Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi Guys,
We are in the process of having a new twin cam built completely from srcatch, to exact original Lotus spec. Can anyone let me know what 'standard' colour(s) were available from the factory for the cam cover (the car is a 73build).


Thanks in advance guys.


Kevin61
73DHC

Crackle black or crackle red.

Tim

Thanks Tim,

Would that be 'Trimite' Poppy red that I have heard mentioned.


Thanks again,
Kevin61
73DHC

My 73 Plus 2 has a smooth gloss black paint on the cam cover not a crackle finish. Its never been changed or repainted as far as I can tell prior to me getting the car in the 80's

cheers
Rohan

Thanks Rohan,
Good to see 'original' factory finish.
Kevin61

Gloss black Trimite crackle finish or Signal red Trimite crackle finish.

Tim

All the new Elan S4 to Sprints, +2 to S130s, & Europa T/Cs/Specials and new crated engines I saw at my local Lotus dealer in the 70s had red or black crackle finish cam covers. There weren't any with smooth finish that I saw (which was quite a lot helping in the stores and workshop in my spare time), not to say knowing Lotus that they did not exist if they ran out of crackle finish.

Can anyone recommend a good crackle finish aerosol paint and a supplier, I?ve had two cans fail around the nozzle and squirt all the paint out around where the nozzle fits in the can. Tried another make and that sprayed ok for a few seconds then the nozzle bunged up solid and I haven?t managed to clean it. All I managed to spray was the ash tray lid before it failed. Suggestions for any UK available paint in black. Until I can successfully spray the smaller parts like the heater vent grilles I?m not going to attempt stripping the hammerite off the cam cover and spraying it in crackle finish black.

VHT wrinkle
Needs cooking to go rock hard
If you apply per instructions it is excellent
Personal recommendation ; Wear a mask and spray outdoors in the summer. It gets everywhere.

As the cover is aluminium I would suggest a good etch primer before the crackle coat?
Personally I have never found a rattle can etch primer worth using! I take alloy parts to the local commercial painter/powder coaters for a clean and etch prime. They would not do crackle coat so I bought a tin from the MG owners club, baked it on in front of the wood burner.. Came out great!

I just sprayed the crackle/wrinkle finish paint direct.
Then i warmed it up in the Oven with glass window in Door so i could see when the wrinkles were just right.
eg. swmbo was doing the shopping at the time
Alan

Used Rustoleum black wrinkle paint on my bare metal cam cover back in 2006. Still looks new and is not affected by various solvents. Sprayed it on a summer morning and left it out in the sun for the day.

It depends on when the engine was built and if it is a special, such as large valve, or SE.
I have an early S1 and the valve cover is a light blue hammer tone, and it is the original finish.
I had a early coupe and it was black crackle. These were both the old style cover, with no ribs.
When I raced i had an early Cosworth and the cover had no finish at all.