Clan JO JASON - New Mirror indicators

[Keith 'Supaimpy' Laming]

Yup gets my approval and got me thinking on some modded pods for mine, but best I finish it as standard first then worry about mods!

Keith

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Cheers Keith! I'm pretty sure mine could be improved and better detailed. It's not until you apply paint and see it on the car that the reflections give ideas for further improvement.

Aero is definitely improved; I used the pressure washer on both the MOD POD and the std one ... the high pressure water stream hits the vertical face of the std pod and creates an upside down water fall (water lift!) about 3 ft into the air; the same stream on the MOD POD is deflected sideways around the A pillar with very little lift at all.

Also @ 110 mph the car wants to steer to the left due to the aero imbalance between the two pods ....

OK, only kidding!

[617sqn]

Excellent ! I love the new look, having never liked the original pods at all. Ditto on the Nymph. When you've finalised it, perhaps you need to get a mould made and run off a few to sell Then have a go at the Nymph ones ...........

Andy G.

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Thanks Andy. Been wanting to do this for a while.

As far as selling to other Clan owners is concerned, now Keith (Lamming) is going to do a version for his Clan it might be worth waiting for his design, then getting proper moulds made from the best job.

That said, I need a mirror image made first before getting a lighter, purely GRP, set made...can't keep driving it around with the ODD PODS!

[maxwadsworth]

That looks great, want something similar for my imp

[The Nun]

Does look a lot better than the original after thought stuck on top pods I must say.

[benwick3]

Peter,

Well done for your effort to be different but not to my liking. Looks like you left it too close to the fire.

Pete Richards

[willsrings]

Nice work, but i wonder if they would look better if you swapped them side to side so the contour of the pod would run down to the outer wing?

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

I like the modpod one as it is FWIW , Looks mean unlike its owner

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Thanks again chaps, all comments appreciated.

willsrings: I'd do a swap over to see what it looks like but the outer headlight brackets are original and bolts are a pain to access (and probably stuck fast!)...and maybe it'd look cross-eyed or droopy-eyed? I do think you might have a good idea there though ...maybe Keith Lamming might try that one ?

Pete: The 'melted pod look' is probably accurate but on the upside there is the benefit of some aero advantage although I appreciate that more would gained by completely flushing the Pods - which I didn't want to do 'cos a) lights would be too low and b) flush fixed lighting has been done and it's not a good look either.

UPDATE:
I spent the day on moving the rear lights .... pictures soon ..just waiting for a plastic panel to arrive in the post to preserve the original positioning for easy swap back to std Clan 'Hunter rears'... I think the reaction to the new rear light position might be even more polarised than reactions to the MOD POD design!

[benwick3]

Possibly some small aero improvement but more than likely balanced out by the non-standard lights fitted in the position of the original front indicators.

Anyway each to their own.

Pete Richards

[Lotus-e-Clan]

The black fog blocks were only a temporary measure until I thought of some other, more attractive, solution ...

(been thinking about it for 4 years mind !)

That said, the worst aero mod in terms of drag was the front spoiler ... more stable mind you.

Off to garage to finish the rear lights and wire them up (no vanity panel arrived yet though )

[ChrisBenoy]

I have to admit I quite like that, very purposeful looking. Don't think I will retrofit these to mine however

[Lotus-e-Clan]

I have to admit I quite like that, very purposeful looking. Don't think I will retrofit these to mine however

Thanks Chris.

Been driving it around with ODD PODs for the past week to make sure I like it enough to ask Dave W to do a proper set, so now I have a few (key) people on here thinking it looks Ok-ish ...and been getting (probably positive) reactions from on-coming traffic and pedestrians, I'll get-on and PM him with a request for a proper pair.

Been tweaking the rear-end this week too but not sure about the changes thus far (esp. as the std Crusader's original rear (Hunter lights) is it's best aspect!) ... moved the round LED lights into the engine cover and waiting to fit a vanity panel to cover the original positions ...sounds like a dog's breakfast ..and might end-up looking like one too ... but I can always reverse the changes fairly easily,

[617sqn]

So where are the pictures ?

Andy G.

[Lotus-e-Clan]

So where are the pictures ?

Andy G.

It's not quite finished ... I fitted the round lights into the silver mesh but the combination of round red reflector ring with yellow indicator center contrasts wrongly with the silver mesh background, so I've ordered a pair of chrome outer rings for the indicators to complement the chrome outer LED tail rings ... but I'm not even sure this will be the right solution either!

The original lighting position has black card taped over the area above the bumper so I'm driving around and thinking about the combo ..but it's not fit for photos yet!

