Elise S2 minor mods and maintenance
Discussion
Chaps,
I picked up my dream car on Saturday - a grogeous laser blue 111R. I love it to bits and it's an absolute joy to drive, but I'm already thinking about little bits and pieces to improve the drive. Can anyone recommend anything particular which has greatly improved their cars? I'm tempted by the wing mirrors from 111hanger which reduce blind spots. Can anyone comment on their effectiveness? Visibility is an issue, isn't it?! I also seem to recall some nice aluminium instrucment stalks - or did I dream those? The only (small) issue with the actual drive of the car is the brake feel. I like quite a short, stiff pedal action as I find it easier to modulate brake pressure for heal and toe. Is it easy to adjust? It's booked in for service so might get it looked at then if there's an easy fix.
Also, I would value any advice in terms of the best polishes to use to keep it looking super shiny and also the best way to care for the soft top. I keep the car locked up in the garage overnight, but still want to make sure I do everything in my powers to keep it in the best possible condition.
Thanks very much,
Swifty
I picked up my dream car on Saturday - a grogeous laser blue 111R. I love it to bits and it's an absolute joy to drive, but I'm already thinking about little bits and pieces to improve the drive. Can anyone recommend anything particular which has greatly improved their cars? I'm tempted by the wing mirrors from 111hanger which reduce blind spots. Can anyone comment on their effectiveness? Visibility is an issue, isn't it?! I also seem to recall some nice aluminium instrucment stalks - or did I dream those? The only (small) issue with the actual drive of the car is the brake feel. I like quite a short, stiff pedal action as I find it easier to modulate brake pressure for heal and toe. Is it easy to adjust? It's booked in for service so might get it looked at then if there's an easy fix.
Also, I would value any advice in terms of the best polishes to use to keep it looking super shiny and also the best way to care for the soft top. I keep the car locked up in the garage overnight, but still want to make sure I do everything in my powers to keep it in the best possible condition.
Thanks very much,
Swifty
chevronb37 said:
Chaps,
I picked up my dream car on Saturday - a grogeous laser blue 111R. I love it to bits and it's an absolute joy to drive, but I'm already thinking about little bits and pieces to improve the drive. Can anyone recommend anything particular which has greatly improved their cars? I'm tempted by the wing mirrors from 111hanger which reduce blind spots. Can anyone comment on their effectiveness? Visibility is an issue, isn't it?! I also seem to recall some nice aluminium instrucment stalks - or did I dream those? The only (small) issue with the actual drive of the car is the brake feel. I like quite a short, stiff pedal action as I find it easier to modulate brake pressure for heal and toe. Is it easy to adjust? It's booked in for service so might get it looked at then if there's an easy fix.
Also, I would value any advice in terms of the best polishes to use to keep it looking super shiny and also the best way to care for the soft top. I keep the car locked up in the garage overnight, but still want to make sure I do everything in my powers to keep it in the best possible condition.
Thanks very much,
Swifty
Swifty,get a decent exhaust on there for a start(2bular Larini etc etc quiet or loud!).I picked up my dream car on Saturday - a grogeous laser blue 111R. I love it to bits and it's an absolute joy to drive, but I'm already thinking about little bits and pieces to improve the drive. Can anyone recommend anything particular which has greatly improved their cars? I'm tempted by the wing mirrors from 111hanger which reduce blind spots. Can anyone comment on their effectiveness? Visibility is an issue, isn't it?! I also seem to recall some nice aluminium instrucment stalks - or did I dream those? The only (small) issue with the actual drive of the car is the brake feel. I like quite a short, stiff pedal action as I find it easier to modulate brake pressure for heal and toe. Is it easy to adjust? It's booked in for service so might get it looked at then if there's an easy fix.
Also, I would value any advice in terms of the best polishes to use to keep it looking super shiny and also the best way to care for the soft top. I keep the car locked up in the garage overnight, but still want to make sure I do everything in my powers to keep it in the best possible condition.
Thanks very much,
Swifty
As for the brakes,apparently a set of Pagid RS42's(£100 odd per front/rear set from Eliseparts)work wonders.
