WikiLEC - User contributions [en]

Parts Cross-references by Vehicle Model

2011-07-04T19:28:11Z

Al:

Please add any you know to this list. Add UK/European cross-references too.

All drive belts, including timing belt excluding Alternator belt-->1991 Isuzu Impulse. Alternator belt is one size smaller than Impulse - Reference: 275K4

Front brake pads-->Pontiac Lemans, 1988-1993 Front, 1988 Pontiac Fiero

Rear brake pads-->1991 Chevy Lumina

Front brake disks-->Vauxhall Astra, 1989 Pontiac LeMans

Front brake calipers-->1981-1988 Opel, Vauxhall with Delco system. 1980-1991 Astra, 1989 Pontiac LeMans

Rear Wheel Bearings-->1985-1998 VW Jetta GL, VW Golf 1984-1992 (MK1), 1992-1998 (MK3) (However, the oil seal that comes with this kit is not the correct one. The following oil seal is required: GM part number 90217059 or Vauxhall Corsa 1983-1993 rear wheel bearing kit.)

Coolant Temperature Sensor-->Pontiac Fiero, Isuzu Impulse RS and Geo Storm, Isuzu Trooper (1986-7 with 2.3l engine and 1992-2001 with 3.2l & 3.5l V6 engines)

Radiator fans thermal switch-->1988 Pontiac Fiero

Radiator Cooling Fans-->Renault 25 AR4 Automatic transmission, Renault Trafic II, Renault Trafic III

Headlight motors-->Pontiac Sunbird GT

A/C blower motor-->1991 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Alternator-->1991 Isuzu Impulse

Oil filler cap-->Honda works

Oil filter-->1991 Isuzu Impulse

Most engine gaskets-->1991 Isuzu Impulse RS

Manifold Air Pressure Sensor (MAP)-->1991 Isuzu Impulse RS, Lotus Carlton, 1990 Pontiac Sunbird. For other references (1 Bar, 2 Bar, 3 Bar sensors), see [http://www.diy-efi.org/gmecm/component_info/sensors.html this cross-reference list.]

Starter-->1991 Isuzu Impulse

Horn button switches (Fed Elan)-->1990-1992 Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird

Ignition Coils-->1991 Isuzu Impulse RS (the list of GM cars is extensive, [http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductGuide.aspx?mfrcode=BOR&mfrpartnumber=E51 PartsAmerica Coil xref])

O2 sensor-->1991 Isuzu Impulse

CV Boots-->1991 Isuzu Impulse

Thermostat-->1991 Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo, Any 1000cc Mini 1969-1992

Heater valve--> Holden (AUS) Commodore, Volvo 740 and similar; Fiat Spyder

Heater control--> Holden (AUS) Commodore - [http://forum.lotuselancentral.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15590 LEC discussion]

Fuel Pressure Regulator-->1992-1996 Chevrolet Corvette

Fuel Pump--> 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo. (The mountings are slightly different, and will require some "rigging," but it's supposed to be a relatively easy job.)

Idle Air Control Vavle-->[http://forum.lotuselancentral.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=16687]

Lower Steering Column U-Joint A100H0050F --> Land Rover Defender Lower Steering UJ NRC7704 (See here[http://kact.co.uk/lec/lower_steering_u_joint.jpg] for photo)

Ignition Starter Switch: AIRTEX / WELLS Part # 1S6210 {#4971498, 7848744, LS589} on Rockauto.com

Ball joint boots --> "TRACK ROD END BOOTS X4 FITS MASSEY FERGUSON T20 35 135" frequently available on ebay.

Main Page

2011-03-19T16:56:34Z

Al: Reverted edits by Farrgior (Talk); changed back to last version by Geoff

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=== Welcome to the [http://www.LotusElanCentral.com Lotus Elan Central] wiki! ===

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Door glass weatherstrips

2009-05-24T14:14:27Z

Al:

The door glass weatherstrips are found at the bottom of the side windows. They prevent water entering the door innards.

The factory-fitted weatherstrips are rubber with metal lining and fixings. However by now, the original weatherstrip rubber has rotted and the metal lining is rusty.

The original Lotus part is not fit for purpose, prone to rusting and expensive (about £90 per side) to replace.

Replacing a weatherstrip involves [[Door_Trim|stripping the door]] and removing the door glass.

=== Gordon Twist's Replacement Weatherstrips ===
Door glass weatherstrips for M100 Elans are expensive – and not that good anyway –
they rust and split. I started this project as I didn’t want to spend (price Jan 2007)
£70.52 +VAT each side, for a seal that probably wasn’t fit for purpose in the first
place!

There are two types of seal – early (G100B0773F/G100B0772F) and late
(H100B0773F/H100B0772F) – these differ only really in length – this solution caters
for either, as the seal is trimmed to fit your car anyway.

I started with the door fully stripped – including the foam door/body seal. At the time
of writing, I’ve not refitted that seal so further trimming may be needed.

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-1.png|Original door strips]]

As I was fitting a new door at the same time, I have one early and one late seal. The
doors are identical.

Details of end differences:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-2.png|Rear end differences]]

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-3.png|Front end differences]]

I purchased two strips of ‘generic’ weatherstrip – profile 685. Available from any
vintage / classic car supplier:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-4.png|685 profile weatherstrip]]

This isn’t deep enough to reach the screw fixings on the Elan, and is reinforced with
hard plastic instead of metal (which I think is better).
After several experiments with material to make tabs with, and how to fix the tabs, the
best solution I came up with is polycarbonate plastic (1mm thick), bonded with
activated cynoacrylate glue (Superglue).Note: some DIY market superglues, although
cynoacrylate based, have a “water solubility” built into them, to make them a bit safer
for domestic use – obviously no use for this application!.
The polycarb is strong, but flexible (not brittle) and won’t rust. It bonds using
activated cyno VERY well to rubber/plastic.
Test samples:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-5.png|Test Samples]]

685 profile is usually sold in 1 meter lengths, a good 50mm longer than we need even
for late style seals.

Trim the overall length to match the existing old seal, and cut some polycarb tabs out:
each strip will need eight 25mm x 30mm, one 25mm x 40mm and one 25mm x
50mm.
Use a good solvent wipe cleaner to clean the outer edge of the mounting rail on the
new seal – the non-flocked side. Use the same cleaner to clean all the tabs you have
made.
Lay the new and old strips beside each other, and glue the tabs on! – apply the cyno
glue to the rubber of the weatherstrip, and apply activator to the tab before bringing
the two together. Make sure you leave about 3mm gap at the top of each tab. This is
so the tabs don’t foul the edge of the door skin when you offer the new strip up. The
new strip must hook over the outer door skin – you don’t want the tabs to get in the
way, as they are glued on the outside of the strip.

With any luck you will end up with something like this:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-6.png|Strips with tabs]]

Before you can do the first fit to the door, the rear end of each strip will require
trimming like this:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-7.png|Trimming the strips]]

Try a fit on the car, and trim the front end if needed, so the seal will sit nicely in
place.

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-8.png|Test fitting]]

Once you’re happy with a first fit, use a permanent ink felt marker to mark your
original screw holes on the tabs (through the holes in the door skin). Keep the seal
held in place while you do this, as there is a slight curve upwards at the rear of the
seal. A slim permanent felt pen – like a CD-Writer pen is ideal for this

Remove from the car, and drill the holes – make them oversize to allow for a bit of
error/adjustment.
Should look something like this:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-9.png|Drilled tabs]]

and

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-10.png|Pair of drilled strips]]

Refit to the car, and secure with new screws; washers if you like.
Seal may require trimming further at the rear end:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-11.png|Seal needing trimming at rear end]]

Might also need a bit of fettling at the door mirror end.

End Result:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-12.png|End result]]

When refitting the door to body foam seal, it will need gluing in place with silkoflex
or similar (black silicone) and will probably cover the rear end of the new
weatherstrip.

Hope this helps.

Depending on your own findings, you may want to pack an extra thin washer behind
the foremost 2 or 3 tabs, to increase the pressure of the strip on the glass at the door-
mirror end. I didn’t bother, but it may help the fit in some cases – never forget, Elan’s
are hand built!!

If anyone needs 25mm wide polycarbonate strip, or a source of 685 profile
weatherstrips, please get in touch.

I can supply a bag of polycarbonate tabs to do both sides for £5 (including UK
postage),

Or if anyone wants me to make a pair up for them, I will for £50 + P&P. They will be
supplied un-drilled, and oversize (as the late style), for you to trim to your particular
car.

Gordon Twist

[[Category:ReplacementParts]]
[[Category:Components]]

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-12.png

2009-05-24T14:12:26Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-11.png

2009-05-24T14:11:59Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-10.png

2009-05-24T14:11:42Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-9.png

2009-05-24T14:11:25Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-8.png

2009-05-24T14:11:07Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-7.png

2009-05-24T14:10:44Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-6.png

2009-05-24T14:08:24Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-5.png

2009-05-24T14:08:05Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-4.png

2009-05-24T14:07:49Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-3.png

2009-05-24T14:07:36Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-2.png

2009-05-24T14:07:19Z

Al:

File:Weatherstrip-Gordon-1.png

2009-05-24T14:06:58Z

Al:

Door glass weatherstrips

2009-05-24T14:06:41Z

Al:

The door glass weatherstrips are found at the bottom of the side windows. They prevent water entering the door innards.

The factory-fitted weatherstrips are rubber with metal lining and fixings. However by now, the original weatherstrip rubber has rotted and the metal lining is rusty.

The original Lotus part is not fit for purpose, prone to rusting and expensive (about £90 per side) to replace.

Gordon Twist has prepared a brilliant [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gtcmaint/Elan%20M100%20Door%20Glass%20Weatherstrips.pdf write up] on a better, non-rusting replacement at a fraction of the cost. He has even offered to make them up at one third of the cost of the Lotus parts.

Replacing a weatherstrip involves [[Door_Trim|stripping the door]] and removing the door glass.

=== Gordon's Replacement Weatherstrips ====
Door glass weatherstrips for M100 Elan’s are expensive – and not that good anyway –
they rust and split. I started this project as I didn’t want to spend (price Jan 2007)
£70.52 +VAT each side, for a seal that probably wasn’t fit for purpose in the first
place!

There are two types of seal – early (G100B0773F/G100B0772F) and late
(H100B0773F/H100B0772F) – these differ only really in length – this solution caters
for either, as the seal is trimmed to fit your car anyway.

I started with the door fully stripped – including the foam door/body seal. At the time
of writing, I’ve not refitted that seal so further trimming may be needed.

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-1.png|Original door strips]]

As I was fitting a new door at the same time, I have one early and one late seal. The
doors are identical.

Details of end differences:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-2.png|Rear end differences]]

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-3.png|Front end differences]]

I purchased two strips of ‘generic’ weatherstrip – profile 685. Available from any
vintage / classic car supplier:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-4.png|685 profile weatherstrip]]

This isn’t deep enough to reach the screw fixings on the Elan, and is reinforced with
hard plastic instead of metal (which I think is better).
After several experiments with material to make tabs with, and how to fix the tabs, the
best solution I came up with is polycarbonate plastic (1mm thick), bonded with
activated cynoacrylate glue (Superglue).Note: some DIY market superglues, although
cynoacrylate based, have a “water solubility” built into them, to make them a bit safer
for domestic use – obviously no use for this application!.
The polycarb is strong, but flexible (not brittle) and won’t rust. It bonds using
activated cyno VERY well to rubber/plastic.
Test samples:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-5.png|Test Samples]]

685 profile is usually sold in 1 meter lengths, a good 50mm longer than we need even
for late style seals.

Trim the overall length to match the existing old seal, and cut some polycarb tabs out:
each strip will need eight 25mm x 30mm, one 25mm x 40mm and one 25mm x
50mm.
Use a good solvent wipe cleaner to clean the outer edge of the mounting rail on the
new seal – the non-flocked side. Use the same cleaner to clean all the tabs you have
made.
Lay the new and old strips beside each other, and glue the tabs on! – apply the cyno
glue to the rubber of the weatherstrip, and apply activator to the tab before bringing
the two together. Make sure you leave about 3mm gap at the top of each tab. This is
so the tabs don’t foul the edge of the door skin when you offer the new strip up. The
new strip must hook over the outer door skin – you don’t want the tabs to get in the
way, as they are glued on the outside of the strip.