I have a black fake carbon panel to trial fit over the original positions ...but that's a job for this weekend so pictures maybe then IF I'm not too ashamed of the changes!

[ImpManiac]

I like the pods, Peter, although I can understand why they wouldn't be to everyone's taste. Keep up the great work.

IM

[rhydian_mason]

A Clan with attitude. Like it.

Are you planning to make the rear end look a little meaner as well?

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Thanks again chaps.

Rear end lights have been moved a little higher as is the modern trend (sorry ). Ultimately wanted to replace my current dual round Hella rears with a single round multifunctional unit mounted higher but can't justify the cost atm (and can't yet find one I like of the right size) - so dual (but higher) it still is.

Easy to reverse all of the changes I've made so far (or do another conformation) and can go single round rears at a later date.

Pictures after this weekend....hopefully

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Raised rear lights and raised bumper by 2 inches to lift the bum a tad.
Reflectors now under bumper.
Original light position covered by a carbon-effect abs plastic sheet secured by new smaller number plate (16"x4" instead of 20x4), bumper bolts and a touch of ordinary household silicon sealant at the top edge.

img4328.jpg

Raised rear bumper accentuates the rear uplift from the rear wheels

img4334.jpg

Dirty car as just got back from a thrash around the lanes ...

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Thinking !!!!
As for the front pods Im sold , look really good .

[johno]

Not looked at this for a while Pete. How about.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

^^^^^ looks really sad , poor thing

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Not looked at this for a while Pete. How about.

Ha!

Noddy Said ...
^^^^^ looks really sad , poor thing

Yeah I'd like very much to have emotionally reactive headlights! Got to be possible!

[impmann]

That looks like Marvin the Paranoid Android like that!!

[Oscarmax]

x

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Thanks Oscarmax - yeah the more I look at it, the more I like it too.... the reduction in the number plate size is a key feature in my view..it doesn't matter whether it's a black one or a yellow one (I tried both), 16X4 is in proportion with the narrowness of the Clan- the std 20X4 is TOO BIG and looks wrong on all Clans IMHO.

Well apart from the latest changes (repositioning the lights into the engine cover and raising the bumper about 2 inches), the only other significant mod is the perforated grill in the cover which I did about 4 or 5 years ago (or maybe more?).

img4328.jpg

I used a std sheet of round-holed perforated aluminum readily available from the likes of Car Builder Solutions Ltd. The sheet is joined at the centre supported by an L-shaped bracket screwed to the number plate light mount and with hidden pop rivets to the ABS plastic cover behind the CLAN badge. This bracket also stiffens the rear of the engine cover significantly and stops it vibrating (as you'll know the std cover is very flimsy at this point). The only other fixing is via small sheet alum brackets (home made) at the corners of the engine cover -pop riveted to the ABS. The alum sheet is easy to cut and bend. The 45 degree bend in the perforated sheet at the lower edge bridges the gap between the engine cover and the the rear panel and stops a lot of dirt and dust entering the engine bay from the low-pressure area at the back of the car.

I've had the twin 95 mm Hella rear lights on the car for the last 10 years (in the std position and therefore not ideally spaced) but if I were to do it again now I'd chose single 95 mm multi-functional LED lights (stop/tail/indicator) like this (£108 per pair Car Builder Solutions):

Also, if I'd had the shorter number plate at the time, I'd have dimensioned the engine cover centre section to same width as the plate (16 inches).
I guess the 205/55/13 Avon CR500s on 8 inch rims help fatten the rear end and adds to the overall look too!

[The Nun]

Of course what everyones dying to ask is, does it go faster now?

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Of course what everyones dying to ask is, does it go faster now?

Nah -still 0-60 in 5.8 -6 secs and 100 mph around 16-17 secs (I guess) ...

(The 205/55/13s do slow it down btw!)

[The Nun]

Nah -still 0-60 in 5.8 secs (I guess) ...

(The 205/55/13s do slow it down btw!)

You're nearly there then, only another 3.8 seconds to go and its faster than a 2 million quid Veyron

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Nah -still 0-60 in 5.8 secs (I guess) ...

(The 205/55/13s do slow it down btw!)

You're nearly there then, only another 3.8 seconds to go and its faster than a 2 million quid Veyron

Ha! Taking a leaf out of Jenson Button's book , I've moved-on from the Veyron - just like him I've bought a SMART Roadster (for the wife) instead (apparently he got fed-up with Veyron bills).

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Long time no post!

Well after 10 years or so tolerating a release bearing rattle I've been forced to remove the engine to fix a complete loss of function. I foolishly dislodged the clips (or so I thought) manipulating the slave cylinder whilst investigating a clutch slip causing the VW release bearing to rotate out of engagement with the clutch fork!

