The Elan Factory


Phone: 613-9761-1903 Fax: 613-9739-8944 Email: Steve Taylor 5 Marong Ct Boronia Heights VIC 3155 Australia	Copyright information Some information on The Elan Factory website is intellectual property and is therefore subject to copyright. It is unfortunate that recently one of our previous suppliers has systematically removed valuable technical information where it is now used for his personal financial gain. This has kindly been brought to our attention by several well informed customers. This behaviour has now influenced our decision to construct a new web site where access will be carefully controlled. For further information regarding copyright, please contact: The Australian Copyright Council 245 Chalmers Street Redfern NSW 2016 Tele: 61 2 9318 1788 Fax: 61 2 9698 3536 Motor-sports Professional News November 2009 Ford Develops New Formula Ford Engine Ford has launched an all-new version of the ford Duratec 1600cc engine, offering 110ps. It is designed to complement the highly successful 155ps Duratec unit, which since its introduction in 2006 has powered Formula Ford back into the single-seater limelight. The new Duratec 1600cc 110ps engine, which has been in development for the last 12 months, will be available from the end of 2009 with a price tag expected to be around GBP5,000 (€5,500/$7,500). It will be able to be fitted into new Formula Ford chassis, or in older cars as a replacement for the1600cc Kent or Zetec 1800cc engines. "The new power unit will be ideal for fitment in new chassis; it will be a stepping stone to the more powerful Duratec engines used in the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain and other series worldwide," said Mike Norton, motor-sport manager, Ford of Europe, "and the engine will be -made available throughout world, from the US to Europe, Australia to Africa." The highly robust and efficient 1.6 litre Duratec engine, as used in the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta road cars, has proven a very successful race engine in Formula Ford championships around the world. Formula Ford Lifeline Ford has put the legendary Kent engine block back into production thereby throwing a lifeline to thousands of historic Formula Ford racers worldwide. Engineering work has already begun at Ford Racing's Performance Parts division in the US, with sales scheduled to start in 2010. The Kent engine began its production life 50 years ago and was the perfect choice of power unit when Formula Ford was created in Britain in 1967. Though the engine was superseded at the top level of Formula Ford racing in the UK in 1993, between 5,000 and 7,000 Kent-engined cars are competing around the globe and engine parts are becoming increasingly scarce. Now expertise gained by Ford Racing Performance Parts through its re-manufacturing of use on the Kent. "Our parts division has many years of expertise in re-making blocks," said Ford Racing engineering supervisor Andy Slankard, "and we are going to take our knowledge of modem techniques to re-manufacture the Kent block and improve its durability. Our aim is not to make performance gains but to strengthen it and to make the unit more reliable. "There are many thousands of Kent-engined Formula Ford cars still racing around the world - particularly in the US which never adopted the Ford Zetec engine which replaced it in Europe - and we believe that the majority of owners of these historic machines will want to retain the originality of their car by using a genuine Ford engine." The news is welcomed by Mike Norton, motor-sport manager Ford of Europe. "It is fantastic news that the legendary Kent engine is to be reborn. This engine powered some of motor-sport's greatest names to their first championship successes - drivers like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Nigel Mansell and Mika Hakkinen - and we very much hope that the plan to re-manufacture the unit will lead to even more names being added to the list of Formula Ford greats in future seasons. Race Tech Magazine Here are the details of an interesting website called McLellan's Automotive History. This website offers a comprehensive range of rare and interesting literature for all Lotus owners. If you own a Lotus Turbo Esprit or a Lotus Elan there is sure to be something of interest that you may like to own SALES LITERATURE Sales Literature BOOKS Books MAGAZINES Magazines KIT CARS / REPLICAS Kit Cars/Replicas McLellan's Automotive History, Original literature, no re-prints Email: Contact@McLellansAutomotive.com Website: www.McLellansAutomotive.com For those readers with an interest in the cutting edge in motor sport here is a link to the Race Tech Magazine web site Race Tech Magazine Over the years, some of our customers have experienced mediocre handling or niggling suspension problems with their Lotus vehicle. We have referred them to Trutrack Suspension where their car has been transformed and restored into a sensational handling Lotus once more. Trutrack Suspension is a unique car suspension business located in Melbourne Australia. Trutrack modify, build and restore vehicle suspension for all motor vehicles and prestige cars. Established for over 30 years in Melbourne, Trutrack Suspension has a proven record in both street suspension setup and track suspension setup. You can find Trutrack Suspension at: 52 Levenson Street North Melbourne 3051 Telephone number 03-9326-5392 Fax number 03-9326-5475 Trutrack Suspension website After