With any luck you will end up with something like this:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-6.png|Strips with tabs]]

Before you can do the first fit to the door, the rear end of each strip will require
trimming like this:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-7.png|Trimming the strips]]

Try a fit on the car, and trim the front end if needed, so the seal will sit nicely in
place.

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-8.png|Test fitting]]

Once you’re happy with a first fit, use a permanent ink felt marker to mark your
original screw holes on the tabs (through the holes in the door skin). Keep the seal
held in place while you do this, as there is a slight curve upwards at the rear of the
seal. A slim permanent felt pen – like a CD-Writer pen is ideal for this

Remove from the car, and drill the holes – make them oversize to allow for a bit of
error/adjustment.
Should look something like this:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-9.png|Drilled tabs]]

and

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-10.png|Pair of drilled strips]]

Refit to the car, and secure with new screws; washers if you like.
Seal may require trimming further at the rear end:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-11.png|Seal needing trimming at rear end]]

Might also need a bit of fettling at the door mirror end.

End Result:

[[Image:Weatherstrip-Gordon-12.png|End result]]

When refitting the door to body foam seal, it will need gluing in place with silkoflex
or similar (black silicone) and will probably cover the rear end of the new
weatherstrip.

Hope this helps.

Depending on your own findings, you may want to pack an extra thin washer behind
the foremost 2 or 3 tabs, to increase the pressure of the strip on the glass at the door-
mirror end. I didn’t bother, but it may help the fit in some cases – never forget, Elan’s
are hand built!!

If anyone needs 25mm wide polycarbonate strip, or a source of 685 profile
weatherstrips, please get in touch.

I can supply a bag of polycarbonate tabs to do both sides for £5 (including UK
postage),

Or if anyone wants me to make a pair up for them, I will for £50 + P&P. They will be
supplied un-drilled, and oversize (as the late style), for you to trim to your particular
car.

Gordon Twist

[[Category:ReplacementParts]]
[[Category:Components]]

Door glass weatherstrips

2009-05-24T14:05:16Z

Al:

The door glass weatherstrips are found at the bottom of the side windows. They prevent water entering the door innards.

The factory-fitted weatherstrips are rubber with metal lining and fixings. However by now, the original weatherstrip rubber has rotted and the metal lining is rusty.

The original Lotus part is not fit for purpose, prone to rusting and expensive (about £90 per side) to replace.

Gordon Twist has prepared a brilliant [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gtcmaint/Elan%20M100%20Door%20Glass%20Weatherstrips.pdf write up] on a better, non-rusting replacement at a fraction of the cost. He has even offered to make them up at one third of the cost of the Lotus parts.

Replacing a weatherstrip involves [[Door_Trim|stripping the door]] and removing the door glass.

=== Gordon's Replacement Weatherstrips ====
Door glass weatherstrips for M100 Elan’s are expensive – and not that good anyway –
they rust and split. I started this project as I didn’t want to spend (price Jan 2007)
£70.52 +VAT each side, for a seal that probably wasn’t fit for purpose in the first
place!

There are two types of seal – early (G100B0773F/G100B0772F) and late
(H100B0773F/H100B0772F) – these differ only really in length – this solution caters
for either, as the seal is trimmed to fit your car anyway.

I started with the door fully stripped – including the foam door/body seal. At the time
of writing, I’ve not refitted that seal so further trimming may be needed.

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-1.jpg|Original door strips]]

As I was fitting a new door at the same time, I have one early and one late seal. The
doors are identical.

Details of end differences:

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-2.jpg|Rear end differences]]

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-3.jpg|Front end differences]]

I purchased two strips of ‘generic’ weatherstrip – profile 685. Available from any
vintage / classic car supplier:

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-4.jpg|685 profile weatherstip]]

This isn’t deep enough to reach the screw fixings on the Elan, and is reinforced with
hard plastic instead of metal (which I think is better).
After several experiments with material to make tabs with, and how to fix the tabs, the
best solution I came up with is polycarbonate plastic (1mm thick), bonded with
activated cynoacrylate glue (Superglue).Note: some DIY market superglues, although
cynoacrylate based, have a “water solubility” built into them, to make them a bit safer
for domestic use – obviously no use for this application!.
The polycarb is strong, but flexible (not brittle) and won’t rust. It bonds using
activated cyno VERY well to rubber/plastic.
Test samples:

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-5.jpg|Test Samples]]

685 profile is usually sold in 1 meter lengths, a good 50mm longer than we need even
for late style seals.

Trim the overall length to match the existing old seal, and cut some polycarb tabs out:
each strip will need eight 25mm x 30mm, one 25mm x 40mm and one 25mm x
50mm.
Use a good solvent wipe cleaner to clean the outer edge of the mounting rail on the
new seal – the non-flocked side. Use the same cleaner to clean all the tabs you have
made.
Lay the new and old strips beside each other, and glue the tabs on! – apply the cyno
glue to the rubber of the weatherstrip, and apply activator to the tab before bringing
the two together. Make sure you leave about 3mm gap at the top of each tab. This is
so the tabs don’t foul the edge of the door skin when you offer the new strip up. The
new strip must hook over the outer door skin – you don’t want the tabs to get in the
way, as they are glued on the outside of the strip.

With any luck you will end up with something like this:

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-6.jpg|Strips with tabs]]

Before you can do the first fit to the door, the rear end of each strip will require
trimming like this:

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-7.jpg|Trimming the strips]]

Try a fit on the car, and trim the front end if needed, so the seal will sit nicely in
place.

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-8.jpg|Test fitting]]

Once you’re happy with a first fit, use a permanent ink felt marker to mark your
original screw holes on the tabs (through the holes in the door skin). Keep the seal
held in place while you do this, as there is a slight curve upwards at the rear of the
seal. A slim permanent felt pen – like a CD-Writer pen is ideal for this

Remove from the car, and drill the holes – make them oversize to allow for a bit of
error/adjustment.
Should look something like this:

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-9.jpg|Drilled tabs]]

and

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-10.jpg|Pair of drilled strips]]

Refit to the car, and secure with new screws; washers if you like.
Seal may require trimming further at the rear end:

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-11.jpg|Seal needing trimming at rear end]]

Might also need a bit of fettling at the door mirror end.

End Result:

[[Image:Weatherstip-Gordon-12.jpg|End result]]

When refitting the door to body foam seal, it will need gluing in place with silkoflex
or similar (black silicone) and will probably cover the rear end of the new
weatherstrip.

Hope this helps.

Depending on your own findings, you may want to pack an extra thin washer behind
the foremost 2 or 3 tabs, to increase the pressure of the strip on the glass at the door-
mirror end. I didn’t bother, but it may help the fit in some cases – never forget, Elan’s
are hand built!!

If anyone needs 25mm wide polycarbonate strip, or a source of 685 profile
weatherstrips, please get in touch.

I can supply a bag of polycarbonate tabs to do both sides for £5 (including UK
postage),

Or if anyone wants me to make a pair up for them, I will for £50 + P&P. They will be
supplied un-drilled, and oversize (as the late style), for you to trim to your particular
car.

Gordon Twist

[[Category:ReplacementParts]]
[[Category:Components]]

Door glass weatherstrips

2009-05-24T14:00:34Z

Al:

The door glass weatherstrips are found at the bottom of the side windows. They prevent water entering the door innards.

The factory-fitted weatherstrips are rubber with metal lining and fixings. However by now, the original weatherstrip rubber has rotted and the metal lining is rusty.

The original Lotus part is not fit for purpose, prone to rusting and expensive (about £90 per side) to replace.

Gordon Twist has prepared a brilliant [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gtcmaint/Elan%20M100%20Door%20Glass%20Weatherstrips.pdf write up] on a better, non-rusting replacement at a fraction of the cost. He has even offered to make them up at one third of the cost of the Lotus parts.

Replacing a weatherstrip involves [[Door_Trim|stripping the door]] and removing the door glass.

=== Gordon's Replacement Weatherstrips ====
Door glass weatherstrips for M100 Elan’s are expensive – and not that good anyway –
they rust and split. I started this project as I didn’t want to spend (price Jan 2007)
£70.52 +VAT each side, for a seal that probably wasn’t fit for purpose in the first
place!

There are two types of seal – early (G100B0773F/G100B0772F) and late
(H100B0773F/H100B0772F) – these differ only really in length – this solution caters
for either, as the seal is trimmed to fit your car anyway.

I started with the door fully stripped – including the foam door/body seal. At the time
of writing, I’ve not refitted that seal so further trimming may be needed.

IMG

As I was fitting a new door at the same time, I have one early and one late seal. The
doors are identical.

Details of end differences:

IMG

IMG

I purchased two strips of ‘generic’ weatherstrip – profile 685. Available from any
vintage / classic car supplier:

IMG

This isn’t deep enough to reach the screw fixings on the Elan, and is reinforced with
hard plastic instead of metal (which I think is better).
After several experiments with material to make tabs with, and how to fix the tabs, the
best solution I came up with is polycarbonate plastic (1mm thick), bonded with
activated cynoacrylate glue (Superglue).Note: some DIY market superglues, although
cynoacrylate based, have a “water solubility” built into them, to make them a bit safer
for domestic use – obviously no use for this application!.
The polycarb is strong, but flexible (not brittle) and won’t rust. It bonds using
activated cyno VERY well to rubber/plastic.
Test samples:

IMG

685 profile is usually sold in 1 meter lengths, a good 50mm longer than we need even
for late style seals.

Trim the overall length to match the existing old seal, and cut some polycarb tabs out:
each strip will need eight 25mm x 30mm, one 25mm x 40mm and one 25mm x
50mm.
Use a good solvent wipe cleaner to clean the outer edge of the mounting rail on the
new seal – the non-flocked side. Use the same cleaner to clean all the tabs you have
made.
Lay the new and old strips beside each other, and glue the tabs on! – apply the cyno
glue to the rubber of the weatherstrip, and apply activator to the tab before bringing
the two together. Make sure you leave about 3mm gap at the top of each tab. This is
so the tabs don’t foul the edge of the door skin when you offer the new strip up. The
new strip must hook over the outer door skin – you don’t want the tabs to get in the
way, as they are glued on the outside of the strip.

With any luck you will end up with something like this:

IMG

Before you can do the first fit to the door, the rear end of each strip will require
trimming like this:

IMG

Try a fit on the car, and trim the front end if needed, so the seal will sit nicely in
place.

IMG

Once you’re happy with a first fit, use a permanent ink felt marker to mark your
original screw holes on the tabs (through the holes in the door skin). Keep the seal
held in place while you do this, as there is a slight curve upwards at the rear of the
seal. A slim permanent felt pen – like a CD-Writer pen is ideal for this

Remove from the car, and drill the holes – make them oversize to allow for a bit of
error/adjustment.
Should look something like this:

IMG

and

IMG

Refit to the car, and secure with new screws; washers if you like.
Seal may require trimming further at the rear end:

Might also need a bit of fettling at the door mirror end.

End Result:

IMG

When refitting the door to body foam seal, it will need gluing in place with silkoflex
or similar (black silicone) and will probably cover the rear end of the new
weatherstrip.

Hope this helps.

Depending on your own findings, you may want to pack an extra thin washer behind
the foremost 2 or 3 tabs, to increase the pressure of the strip on the glass at the door-
mirror end. I didn’t bother, but it may help the fit in some cases – never forget, Elan’s
are hand built!!

If anyone needs 25mm wide polycarbonate strip, or a source of 685 profile
weatherstrips, please get in touch.

I can supply a bag of polycarbonate tabs to do both sides for £5 (including UK
postage),

Or if anyone wants me to make a pair up for them, I will for £50 + P&P. They will be
supplied un-drilled, and oversize (as the late style), for you to trim to your particular
car.

Gordon Twist

[[Category:ReplacementParts]]
[[Category:Components]]

Discounts

2008-10-07T07:57:32Z

Al: New expiry date from RockAuto

== Rock Auto==
[http://www.rockauto.com RockAuto] and [http://www.retailmenot.com/view/rockauto.com current 5% discount codes].

===LEC members' codes:===
{|border=1
!Code
!Expiry
|-
|1068994935887
|December 7th, 2008
|}

<pre>
Thank you for being a www.RockAuto.com customer! To show our appreciation, we have a special discount for you.

