again and drilled some holes, bolted it on and re-fitted.
Electrics box mounting bracket
I made my own bracket for this as there are no instructions for mounting this box.
Now, feed the Honda ECU cables through the bulkhead into the boot. I cut an extra hole about 5-6 cm in diameter.
TIP: Wrap the cables in a friction resistant cover or plastic conduit to prevent any wear and tear.
I bolted the Honda ECU inside the boot, over the rear wheel arch. It all fits quite snug.
I just need to re-fit the inner wheel arches, bits of trim, the harness bar, seat belts and the passenger seat. Oh! and put the wheels and under tray back on.
WARNING: Its all too easy to rush this stage, don’t!
When fitting the front (rear 1st stage) under tray you will need to remove one of the vents as it catches the engine. I decided to re-fit this under the gearbox. Use a jigsaw and some pot rivets to re-attach. Also a number, 25-30 washers (sorry shims in the Lotus world) are used to lower the rear-most under tray and prevent any fouling on the exhaust.
Time for a drive! Believe me it’ll fly, its quite scary at first!
NOTICE: Make sure you check your car over before going on the road, also take time to re-check after 20, 200, 500 and 1000 miles. Keep a close eye on all the parts and bolts. I painted across the bolt heads so I could easily see if anything had come undone. Check that the drive shafts aren’t catching the sub-frame and all your heat shields are in place. Double check the fuel filler neck jubilee clips are tight and your coolant, oil and brake fluid levels are good. If anything is leaking fix it straight away.
As you can see in the above pic, my tool kit is present in the event of any breakdowns.
The above pictures were taken after a 10 mile run - very satisfying.
I need to write a summary and appraisal now, including costs.. But I’ll wait until after my first track day it the car on the 25th Jan 2008 at Oulton Park, UK.
Quick summary
So far I’ve been very pleased with the way it went and I believe I’ve done a decent job, fixed some fundamental issues and more importantly added extra safety. That said, I have been frustrated that some basic issues weren’t ironed out in the kit and the fact that I had to source extra parts including even simple things like pipework, nuts and bolts, throttle cable niples etc was unnecessary in my book.
Overall - it’s been very enjoyable experience and its certainly not rocket science. As long as you have an idea of what you’re doing, prepare well and have access to a well equipped workshop there is no reason in my humble opinion why you can’t do it too.
As I said at the start, DIY will suite some people and for others, turn-key fits best. As the Elise ages and new non-K series models become more cost effective, the 10k plus turn-key option is less attractive. But equally the DIY kits need to be cheaper or there will only be a limited number of EliseTypeRs out there - which is a shame as I’m sure anyone who’s ever been in one will testify.
The good news is… There are more options today for the DIYer than ever before and if you want to document your experience please contact me. Wordpress with Livewriter is as easy as MS Word to use.
I really love the way my car drives now and its plenty quick, I’m not going to be passed down the straights by a Scuby ever again (I hope). Time will really tell how good it is, but at the moment I’m very happy!