Original Chassis

[vincereynard]

There are still a number of cars with their original chassis.

Even if it is in good condition and not rusty, should I be dubious about it's integrity?

Do they have a history of fatigue failure? Stress cracks etc.

I do not imagine that the original designer envisaged them still being viable 40 years later!

Vince

[billwill]

Depends how many miles it has done really.

But have you checked for rust inside the front turrets. if the drain holes are blocked they can look perfect on the outside, yet be paper-thin and a screwdriver will easily poke through the metal near the bottom.

[CBUEB1771]

Bill is correct about the front turrets. Also check the area at the bottom of the felt sound deadener blanket on the backbone section, that area is prone to rust. Fatigue failures are most common at the engine mounts and attachment points for the rear struts.

[Hawksfield]

Hi

My 1971 +2s130 has an original chassis that I stripped and rust proofed in 1986, all usual rust spots treated.
no problems to date after 90k miles

[vincereynard]

Thanks for the replies.

Why can't the front turrets be foam filled so water could not enter in the first place?

And, after it has been converted to electric pod lifts, the front vac. chamber?

Vince

[rgh0]

The problem with foam filling is that it is never a perfect water tight seal and water will get down between the foam and metal and still cause corrosion.

Paint the internals of the front uprights with high zinc primer and a good top coat, keep the drain holes clean and spray a little corrosion sealer in every couple of years and you will be fine. Or weld a plate in to seal the top or buy a Spyder chassis where this area is sealed already.

cheers
Rohan

[nomad]

Thanks for the replies.

Why can't the front turrets be foam filled so water could not enter in the first place?

And, after it has been converted to electric pod lifts, the front vac. chamber?

Vince

The last MGB's had there rust prone areas filled with foam and when it separated from the metal, as it always did, they rusted through faster than the early ones. Not the answer.

Kurt.

[William2]

My 1971 S4 still has the original chassis which I only needed to treat for the odd bit of surface rust. Regarding the front turrets, I just put loads of Waxoyl inside.

[twincamman]

WD40 is good ?but no duct tape ?.ed

[Mick6186]

Welding a plate to enclose the front turret box sections isn't easy if you have a later chassis with a return on the edges for extra strength. I painted the insides of mine with rust converter, then hammerite then waxoyl. Following this I made sealing plates out of thin aluminium and sealed them around the edges with a good fillet of tiger seal panel sealant. When dry the whole lot is painted with a few coats of hammerite. Totally weatherproof and easily removed in the future to re apply rustproofer if deemed necessary.
Mick

[twincamman]

gently heat the shock area with a butain torch. to dry the area out....... GENTLY so you don't have to call 911 before you apply any oil or protection .....keep water handy in case things go bad.......

[gus]

All original chassis are questionable.

period

full stop


they were never designed to last half as long as they have

If you drive it like you mean it you will break it

Now that does not mean there are not original chassis that are intact, it means that if you are buying a car, the only logical assumption is that if it is an original chassis that it needs replacement and price it accordingly.

[William2]

I have to disagree. If you properly inspect the chassis for any serious rust and check all the obvious places for signs of stress cracks then if there are no problems then the chassis is perfectly useable. I would suggest that the majority of Elan owners do less than 3000 miles a year and that should also be taken into account as regards the chassis lifespan. It was designed to last if treated with respect and maintained. Why spend ?2K if it is not necessary.

[Certified Lotus]

I just replaced the original chassis in my car. The serial number of the chassis is for the original Elan S1 built in December 1963. It was in surprisingly good shape. No rust what-so-ever and not too bent up from jacks being used improperly. There where a few areas that had stress cracks and had been brazed, with the motor mounts cracking again at the top. The only reason I replaced it with a new chassis is due to building a higher horsepower TC and wanted a 26R chassis for the re-inforcement.

If you find one in good shape, why wouldn't you keep it?

[vincereynard]

This is the area we are talking about? The open box , that is closed off on the replacement chassis?

The fact it is an ideal shape for filling with crud is the problem?

I suspect that would be a bit awkward to weld a closing plate as a repair or reinforcement. The plate is unlikely to be totally watertight itself so water would still get inside.

Not to mention distortion caused by the welding. Tricky.