Here's how to use it:
* Enter your code in the "How did you hear about us" line of the shopping cart.
* If you are using our traditional HTML catalog, please click the "Set" button to the right of the field.
* Your discount will automatically appear, subtracted from your order total.

**NOTE: We sometimes get calls from people who put the word "discount"
in front of their code and do not get the discount. Please enter ONLY
the discount code, no other words or numbers.**

The discount takes 5% off our already-low prices, and there's no limit
on order size or the number of orders. Use the code for your next
order, and share the code with friends, neighbors, relatives, the guy at
the corner garage--anyone you know who works on cars or trucks.
</pre>

REMEMBER THE WIKI!

Discounts

2008-08-05T07:40:38Z

Al: New expiry date from RockAuto

== Rock Auto==
[http://www.rockauto.com RockAuto] and [http://www.retailmenot.com/view/rockauto.com current 5% discount codes].

===LEC members' codes:===
{|border=1
!Code
!Expiry
|-
|1068994935887
|October 5th, 2008
|}

<pre>
Thank you for being a www.RockAuto.com customer! To show our appreciation, we have a special discount for you.

Here's how to use it:
* Enter your code in the "How did you hear about us" line of the shopping cart.
* If you are using our traditional HTML catalog, please click the "Set" button to the right of the field.
* Your discount will automatically appear, subtracted from your order total.

**NOTE: We sometimes get calls from people who put the word "discount"
in front of their code and do not get the discount. Please enter ONLY
the discount code, no other words or numbers.**

The discount takes 5% off our already-low prices, and there's no limit
on order size or the number of orders. Use the code for your next
order, and share the code with friends, neighbors, relatives, the guy at
the corner garage--anyone you know who works on cars or trucks.
</pre>

REMEMBER THE WIKI!

Discounts

2008-06-05T11:49:48Z

Al:

== Rock Auto==
[http://www.rockauto.com RockAuto] and [http://www.retailmenot.com/view/rockauto.com current 5% discount codes].

===LEC members' codes:===
{|border=1
!Code
!Expiry
|-
|1068994935887
|August 5, 2008
|-
|912479807929
|April 1, 2008
|}

<pre>
Thank you for being a www.RockAuto.com customer! To show our appreciation, we have a special discount for you.

Here's how to use it:
* Enter your code in the "How did you hear about us" line of the shopping cart.
* If you are using our traditional HTML catalog, please click the "Set" button to the right of the field.
* Your discount will automatically appear, subtracted from your order total.

**NOTE: We sometimes get calls from people who put the word "discount"
in front of their code and do not get the discount. Please enter ONLY
the discount code, no other words or numbers.**

The discount takes 5% off our already-low prices, and there's no limit
on order size or the number of orders. Use the code for your next
order, and share the code with friends, neighbors, relatives, the guy at
the corner garage--anyone you know who works on cars or trucks.
</pre>

REMEMBER THE WIKI!

Discounts

2008-06-05T11:49:32Z

Al:

== Rock Auto==
[http://www.rockauto.com RockAuto] and [http://www.retailmenot.com/view/rockauto.com current 5% discount codes].

===LEC member's codes:===
{|border=1
!Code
!Expiry
|-
|1068994935887
|August 5, 2008
|-
|912479807929
|April 1, 2008
|}

<pre>
Thank you for being a www.RockAuto.com customer! To show our appreciation, we have a special discount for you.

Here's how to use it:
* Enter your code in the "How did you hear about us" line of the shopping cart.
* If you are using our traditional HTML catalog, please click the "Set" button to the right of the field.
* Your discount will automatically appear, subtracted from your order total.

**NOTE: We sometimes get calls from people who put the word "discount"
in front of their code and do not get the discount. Please enter ONLY
the discount code, no other words or numbers.**

The discount takes 5% off our already-low prices, and there's no limit
on order size or the number of orders. Use the code for your next
order, and share the code with friends, neighbors, relatives, the guy at
the corner garage--anyone you know who works on cars or trucks.
</pre>

REMEMBER THE WIKI!

Cambelt Tensioner

2008-05-17T10:50:28Z

Al:

{{stub}}

[[Image:Ten2.jpg]]

Engine : Timing Belt Tensioner

GATES Part # T41027 {Timing Belt Tensioner Steel Smooth (60mm x 10.5mm x 30.5mm)}

[[Category:Components]]

Cambelt Idler

2008-05-17T10:50:15Z

Al:

{{stub}}
[[Image:Idl.jpg]]

Engine : Timing Idler

GATES Part # T42001 {Timing Belt Pulley Steel Smooth (60mm x 10.4mm x 31mm)}

[[Category:Components]]

Water Pump

2008-05-17T10:49:06Z

Al:

__TOC__
{{stub}}
{{note|text='''There are two pumps within the cooling system:'''<br/>
* [[Coolant_Pump|The electrical coolant pump]]<br>
* The mechanical coolant pump<br/>
}}

<gallery>
Image:Pump 1.jpg
Image:Pump 2.jpg
Image:Pump 3.jpg
</gallery>

Cooling System : Water Pump

BECK/ARNLEY Part # 1312115

===See Also===
* [[Coolant_Pump|Coolant Pump]]

== External Links ==
* [http://lotuselancentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=113427 LEC Forum - Electric Water Pump]

[[Category: ReplacementParts]]
[[Category:Components]]

Cambelt Tensioner

2008-05-17T10:48:04Z

Al:

==Under Constrution==

[[Image:Ten2.jpg]]

Engine : Timing Belt Tensioner

GATES Part # T41027 {Timing Belt Tensioner Steel Smooth (60mm x 10.5mm x 30.5mm)}

[[Category:Components]]

Cambelt Idler

2008-05-17T10:47:49Z

Al:

==Under construction==

[[Image:Idl.jpg]]

Engine : Timing Idler

GATES Part # T42001 {Timing Belt Pulley Steel Smooth (60mm x 10.4mm x 31mm)}

[[Category:Components]]

Cambelt Idler

2008-05-17T10:47:42Z

Al:

==Under construction==

[[Image:Idl.jpg]]
Engine : Timing Idler

GATES Part # T42001 {Timing Belt Pulley Steel Smooth (60mm x 10.4mm x 31mm)}

[[Category:Components]]

Cambelt Tensioner

2008-05-17T10:47:13Z

Al:

==Under Constrution==

[[Image:Ten2.jpg]]

Engine : Timing Belt Tensioner

GATES Part # T41027 {Timing Belt Tensioner Steel Smooth (60mm x 10.5mm x 30.5mm)}

Cambelt Tensioner

2008-05-17T10:46:35Z

Al:

==Under Constrution==

[[Image:Ten2.jpg]]

Engine : Timing Belt Tensioner
GATES Part # T41027 {Timing Belt Tensioner Steel Smooth (60mm x 10.5mm x 30.5mm)} $46.79 $0.00 1 $46.79

Belts

2008-05-07T08:38:33Z

Al:

== Introduction ==

{{warning|text='''WARNING - LOTUS SPARES ARE EXPENSIVE'''

Here's a just little advice to help you stretch the cost:
* The 4XE1-MT engine is an Isuzu Item.
* The 4XE1 engine is also fitted to the Isuzu Impulse.
* http://rockauto.com normally has a 5% discount. (Search the web first)
* Don't forget the [http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Cambelt_Tensioner tensioner], [http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Cambelt_Idler Idler] and the [http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Water_Pump pump].
}}

== Timing ==

Lotus A100E6170S (£49.00)

Isuzu 894429-4860 - 1" x 50 3/32" (159 Teeth)

Gates T169

ACDELCO TB169

[[Image:Cam Belt.jpg]]

== Alternator ==

Lotus A100E6031F

Isuzu 894139-0670

ACDelco & Bando Rib-Ace 4PK685 => 4 ribs K section 685mm

Gates K040270 => K section 4 ribs 27.0"

(The Gates K040285 is not fitted to our engine)

== PAS without AirCon ==

Lotus A100E6131F

Isuzu 894364-5800

ACDelco & Bando Rib-Ace 6PK945 => 6 ribs K section 945mm

(The Gates K060380 => K section 6 ribs 38.0" is not fitted to our engine)

== PAS with AirCon ==

Lotus A100E6058F (£26.06)

Isuzu part number 894362-7320

ACDelco & Bando Rib-Ace 6PK1045 => 6 ribs K section 1045mm

Gates K060415 => K section 6 ribs 41.5"

----

[http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1176162,parttype,8905 More information from RockAuto]

[http://www.sjsportscars.co.uk/partsandaccessories/srchRes.asp?Car_ID=9&Type1_ID=5&srch=belt More information from SJ Lotus]

[[Category:CrossReference]]

Gearshift free play

2008-05-05T09:02:30Z

Al:

== Having problems with a lot of free play in their shifter in the fore/aft direction ?==
If you've checked and the plastic at the gearbox end of the (OEM) cross-shaft cable isn't broken, or if you have AB cables, pull the shift lever and check the connection at that end.

I had this problem with AB cables installed; I could move the shifter in the fore/aft direction at least an inch (measured at the top of the knob) without any effect. It made shifting sloppy, specially shifting down from 3rd to 2nd, as I had to move the lever back to get out of 3rd, then forward to be able to move it left before moving back into 2nd. (This is a problem I had before I got the AB cables, but then it was due to the deteriorated bushing in the cable end where it goes over the pin on the gearbox lever).

This time, after inspecting everything at the gearbox end, I removed the console and pulled the shifter out as far as I could (I had taken the cables off at the gearbox end, but not loosened them at the bracket). I thought I might be faced with needing to replace the shifter. What I found was the nut securing the cross-shaft cable to the shift lever had worked loose. When I tightened it down and put everything back together, the freeplay was gone (really just reduced to less than 1/4 inch). What a huge difference in shifting!

--''Lifted from Tweetdriver63's post''

[[Category:HowTo]]

Gearshift free play

2008-05-05T09:01:46Z

Al: New page: ---++ Having problems with a lot of free play in their shifter in the fore/aft direction ? If you've checked and the plastic at the gearbox end of the (OEM) cross-shaft cable isn't broken,...

---++ Having problems with a lot of free play in their shifter in the fore/aft direction ?
If you've checked and the plastic at the gearbox end of the (OEM) cross-shaft cable isn't broken, or if you have AB cables, pull the shift lever and check the connection at that end.

I had this problem with AB cables installed; I could move the shifter in the fore/aft direction at least an inch (measured at the top of the knob) without any effect. It made shifting sloppy, specially shifting down from 3rd to 2nd, as I had to move the lever back to get out of 3rd, then forward to be able to move it left before moving back into 2nd. (This is a problem I had before I got the AB cables, but then it was due to the deteriorated bushing in the cable end where it goes over the pin on the gearbox lever).

This time, after inspecting everything at the gearbox end, I removed the console and pulled the shifter out as far as I could (I had taken the cables off at the gearbox end, but not loosened them at the bracket). I thought I might be faced with needing to replace the shifter. What I found was the nut securing the cross-shaft cable to the shift lever had worked loose. When I tightened it down and put everything back together, the freeplay was gone (really just reduced to less than 1/4 inch). What a huge difference in shifting!

--Lifted from Tweetdriver63's post

[[Category:HowTo]]

Rear window replacement

2008-03-14T16:38:46Z

Al: Add a bit of formatting

I got some green tint window (the thicker stuff) from a trimmers.

It is/was the green tint MGF rear hood. It cost £30 and I also asked for some heavy duty thread.

=== Process ===
* Remove the whole hood and frame.
this is joined down inside where the B post caps are.
you will have to peel back the carpet sections as this is where the screws hold the B post rear sections to the car.
you do not have to take then off, just give yourself enough room to get you hands down to remove the little 7mm and 8mm captive nuts of the strange shaped bracket... be careful not to drop them down as it will end up down by the sill.

* Take the roof off and don't bend it.
I placed / screwed mine on a rigid old work table and propped the header rail up with some beer crates.

* Remove the original rear screen by unpicking the stitching that in nearest to the window NOT the other one.
* Use the old window as a template and cut the replacement to size.
* Place the new window in and tack it back where you have just removed the old window.
tack between the removed old thread was and the still present thread is.

'''THE ROOF MUST BE TAUT/FULLY OPEN for this and must stay that way until finished.'''