encountering numerous Lotus vehicles over the years, we have seen a wide range of alarm systems installed. Some of these systems are good, some not so good and some are just so annoying. Purchasing any Lotus is probably the next largest investment any owner is going to make compared to purchasing their own home. So why not protect your car with a quality alarm that is reliable, easy to use and not a nuisance? It can be confusing when having to make an informed choice from the various operators who sell and install these items. We are pleased to make the following recommendation where a no nonsense, quality alarm system can be supplied and meticulously installed. Dynamic Car Alarms 640 Mountain Highway Bayswater Victoria 3155 Contact Trevor Harold on telephone number (03) 9738-1616, mobile 0402-102-105 Alternatively you can contact Trevor by email - dynamiccar@optusnet.com.au Products and services offered are as follows:- * Central door locking * Remote Control Repairs * Insurance Approved Immobilisers * Safety - Reversing Sensors * Customised Powerful Car Alarms Product manufacturers include - GT Auto Alarms, Mongoose, Autowatch, Novatronics Are you looking to upgrade your old Lucas C40 generator but want to keep your Elan looking original? Then here is an elegant solution for you. Dynalite offer an alternator packged in a generator casing. This light weight alloy unit puts out a useful 40 Amps Dynalite website If you cannot afford a Dynalite alternator/generator, then we can help you with a competitively priced Lucas 17ACR. The new unit has been upgraded to provide a useful output of 37 Amps. Please call for pricing and installation details. The following information was kindly supplied by Muir McDougall and maybe useful to our customers who are currently restoring Lotus vehicles. Mazakmender website The product offered on this website is excellent for repairing corroded alloy components such as Elan +2 front and rear lamp assemblies Yachtpaint website. This link directs you to a PDF document that provides product information regarding a sanding guide coat. This excellent paint product high-lights the smallest body imperfections and minute scratches. Red Line Oil Website. We stock and highly recommend Red Line Oil products for all Lotus vehicles. From experience gained in our workshop, we have proven the engine, and gearbox oils plus Waterwetter are an essential recipe to maintain the reliable operation of turbo-charged Esprit's during the hot summer months. Waterwetter Supercoolant and Rust Inhibitor is a unique wetting agent for cooling systems. The addition of this Supercoolant can double the capacity to remove heat by reducing temperatures as much as 26F. This is an absolute must for reducing the strain of running vehicle air-conditioning on hot days. This product is suitable for standard road specification engines and is highly recommended for race engines. It also provides all year round protection to reduce rust, corrosion and electrolysis passing the most severe Simulated Service Corrosion test developed for automotive coolants determined by the ASTM committee. It also reduces cavitation and air pockets; cleans and lubricates water pump seals; prevents foaming; complexes with hard water to reduce scale. Waterwetter provides much better heat transfer properties than glycol-based antifreeze. For more information regarding full synthetic oils and Waterwetter you can down load product datasheets directly from the Red Line Oil website. Hastings Piston Ring Website. We highly recommend Hastings piston ring sets for Lotus road going engines. The standard cast iron ring sets offer a quick initial bedding period and have excellent oil control charateristics. These are an ideal replacement for the OEM product that were manufactured by AE Auto for Lotus Cars. Magnecor web site and technical information regarding high-tech spark plug leads. We stock, install and highly recommend Magnecor plug leads for all Lotus engines. Magnecor offers a comprehensive range of Magnecor ELECTROSPORTS Series ignition leads (7mm and 8mm) which are designed for standard or modified street engines. Magnecor's ELECTROSPORTS Series wires are conventional in jacket construction and contain exclusive conductors that provide excellent RFI and EMI suppression. These leads are far superior than the best offered by competitors in the replacement and performance aftermarket. In addition, these leads feature a far superior heat resistant jacket. Like all Magnecor leads, the conductor inside the cable will last indefinitely unless severed. ARP website and catalogue We stock, use and highly recommend ARP bolts when building Lotus engines See ARP website and download their comprehensive catalogue (in pdf format) Piston Heads website This is an excellent website for all lotus owners to visit Torque Sense - Norbar website Every nut and bolt has a recommended torque setting. Every 12 months The Elan Factory has its torque wrenches checked and calibrated by Mobile Torque Services. This mobile business is owned and operated by Robin Hiscock and he offers certification to AS, ISO, and BS Standards. You can contact Robin via email or by mobile: 0419 377 571 For a comprehensive explanation about calibrating torque wrenches see the Norbar website. Know your tyres Tyre location and technical information available at this site The 2010 Esprit Look here to see some of the latest spy shots of the up and coming 2010 Esprit. Is this really the new up