Lotus Elise 111R
Discussion
Done a bit of driving this week, attended my first North Yorkshire Owners Club meeting (NYLOC) and was rather impressed, chairman, treasurer - the works. Not like a tyre kicking session at the local Jap meet that's for sure!
Also took the car out last night, nice dry roads but driving this car in the dark is a bit of a headache - all oncoming traffic look like a full beam and it's blinding!
Took it out this morning, within 20miles managed to encounter bone dry sunny roads, horizontal snow, hail, rain and gail force winds - then back to bone dry sunny roads
After the drive, the car needed a clean so quickly blasted it off and took these photos literally 90seconds before a st load of dark clouds, snow and hail again! Tucked it into the garage about 20seconds before it all came down
Really, really enjoying this car so far. Getting comfortable now with basics like seating position, gear change, etc - and as a result I'm getting a bit more ballsy with it on the road though still within legal limits!
Also took the car out last night, nice dry roads but driving this car in the dark is a bit of a headache - all oncoming traffic look like a full beam and it's blinding!
Took it out this morning, within 20miles managed to encounter bone dry sunny roads, horizontal snow, hail, rain and gail force winds - then back to bone dry sunny roads
After the drive, the car needed a clean so quickly blasted it off and took these photos literally 90seconds before a st load of dark clouds, snow and hail again! Tucked it into the garage about 20seconds before it all came down
Really, really enjoying this car so far. Getting comfortable now with basics like seating position, gear change, etc - and as a result I'm getting a bit more ballsy with it on the road though still within legal limits!
Excellent, great choice of car, had one myself since 2007, kept it pretty standard for 5 years, then oh then the upgrades started...80k miles and I still love the car like no other. It is undergoing serious surgery at the moment, so will do a thread of my own when it comes back asap, say no more today
Cheers folks
As the car only came with the one key, I've been looking at options for a spare.
The key that I did get was just a plain old key, with a Cobra ballbag dongle on it. I did some research and ended up buying the following:
- Spare Cobra ballbag
- A blank generic key with similar internal layout to the Cobra ballbag.
The ballbag arrived first, so I had to programme it.
The steps are as follows:
1) Press and hold both buttons on ALL of the ballbags you want to programme. After being held for 10secs, their LED will hold on solid.
2) Turn ignition on/off three times within 10secs. The tacho gearchange light will remain on solid for a few seconds, then it'll go off.
3) Turn the ignition to on, the gearchange light will flash. You need to let it flash the number of times to reflect that digit of the pin code for your alarm.
4) Repeat for digits 2, 3 and 4.
5) Press the unlock button on each ballbag, done.
That was the procedure, but I didn't have the PIN for my alarm! Went through all the docs, no sign of it anywhere
Bit more googling suggested an idea, basically the gearchange light reacts differently if you get a digit right or wrong - a tell tale if you like. That meant that you can effectively guess your PIN by going through all the options!
Considering it "locks" your alarm for 10mins each time you get it wrong three times in a row... it took me about 6 hours to hack my alarm :|
I was very, very satisfied once done though - spare ballbag done!
Next up the key arrived, pretty easy task of splitting it and transferring the internals of my ballbag.
Here's what I started out with:
And finished with...
It works well, and was pretty cheap as far as replacement keys goes. Just need to get Timpsons to cut the blank and jobs a good un'.
As the car only came with the one key, I've been looking at options for a spare.
The key that I did get was just a plain old key, with a Cobra ballbag dongle on it. I did some research and ended up buying the following:
- Spare Cobra ballbag
- A blank generic key with similar internal layout to the Cobra ballbag.
The ballbag arrived first, so I had to programme it.
The steps are as follows:
1) Press and hold both buttons on ALL of the ballbags you want to programme. After being held for 10secs, their LED will hold on solid.
2) Turn ignition on/off three times within 10secs. The tacho gearchange light will remain on solid for a few seconds, then it'll go off.
3) Turn the ignition to on, the gearchange light will flash. You need to let it flash the number of times to reflect that digit of the pin code for your alarm.
4) Repeat for digits 2, 3 and 4.
5) Press the unlock button on each ballbag, done.
That was the procedure, but I didn't have the PIN for my alarm! Went through all the docs, no sign of it anywhere
Bit more googling suggested an idea, basically the gearchange light reacts differently if you get a digit right or wrong - a tell tale if you like. That meant that you can effectively guess your PIN by going through all the options!