* If you have not removed both stitching seams then the new window should be comfortably resting on the outer stitch.

* Now all you need do is:
* Acquire 1x friend/partner to give up 8 tedious hours.
* Lay on the table, underneath the inside of the roof (which is in the up position resting on the beer crates) with your head toward the nice new clear window.
The person on the "other side" needs to feed the thread through to you with a heavy duty upholstery needle, and you to feed it back to them... quite obvious really.
For the sake of your fingers to pass the needle through and return with some long nose pliers.

'''The roof must stay tight at all time.'''

* If it looks like it is causing a ruck, cut the thread back to where it started. This is why so many "rear window only " jobs look creased or wrinkled.

* Do the window in sections so you don't have to pull meters of the thread through all the time.

If you have picked the stitches out rather than ripping them out the the old holes will be clean enough to use . this should give a more professional look. If your new thread is thicker that the original thread then it will still push through with a little resistance.

By the time you have gone all the way round (You'll know because your fingers will be hurting) you should have got the hang of it,
so much so that your first few inches of stitching will look rubbish and you may as well remove that and replace it with your much improved level of stitching !

Always overlap your stitching by a good amount, say 1".
*Tie off about 10 times/loops and then feed the loose thread back through the 10 loops and use a dab of superglue.

This job was time consuming but the costs involved are low.

Copied from a forum entry by "CLEMO"

[[Category:HowTo]]

Main Page

2008-03-02T08:28:58Z

Al:

<big>Welcome to the [http://www.LotusElanCentral.com Lotus Elan Central] wiki !</big>

These pages are intended to capture a lot of the raw knowledge that exists within the Elan M100 owning community, and provide a means of allowing the easy discovery and sharing of that knowledge.

This knowledge base can't grow without your help, so if there's something you know about that's missing from here please take a moment to add it - your fellow Elan owners will be grateful !

Don't worry if you're not sure about [[WikiFormatting]] or need some help with something, put up what you've got and post a note on the forum and someone will help out. A concise summary Wiki formatting is given in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page Wikipedia].

==== Looking for something in particular ? ====

A list of all pages to chose from is below, otherwise use the search box on the left hand side of the the screen - don't forget to click on the "search" button rather than the "Go" button.

There is also a list of all [[Special:Categories|Page Categories]] if you're looking for general information.

==== Want to add a new topic ? ====

It couldn't be simpler. Type the topic title in the search box, press '''''Go''''' and if the topic doesn't exist, WikiLEC will prompt you that: There is no page titled "…". You can '''create this page''' and away you go.

==== All pages ====

{{Special:AllPages}}

Many thanks to those who have and will take the time to contribute to this pool of knowledge !

Paint repair

2008-03-02T08:25:58Z

Al:

== How to repair a big bumper scratch ==

Someone very kindly reversed into my car while trying to park, rather than leaving a note they just did a runner leaving me with a £3-400 repair to get the bumper off, re-sprayed and put back on.

I figured I had nothing to lose by having a go at fixing it myself before I'd have to pay out anyway, and so this is what I did.

I don't have any fancy rotary sanders or professional spray gear, so I did the best I could with what was available, and it turns out it's perfectly possible to do a reasonable job even if

* you've not done this before
* you don't have pro kit

Obviously it's not going to be as good as a professional job that you'd get if you paid the £400, but it is very rewarding and without close inspection the paint job isn't noticeable.

[[Image:damage.jpg|thumbnail|Thanks a lot !]]

=== Materials ===

Get yourself over to http://www.paints4u.com and order up the following:

* adhesion promoter aerosol
* primer aerosol suitable for priming bumpers
* custom colour aerosol (they'll match on Lotus paint codes)
* lacquer aerosol
* plastikote gun grip attachment for aerosols - this makes a huge difference !
* bumper filler
* a bunch of wet & dry paper at different grades (150 up to 2000)
* some rubbing compound
* automotive grade masking tape
* tub of warm water with washing up liquid and a rag
* tack rag
* degreaser

=== Prep ===

'''It's all about the prep work !'''

It doesn't matter how good you are with the final coat of paint, if the prep work isn't done right, it's not going to look good.
Remember this as you're working through the job below; 95% prep, 5% paint.

==== Cut out the paint ====

As you can see from the original picture, the damaged area was pretty large with cracked and delaminated paint extending for 30-40cm, to remove all of this paint I took a scalpel and cut around the damaged area, then picked off the chunks of paint.

Do this until you're sure you've removed sufficient paint such that what was left is still securely bonded to the bumper itself.

==== Sanding part 1 ====

Next up, tape around the area you're going to be working on, and get to work sanding down to get a smooth edge on the paint edges.
Since I didn't have any fancy rotary kit this was done by hand. I used 150 grit to do the heavy work.

You should end up with a surface that's smooth to run your finger over, no hard edges where the old paint stops.

Once you're happy that you've sanded enough (see Prep above), wash the area down with the soapy rag - you want to remove all the sanding dust/wax/polish/dead flies/grease/whatever from the area, once it's dried off, go over the area with the degreaser.

[[Image:sanding1.jpg|thumbnail|Sanding down the paint]]

==== Filling ====

Once the area is dry from the washing you just did, mix up some of the bumper filler and apply it to the area you've just sanded down.
Ideally you want to build it back up so that the line of the bumper is slightly proud of how it was originally

I didn't quite put enough filled in one or two places, it's quite difficult to see what the surface contour looks like when it's all matte white, I learnt afterwards that you can spray a very light (one quick pass) coating of a contrasting colour to help with this.

[[Image:filler.jpg|thumbnail|Fill in the area to be painted]]

==== Sanding part 2 ====

Once the filler is properly dry, you need to sand it down. What you end up with here is going to be the contour of your finished bumper, so make sure that you're happy with it - you want to get rid of any bumps or edges, and end up with a smooth transition from the original paint to the filler and back again.

wash down with the soapy water again.

=== Painting ===

==== How to use a spray can ====

* Shake the thing for at least as long as it says on the tin - really - if it says shake for 10 mins, then get a clock, note the time, start shaking and don't stop until the clock says 10mins has passed, not until you think "it's probably been 10mins by now", or until your arm is tired, or until you get bored.
* Use a plastikote spray handle, they clip on to the top of the can and provide you with a handle with a trigger to use - this makes it much easier to move the can in a consistent fashion.
* when you're finished with the can, clean the nozzle by inverting the can and spraying until the paint stops coming out.

===== How to paint from a can=====
* Get a large square of cardboard, and cut a circle out from the middle (about 30cm should be fine).
** You're going to hold this between the can and the car to catch the splatters which happen when you start and stop spraying:
** if you are spraying left-to-right, then you'd start spraying onto the carboard to the left of the hole
** In one smooth motion:
*** move the can to the right so that you're spraying through the hole now onto the target area
*** move the cardboard mask and car to the right in unison, keep spraying through the hold onto the target area
*** once you're at the end of your run stop moving the cardboard, but continue moving the can to the right so that you end up spraying onto the cardboard to the right of the hole
*** stop spraying

Practice a few times using the method above, it takes a bit of getting used to but doing it this way will catch all of the splatters and lumps that occur when you start and stop spraying from a can.

When spraying, '''many light coats are better than one heavy coat !''':
Put a light coat down, and wait for it to flash dry before putting the next coat down.

==== Priming 1 ====

Once the area is fully dry, run over it quickly with a tack rag to remove any bits of dust that might have settled on your newly primed work.

If you're happy that it's clean as a whistle, put down a coat or two of the adhesion promotor.

One that's dry, put down 3 or 4 coats of primer and leave to dry.

[[Image:primer.jpg|thumbnail|Apply 3-4 coats of primer]]

You may want to do a test on whether a dark or light primer results in better colour match with your paint - I sprayed over some black and white glossy paper for this.

[[Image:colourmatch.jpg|thumbnail|Test the colour match on dark and light glossy paper]]

==== Sanding 3 ====

wet sand the primer down using 400 grit until you have a smooth finish

Clean the area with the soapy rag.

==== Priming 2 ====

Once the area is fully dry, put down a couple more coats of primer.

==== Sanding 4 ====

wet sand the primer down again using 800 grit, until you have a very smooth finish.

Clean the area with the soapy rag, and once it's dry go over it again with the tack rag.

==== Painting ====

Put down 3-4 layers of paint, use the cardboard technique outlined above to avoid any splatters.
Take your time, and remember that many thin layers are better than 1 thick layer.

{{note|text=Keep the can parallel to the surface, and at the recommended distance. Move in one smooth motion, don't stop to 'fill in' an area - you can always catch that bit with the next light layer.
Try to fade-in and fade-out each end of a run using the distance between the can and the area to be painted to achieve a soft edge}}

Leave a good 10mins in between each layer for the paint to flash off - you don't want it to dry completely but you do want most of the solvent to evaporate.

Right, you're going to leave it to dry for a day now.

'''Don't sand the colour coat !'''

[[Image:firstcoat.jpg|thumbnail|Put the first layer of paint down]]

==== Lacquer 1 ====

Again, run over with a tack rag to pick up any dust that's settled while you were leaving it to dry.

Now put down 5-6 layers of lacquer on top of the paint, use the same technique as you did spraying the paint on, leaving it to flash dry for 5-10mins between coats.

Once this is done, leave it to dry for a day.
[[Image:lacquered.jpg|thumbnail|After the first layers of lacquer]]
==== Sanding 5 ====

Don't worry about any orange peel effect that you see on the paint at the moment, it's the compound effect of many layers, we're going to sort that now.

Using 600 grit, wet sand the lacquer down - you'll see a mottled effect where you've hit the high spots of the orange peel but not taken them all the way down, keep going and use a damp rag to wipe every now and then until you get a dull uniform sheen across the area.

Clean the area and run the tack rag over it.

==== Lacquer 2 ====

Put another 2 coats of lacquer down, and leave to dry for a couple of days

==== Sanding 6 ====

wet sand (using washing up liquid) with 1500+ grit paper to finally kill off any new or remaining orange peel. Same as the last round - look for the mottled effect to tell you where the imperfections are and sand until it's gone.

Clean up the area with a damp rag.

=== Finish ===

==== Rubbing ====

Get a clean rag and use the rubbing compound to finish off the lacquer, take your time and get it right.
[[Image:rubbed.jpg|thumbnail|After the rubbing compound]]

==== Finish up ====

Leave the whole lot to dry for a couple of weeks - don't wash and wax your car during this time - the wax will seal in any solvent left and then the paint will never dry properly.

Does it really take 2 weeks for it to dry ? Maybe, maybe not, but do you want to ruin the hours of hard work you've put in so far ?
Leave it alone !
[[Image:ready for polishing.jpg|thumbnail|Almost finished, ready for polishing now !]]

Once you've left it to dry properly, you might want to t-cut in the areas where you're blending the new paint with the old paintwork, then give you car a good deep polish, and cover with a high quality wax, buff up and admire your handiwork !

[[Category:HowTo]]
[[Category:Incomplete]]

Paint repair

2008-03-02T08:21:08Z

Al:

== How to repair a big bumper scratch ==

Someone very kindly reversed into my car while trying to park, rather than leaving a note they just did a runner leaving me with a £3-400 repair to get the bumper off, re-sprayed and put back on.

I figured I had nothing to lose by having a go at fixing it myself before I'd have to pay out anyway, and so this is what I did.

I don't have any fancy rotary sanders or professional spray gear, so I did the best I could with what was available, and it turns out it's perfectly possible to do a reasonable job even if

* you've not done this before
* you don't have pro kit

Obviously it's not going to be as good as a professional job that you'd get if you paid the £400, but it is very rewarding and without close inspection the paint job isn't noticeable.

[[Image:damage.jpg|thumbnail|Thanks a lot !]]

=== Materials ===

Get yourself over to http://www.paints4u.com and order up the following:

* adhesion promoter aerosol
* primer aerosol suitable for priming bumpers
* custom colour aerosol (they'll match on Lotus paint codes)
* lacquer aerosol
* plasticote gun grip attachment for aerosols - this makes a huge difference !
* bumper filler
* a bunch of wet & dry paper at different grades (150 up to 2000)
* some rubbing compound
* automotive grade masking tape
* tub of warm water with washing up liquid and a rag
* tack rag
* degreaser

=== Prep ===

It's all about the prep work, doesn't matter how good you are with the final coat of paint, if the prep work isn't done right, it's not going to look good.