Well it serves a purpose because the valve guide clearances have always been at the extreme of tolerance from the get go so I can do an engine refresh whilst it's out.

Sorry about blurry picture - camera shake! (I needed a drink)

(...slurp...ah ..that's better..)
The eagle-eyed will notice the new rear light design (sequential indicators). More about that another time - there is so much to update thread-wise.



Well -- NO CLIPS FOUND! OK I could see their dusty remains in the form of iron filings around the inside of the bell housing .- I reckon they fell out from the get go. The more experienced of you will not be surprised - I confess that I know I never did the std mods for the VW release - ie drill the pivot holes deeper and lock-wire the clips - too impatient!


And boy oh boy, you can see how much the release bearing had been oscillating (cause of rattle) - just look at the pivot lug wear! Nicely bedded in though!



I think as well as lock wiring in the new clips I will add a retaining spring attached to the top of the bearing to stop the oscillation.

In other news ..my coil pack for the mapped ignition had suffered very bad electrode corrosion ...look at the difference in colour for the lower two HT lead sockets - the internal electrode had completely eroded away in one. I deffo need a new coil pack and leads! You need eagle-eyes to see from the picture below.



It had been running OK - WOT power seemed ok but it was not as rock steady on tickover as it used to be.

I think I'll relocate the pack when the 875 sport engine goes in next month. Good times!
Peter Kalamity!

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Glad its getting some love

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Glad its getting some love

Yes I'm falling back in love with her (or is it him? Jo JASON..it could be either!)... Cheers!

[colimp66]

Always good to see a Clan thread.
Keep us posted, please

Cheers
Col.

[bks974c]

Good to see progress, my coil pack is mounted under the rear parcel shelf, away from the heat and soaking everytime I have to wash the engine

Scott

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Yesh I'm now thinking under parcel shelf is best for the coil pack.

Hope to keep the thread more up to date from now on.

Thanks for comments everyone.

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Good ol' standby 875 SPORT about to go in ...

Coil Pack relocation to original dizzy position. New Coil pack is Vauxhall/Renault therefore New HT leads off an ASTRA 1.8 ...note plug length designed for twin cam heads. Only a temporary solution to get the thing going.

New 60A off ebay (Denso sold as a tractor alternator) ..has a very small pulley diameter which really does pull down idle revs when heavy load switched on (esp. headlights, Rad Fan)

Easier to remove and replace alternator with brackets attached - saves messing about with pivot spacers in a confined space.

Alternator strap integrated with coil pack bracket location bolts so bolt holes are slightly slotted to allow radial adjustment of strap.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

looks great

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Hello Dave

The above pictures are from a month ago mind you. The Sport is in and running great too -albeit with half the power of the 1040 ...

And here is your pressure gauge adapter in situ - I fitted that yesterday - much better routing now thanks to Dave.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Hello Dave

The above pictures are from a month ago mind you. The Sport is in and running great too -albeit with half the power of the 1040 ...

And here is your pressure gauge adapter in situ - I fitted that yesterday - much better routing now thanks to Dave.

Much better idea i think , ive found one more since finding our two

[Lotus-e-Clan]

I need to fill in some of the many gaps in this readers car thread.

Some of this stuff is historic so may have been posted elsewhere - but perhaps it would be easier for me to find if it's under one roof.

Clan COOLING MODS:
From 2004 the basic system comprised:

• Rear HE Rad
  Temperature controlled EWP80 as main pump
  2 X 10 row MOCAL rads located in the front spoiler fed by the heater circuit
  Temperature controlled 13 L/min booster pump in the heater circuit
  Rear rad air flow source:- ram air from under the car
  11 inch SPAL rad fan temperature controlled from bottom hose

MK 2 rear rad scoop




Next post will show recent (2014 -2018) updates to the rear rad and cowls

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Disclaimer: These development mods ain't pretty - function is the priority. If and when I stop developing stuff I might use the time to make them look pretty!

RADIATOR CHANGE:
The 2004 HE rad bought from Malc @ the National that year worked really well!
However, the air vortexing pattern within the cowl on the front of the rad produced interesting copper fin erosion - exacerbated by lots of commutes during several hard winters of salty gritty roads up to 2014.

Also the hotter weather, plus no proper exit air management into the engine bay, pushed me to develop the rear cowling and add a 'diffuser' to the rear of the rad.

Out with the old in with the new! 10 years service and still worked reasonably - but hot days in summer did expose the deterioration in performance cooling the 1040.