And as for polish i just use Autoglym super resin polish and Collnite 476 wax on top
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/collinite-no-476...
Enjoy
Thanks for the advice - an exhaust is on the list for sure. Does anyone else have an extended warranty through TWG Services? Any idea what their thoughts are on such things? I know my insurance company is happy with exhausts and induction kits so it's on the list. The brakes sound awesome, I will go and have a look. I haven't started exploiting their full power yet as the roads have been damp, but it's more the pedal feel which I would like to tweak a little - that's a personal preference thing I suppose.
Congratulations on the car, enjoy it!
The Multivex mirrors certainly increase your field of view, but they do distort the image you see (as you would expect), not a fan of them myself but I don't think that's the common view.
For pedal feel, the RS42's make a huge difference, though I never had a problem H+Ting on the standard pads, the pagids are well worth it for general performance though. Is your car a MY2006? Normal give away is LED rear lights. If you do have them you can't really adjust the pedals. If you have a pre MY06 car you can adjust the pedals to change the hight of the pedal, your dealer can do this or you should be able to find a guide online.
As for car cleaning it depends how much time you want to spend on it, for the best results you will need a machine polish topped off with a decent wax. If you want a quicker result the selection previously mentioned works well, though I find that because of the heavy metallic content in the laser blue going to Vic Concours adds wetness, then you can top it with a more durable wax like Collonite.
The best investment you can make is driver training, you will learn so much more about how to enjoy the car. Before you do anything get on a walshy day (www.carlimits.com). Anyone can learn more, and if your experience is FWD hot hatches it will teach you a whole new way of driving - highly recommended.
As for the TWG warranty (mine is the same underwriter) the advice is you can change it but if the mod breaks something that's not covered. So if you fit an exhaust and the A/C breaks there is no problem, if the manifold breaks they may argue. All depends on the dealer and how they handle it, seek their advice if you are unsure.
The Multivex mirrors certainly increase your field of view, but they do distort the image you see (as you would expect), not a fan of them myself but I don't think that's the common view.
For pedal feel, the RS42's make a huge difference, though I never had a problem H+Ting on the standard pads, the pagids are well worth it for general performance though. Is your car a MY2006? Normal give away is LED rear lights. If you do have them you can't really adjust the pedals. If you have a pre MY06 car you can adjust the pedals to change the hight of the pedal, your dealer can do this or you should be able to find a guide online.
As for car cleaning it depends how much time you want to spend on it, for the best results you will need a machine polish topped off with a decent wax. If you want a quicker result the selection previously mentioned works well, though I find that because of the heavy metallic content in the laser blue going to Vic Concours adds wetness, then you can top it with a more durable wax like Collonite.
The best investment you can make is driver training, you will learn so much more about how to enjoy the car. Before you do anything get on a walshy day (www.carlimits.com). Anyone can learn more, and if your experience is FWD hot hatches it will teach you a whole new way of driving - highly recommended.
As for the TWG warranty (mine is the same underwriter) the advice is you can change it but if the mod breaks something that's not covered. So if you fit an exhaust and the A/C breaks there is no problem, if the manifold breaks they may argue. All depends on the dealer and how they handle it, seek their advice if you are unsure.
Edited by MrP80 on Tuesday 17th February 16:40
Edited by MrP80 on Tuesday 17th February 16:50
Polish .. Ali Tat ..... 
If youre not tracking it then Mintex 1144 are good and 1/2 the price of Pagids i'm just going to try the EBC Yellowstuff again £100 for a full set.
Exhaust.. Induction.... Katana Supercharger... Nitrons ... Randy nitrons.... Wider wheels and AO48s.. Harness bar .. harness... Tillett seats ... Driver Training
? all nice things to upgrade
If youre not tracking it then Mintex 1144 are good and 1/2 the price of Pagids i'm just going to try the EBC Yellowstuff again £100 for a full set.
