Was stroking the car this morning (paintwork check, nothing sinister) and I started looking at a couple of panel gaps.
As your looking at the rear, the gap on the left where the engine cover runs along with the clam, is noticably bigger than the same gap on the right. Initially, I thought the cover was out of alignment, but it lines up well with the roof, its the rear clam its out with.
How much ‘movement’ is there in the rear clam? Is it something that can be done easily by loosening a few of the mounting screws?
Piccy of some random owners car I’ve vandalised with a bit of highlighting:
If I understand you then I think it’s that the engine cover warps with heat and so does not sit properly in the clam. Mine got worse when I went Honda SC.
Panel gaps aren’t brilliant; I managed to adjust mine on the engine cover hinge mounts, where there’s a decent amount of freedom, but you need to be careful that lining it up doesn’t make it catch on the roof when it’s opened.
We can’t expect the gap too be the same as an automotive german computer guided robot built vw, audi or bmw.
This is a Lotus and they are what they are. You pay more money for a lightweight car and more material to fill the gaps means a heavier car and more dosh.
Lift the engine cover and support it well at the open end (when you loosen the hinge it will wobble alarmingly!).
Slacken off the bolts holding the hinge, but don’t remove them, just enough so there’s still a bit of resistance but the hinge plate will slide relative to the body.
Then it’s a matter of lowering the cover and jiggling it about until you’ve found a position where it doesn’t catch. Also check that the lock still locates properly.
Once that’s done, I reopened it (as little as you need to get an arm in…) to reach under and get a 10mm ratchet spanner onto the bolts. Nip them down, then you should be able to lift the cover (carefully!) without disturbing it, and tighten the bolts properly.
I admit it needs a bit of trying to get it as right as possible, but well worth the effort and a great excuse to fiddle
It’s a bitch of a job to get the rear engine lid back on if you are on your own! - have done this quite a few times now - you just don’t have enough hands!
Not bad if you are just adjusting it, but don’t remove the nuts altogether!
I must be a better fiddler than I thought! I had mine off to clean and repaint hinge and bracket and on and off several times for adjustment (I tried shims to line it up; didn’t work)but always managed it singlehanded.
Mine just opens up on one side when hot.Decided to live with it.
Anyone else have problems with the leading edges of the doors fouling on the front wings with the doors open? Only seems to happen on the offside. I presume it’s just because Lotus employed the standard Elise doors and didn’t account for the extra width of the Exige clam…