and coming Esprit? You be the judge! Loctite The Adhesive Sourcebook is the most comprehensive adhesive resource ever created! Includes Product Selector Guides for all major Loctite brand product categories. The complete Sourcebook is in excess of 10MB so this may take while to download depending on the internet connection you may have. Aerotech Design Ironcad Software Website. Rob Patterson is a long time friend who is the principal person behind Aerotech. Rob offers 3D CAD services and has solved many difficult problems for The Elan Factory. The Institute of the Motoring Industry - UK (IMI) The IMI is the professional association for individuals working in the motor industry and the leading awarding body for qualifications in the automotive sector. This is an excellent source to purchase a variety of quality reference material, both on hardcopy and CD. FRAM This site provides comprehensive information concerning oil and air filters. It has a number of informative sections including, FAQ, How to (with videos), History and comprehensive product guide. Top Gear Probably the most irreverent car show ever to grace our TVs. Clarkson et al bring you some of the best (and worst) cars to ever hit the road. Mechanical glossary This car site has a great glossary of terms. A Short History of Lotus Cars An excellent summary of each Lotus model from the Type 1 Trials Special of 1948 through to continuing rumours about the new Esprit. Club Lotus Australia Australia's longest running car club for Lotus owners and enthusiasts. Lotus Club Queensland Belonging to this friendly and well organised club is an excellent way for Lotus owners to get the most out of their car. The Official Formula 1 web site Great source of information regarding the latest sessions, results and circuits ITV (British Television) Formula 1 web site This site provides up to the minute news items. In addition to this there is plenty of technical discussion and information Comments from ITV-F1 commentators James Allen and Martin Brundle (these guys are well connected) Sci.Electric Car Battery FAQ Everything you would ever want to know about car batteries. Optima Batteries Australia High quality, high capaicity automotive batteries. James Waddington This site is dedicated to the Lotus Carlton, Opel Omega and Vauxhaul Marque. David and Lynette Mirylees This site belongs to a long time friend who owns and drives some interesting Lotus cars. Terry Duell Consulting Terry offers suspension design and ride analysis services. Nepean Classic Cars Specialists in MG sports cars, based in Penrith, NSW. Wolf Engine Management We supply and install WOLF fuel injection systems for Lotus cars. Tesla motors has unveiled their Elise-based Electric Vehicle. They're expecting the Tesla to sell for $100,000 with soft top, base paint and one rapid charge station. The torque curves give a strong hint as to the performance: http://www.teslamotors.com/performance/performance.php Note that like all EVs, there is 100% torque available at 0 RPM. Tesla raised $60 million and has spent $25 million of that on the roadster development. It has 2 gears (shifting into second at 65mph in order to get maximum acceleration to that point). Zero to 60 in four seconds. Range of 250 miles. Power equivalent to 248 hp (185 kilowatts). Runs at 360 volts Equivalent mileage is 150 mpg. Production hopes are about the same number as the Elise is these days: 4,000 to 5,000 over the first three years. They are taking orders now for delivery in mid-2007. Not all oil filters are created equal and just because one filter is larger than another does not necessarily result in a superior performance filter. Filtering capability and construction varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. There are a number of important features to consider when purchasing an oil filter. The first, is to establish how well the filter paper/material screens very small particles. Most of the wear in an engine is caused by particles below 25 microns. Next, is to establish how large a filtering capability the filter offers. This is determined by the total surface area of the filter paper inside the casing. This ultimately influences the pressure drop across the filter as it gradually clogs up. Next, is to understand the filter mechanical construction and important items such as the pressure relief valve and anti-drain valve should be checked. So how do you know when you have purchased a quality filter? Investigations into this have revealed that price, colour, size and in which country the filter was manufactured have nothing to do with the quality. The following link to an oil filter survey high-lights the above considerations. Please be aware this survey was carried out in the USA several years ago. Our own investigations have revealed that there is no consistancy in terms of materials and quality across the the same manufacturers part number where they are manufactured in different parts of the world. However, our experience shows that AMSOIL filters offer superior performance over the majority of other popular brand names. Engine Oil Filters Overview Bolt Science Information related to bolted joints. Home Theatre Heaven One of our customers and a provider of Home Theatre and Home Automation related products and services. If you want a great home theatre system, automate your house or just looking at upgrading to Digital TV, then check out their website.
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