Over the last 2 years I have been developing my Elise for track use. This article is intended to record my experiences. It is somewhat detailed and technical: you may not be inclined to read any further.
I ordered my Elise in May '96 as a road car for occasional track use. It was, and remains, not my intention to use the car competitively. I selected leather seats, and more of this decision later. The car was delivered in Mar '97, and as soon as it was run-in, I took it on my first trackday in early May at Donnington. The development story starts right then.
From the first laps of the track with an instructor at the wheel it was apparent that the leather seats and the lap-and-diagonal seatbelts provided insufficient lateral location. Later in the day, while I was at the wheel, I had my first experience of lift-off oversteer, and had my first, but not last spin. All in all, not a very encouraging start for a car which I understood to be pretty much track ready. I had been considering the need for more power, but it was apparent that at least the lateral location problem needed urgent resolution. A full harness seemed to offer a solution, not only providing improved location, but also enhanced safety. In any case, the lift-off oversteer had made me realise that more power should be the last item on the wish list.
Back home, a quick inspection of a detailed engineering drawings that had been published in the Autocar seemed to indicate that there was no structure in the rear of the cockpit which was strong enough for the attachment of the shoulder harnesses. Following discussions with the London Lotus Centre and the Factory, it was established that to fit harnesses it was also necessary to fit a full roll cage. It turned out that the Elise is already fitted to receive the roll cage, which bolts up to the same fittings that support the inertial reel and to fittings in the back of the existing roll bar. The roll cage is made by Safety Equipment, but is a Lotus part, and can only be purchased through Lotus.
The roll cage was delivered in and fitted in Aug '97. It was fitted by Ratrace. We decided that we would make the petty bar (the diagonal bracing strut) portable, and to fit the heel fitting in the passenger footwell without cutting holes in the chassis as called for in the fitting instructions. Both these modifications were carried using aviation standard fixings, which were not cheap. The fitting of the roll cage was by no means easy, since it was a tight fit, and required cutting and refitting the radio speakers as well as the roll bar fairing. At the time, the competition harnesses now available as Lotus Sport parts were not available, but in any case we decided that 3" harnesses were too inconvenient for road use. Willans were asked to make up a special set to make use of the roll bar and the existing seat fittings. They made a 2" x 6 point harness for the driver, and a 2" x 4 point harness for the passenger. Without a doubt, the harnesses made a great improvement to the car. Not only did they enhance safety, but also made me feel much more in touch with the car. On the negative side they make road driving more difficult. When turning right on to a major road, the nearside butress makes a very significant blind spot. In order to overcome this, I drive with the shoulder harnesses a little loose.
While we were at it we decided to fit a plumbed-in fire extinguisher. We wanted to fit the 2.25l bottle longitudinally in the passenger footwell so that it would still be possible to accommodate a passenger when the petty bar was not fitted. However, this necessitated the fitting of an electric operating head, since we could not engineer a suitable run for a mechanical operating head. Nozzles were positioned in the engine bay over the inlet manifold and over the petrol tank. The firing switch was installed in the blank switch position to the right of the steering wheel. Consistent with our aim of maintaining the road going capability of the car, we didn't fit an external firing switch or any nozzles in the cockpit, however, both these remain as options for the future. The alternate solution, and the one adopted by the factory, is to fit a mechanical system athwart the passenger footwell. Although this is slightly cheaper, I find that the bottle just presses into the back of the thigh, leading to discomfort on a long run. We also wanted to move the weight as far forward as possible, and in this respect the longitudinal mounting is marginally better.
Almost accidentally, between investigating, and ordering and fitting the full roll cage, harness and fire extinguisher, a Sports exhaust was fitted to the car. While at Brands Hatch, the engine lost compression on one cylinder (#2) while accelerating out of Surtees. The engine was changed under guarantee. The exact cause was never established, but it was likely to have been either a stuck valve or hydraulic lifter. While the engine was being changed, the opportunity was taken to change the exhaust as well. Although the exhaust provides little or no extra power, it does make the car easier to drive on the track. The engine note can be heard through a helmet, and therefore it is not so necessary to make constant reference to the tachometer.
So that completed the modifications for the first season. In hindsight, was the choice of leather seats right? On balance: yes. They are more practical than cloth in an open top car, needing only a wipe when they get wet, and they are more durable. The cloth seats can look a little tatty after only a year of hard use but offer more lateral location, indeed it is doubtful if I would have embarked on this journey of modification but for the leather.
You can reach the following contact by e-mail at:
| Vivian Meazza: | vivian.meazza@lineone.net |
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