==== Cut out the paint ====

As you can see from the original picture, the damaged area was pretty large with cracked and delaminated paint extending for 30-40cm, to remove all of this paint I took a scalpel and cut around the damaged area, then picked off the chunks of paint.

Do this until you're sure you've removed sufficient paint such that what was left is still securely bonded to the bumper itself.

==== Sanding part 1 ====

Next up, tape around the area you're going to be working on, and get to work sanding down to get a smooth edge on the paint edges.
Since I didn't have any fancy rotary kit this was done by hand. I used 150 grit to do the heavy work.

You should end up with a surface that's smooth to run your finger over, no hard edges where the old paint stops.

Once you're happy that you've sanded enough (see Prep above), wash the area down with the soapy rag - you want to remove all the sanding dust/wax/polish/dead flies/grease/whatever from the area, once it's dried off, go over the area with the degreaser.

[[Image:sanding1.jpg|thumbnail|Sanding down the paint]]

==== Filling ====

Once the area is dry from the washing you just did, mix up some of the bumper filler and apply it to the area you've just sanded down.
Ideally you want to build it back up so that the line of the bumper is slightly proud of how it was originally

I didn't quite put enough filled in one or two places, it's quite difficult to see what the surface contour looks like when it's all matte white, I learnt afterwards that you can spray a very light (one quick pass) coating of a contrasting colour to help with this.

[[Image:filler.jpg|thumbnail|Fill in the area to be painted]]

==== Sanding part 2 ====

Once the filler is properly dry, you need to sand it down. What you end up with here is going to be the contour of your finished bumper, so make sure that you're happy with it - you want to get rid of any bumps or edges, and end up with a smooth transition from the original paint to the filler and back again.

wash down with the soapy water again.

=== Painting ===

==== How to use a spray can ====

* Shake the thing for at least as long as it says on the tin - really - if it says shake for 10 mins, then get a clock, note the time, start shaking and don't stop until the clock says 10mins has passed, not until you think "it's probably been 10mins by now", or until your arm is tired, or until you get bored.
* Use a plastikote spray handle, they clip on to the top of the can and provide you with a handle with a trigger to use - this makes it much easier to move the can in a consistent fashion.
* when you're finished with the can, clean the nozzle by inverting the can and spraying until the paint stops coming out.

===== How to paint from a can=====
* Get a large square of cardboard, and cut a circle out from the middle (about 30cm should be fine).
** You're going to hold this between the can and the car to catch the splatters which happen when you start and stop spraying:
** if you are spraying left-to-right, then you'd start spraying onto the carboard to the left of the hole
** In one smooth motion:
*** move the can to the right so that you're spraying through the hole now onto the target area
*** move the cardboard mask and car to the right in unison, keep spraying through the hold onto the target area
*** once you're at the end of your run stop moving the cardboard, but continue moving the can to the right so that you end up spraying onto the cardboard to the right of the hole
*** stop spraying

Practice a few times using the method above, it takes a bit of getting used to but doing it this way will catch all of the splatters and lumps that occur when you start and stop spraying from a can.

When spraying, '''many light coats are better than one heavy coat !''':
Put a light coat down, and wait for it to flash dry before putting the next coat down.

==== Priming 1 ====

Once the area is fully dry, run over it quickly with a tack rag to remove any bits of dust that might have settled on your newly primed work.

If you're happy that it's clean as a whistle, put down a coat or two of the adhesion promotor.

One that's dry, put down 3 or 4 coats of primer and leave to dry.

[[Image:primer.jpg|thumbnail|Apply 3-4 coats of primer]]

You may want to do a test on whether a dark or light primer results in better colour match with your paint - I sprayed over some black and white glossy paper for this.

[[Image:colourmatch.jpg|thumbnail|Test the colour match on dark and light glossy paper]]

==== Sanding 3 ====

wet sand the primer down using 400 grit until you have a smooth finish

Clean the area with the soapy rag.

==== Priming 2 ====

Once the area is fully dry, put down a couple more coats of primer.

==== Sanding 4 ====

wet sand the primer down again using 800 grit, until you have a very smooth finish.

Clean the area with the soapy rag, and once it's dry go over it again with the tack rag.

==== Painting ====

Put down 3-4 layers of paint, use the cardboard technique outlined above to avoid any splatters.
Take your time, and remember that many thin layers are better than 1 thick layer.

{{note|text=Keep the can parallel to the surface, and at the recommended distance. Move in one smooth motion, don't stop to 'fill in' an area - you can always catch that bit with the next light layer.
Try to fade-in and fade-out each end of a run using the distance between the can and the area to be painted to achieve a soft edge}}

Leave a good 10mins in between each layer for the paint to flash off - you don't want it to dry completely but you do want most of the solvent to evaporate.

Right, you're going to leave it to dry for a day now.

'''Don't sand the colour coat !'''

[[Image:firstcoat.jpg|thumbnail|Put the first layer of paint down]]

==== Lacquer 1 ====

Again, run over with a tack rag to pick up any dust that's settled while you were leaving it to dry.

Now put down 5-6 layers of lacquer on top of the paint, use the same technique as you did spraying the paint on, leaving it to flash dry for 5-10mins between coats.

Once this is done, leave it to dry for a day.
[[Image:lacquered.jpg|thumbnail|After the first layers of lacquer]]
==== Sanding 5 ====

Don't worry about any orange peel effect that you see on the paint at the moment, it's the compound effect of many layers, we're going to sort that now.

Using 600 grit, wet sand the lacquer down - you'll see a mottled effect where you've hit the high spots of the orange peel but not taken them all the way down, keep going and use a damp rag to wipe every now and then until you get a dull uniform sheen across the area.

Clean the area and run the tack rag over it.

==== Lacquer 2 ====

Put another 2 coats of lacquer down, and leave to dry for a couple of days

==== Sanding 6 ====

wet sand (using washing up liquid) with 1500+ grit paper to finally kill off any new or remaining orange peel. Same as the last round - look for the mottled effect to tell you where the imperfections are and sand until it's gone.

Clean up the area with a damp rag.

=== Finish ===

==== Rubbing ====

Get a clean rag and use the rubbing compound to finish off the lacquer, take your time and get it right.
[[Image:rubbed.jpg|thumbnail|After the rubbing compound]]

==== Finish up ====

Leave the whole lot to dry for a couple of weeks - don't wash and wax your car during this time - the wax will seal in any solvent left and then the paint will never dry properly.

Does it really take 2 weeks for it to dry ? Maybe, maybe not, but do you want to ruin the hours of hard work you've put in so far ?
Leave it alone !
[[Image:ready for polishing.jpg|thumbnail|Almost finished, ready for polishing now !]]

Once you've left it to dry properly, you might want to t-cut in the areas where you're blending the new paint with the old paintwork, then give you car a good deep polish, and cover with a high quality wax, buff up and admire your handiwork !

[[Category:HowTo]]
[[Category:Incomplete]]

File:Filler.jpg

2008-03-01T23:52:00Z

Al:

Paint repair

2008-03-01T23:51:39Z

Al:

== How to repair a big bumper scratch ==

Someone very kindly reversed into my car while trying to park, rather than leaving a note they just did a runner leaving me with a £3-400 repair to get the bumper off, re-sprayed and put back on.

I figured I had nothing to lose by having a go at fixing it myself before I'd have to pay out anyway, and so this is what I did.

I don't have any fancy rotary sanders or professional spray gear, so I did the best I could with what was available, and it turns out it's perfectly possible to do a reasonable job even if

* you've not done this before
* you don't have pro kit

Obviously it's not going to be as good as a professional job that you'd get if you paid the £400, but it is very rewarding and without close inspection the paint job isn't noticeable.

[[Image:damage.jpg|thumbnail|Thanks a lot !]]

=== Materials ===

Get yourself over to http://www.paints4u.com and order up the following:

* adhesion promoter aerosol
* primer aerosol suitable for priming bumpers
* custom colour aerosol (they'll match on Lotus paint codes)
* lacquer aerosol
* plasticote gun grip attachment for aerosols - this makes a huge difference !
* bumper filler
* a bunch of wet & dry paper at different grades (150 up to 2000)
* some rubbing compound
* automotive grade masking tape
* tub of warm water with washing up liquid and a rag
* tack rag
* degreaser

=== Prep ===

It's all about the prep work, doesn't matter how good you are with the final coat of paint, if the prep work isn't done right, it's not going to look good.

==== Cut out the paint ====

As you can see from the original picture, the damaged area was pretty large with cracked and delaminated paint extending for 30-40cm, to remove all of this paint I took a scalpel and cut around the damaged area, then picked off the chunks of paint.

Do this until you're sure you've removed sufficient paint such that what was left is still securely bonded to the bumper itself.

==== Sanding part 1 ====

Next up, tape around the area you're going to be working on, and get to work sanding down to get a smooth edge on the paint edges.
Since I didn't have any fancy rotary kit this was done by hand. I used 150 grit to do the heavy work.

You should end up with a surface that's smooth to run your finger over, no hard edges where the old paint stops.

Once you're happy that you've sanded enough (see Prep above), wash the area down with the soapy rag - you want to remove all the sanding dust/wax/polish/dead flies/grease/whatever from the area, once it's dried off, go over the area with the degreaser.

[[Image:sanding1.jpg|thumbnail|Sanding down the paint]]

==== Filling ====

Once the area is dry from the washing you just did, mix up some of the bumper filler and apply it to the area you've just sanded down.
Ideally you want to build it back up so that the line of the bumper is slightly proud of how it was originally

I didn't quite put enough filled in one or two places, it's quite difficult to see what the surface contour looks like when it's all matte white, I learnt afterwards that you can spray a very light (one quick pass) coating of a contrasting colour to help with this.

[[Image:filler.jpg|thumbnail|Fill in the area to be painted]]

==== Sanding part 2 ====

Once the filler is properly dry, you need to sand it down. What you end up with here is going to be the contour of your finished bumper, so make sure that you're happy with it - you want to get rid of any bumps or edges, and end up with a smooth transition from the original paint to the filler and back again.

wash down with the soapy water again.

=== Painting ===

==== How to use a spray can ====

* Shake the thing for at least as long as it says on the tin - really - if it says shake for 10 mins, then get a clock, note the time, start shaking and don't stop until the clock says 10mins has passed, not until you think "it's probably been 10mins by now", or until your arm is tired, or until you get bored.
* Use a plastikote spray handle, they clip on to the top of the can and provide you with a handle with a trigger to use - this makes it much easier to move the can in a consistent fashion.
* when you're finished with the can, clean the nozzle by inverting the can and spraying until the paint stops coming out.

===== How to paint from a can=====
* Get a large square of cardboard, and cut a circle out from the middle (about 30cm should be fine).
** You're going to hold this between the can and the car to catch the splatters which happen when you start and stop spraying:
** if you are spraying left-to-right, then you'd start spraying onto the carboard to the left of the hole
** In one smooth motion:
*** move the can to the right so that you're spraying through the hole now onto the target area
*** move the cardboard mask and car to the right in unison, keep spraying through the hold onto the target area
*** once you're at the end of your run stop moving the cardboard, but continue moving the can to the right so that you end up spraying onto the cardboard to the right of the hole
*** stop spraying

Practice a few times using the method above, it takes a bit of getting used to but doing it this way will catch all of the splatters and lumps that occur when you start and stop spraying from a can.

When spraying, '''many light coats are better than 1 heavy coat !''':
Put a light coat down, and wait for it to flash dry before putting the next coat down.

==== Priming 1 ====

Once the area is fully dry, run over it quickly with a tack rag to remove any bits of dust that might have settled on your newly primed work.

If you're happy that it's clean as a whistle, put down a coat or two of the adhesion promotor.

One that's dry, put down 3 or 4 coats of primer and leave to dry.

[[Image:primer.jpg|thumbnail|Apply 3-4 coats of primer]]

You may want to do a test on whether a dark or light primer results in better colour match with your paint - I sprayed over some black and white glossy paper for this.

[[Image:colourmatch.jpg|thumbnail|Test the colour match on dark and light glossy paper]]

==== Sanding 3 ====

wet sand the primer down using 400 grit until you have a smooth finish

Clean the area with the soapy rag.