Exhaust.. Induction.... Katana Supercharger... Nitrons ... Randy nitrons.... Wider wheels and AO48s.. Harness bar .. harness... Tillett seats ... Driver Training
? all nice things to upgradeChaps,
Many thanks for the advice. I will certainly look into brakes - probably the most important thing you can buy after all. There are a few other little things eliseparts.com might tempt me into. I will certainly be booking a driving course. I haven't had any tuition since I did IAM and RoSPA when I was a teenager and that didn't teach me much about balancing a mid-engined RWD car. I'm not going to go crazy on turning it into anything more hardcore - I had to queue for half an hour in it yesterday and it felt like putting a tiger in a cage so I will probably leave suspension standard.
I'm off to take the scenic route to work :-)
Swifty
Many thanks for the advice. I will certainly look into brakes - probably the most important thing you can buy after all. There are a few other little things eliseparts.com might tempt me into. I will certainly be booking a driving course. I haven't had any tuition since I did IAM and RoSPA when I was a teenager and that didn't teach me much about balancing a mid-engined RWD car. I'm not going to go crazy on turning it into anything more hardcore - I had to queue for half an hour in it yesterday and it felt like putting a tiger in a cage so I will probably leave suspension standard.
I'm off to take the scenic route to work :-)
Swifty
glad to hear your liking the car Andy...
From a cleaning point of view, I tended to use Meguiers gold class stuff (discovered it in the states well before Max Power jumped on it) and find it very good... I always planned to upgrade to Zymol, but thats a pricey solution....
I'd just say, get a really good shampoo, clay bar, a decent polish and carnauba wax and you should be fine...
From a cleaning point of view, I tended to use Meguiers gold class stuff (discovered it in the states well before Max Power jumped on it) and find it very good... I always planned to upgrade to Zymol, but thats a pricey solution....
I'd just say, get a really good shampoo, clay bar, a decent polish and carnauba wax and you should be fine...
Fidgits said:
glad to hear your liking the car Andy...
From a cleaning point of view, I tended to use Meguiers gold class stuff (discovered it in the states well before Max Power jumped on it) and find it very good... I always planned to upgrade to Zymol, but thats a pricey solution....
I'd just say, get a really good shampoo, clay bar, a decent polish and carnauba wax and you should be fine...
Ian, I'm loving it mate! Hope this thread didn't sound like I'm in any way unhappy with it. I think an Elise is a car you can easily customise to your exact specification though and I plan on keeping it for some time. I've delibrately stayed late at work tonight so I can enjoy clear roads on the way home. From a cleaning point of view, I tended to use Meguiers gold class stuff (discovered it in the states well before Max Power jumped on it) and find it very good... I always planned to upgrade to Zymol, but thats a pricey solution....
I'd just say, get a really good shampoo, clay bar, a decent polish and carnauba wax and you should be fine...
With regards to cleaning and polishing, I will make a note of those and go hunting. I will have to find a good place for that kind of stuff that isn't Halfords - it deserves the best. I feel bad that it's going to be used every day and pick up the associated grime, but that's what a car is for, I suppose.
Out of interest, Ian, did you use any treatment on the soft top? It's in the garage overnight but sits outside at work during the day so will get sun and rain on it.
Hi Andy,
I never got around to it unfortunatley... I did start a topic to find out what the best stuff was, but never got around to buying any:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I never got around to it unfortunatley... I did start a topic to find out what the best stuff was, but never got around to buying any:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
In terms of upgrades. I have always had from new a Larini & induction kit on the 111r and sounds good, unless you plan to track it in the uk as the restrictions are a knightmare.
I upgraded to pagid RS42 and they are fantastic also at the sametime had the geo done. which seems a good thing after a couple of years on an elise.
Cleaning, I recommend the following after trying a lot of products:
Zymol car wash - good shine and smells nice. With a microfibre or wool mitt.
Clay - sonus green with lub - no not KY!
Some king of paint cleaner, I use zymol HD but find the right cloth to get off as its a pig to polish off with some microfibre cloths. Dodo paint cleaner is also good i am told
Then use a wax something like the Dodo juice wax (Supernatural). If you have lots of swirls and dont wont the paint corrected use meguiars tech wax before the wax, this fills in the swirls well some.
