New Member With Questions

[Greg Williams]

Thanks for the addition.  I just acquired a black 1973 TCS.  This was a restoration project undertaken by a friend who was a long time racer and Lotus owner.  He had the engine rebuilt, brakes rebuilt and crash damage on the right front corner repaired.  What really surprised me is that he installed a Vintage Air AC system.  He died two years ago and the car has been sitting since then.  It runs but I'm going to overhaul the Strombergs.

Work remaining to be done is installation of a dash pad (he removed the old one, which doesn't look terrible, to route the ac ducting) and then installation of the windscreen  and rear window.  I'm lucky that the car came with a new screen.

My primary question is regarding the dash pad.  I got a new plastic shell for a dash pad with the car.  Can't say that I'm very impressed with the fit.  I can work on fitting it and then having an upholstery shop make a cover before installation.  How were these pads meant to be retained?  Should I attach some kind of clip to go behind the dash where the four chrome screws go?  And the other question, are defrost vents available or will I need to fabricate my own?

Please forgive any ignorance, this is my first Lotus.  My other British cars are a Bugeye and an old Land Rover 109.  Those are far more primitive (and robust) than the Europa.

Thanks,
Greg
Kansas City

[BDA]

   Greg!
I'm very sorry to hear about your friend! It sounds like he did some great work that will benefit you. jbcollier has an A/C in his S2. He put the compressor in the area with the radiator and made fiberglass ducts on either side of the front trunk for it. It came out very nice! Hopefully he can give you some pointers.


It's been a long time since I did anything with the crash pad, but I'm pretty sure that it's attached at the screws that fix the dash to the car. The front part at the windshield was originally not really attached to anything. There was a plastic strip that ran along the bottom of the windshield to cover the joint there. I had gotten a "real" Lotus part - vinyl covered foam and had that covered with the finest hides of naugas and had an interior shop install it. IIRC, I asked that they attach (glue or pop rivet) it where the glass covers it. I remember someone many years ago - when my car was "new" -said he did that. So far, it seems to work. the covering stays put and the windshield doesn't leak. Since you're going to cover it, I'd just bring the cover under the windshield and glue it and put the windshield on top.


The vents are probably going to be difficult to find. They probably belong to other Brit cars so you might be in luck that way. I'd try the usual suspects first - r.d., Dave Bean, JAE, Europa Engineering, and for a last resort, maybe Certified Lotus can find one for you. He found an ashtray that had to be made of unobtainium!


Post some pictures when you get a chance.


Good luck!

[RoddyMac]

jbcollier has an A/C in his S1

Fixed that for you.

As for defrost ducts, if the TC ones are the same as early S2, then I have one that I wont need.  But I can't recall which side it is at the moment.

Rod

[jbcollier]

Not the compressor, that's at the engine still, it's the evaporator beside the rad (where the spare usually sits).  Sounds like yours is under the dash.  No room for that in an S1.

PS: Welcome to the list: great resource and great people.

[4129R]

The only thing holding the crash pad in place are the 8 screws that go through the two black plastic screen vents. I have to drill new holes for the ST screws, which is not easy.

On 4688R the crash pad was actually glued and stapled to the wooden dashboard, so it seems in production, they must have been pre-assembled, and put in together.

On 3089R, I had terrible trouble getting the new dashboard to fit in the new Banks crashpad, and slightly damaged the new wood forcing it into too tight a space.

Obviously all this has to be done with the screen out to get to the 8 screws.

Then the dashboard is held by the steel angle trimmed with black vinyl which bolts to the door brackets, 2 bolts welded to the angle each side, then to the top by chrome pan head screws that go through fibreglass on the top of the dash below the crashpad (easily broken) and then the wooden dash is held with bolts to two right angle brackets on the centre tunnel, bolted to the chassis. This is the earth point for lots of wires.

Then the wooden dashboard acts as the support for the steering column.

[jbcollier]

As an aside, I can't really see why they had to fit a "crash" pad.  After all, the only way you are going to hit it in an accident is after you have gone through the windshield.

[BDA]

That's a thought I had too, John. The only thing I can think is that it was used to dress up the interior or because of some government regulations. Probably the former.

[4129R]

As an aside, I can't really see why they had to fit a "crash" pad.  After all, the only way you are going to hit it in an accident is after you have gone through the windshield.

How else would you enclose the dashboard at each end, and form a flat surface to put the black leathercloth on?

Crashpad is just a fancy name for foam dash top.

[EuropatcSPECIAL]

                       Welcome Greg

[Grumblebuns]

I believe the plastic defrost bezel vents that sit on top of the crash pad is available from RDEnt and welcome to this great forum.

Joji Tokumoto
Fallbrook, Ca

[Greg Williams]

Thanks everyone.  The more I dig into this car the better it looks.  I just found out that the 9600 miles on the odometer are correct.  It apparently was in a shunt early on and then parked in a garage until my friend acquired it about 2012.  I'm digging through the manuals and invoices and found things like the invoice for the engine rebuild, receipt for new Spax shocks and others.  Unfortunately the invoices are not complete but I'm going to check with his widow and see if she has any.

I wish that he was still alive so that I could talk to him about the car!

[Gmg31]

Removing the crash pad is a mammoth task, you have to remove the centre console and the dashboard first.  I had mine re trimmed and it was worth the effort.

[4129R]

Removing the crash pad is a mammoth task, you have to remove the centre console and the dashboard first.  I had mine re trimmed and it was worth the effort.

I have just repaired the edge near the screen for 4688R, which gets all the damage, by buying sticky backed black leathercloth, and scribing a 2" strip, and just sticking it to the crash pad. IMHO it looks to be a very good repair. Photos to follow.

The leathercloth is very cheap, scribing it to pattern in not too difficult, and it can be done with the crash pad in situ. 

[Gmg31]

Great idea