==== Priming 2 ====

Once the area is fully dry, put down a couple more coats of primer.

==== Sanding 4 ====

wet sand the primer down again using 800 grit, until you have a very smooth finish.

Clean the area with the soapy rag, and once it's dry go over it again with the tack rag.

==== Painting ====

Put down 3-4 layers of paint, use the cardboard technique outlined above to avoid any splatters.
Take your time, and remember that many thin layers are better than 1 thick layer.

{{note|text=Keep the can parallel to the surface, and at the recommended distance. Move in one smooth motion, don't stop to 'fill in' an area - you can always catch that bit with the next light layer.
Try to fade-in and fade-out each end of a run using the distance between the can and the area to be painted to achieve a soft edge}}

Leave a good 10mins in between each layer for the paint to flash off - you don't want it to dry completely but you do want most of the solvent to evaporate.

Right, you're going to leave it to dry for a day now.

'''Don't sand the colour coat !'''

[[Image:firstcoat.jpg|thumbnail|Put the first layer of paint down]]

==== Lacquer 1 ====

Again, run over with a tack rag to pick up any dust that's settled while you were leaving it to dry.

Now put down 5-6 layers of lacquer on top of the paint, use the same technique as you did spraying the paint on, leaving it to flash dry for 5-10mins between coats.

Once this is done, leave it to dry for a day.
[[Image:lacquered.jpg|thumbnail|After the first layers of lacquer]]
==== Sanding 5 ====

Don't worry about any orange peel effect that you see on the paint at the moment, it's the compound effect of many layers, we're going to sort that now.

Using 600 grit, wet sand the lacquer down - you'll see a mottled effect where you've hit the high spots of the orange peel but not taken them all the way down, keep going and use a damp rag to wipe every now and then until you get a dull uniform sheen across the area.

Clean the area and run the tack rag over it.

==== Lacquer 2 ====

Put another 2 coats of lacquer down, and leave to dry for a couple of days

==== Sanding 6 ====

wet sand (using washing up liquid) with 1500+ grit paper to finally kill off any new or remaining orange peel. Same as the last round - look for the mottled effect to tell you where the imperfections are and sand until it's gone.

Clean up the area with a damp rag.

=== Finish ===

==== Rubbing ====

Get a clean rag and use the rubbing compound to finish off the lacquer, take your time and get it right.
[[Image:rubbed.jpg|thumbnail|After the rubbing compound]]

==== Finish up ====

Leave the whole lot to dry for a couple of weeks - don't wash and wax your car during this time - the wax will seal in any solvent left and then the paint will never dry properly.

Does it really take 2 weeks for it to dry ? Maybe, maybe not, but do you want to ruin the hours of hard work you've put in so far ?
Leave it alone !
[[Image:ready for polishing.jpg|thumbnail|Almost finished, ready for polishing now !]]

Once you've left it to dry properly, you might want to t-cut in the areas where you're blending the new paint with the old paintwork, then give you car a good deep polish, and cover with a high quality wax, buff up and admire your handiwork !

[[Category:HowTo]]
[[Category:Incomplete]]

Paint repair

2008-03-01T12:18:54Z

Al:

== How to repair a big bumper scratch ==

Someone very kindly reversed into my car while trying to park, rather than leaving a note they just did a runner leaving me with a £3-400 repair to get the bumper off, re-sprayed and put back on.

I figured I had nothing to lose by having a go at fixing it myself before I'd have to pay out anyway, and so this is what I did.

I don't have any fancy rotary sanders or professional spray gear, so I did the best I could with what was available, and it turns out it's perfectly possible to do a reasonable job even if

* you've not done this before
* you don't have pro kit

Obviously it's not going to be as good as a professional job that you'd get if you paid the £400, but it is very rewarding and without close inspection the paint job isn't noticeable.

[[Image:damage.jpg|thumbnail|Thanks a lot !]]

=== Materials ===

Get yourself over to http://www.paints4u.com and order up the following:

* adhesion promoter aerosol
* primer aerosol suitable for priming bumpers
* custom colour aerosol (they'll match on Lotus paint codes)
* lacquer aerosol
* plasticote gun grip attachment for aerosols - this makes a huge difference !
* bumper filler
* a bunch of wet & dry paper at different grades (150 up to 2000)
* some rubbing compound
* automotive grade masking tape
* tub of warm water with washing up liquid and a rag
* tack rag
* degreaser

=== Prep ===

It's all about the prep work, doesn't matter how good you are with the final coat of paint, if the prep work isn't done right, it's not going to look good.

==== Cut out the paint ====

As you can see from the original picture, the damaged area was pretty large with cracked and delaminated paint extending for 30-40cm, to remove all of this paint I took a scalpel and cut around the damaged area, then picked off the chunks of paint.

Do this until you're sure you've removed sufficient paint such that what was left is still securely bonded to the bumper itself.

==== Sanding part 1 ====

Next up, tape around the area you're going to be working on, and get to work sanding down to get a smooth edge on the paint edges.
Since I didn't have any fancy rotary kit this was done by hand. I used 150 grit to do the heavy work.

You should end up with a surface that's smooth to run your finger over, no hard edges where the old paint stops.

Once you're happy that you've sanded enough (see Prep above), wash the area down with the soapy rag - you want to remove all the sanding dust/wax/polish/dead flies/grease/whatever from the area, once it's dried off, go over the area with the degreaser.

[[Image:sanding1.jpg|thumbnail|Sanding down the paint]]

==== Filling ====

Once the area is dry from the washing you just did, mix up some of the bumper filler and apply it to the area you've just sanded down.
Ideally you want to build it back up so that the line of the bumper is slightly proud of how it was originally

I didn't quite put enough filled in one or two places, it's quite difficult to see what the surface contour looks like when it's all matte white, I learnt afterwards that you can spray a very light (one quick pass) coating of a contrasting colour to help with this.

[Image:filler.jpg|thumbnail|Fill in the area to be painted]]

==== Sanding part 2 ====

Once the filler is properly dry, you need to sand it down. What you end up with here is going to be the contour of your finished bumper, so make sure that you're happy with it - you want to get rid of any bumps or edges, and end up with a smooth transition from the original paint to the filler and back again.

wash down with the soapy water again.

=== Painting ===

==== How to use a spray can ====

* Shake the thing for at least as long as it says on the tin - really - if it says shake for 10 mins, then get a clock, note the time, start shaking and don't stop until the clock says 10mins has passed, not until you think "it's probably been 10mins by now", or until your arm is tired, or until you get bored.
* Use a plastikote spray handle, they clip on to the top of the can and provide you with a handle with a trigger to use - this makes it much easier to move the can in a consistent fashion.
* when you're finished with the can, clean the nozzle by inverting the can and spraying until the paint stops coming out.

===== How to paint from a can=====
* Get a large square of cardboard, and cut a circle out from the middle (about 30cm should be fine).
** You're going to hold this between the can and the car to catch the splatters which happen when you start and stop spraying:
** if you are spraying left-to-right, then you'd start spraying onto the carboard to the left of the hole
** In one smooth motion:
*** move the can to the right so that you're spraying through the hole now onto the target area
*** move the cardboard mask and car to the right in unison, keep spraying through the hold onto the target area
*** once you're at the end of your run stop moving the cardboard, but continue moving the can to the right so that you end up spraying onto the cardboard to the right of the hole
*** stop spraying

Practice a few times using the method above, it takes a bit of getting used to but doing it this way will catch all of the splatters and lumps that occur when you start and stop spraying from a can.

When spraying, '''many light coats are better than 1 heavy coat !''':
Put a light coat down, and wait for it to flash dry before putting the next coat down.

==== Priming 1 ====

Once the area is fully dry, run over it quickly with a tack rag to remove any bits of dust that might have settled on your newly primed work.

If you're happy that it's clean as a whistle, put down a coat or two of the adhesion promotor.

One that's dry, put down 3 or 4 coats of primer and leave to dry.

[[Image:primer.jpg|thumbnail|Apply 3-4 coats of primer]]

You may want to do a test on whether a dark or light primer results in better colour match with your paint - I sprayed over some black and white glossy paper for this.

[[Image:colourmatch.jpg|thumbnail|Test the colour match on dark and light glossy paper]]

==== Sanding 3 ====

wet sand the primer down using 400 grit until you have a smooth finish

Clean the area with the soapy rag.

==== Priming 2 ====

Once the area is fully dry, put down a couple more coats of primer.

==== Sanding 4 ====

wet sand the primer down again using 800 grit, until you have a very smooth finish.

Clean the area with the soapy rag, and once it's dry go over it again with the tack rag.

==== Painting ====

Put down 3-4 layers of paint, use the cardboard technique outlined above to avoid any splatters.
Take your time, and remember that many thin layers are better than 1 thick layer.

{{note|text=Keep the can parallel to the surface, and at the recommended distance. Move in one smooth motion, don't stop to 'fill in' an area - you can always catch that bit with the next light layer.
Try to fade-in and fade-out each end of a run using the distance between the can and the area to be painted to achieve a soft edge}}

Leave a good 10mins in between each layer for the paint to flash off - you don't want it to dry completely but you do want most of the solvent to evaporate.

Right, you're going to leave it to dry for a day now.

'''Don't sand the colour coat !'''

[[Image:firstcoat.jpg|thumbnail|Put the first layer of paint down]]

==== Lacquer 1 ====

Again, run over with a tack rag to pick up any dust that's settled while you were leaving it to dry.

Now put down 5-6 layers of lacquer on top of the paint, use the same technique as you did spraying the paint on, leaving it to flash dry for 5-10mins between coats.

Once this is done, leave it to dry for a day.
[[Image:lacquered.jpg|thumbnail|After the first layers of lacquer]]
==== Sanding 5 ====

Don't worry about any orange peel effect that you see on the paint at the moment, it's the compound effect of many layers, we're going to sort that now.

Using 600 grit, wet sand the lacquer down - you'll see a mottled effect where you've hit the high spots of the orange peel but not taken them all the way down, keep going and use a damp rag to wipe every now and then until you get a dull uniform sheen across the area.

Clean the area and run the tack rag over it.

==== Lacquer 2 ====

Put another 2 coats of lacquer down, and leave to dry for a couple of days

==== Sanding 6 ====

wet sand (using washing up liquid) with 1500+ grit paper to finally kill off any new or remaining orange peel. Same as the last round - look for the mottled effect to tell you where the imperfections are and sand until it's gone.

Clean up the area with a damp rag.

=== Finish ===

==== Rubbing ====

Get a clean rag and use the rubbing compound to finish off the lacquer, take your time and get it right.
[[Image:rubbed.jpg|thumbnail|After the rubbing compound]]

==== Finish up ====

Leave the whole lot to dry for a couple of weeks - don't wash and wax your car during this time - the wax will seal in any solvent left and then the paint will never dry properly.

Does it really take 2 weeks for it to dry ? Maybe, maybe not, but do you want to ruin the hours of hard work you've put in so far ?
Leave it alone !
[[Image:ready for polishing.jpg|thumbnail|Almost finished, ready for polishing now !]]

Once you've left it to dry properly, you might want to t-cut in the areas where you're blending the new paint with the old paintwork, then give you car a good deep polish, and cover with a high quality wax, buff up and admire your handiwork !

[[Category:HowTo]]
[[Category:Incomplete]]

Paint repair

2008-03-01T12:12:37Z

Al:

== How to repair a big bumper scratch ==

Someone very kindly reversed into my car while trying to park, rather than leaving a note they just did a runner leaving me with a £3-400 repair to get the bumper off, resprayed and put back on.

I figured I have nothing to lose by having a go at fixing it myself before I have to pay out anyway, and so this is what I did.

I don't have any fancy rotary sanders or professional spray gear, so I did the best I could with what was available, and it turns out it's perfectly possible to do a reasonable job even if

* you've not done this before
* you don't have pro kit

Obviously it's not going to be as good as a professional job that you'd get if you paid the £400, but it is very rewarding and without close inspection the paint job isn't noticeable.

[[Image:damage.jpg|thumbnail|Thanks a lot !]]

=== Materials ===

Get yourself over to http://www.paints4u.com and order up the following:

* adhesion promoter aerosol
* primer aerosol suitable for priming bumpers
* custom colour aerosol (they'll match on Lotus paint codes)
* lacquer aerosol
* plasticote gun grip attachment for aerosols - this makes a huge difference !
* bumper filler
* a bunch of wet & dry paper at different grades (150 up to 2000)
* some rubbing compound
* automotive grade masking tape
* tub of warm water with washing up liquid and a rag
* tack rag
* degreaser

=== Prep ===

It's all about the prep work, doesn't matter how good you are with the final coat of paint, if the prep work isn't done right, it's not going to look good.

==== Cut out the paint ====

As you can see from the original picture, the damaged area was pretty large with cracked and delaminated paint extending for 30-40cm, to remove all of this paint I took a scalpel and cut around the damaged area, then picked off the chunks of paint.

Do this until you're sure you've removed sufficient paint such that what was left is still securely bonded to the bumper itself.

==== Sanding part 1 ====

Next up, tape around the area you're going to be working on, and get to work sanding down to get a smooth edge on the paint edges.
Since I didn't have any fancy rotary kit this was done by hand. I used 150 grit to do the heavy work.

You should end up with a surface that's smooth to run your finger over, no hard edges where the old paint stops.

Once you're happy that you've sanded enough (see Prep above), wash the area down with the soapy rag - you want to remove all the sanding dust/wax/polish/dead flies/grease/whatever from the area, once it's dried off, go over the area with the degreaser.

[[Image:sanding1.jpg|thumbnail|Sanding down the paint]]

==== Filling ====

Once the area is dry from the washing you just did, mix up some of the bumper filler and apply it to the area you've just sanded down.
Ideally you want to build it back up so that the line of the bumper is slightly proud of how it was originally

I didn't quite put enough filled in one or two places, it's quite difficult to see what the surface contour looks like when it's all matte white, I learnt afterwards that you can spray a very light (one quick pass) coating of a contrasting colour to help with this.

[Image:filler.jpg|thumbnail|Fill in the area to be painted]]

==== Sanding part 2 ====

Once the filler is properly dry, you need to sand it down. What you end up with here is going to be the contour of your finished bumper, so make sure that you're happy with it - you want to get rid of any bumps or edges, and end up with a smooth transition from the original paint to the filler and back again.

wash down with the soapy water again.

=== Painting ===

==== How to use a spray can ====

* Shake the thing for at least as long as it says on the tin - really - if it says shake for 10 mins, then get a clock, note the time, start shaking and don't stop until the clock says 10mins has passed, not until you think "it's probably been 10mins by now", or until your arm is tired, or until you get bored.
* Use a plastikote spray handle, they clip on to the top of the can and provide you with a handle with a trigger to use - this makes it much easier to move the can in a consistent fashion.
* when you're finished with the can, clean the nozzle by inverting the can and spraying until the paint stops coming out.

===== How to paint from a can=====
* Get a large square of cardboard, and cut a circle out from the middle (about 30cm should be fine).
** You're going to hold this between the can and the car to catch the splatters which happen when you start and stop spraying:
** if you are spraying left-to-right, then you'd start spraying onto the carboard to the left of the hole
** In one smooth motion:
*** move the can to the right so that you're spraying through the hole now onto the target area
*** move the cardboard mask and car to the right in unison, keep spraying through the hold onto the target area
*** once you're at the end of your run stop moving the cardboard, but continue moving the can to the right so that you end up spraying onto the cardboard to the right of the hole
*** stop spraying

Practice a few times using the method above, it takes a bit of getting used to but doing it this way will catch all of the splatters and lumps that occur when you start and stop spraying from a can.

When spraying, '''many light coats are better than 1 heavy coat !''':
Put a light coat down, and wait for it to flash dry before putting the next coat down.

==== Priming 1 ====

Once the area is fully dry, run over it quickly with a tack rag to remove any bits of dust that might have settled on your newly primed work.

If you're happy that it's clean as a whistle, put down a coat or two of the adhesion promotor.

One that's dry, put down 3 or 4 coats of primer and leave to dry.

[[Image:primer.jpg|thumbnail|Apply 3-4 coats of primer]]

You may want to do a test on whether a dark or light primer results in better colour match with your paint - I sprayed over some black and white glossy paper for this.

[[Image:colourmatch.jpg|thumbnail|Test the colour match on dark and light glossy paper]]

==== Sanding 3 ====

wet sand the primer down using 400 grit until you have a smooth finish

Clean the area with the soapy rag.

==== Priming 2 ====

Once the area is fully dry, put down a couple more coats of primer.

==== Sanding 4 ====

wet sand the primer down again using 800 grit, until you have a very smooth finish.

Clean the area with the soapy rag, and once it's dry go over it again with the tack rag.

==== Painting ====

Put down 3-4 layers of paint, use the cardboard technique outlined above to avoid any splatters.
Take your time, and remember that many thin layers are better than 1 thick layer.

{{note|text=Keep the can parallel to the surface, and at the recommended distance. Move in one smooth motion, don't stop to 'fill in' an area - you can always catch that bit with the next light layer.
Try to fade-in and fade-out each end of a run using the distance between the can and the area to be painted to achieve a soft edge}}

Leave a good 10mins in between each layer for the paint to flash off - you don't want it to dry completely but you do want most of the solvent to evaporate.

Right, you're going to leave it to dry for a day now.

'''Don't sand the colour coat !'''

[[Image:firstcoat.jpg|thumbnail|Put the first layer of paint down]]

==== Lacquer 1 ====

Again, run over with a tack rag to pick up any dust that's settled while you were leaving it to dry.

Now put down 5-6 layers of lacquer on top of the paint, use the same technique as you did spraying the paint on, leaving it to flash dry for 5-10mins between coats.

Once this is done, leave it to dry for a day.
[[Image:lacquered.jpg|thumbnail|After the first layers of lacquer]]
==== Sanding 5 ====

Don't worry about any orange peel effect that you see on the paint at the moment, it's the compound effect of many layers, we're going to sort that now.

Using 600 grit, wet sand the lacquer down - you'll see a mottled effect where you've hit the high spots of the orange peel but not taken them all the way down, keep going and use a damp rag to wipe every now and then until you get a dull uniform sheen across the area.

Clean the area and run the tack rag over it.

==== Lacquer 2 ====

Put another 2 coats of lacquer down, and leave to dry for a couple of days

==== Sanding 6 ====

wet sand (using washing up liquid) with 1500+ grit paper to finally kill off any new or remaining orange peel. Same as the last round - look for the mottled effect to tell you where the imperfections are and sand until it's gone.

Clean up the area with a damp rag.

=== Finish ===

==== Rubbing ====

Get a clean rag and use the rubbing compound to finish off the lacquer, take your time and get it right.
[[Image:rubbed.jpg|thumbnail|After the rubbing compound]]

==== Finish up ====

Leave the whole lot to dry for a couple of weeks - don't wash and wax your car during this time - the wax will seal in any solvent left and then the paint will never dry properly.

Does it really take 2 weeks for it to dry ? Maybe, maybe not, but do you want to ruin the hours of hard work you've put in so far ?
Leave it alone !
[[Image:ready for polishing.jpg|thumbnail|Almost finished, ready for polishing now !]]

Once you've left it to dry properly, you might want to t-cut in the areas where you're blending the new paint with the old paintwork, then give you car a good deep polish, and cover with a high quality wax, buff up and admire your handiwork !

[[Category:HowTo]]
[[Category:Incomplete]]

Paint repair

2008-03-01T12:11:43Z

Al:

== How to repair a big bumper scratch ==

Someone very kindly reversed into my car while trying to park, rather than leaving a note they just did a runner leaving me with a £3-400 repair to get the bumper off, resprayed and put back on.

I figured I have nothing to lose by having a go at fixing it myself before I have to pay out anyway, and so this is what I did.

I don't have any fancy rotary sanders or professional spray gear, so I did the best I could with what was available, and it turns out it's perfectly possible to do a reasonable job even if

* you've not done this before
* you don't have pro kit

Obviously it's not going to be as good as a professional job that you'd get if you paid the £400, but it is very rewarding and without close inspection the paint job isn't noticeable.

[[Image:damage.jpg|thumbnail|Thanks a lot !]]

=== Materials ===

Get yourself over to http://www.paints4u.com and order up the following:

* adhesion promoter aerosol
* primer aerosol suitable for priming bumpers
* custom colour aerosol (they'll match on Lotus paint codes)
* lacquer aerosol
* plasticote gun grip attachment for aerosols - this makes a huge difference !
* bumper filler
* a bunch of wet & dry paper at different grades (150 up to 2000)
* some rubbing compound
* automotive grade masking tape
* tub of warm water with washing up liquid and a rag
* tack rag
* degreaser

=== Prep ===

It's all about the prep work, doesn't matter how good you are with the final coat of paint, if the prep work isn't done right, it's not going to look good.

==== Cut out the paint ====

As you can see from the original picture, the damaged area was pretty large with cracked and delaminated paint extending for 30-40cm, to remove all of this paint I took a scalpel and cut around the damaged area, then picked off the chunks of paint.

Do this until you're sure you've removed sufficient paint such that what was left is still securely bonded to the bumper itself.

==== Sanding part 1 ====

Next up, tape around the area you're going to be working on, and get to work sanding down to get a smooth edge on the paint edges.
Since I didn't have any fancy rotary kit this was done by hand. I used 150 grit to do the heavy work.

You should end up with a surface that's smooth to run your finger over, no hard edges where the old paint stops.

Once you're happy that you've sanded enough (see Prep above), wash the area down with the soapy rag - you want to remove all the sanding dust/wax/polish/dead flies/grease/whatever from the area, once it's dried off, go over the area with the degreaser.

[[Image:sanding1.jpg|thumbnail|Sanding down the paint]]

==== Filling ====

Once the area is dry from the washing you just did, mix up some of the bumper filler and apply it to the area you've just sanded down.
Ideally you want to build it back up so that the line of the bumper is slightly proud of how it was originally

I didn't quite put enough filled in one or two places, it's quite difficult to see what the surface contour looks like when it's all matte white, I learnt afterwards that you can spray a very light (one quick pass) coating of a contrasting colour to help with this.

[Image:filler.jpg|thumbnail|Fill in the area to be painted]]

==== Sanding part 2 ====

Once the filler is properly dry, you need to sand it down. What you end up with here is going to be the contour of your finished bumper, so make sure that you're happy with it - you want to get rid of any bumps or edges, and end up with a smooth transition from the original paint to the filler and back again.

wash down with the soapy water again.

=== Painting ===

==== How to use a spray can ====

* Shake the thing for at least as long as it says on the tin - really - if it says shake for 10 mins, then get a clock, note the time, start shaking and don't stop until the clock says 10mins has passed, not until you think "it's probably been 10mins by now", or until your arm is tired, or until you get bored.
* Use a plastikote spray handle, they clip on to the top of the can and provide you with a handle with a trigger to use - this makes it much easier to move the can in a consistent fashion.
* when you're finished with the can, clean the nozzle by inverting the can and spraying until the paint stops coming out.

===== How to paint from a can=====
* Get a large square of cardboard, and cut a circle out from the middle (about 30cm should be fine).
** You're going to hold this between the can and the car to catch the splatters which happen when you start and stop spraying:
** if you are spraying left-to-right, then you'd start spraying onto the carboard to the left of the hole
** In one smooth motion:
*** move the can to the right so that you're spraying through the hole now onto the target area
*** move the cardboard mask and car to the right in unison, keep spraying through the hold onto the target area
*** once you're at the end of your run stop moving the cardboard, but continue moving the can to the right so that you end up spraying onto the cardboard to the right of the hole
*** stop spraying

Practice a few times using the method above, it takes a bit of getting used to but doing it this way will catch all of the splatters and lumps that occur when you start and stop spraying from a can.

When spraying, '''many light coats are better than 1 heavy coat !''':
Put a light coat down, and wait for it to flash dry before putting the next coat down.

==== Priming 1 ====

Once the area is fully dry, run over it quickly with a tack rag to remove any bits of dust that might have settled on your newly primed work.

If you're happy that it's clean as a whistle, put down a coat or two of the adhesion promotor.

One that's dry, put down 3 or 4 coats of primer and leave to dry.

[[Image:primer.jpg|thumbnail|Apply 3-4 coats of primer]]

You may want to do a test on whether a dark or light primer results in better colour match with your paint - I sprayed over some black and white glossy paper for this.