Then inside, couple of things that are handy. Zymol leather cleaner & conditioner, autoglym interior shampoo and a trick for the aluminium is iClean its a mac computer cleaner for the powerbook alu case, so works really well and not abrasive.
Not found perfect roof or wheel cleaner but stay away from autoglym for the roof as it marks the roof.
I do not have cleaning OCD honest.
Try monza car car, cleanmycar.com, vertar etc for above, all seem good.
I upgraded to pagid RS42 and they are fantastic also at the sametime had the geo done. which seems a good thing after a couple of years on an elise.
Cleaning, I recommend the following after trying a lot of products:
Zymol car wash - good shine and smells nice. With a microfibre or wool mitt.
Clay - sonus green with lub - no not KY!
Some king of paint cleaner, I use zymol HD but find the right cloth to get off as its a pig to polish off with some microfibre cloths. Dodo paint cleaner is also good i am told
Then use a wax something like the Dodo juice wax (Supernatural). If you have lots of swirls and dont wont the paint corrected use meguiars tech wax before the wax, this fills in the swirls well some.
Then inside, couple of things that are handy. Zymol leather cleaner & conditioner, autoglym interior shampoo and a trick for the aluminium is iClean its a mac computer cleaner for the powerbook alu case, so works really well and not abrasive.
Not found perfect roof or wheel cleaner but stay away from autoglym for the roof as it marks the roof.
I do not have cleaning OCD honest.
Try monza car car, cleanmycar.com, vertar etc for above, all seem good.
Edited by Stu_00 on Thursday 19th February 11:44
Enjoy, got some blue masking tape aswell from cleanmycar.com to keep wax off plastic - works a treat
Detailing world is a good site if not a little OTT.
Detailing world is a good site if not a little OTT.
chevronb37 said:
Thanks loads for the help guys and that thread link helped loads - cheers, Ian. I will look at making a decent-sized order and getting a bunch of good stuff. I am aiming to have a good session cleaning and tending to her on Saturday so I'll let you know how it goes.
Stu_00 said:
Enjoy, got some blue masking tape aswell from cleanmycar.com to keep wax off plastic - works a treat
Detailing world is a good site if not a little OTT.
I will check out the site. I'm afraid I love my cars very dearly and like to look after them, but I'm not expecting a daily driver to be kept in concours condition. Once I am able to retire it to being a weekend plaything, then maybe, but right now I am happy to keep it looking great, but allowing for the fact that dirt might find its way on the wheelarches and stay there for a few days until the weekend...Detailing world is a good site if not a little OTT.
chevronb37 said:
Thanks loads for the help guys and that thread link helped loads - cheers, Ian. I will look at making a decent-sized order and getting a bunch of good stuff. I am aiming to have a good session cleaning and tending to her on Saturday so I'll let you know how it goes.
As for Europe, well it's funny you should say that. My dad's been teasing me this weekend about the reliabilty of my new purchase. Speaking from the glass house which is an E92 M3. His oil pump went west during a chase with a Porsche on the A500 and is now in the garage getting fixed. The upshot being that I somewhat sarcastically offered to drive us to Le Mans Classic next year in the Elise. I drove to Spa last year so I think a Continental trip is on the cards for next year.
Also here is the IKlear product I use on the Interior aluminium finish (Floor bit, and on dash etc)and general interior plastic stuff. But particularly good on metal finish without scratching it, as the interior of Elise - is simlier to the powerbook finish.
Available in most apple shops p.s. I do use it on my Mac powerbook too.
http://www.klearscreen.com/detail.aspx?ID=83
I should be on Commission!!
Available in most apple shops p.s. I do use it on my Mac powerbook too.
http://www.klearscreen.com/detail.aspx?ID=83
I should be on Commission!!
Larini exhaust is on the list. Although I will need to pass it with the warranty company. And probably look down the back of the sofa for some money to pay for the thing!
Can't believe the number of products you can get for every surface of the car. Something for the interior aluminium sounds great - I'll have a look. Cheers, chaps.
Can't believe the number of products you can get for every surface of the car. Something for the interior aluminium sounds great - I'll have a look. Cheers, chaps.
Gassing Station | Elise/Exige/Europa/340R | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff