What is all this 'Fast Road' nonsense anyway?

[JonB]

A really well thought out, well written reply. Thanks, StressCraxx.

So it seems I will have to see if I can pay Miles a visit soon.

[rgh0]

Fast road really covers 2 major areas - engine and suspension.

Engine - with modern knowledge it is relatively easy to get 150 hp from a 1600 CC twin cam and 160+ hp with a long stroke big bore 1700 cc engine that is totally tractable. Maybe even more so than original engines specification.

Who does not want more "POWER" especially if it comes at no real extra cost when doing an engine rebuild? I would suggest its only the "matching numbers" originality people and Elans are not really that sort of car IMHO

Suspensions - As has been highlighted in previous posts modern tyres are very different from tyres at the time of the Elans suspension design. A modest increase in spring rate and a stiffer front bar enables you to get the best out of these tyres with no noticeable difference in ride quality if its done right.. If you want a museum piece you can run it on crossplys with the original suspension but I don't know many people who don't want the grip that modern tyres give when actually driving

The Elan is about driving and enjoying. If you want a totally original museum car then that's great but i suggest you buy 2 and build one to drive and enjoy and the other to keep for show

cheers
Rohan

[JonB]

For my part, I have been trying to see if my Plus 2 handles as it is supposed to, and so far I concluded that it doesn't. There are two undesirable handling artefacts in particular: roll steer and vagueness in a straight line / no self centring. The first suggests steering rack position (as it is, in effect, an extreme form of bump steer); the other suggests a lack of castor at the front.

After reading RGH's reply, I am thinking that maybe trying to get it back to "standard" is a fool's game. When I took it to Spyder, it was test driven and Andy said that it did indeed handle like it should (although he also said it needed new front shock absorbers).

Consequently I am considering a set of TTR "Fast Road" units for the front as they seem to have good reviews on here.. errm.. and are Spax, I believe.

[pauljones]

Going by what im reading here i would possibly come to the conclusion that i may have uprated suspension on mine. I may say that because mine is well planted, has very little roll and even with my very mediocre skills i can hit apexes reasonably well. (I use the top edge of the wing as a guide, its close enough for me)
But saying that, if it is all standard and ive not touched it in my 12yrs of ownership, then its bloody good as is.

Incidentally when i used the suspension calcs from Alan Staniforths book, race and rally car source book, it suggested an increase from what was standard. I forget what it was now.
But all suspension books say all components must work together to be effective, and that includes walls, pressures, geometry, bushes etc etc.

[Lotus14S2]

Although my example is dated, I remember driving home from work in my, what I called a S2-1/2, which was a very early coupe, the only mod was I did have L1 cams, and the head had been slightly ported, to clean up the casting. I had dead stock Dunlop tires and factory suspension complete with Armstrong?s.
It was raining and dark, but I was ?racing? (or at least he was racing) a 911 on highway 280 south on the San Francisco peninsula. This was in the days when the traffic actually went away after dark.
In any case I turned off at my exit to Edgewood road, with the 911 following. I turned on to Edgewood, and as I drove down towards San Carlos, I saw behind me headlights, no headlights, and then headlights again, as the 911 pirouetted down the road; fortunately not collecting the road banks or drops.
At that point I figured the Elan was good enough, and didn?t need any more help; that Chapman had got it right the first time.