Considering it "locks" your alarm for 10mins each time you get it wrong three times in a row... it took me about 6 hours to hack my alarm :|
I was very, very satisfied once done though - spare ballbag done!
Next up the key arrived, pretty easy task of splitting it and transferring the internals of my ballbag.
Here's what I started out with:
And finished with...
It works well, and was pretty cheap as far as replacement keys goes. Just need to get Timpsons to cut the blank and jobs a good un'.
Tin Hat said:
Super duper, big congrats!
My 2 penneth: bin the radio, use an iPod or earplugs, it makes the whole experience a bit less tiring-You will arrive as fresh as a daisy!
Enjoy,
Thanks My 2 penneth: bin the radio, use an iPod or earplugs, it makes the whole experience a bit less tiring-You will arrive as fresh as a daisy!
Enjoy,
I feel the wind/road noise to be quite acceptable in this car to be honest, and the radio aint' half bad! It's my first ever DAB radio in a car, who said these things were stripped down and basic?!
AyBee said:
Nice work with the key - really should get around to sorting my second key, because whilst I have the key, the fob doesn't work If the rubber breaks (which it will), buy a cheap keyring with a chain on it, cut off the keyring and you have a nice chain to use for the fob
My main reason for sorting a spare so quick is the boot lid/enging cover. It's a two hand job to open it and fit the stay, and you need to use the key to open it - so it's natural to unlock it, lift the lid and put the key down in the boot whilst you rummage around. It's all too tempting to then shut the boot lid with your key trapped inside...
Fonzey said:
My main reason for sorting a spare so quick is the boot lid/enging cover. It's a two hand job to open it and fit the stay, and you need to use the key to open it - so it's natural to unlock it, lift the lid and put the key down in the boot whilst you rummage around.
It's all too tempting to then shut the boot lid with your key trapped inside...
is there no release lever behind driver? It's all too tempting to then shut the boot lid with your key trapped inside...
I've had the car on axle stands all of this week, mainly just to have a look around - check out all the gubbins and do a bit of cleaning.
Oh, and I also bought some new wheels which are due tomorrow so I've kept the car up on stands till they arrive. More on that tomorrow
While up on stands, I did a bit of cleaning up and attacked the calipers with good old' hammerite. Don't panic, they're not red - or worse, blue.
Before:
After:
See the state of the wishbones and track rod end? Can't wait to get those refurbed, probably next winter.
Next up I ripped out my arch liner on the rear passenger wheel well so I could have a look at my airbox. Car had been "serviced" the week I collected it, I guess the air filter wasn't changed...
Anyway, I want the car to make some more noise - but don't want to spend out on exhaust yet... so went for a cheap option.
I bought a TRD airbox which came on some of the later Exige cars I believe. It's basically got a bigger inlet, bigger panel filter and does away with the acoustic snorkle thingy.
Factory box with snorkle:
The cover off, this is the part I'll be replacing:
With...
Filter differences:
Getting it back in was a bit of a pig, I had to bend the bracket for it to make it fit - and then it was a case of forcing about 9 things into specific positions at the same time. Felt very similar to the good old days of refitting the TMIC on the Subaru, pain in the arse!
From the engine bay, just a capped off vacuum port which is no longer needed:
I've not actually started the car yet, but apparently should expect a tiny volume increase (mainly due to snorkle removal) on idle and low revs, but a much more eventful cam-change soundtrack. I'll record a quick ride out at the weekend hopefully
Oh, and I also bought some new wheels which are due tomorrow so I've kept the car up on stands till they arrive. More on that tomorrow
While up on stands, I did a bit of cleaning up and attacked the calipers with good old' hammerite. Don't panic, they're not red - or worse, blue.
Before:
After:
See the state of the wishbones and track rod end? Can't wait to get those refurbed, probably next winter.
Next up I ripped out my arch liner on the rear passenger wheel well so I could have a look at my airbox. Car had been "serviced" the week I collected it, I guess the air filter wasn't changed...
Anyway, I want the car to make some more noise - but don't want to spend out on exhaust yet... so went for a cheap option.
I bought a TRD airbox which came on some of the later Exige cars I believe. It's basically got a bigger inlet, bigger panel filter and does away with the acoustic snorkle thingy.
Factory box with snorkle:
The cover off, this is the part I'll be replacing:
With...
Filter differences:
Getting it back in was a bit of a pig, I had to bend the bracket for it to make it fit - and then it was a case of forcing about 9 things into specific positions at the same time. Felt very similar to the good old days of refitting the TMIC on the Subaru, pain in the arse!
From the engine bay, just a capped off vacuum port which is no longer needed:
I've not actually started the car yet, but apparently should expect a tiny volume increase (mainly due to snorkle removal) on idle and low revs, but a much more eventful cam-change soundtrack. I'll record a quick ride out at the weekend hopefully
The TRD is very popular and makes a great noise.
Glad you kept calipers OE. They do look dated compared to most modern stuff but tarting them up with red paint just looks, well, tarted up.
Only caliper mod I would do is the AP mod, quite a bit of coin but as you already got the required Exige wheels.....
Glad you kept calipers OE. They do look dated compared to most modern stuff but tarting them up with red paint just looks, well, tarted up.
Only caliper mod I would do is the AP mod, quite a bit of coin but as you already got the required Exige wheels.....
Thanks again folks, some kind comments.
With the Lotus, as long as the factory calipers work for me - I'll keep them. They'll probably get a seal refresh over next winter and a proper paintjob (ie, one without a brush ) but if I feel they're holding me back at any stage - AP's would be welcome back into my garage anytime
Rick101 said:
The TRD is very popular and makes a great noise.
Glad you kept calipers OE. They do look dated compared to most modern stuff but tarting them up with red paint just looks, well, tarted up.
Only caliper mod I would do is the AP mod, quite a bit of coin but as you already got the required Exige wheels.....
I had AP 6Pots on the Subaru and they were fantastic, but to be honest - I was nowhere near to the limit of the factory Brembo's on that car, I just needed to replace them because one of them had warped quite badly (sticking piston on a trackday).Glad you kept calipers OE. They do look dated compared to most modern stuff but tarting them up with red paint just looks, well, tarted up.
Only caliper mod I would do is the AP mod, quite a bit of coin but as you already got the required Exige wheels.....
With the Lotus, as long as the factory calipers work for me - I'll keep them. They'll probably get a seal refresh over next winter and a proper paintjob (ie, one without a brush ) but if I feel they're holding me back at any stage - AP's would be welcome back into my garage anytime
Your suspension looks similar to mine. I'm just at the point where I'll do a strip down now and blast, coat and rebush everything. Then add stainless bolts. Then ACF50 everything..
Also those Bilstein's will have had it now so potentially consider Nitron or Quantum as replacements. I went for Quantum Zero's which are lovely. Depends on whether you're going to do lots of track days as to whether you want fit and forget (Zero's or Street Series) or 1 or 2 ways.
It's funny as Elise's and variants are cheap to run once everything is in good condition but all the refurb stuff is pretty costly!
Oh and buy a 2Bular exhaust. I'm running a custom made ITG Maxogen, 52mm TB, decat and 2bular exhaust and it sounds fantastic! Ok so it's a K but Jim at 2bular does Toyota exhausts as well.
Also those Bilstein's will have had it now so potentially consider Nitron or Quantum as replacements. I went for Quantum Zero's which are lovely. Depends on whether you're going to do lots of track days as to whether you want fit and forget (Zero's or Street Series) or 1 or 2 ways.
It's funny as Elise's and variants are cheap to run once everything is in good condition but all the refurb stuff is pretty costly!
Oh and buy a 2Bular exhaust. I'm running a custom made ITG Maxogen, 52mm TB, decat and 2bular exhaust and it sounds fantastic! Ok so it's a K but Jim at 2bular does Toyota exhausts as well.
The Bilsteins aren't showing any obvious sign of leaks - and no nasty noises, yet - but yeah I figure that suspension replacements won't be far away.
I had KW V3's on the Subaru with a million directions of adjustment and as a result, I spent most of my time "lost" in settings. I'd consider some fixed rate dampers, or at the most some 1 way adjustables...
I had KW V3's on the Subaru with a million directions of adjustment and as a result, I spent most of my time "lost" in settings. I'd consider some fixed rate dampers, or at the most some 1 way adjustables...
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