Thicker core too - (not necessarily good news)

Alum Fan Cowl fitted to Alum Rad

Rad exit air needed management to keep engine bay cooler and to prevent warm air entering the DHLA air intake..


And of course the Exit air needs help all of the way out and away from the car.



Next time - under floor scoop change and front spoiler mods to optimise the ram air ... ( need to photo the spoiler)

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Under floor AIR management
Air is a fluid so it follows that the rate of flow within air streams, like water streams, tend to be fastest at the centre of the stream, and stalls toward the edges.

I learnt with the mark1 rear rad scoop that it's best to position the opening near to the centre of the car to catch the fastest moving air. The scoop is between the rear wheels, so need to keep it away from the dirty turbulent air and spray exiting the inner rear wheel arches.

Hence the latest mK3 rear rad scoop is skewed towards the centre of the car more than the mk2, - it even overlaps the transaxle bottom a tad.

The rad scoop is detachable from the main rad cowl - as is the diffuser floor - this means I can leave the rad and main rad cowls on the car when removing the engine.

Latest front spoiler mod directs and greatly improves air to the rear rad.

Previously with the uncut full width spoiler I lost a lot of cooling capacity compared to running with NO spoiler at all. I've also opened up the air vents to the front Mocals which improves low-speed cooling.

Mk3 Rear Rad Scoop is skewed toward the centre...

... even overlaps the tranny!

Rad scoop and rear diffuser floor is easily removed from below to aid engine removal.

Hardly notice the rear diffuser from the rear ... new rear LED lights (sequencial indicators)!


Next time - summary of cooling system performance using Evan's waterless coolant.

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Interesting and informative .
So now its been like this for a while do you think the reverse ram air flow a better system than standard , is this more suited to a Clan or do you think a standard imp would benefit .I see lots of development going on here.
Thanks for posting

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Interesting and informative .
So now its been like this for a while do you think the reverse ram air flow a better system than standard , is this more suited to a Clan or do you think a standard imp would benefit .I see lots of development going on here.
Thanks for posting

The devil is in many details. Many of my mods are marginal gains that all add up.

It is difficult to compare to the std system because I don't have/ need a rad FAN running at all times (unlike the std system). I guess where the 'reverse' ram system could be better than the std fan blower is at very high speed (illegal) when the exit air on the std system is said to be stalled by the changes in air pressure under the car near the inner rear wheel arch.

The rear rad diffuser ensures the air can't enter the rad in the std direction - ever! Also my engine bay cover 'rear lighting grill' is 'semi- sealed' against any significant low pressure air moving 'forwards' into the engine bay at any speed too - it all helps. And I guess the Clan is a better development horse than the Imp for my type of system.

One thing leads to another. When most folk remove their mechanical water pump to fit an EWP (to release engine power/torque), the std mod is to fit a front radiator.

So it is more relevant to compare my system to a front rad system.

Is cooling MORE efficient than a front rad system? - Of course not! - I have had to do a lot of (mainly hidden) air flow mods to get it to cool AS GOOD AS a front rad system cooling a 1040 with 100+ BHP.

Why not fit a front rad like everyone else?

The only significant advantages I guess are:

• 1) The air flow over my Clan is as good as a std rear rad Clan. - When a front rad is fitted. most just cut slots in the body, stall the air flow at the front and increase front end drag. The better front rad installations will manage the air better AND increase front end downforce too even without a front spoiler fitted. But to vent a front rad Clan well, the exit air needs to be nearer the windscreen which means bonnet mods which significantly reduce the usefulness of the front compartment.
  2) I have full use of the front compartment - it's essentially a road car! I have filled the front with camping stuff on occasion - and I can pop the shopping in there too! A lot easier than throwing it over the high back seats, and then worse still, retrieving it! One job on the list is to fit a full plastic liner in the front boot - a bit like a SMART Roadster. I'm also very soon fitting a solenoid popper to open the boot from the outside with a remote (and shopping) in hand. Adds to refinement and pleasure in use.
  3) The flat floor system has greatly improved high speed downforce. The aero improvements of the flat floor compressed the suspension so hard at 100 mph it pushed the front dampers onto the bump stops - so I recently fitted stiffer front springs etc to compensate. - You can fit floor panels to a front rad Clan too of course, but I guess the clean front end of a std Clan is an advantage over the front rad 'ers for clean aero providing quicker progression of air to the rear of the car - where managing the exit air is ultra important too.
  4) The under floor panels protect the suspension and a lot of the engine bay. At the front (due to aero factors), the Clan is MUCH more susceptible to suspension corrosion compared to the IMP. Also all of the Clan's inner wheel arches lack the lower extensions you find in an IMP. This allows a lot more muck into the suspension areas. Wheel arch liners are the full answer -and this is a project on the todo list for mine. .