[[Image:colourmatch.jpg|thumbnail|Test the colour match on dark and light glossy paper]]

==== Sanding 3 ====

wet sand the primer down using 400 grit until you have a smooth finish

Clean the area with the soapy rag.

==== Priming 2 ====

Once the area is fully dry, put down a couple more coats of primer.

==== Sanding 4 ====

wet sand the primer down again using 800 grit, until you have a very smooth finish.

Clean the area with the soapy rag, and once it's dry go over it again with the tack rag.

==== Painting ====

Put down 3-4 layers of paint, use the cardboard technique outlined above to avoid any splatters.
Take your time, and remember that many thin layers are better than 1 thick layer.

{{note|text=Keep the can parallel to the surface, and at the recommended distance. Move in one smooth motion, don't stop to 'fill in' an area - you can always catch that bit with the next light layer.
Try to fade-in and fade-out each end of a run using the distance between the can and the area to be painted to achieve a soft edge}}

Leave a good 10mins in between each layer for the paint to flash off - you don't want it to dry completely but you do want most of the solvent to evaporate.

Right, you're going to leave it to dry for a day now.

'''Don't sand the colour coat !'''

[[Image:firstcoat.jpg|thumbnail|Put the first layer of paint down]]

==== Lacquer 1 ====

Again, run over with a tack rag to pick up any dust that's settled while you were leaving it to dry.

Now put down 5-6 layers of lacquer on top of the paint, use the same technique as you did spraying the paint on, leaving it to flash dry for 5-10mins between coats.

Once this is done, leave it to dry for a day.
[[Image:lacquered.jpg|thumbnail|After the first layers of lacquer]]
==== Sanding 5 ====

Don't worry about any orange peel effect that you see on the paint at the moment, it's the compound effect of many layers, we're going to sort that now.

Using 600 grit, wet sand the lacquer down - you'll see a mottled effect where you've hit the high spots of the orange peel but not taken them all the way down, keep going and use a damp rag to wipe every now and then until you get a dull uniform sheen across the area.

Clean the area and run the tack rag over it.

==== Lacquer 2 ====

Put another 2 coats of lacquer down, and leave to dry for a couple of days

==== Sanding 6 ====

wet sand (using washing up liquid) with 1500+ grit paper to finally kill off any new or remaining orange peel. Same as the last round - look for the mottled effect to tell you where the imperfections are and sand until it's gone.

Clean up the area with a damp rag.

=== Finish ===

==== Rubbing ====

Get a clean rag and use the rubbing compound to finish off the lacquer, take your time and get it right.
[[Image:rubbed.jpg|thumbnail|After the rubbing compound]]

==== Finish up ====

Leave the whole lot to dry for a couple of weeks - don't wash and wax your car during this time - the wax will seal in any solvent left and then the paint will never dry properly.

Does it really take 2 weeks for it to dry ? Maybe, maybe not, but do you want to ruin the hours of hard work you've put in so far ?
Leave it alone !
[[Image:ready for polishing.jpg|thumbnail|Almost finished, ready for polishing now !]]

Once you've left it to dry properly, you might want to t-cut in the areas where you're blending the new paint with the old paintwork, then give you car a good deep polish, and cover with a high quality wax, buff up and admire your handiwork !

[[:Category:HowTo]]
[[:Category:Incomplete]]

File:Rubbed.jpg

2008-03-01T12:10:34Z

Al:

Paint repair

2008-03-01T12:10:07Z

Al:

== How to repair a big bumper scratch ==

Someone very kindly reversed into my car while trying to park, rather than leaving a note they just did a runner leaving me with a £3-400 repair to get the bumper off, resprayed and put back on.

I figured I have nothing to lose by having a go at fixing it myself before I have to pay out anyway, and so this is what I did.

I don't have any fancy rotary sanders or professional spray gear, so I did the best I could with what was available, and it turns out it's perfectly possible to do a reasonable job even if

* you've not done this before
* you don't have pro kit

Obviously it's not going to be as good as a professional job that you'd get if you paid the £400, but it is very rewarding and without close inspection the paint job isn't noticeable.

[[Image:damage.jpg|thumbnail|Thanks a lot !]]

=== Materials ===

Get yourself over to http://www.paints4u.com and order up the following:

* adhesion promoter aerosol
* primer aerosol suitable for priming bumpers
* custom colour aerosol (they'll match on Lotus paint codes)
* lacquer aerosol
* plasticote gun grip attachment for aerosols - this makes a huge difference !
* bumper filler
* a bunch of wet & dry paper at different grades (150 up to 2000)
* some rubbing compound
* automotive grade masking tape
* tub of warm water with washing up liquid and a rag
* tack rag
* degreaser

=== Prep ===

It's all about the prep work, doesn't matter how good you are with the final coat of paint, if the prep work isn't done right, it's not going to look good.

==== Cut out the paint ====

As you can see from the original picture, the damaged area was pretty large with cracked and delaminated paint extending for 30-40cm, to remove all of this paint I took a scalpel and cut around the damaged area, then picked off the chunks of paint.

Do this until you're sure you've removed sufficient paint such that what was left is still securely bonded to the bumper itself.

==== Sanding part 1 ====

Next up, tape around the area you're going to be working on, and get to work sanding down to get a smooth edge on the paint edges.
Since I didn't have any fancy rotary kit this was done by hand. I used 150 grit to do the heavy work.

You should end up with a surface that's smooth to run your finger over, no hard edges where the old paint stops.

Once you're happy that you've sanded enough (see Prep above), wash the area down with the soapy rag - you want to remove all the sanding dust/wax/polish/dead flies/grease/whatever from the area, once it's dried off, go over the area with the degreaser.

[[Image:sanding1.jpg|thumbnail|Sanding down the paint]]

==== Filling ====

Once the area is dry from the washing you just did, mix up some of the bumper filler and apply it to the area you've just sanded down.
Ideally you want to build it back up so that the line of the bumper is slightly proud of how it was originally

I didn't quite put enough filled in one or two places, it's quite difficult to see what the surface contour looks like when it's all matte white, I learnt afterwards that you can spray a very light (one quick pass) coating of a contrasting colour to help with this.

[Image:filler.jpg|thumbnail|Fill in the area to be painted]]

==== Sanding part 2 ====

Once the filler is properly dry, you need to sand it down. What you end up with here is going to be the contour of your finished bumper, so make sure that you're happy with it - you want to get rid of any bumps or edges, and end up with a smooth transition from the original paint to the filler and back again.

wash down with the soapy water again.

==== How to use a spray can ====

* Shake the thing for at least as long as it says on the tin - really - if it says shake for 10 mins, then get a clock, note the time, start shaking and don't stop until the clock says 10mins has passed, not until you think "it's probably been 10mins by now", or until your arm is tired, or until you get bored.
* Use a plastikote spray handle, they clip on to the top of the can and provide you with a handle with a trigger to use - this makes it much easier to move the can in a consistent fashion.
* when you're finished with the can, clean the nozzle by inverting the can and spraying until the paint stops coming out.

===== How to paint from a can=====
* Get a large square of cardboard, and cut a circle out from the middle (about 30cm should be fine).
** You're going to hold this between the can and the car to catch the splatters which happen when you start and stop spraying:
** if you are spraying left-to-right, then you'd start spraying onto the carboard to the left of the hole
** In one smooth motion:
*** move the can to the right so that you're spraying through the hole now onto the target area
*** move the cardboard mask and car to the right in unison, keep spraying through the hold onto the target area
*** once you're at the end of your run stop moving the cardboard, but continue moving the can to the right so that you end up spraying onto the cardboard to the right of the hole
*** stop spraying

Practice a few times using the method above, it takes a bit of getting used to but doing it this way will catch all of the splatters and lumps that occur when you start and stop spraying from a can.

When spraying, '''many light coats are better than 1 heavy coat !''':
Put a light coat down, and wait for it to flash dry before putting the next coat down.

==== Priming 1 ====

Once the area is fully dry, run over it quickly with a tack rag to remove any bits of dust that might have settled on your newly primed work.

If you're happy that it's clean as a whistle, put down a coat or two of the adhesion promotor.

One that's dry, put down 3 or 4 coats of primer and leave to dry.

[[Image:primer.jpg|thumbnail|Apply 3-4 coats of primer]]

You may want to do a test on whether a dark or light primer results in better colour match with your paint - I sprayed over some black and white glossy paper for this.

[[Image:colourmatch.jpg|thumbnail|Test the colour match on dark and light glossy paper]]

==== Sanding 3 ====

wet sand the primer down using 400 grit until you have a smooth finish

Clean the area with the soapy rag.

==== Priming 2 ====

Once the area is fully dry, put down a couple more coats of primer.

==== Sanding 4 ====

wet sand the primer down again using 800 grit, until you have a very smooth finish.

Clean the area with the soapy rag, and once it's dry go over it again with the tack rag.

==== Painting ====

Put down 3-4 layers of paint, use the cardboard technique outlined above to avoid any splatters.
Take your time, and remember that many thin layers are better than 1 thick layer.

{{note|text=Keep the can parallel to the surface, and at the recommended distance. Move in one smooth motion, don't stop to 'fill in' an area - you can always catch that bit with the next light layer.
Try to fade-in and fade-out each end of a run using the distance between the can and the area to be painted to achieve a soft edge}}

Leave a good 10mins in between each layer for the paint to flash off - you don't want it to dry completely but you do want most of the solvent to evaporate.

Right, you're going to leave it to dry for a day now.

'''Don't sand the colour coat !'''

[[Image:firstcoat.jpg|thumbnail|Put the first layer of paint down]]

==== Lacquer 1 ====

Again, run over with a tack rag to pick up any dust that's settled while you were leaving it to dry.

Now put down 5-6 layers of lacquer on top of the paint, use the same technique as you did spraying the paint on, leaving it to flash dry for 5-10mins between coats.

Once this is done, leave it to dry for a day.
[[Image:lacquered.jpg|thumbnail|After the first layers of lacquer]]
==== Sanding 5 ====

Don't worry about any orange peel effect that you see on the paint at the moment, it's the compound effect of many layers, we're going to sort that now.

Using 600 grit, wet sand the lacquer down - you'll see a mottled effect where you've hit the high spots of the orange peel but not taken them all the way down, keep going and use a damp rag to wipe every now and then until you get a dull uniform sheen across the area.

Clean the area and run the tack rag over it.

==== Lacquer 2 ====

Put another 2 coats of lacquer down, and leave to dry for a couple of days

==== Sanding 6 ====

wet sand (using washing up liquid) with 1500+ grit paper to finally kill off any new or remaining orange peel. Same as the last round - look for the mottled effect to tell you where the imperfections are and sand until it's gone.

Clean up the area with a damp rag.

==== Rubbing ====

Get a clean rag and use the rubbing compound to finish off the lacquer, take your time and get it right.
[[Image:rubbed.jpg|thumbnail|After the rubbing compound]]

==== Finish up ====

Leave the whole lot to dry for a couple of weeks - don't wash and wax your car during this time - the wax will seal in any solvent left and then the paint will never dry properly.

Does it really take 2 weeks for it to dry ? Maybe, maybe not, but do you want to ruin the hours of hard work you've put in so far ?
Leave it alone !
[[Image:ready for polishing.jpg|thumbnail|Almost finished, ready for polishing now !]]

Once you've left it to dry properly, you might want to t-cut in the areas where you're blending the new paint with the old paintwork, then give you car a good deep polish, and cover with a high quality wax, buff up and admire your handiwork !

[[:Category:HowTo]]
[[:Category:Incomplete]]

File:Ready for polishing.jpg

2008-03-01T12:09:30Z

Al:

File:Lacquered.jpg

2008-03-01T12:08:59Z

Al: Area is lacquered up

Area is lacquered up

File:Firstcoat.jpg

2008-03-01T12:08:30Z

Al: The first coats of paint are down

The first coats of paint are down

File:Colourmatch.jpg

2008-03-01T12:07:57Z

Al: Checking whether to use a light or dark colour primer

Checking whether to use a light or dark colour primer

File:Primer.jpg

2008-03-01T12:07:26Z

Al: Primer added and sanded

Primer added and sanded

File:Sanding1.jpg

2008-03-01T12:06:46Z

Al: Taped up and sanded down

Taped up and sanded down