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2026-04-05T20:47:39Z

Stu:

User talk:Stu

2026-04-05T14:52:29Z

Stu:

File:Screenshot 2026-04-03 at 09.43.38.png

2026-04-05T14:51:58Z

Stu:

2012-01-17T18:27:11Z

Stu:

Insurance

2012-01-12T21:51:30Z

Stu:

Replace the steering rack

2012-01-03T12:12:16Z

Stu: updated http://www.titan.uk.net url

{{Infobox Timetools
|time = 1 hour to remove rack
|tools = 17mm deep socket / 17 mm spanner to release track rod end, 13mm socket, 17mm socket, ratchet, numerous extension bars, 13mm spanner, 32mm spanner, 36mm spanner, 5mm allenkey, chisel and hammer (to remove rivnut), drill, 2.5mm and 3mm drill bits, vice
}}

Reading the factory manual will have you believing that it's just undo a couple of bolts and bosh, out it comes.

Err, no. Be prepared to be very uncomfortable:

==Removal==
===S1===
First, loosen the front wheel nuts then jack up the front of the car and place on axle stands. Leave a good amount of space at least on one side as you need room to withdraw the rack.

Remove the front wheels.

Now you need to split the track rod ends from the steering arms. Slacken the nuts off to the end of the thread. At this point, it's worth giving the nut a whack upwards with a copper mallet, as this is sometimes enough to free the joint without reaching for your balljoint splitter. If this doesn't work, you're best to use a scissor-type splitter to free the joint.

Now, with both track rod ends released you need to free the bottom steering column UJ from the rack pinion. To do this, first mark the rack pinion in relation to the bottom UJ. I used a dab of tippex (cos it has a handy brush in the lid!). This will help you get the two parts joind back together again afterwards in such a way that hopefully the steering wheel still points in the right direction! Now remove the bottom pinch bolt (13mm) from the bottom UJ. You'll need to get a 13mm spanner on the nut to stop it turning with the bolt.

Now you can remove the 4 bolts that hold the steering rack to the bulkhead. There's two on the bulkhead on the passenger side, and 2 on the bulkhead on the driver's side. The bottom ones need a 13mm socket, the top ones are 17mm socket. I used 2 12" extensions and a 6" extension on the sockets so I could sit in the seats and do it in relative comfort without being upside down in the footwells. Once you've cracked the bolts off and start undoing them, you may find that they're quite hard to turn until they're almost out. This is because they are coated in threadlock and is quite normal.

WIth the bolts out, you should be able to wiggle the rack towards the front of the car a bit, and then wiggle the bottom steering column UJ so that it comes off the rack pinion and you can swing it out of the way.

I then pulled out the rubber grommet around the hole in the bulkhead that the pinion comes through, as this will give you a bit more room in a minute.

Theory goes you should now be able to push the rack towards the front of the car so the pinion clears the bulkhead hole, then slide the rack out.

However, no amount of wiggling back and forth worked on mine. The problem is a rivnut on the front face of the steering rack channel that prevents the rack moving far enough forwards to clear the bulkhead. If you look in the front services compartment, you'll see it just above the outlet from the heater motor. This rivnut isn't needed on right hand drive cars.

I used a sharp chisel to knock the front face off it (in the front services compartment). Then a long screwdriver and a healthy whack to the back of it down the steering rack channel got rid of it.

You should now be able to get in the footwell and tilt the steering rack pinion upwards and it should just clear the hole in the bulkhead. Then just withdraw the rack along the channel.

===S2===
No different to S1 described above for me, apart from there is no need to remove the rivnut, just ask for someone to help you twist it out, it will come.

==Reconditioning==
The rack is made by [http://www.titan.uk.net Titan Motorsport], and they will sell all parts to the public on the condition of a £25 minimum order value. And to be honest, they are very helpful too!

I removed my rack as there was play, which I suspected to be the nylon cups at the inner end of each track rod.

I ordered 2 of the cups (£3.50 each), 2 of the springs that sit behind the cups (£ ), 2 of the locking pins that lock the cups to the locking nuts (£ each), and 2 gaitors (£4.50 each).

[From Titan Motorsport, March 2007: A1161611200A3 - £3.35EA - Nylon shoes, A1161610900A3 - 52p - Spring, A1161916700A3 - 28p - Locking Pin. Note: There is a minimum charge fee of £25]

[http://www.manser42.freeserve.co.uk/Steering%20rack%20parts.jpg Steering Rack overhaul common parts]

This seems to be the most common cause of play in the rack.

[http://www.manser42.freeserve.co.uk/Elise%20Steering%20rack.pdf Steering Rack exploded view courtesy of Titan Motorsport]

You will need to source grease to re-build your rack. The "rocol MTS1000" is now know as "rocol Sapphire hi-pressure bearing grease" and the "scheerol mpt2 grease" is actually called "spheerol mp2". I sourced this from RS but there are other places that sell them. Note 400g is a lot but that was all they had at the time I ordered.
RS Stock No. Qty Unit Price Goods Value Description
198-3136 1 £2.82 £2.82 Spheerol MP2 bearing grease,400gm
330-6288 1 £14.15 £14.15 Sapphire hi-pressurebearing grease,400gm
288-4793 1 £6.00 £6.00 Pocket spring balance w/hook & ring,30kg
Running Total £22.97
Delivery charge £4.95
VAT £4.19 Order total £32.11

Start by removing the cable ties that hold the gaitors on and sliding the gaitors back to the track rod ends (I left the track rod ends in situ, the theory being the tracking wouldn't be too far out when I put it back together).