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Thanks for the explanation , makes sense to me ( kind of )

[Lotus-e-Clan]

Bored of cooling updates, I've turned attention to a few electrical mods:

Common Issues for Clan Owners
* Clan doesn't have hazards as std so I guess like many classic owners, you tend to shite yourself just a little bit if/when you breakdown on a motorway/dual carriageway.
* Similarly, pulling out of a parking space in reverse can be a bit of a pant-shite-r without a reversing light to warn passing cars + pedestrians (have all the bits to fit rev light at a later date).
* Driving in Fog is a nightmare in any low-slung car. FOG penetration in the Clan is made worse for having headlights that are set back within slots - dip beam doesn't light the road immediately in front and the glare back you get from eye-level dips is debilitating! I had to drive 20 mph in fog with modern's impatiently overtaking wondering what all the fuss is about.
* When I do a 'supermarket shop' I prefer to use the front boot, but it's a pain to have to open the door, pull the bonnet catch etc -especially if it's raining. Better to pop the bonnet lid from the outside using a remote control / 'bumper button'.
* A boot light can be useful too!

So I've done the following mods which are designed to have some integration/interdependency:

• 1) HAZARDS (my own version using a relay and spare flasher)
  2) AUTOMATIC LED BOOT Light
  3) BOOT POPPER SOLENOID (remote control)
  4) FOG LIGHTS (remote control)

BOOT LIGHT/POPPER SYSTEM LOGIC.

• The LED BOOT LIGHT is energised via a MICROSWITCH integrated with the boot catch. Boot LEDs are ON when the boot lid is OPEN.
  The above microswitch also energises a BUMPER PUSH BUTTON - but only when the boot lid is CLOSED.
  The above bumper push button, when held ON, temporarily operates the HAZARD lights.
  The HAZARDS (when ON) energise the REMOTE CONTROL MODULE and also, via a series of logic relays, ENABLES the BOOT POPPER circuit.
  When the REMOTE CONTROL is PRESSED with hazards flashing - the boot lid springs open!
  
  This allows you to pop the boot lid from outside the car with the remote control - but only when the bumper switch is simultaneously held. Without the remote control, the bumper switch will just flash the hazards, but not open the boot. WORKS GREAT!
  
  IF you switch the hazards ON from within the car (dash switch) AND press the remote control, the boot lid will pop. ie for security and safety, the boot lid pops using the remote control but ONLY IF hazards are ON (via dash switch or bump push button).
  BTW. Direction indicators + remote control will NOT pop the boot lid - you have to have hazards switched ON.

I've used a RING Remote Control Module (RCM) for many years to operate my FOG lights. I wanted to use the same RCM to operate the BOOT POPPER so I converted the RCM into a dual function device by designing a logic circuit using changeover relays.
The RCM needs to receive a TRACE SIGNAL (12v) for the remote control to operate. So changeover relays are used to ensure the remote control operates the BOOT POPPER using the hazard circuit 12v as the trace signal, and that the remote control operates the FOGS when the side light circuit 12v is the trace signal.

FOG LIGHT LOGIC

• Simply put, when the side lights are ON the RCM remote will ONLY operate the FOG LIGHTS - not the boot popper.
  The side lights energise a changeover relay to swap the trace signal source from hazards --> sidelights.
  The hazards energise a changeover relay to swap the trace signal source from sidelights --> hazards.
  
  The changeover relays are wired such that:
  It is impossible for the boot to pop open when the FOGS are ON.
  It's impossible for the FOGS to light when the hazards are ON.
  If the FOGS are already ON when the HAZARD switch is pulled, the FOGS extinguish automatically.

HAZARD /DIRECTION INDICATOR LOGIC:

• The changeover relay connected to the DIRECTION FLASHER makes sure it's impossible for both flashers (HAZARD and DIRECTION) to operate simultaneously.
  If the direction indicator stalk is ON (LEFT or RIGHT), when the HAZARD is pulled the DIRECTION FLASHER disengages and the HAZARD FLASHER takes over.
  IF the HAZARD switch is then pushed OFF, the HAZARD FLASHER disengages and DIRECTION FLASHER re-engages to operate the LEFT or RIGHT indicators as previously set.

Here is the full circuit diagram - I don't expect anyone to understand my weird logic - but it might inspire another 'complexity nutter' like me to design logic circuits using changeover relays - not a cheap option but I had most of the components lying around....and it keeps me out of trouble!

[Dave ' Linwood ' Lane]

Sounds complicated but very good , your as mad as me re. electrics

[617sqn]

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=18843

Andy G