This exposes the inner ends of the track rods and the cup joint that they sit in.

You will see that the cup joint has a locknut. Between the lock nut and cup joint body there is a small locking pin (roll pin) that needs to be carefully drilled out (using a 2.5 / 3mm drill bit).

Once the locking pin it removed, it should be possible to (carefully) clamp the rack bar in a vice and undo the locknut using a 32mm spanner.

Once the locknut is released, the cup joint will unscrew from the end of the rack.

Remove the cup joint noting the nylon cup and spring that are in there.

Repeat for the other track rod.

Upon reassembly the two joints should be tightned to a point where a load of 3 to 4 Kg, applied 152mm down the track control arm from the centre of the ball in the joint (ie right near the end), is required to move it. Lock at this point, re-drill, and pin. A centre punch on the end of the locking pin will spread it slightly, securing it.

At this point, I'd noticed that my rack preload seemed far to loose, in that I could turn the pinion shaft with just my finger and thumb, and that when I did this the rack, to my mind, sounded "noisy". There was also one point in the travel where it went "tight".

I made the decision to strip down the rack and re-lube it.

First step in doing this is to remove the pinion. To do this, first undo the Rack Bar Thrust Pad bolt locking nut using a 36mm spanner, then back out the thrust pad bolt using a 5mm allen key. Then remove the circlip that holds the pinion assembly in, and then use your vice and suitable sockets to press it out of the rack body.

You can then carefully withdraw the rack from the end of the rack body.

After a bit of cleaning and degreasing, I found that the internals were pretty much fine, with the exception of a marked tooth on the rack which was causing the tight spot I'd noticed. I just dressed this with a fine file.

Upon reassembly the Rack Bar Thrust Pad should be adjusted to give a preload that allows a horizontaly mounted rack to be pulled along its entire length by a force of 50 - 70 N.
[[Category:DIY]]
[[Category:Lotus Elise]]
[[Category:S1]]
[[Category:S2]]

Tyre pressures

2011-08-08T12:14:50Z

Stu: /* Toyo 888 Tyre Pressures */

===Tyre pressures===

Make sure you buy a tyre pressure gauge of your own, who knows when the last time the air pump at the garage was calibrated.

Buying your own gauge will insure you get similar readings.

'''Please enter all readings as COLD for Road and HOT for Track'''

Please beware that tyre pressure is part of your suspension setup and the pressure numbers from the manual is a good start if you run factory geo and OE tyres. Anything else is trial and error.

That said starting at the low end will help you find the correct pressure faster.

'''As used by other SELOC members:'''

{| border="1"
|-
| '''Elise S1'''||'''FRONT'''||'''REAR'''||'''SIZE'''||'''Road or Track?'''||'''Used by'''
|-
|Toyo R888||22||24||||Road||
|-
|Yokohama Advan Neova LTS||22||24||||Road||
|-
|Yokohama Advan Neova LTS||20||22||||Road||Mr Wiki in the Summer
|-
|Yokohama Advan Neova LTS||22||24||||Road||Mr Wiki in the winter
|-
|Yokohama Advan A048r (M)||23||24||195/255||Road||sc-009
|-
|Yokohama Advan A048||27||28||||Track||
|-
|Toyo Proxies T1R||24 ||26||||Road||
|-
|BF Goodrich G Force Profilers||22||24||||Road||
|-
|Yoko C Drive||22 ||24||||Road||
|-
|R888||19 ||21||||Road||
|-
|Kumho Ecsta KU31||24 ||26||||Road||
|-
|Kumho Ecsta KU31||23 ||24||195/225||Road (Wet)||sc-009
|-
|Kumho Ecsta KU31||26 ||26||195/225||Track||sc-009
|-
|Kumho Ecsta KU31||23 ||25||195/225||Road||sida
|-
|Kumho Ecsta KU31||26 ||28||195/225||Track||sida
|-
|Hankook RS2||24 ||26||195/225||Road||ReVolt
|}

The Elise manual says 26F/27.5R for Bridgestones on a K series but this may be too high with rear centre tread wearing first.

{| border="1"
|-
| '''Elise S2 K series'''||'''FRONT'''||'''REAR'''||'''Road or Track?'''||'''Used by'''
|-
|Yoko AD07||22||24||Road & Track||
|-
|Bridgestones||24||26||Road||
|-
|Bridgestones||26 ||27.5||Road (and no abnormal centre wear at all)||
|-
|Bridgestones||24||26||Track||
|-
|Yoko AD07||23 ||25||Road||
|-
|Toyo R888||22 ||24||Road||
|-
|Toyo R888||20 ||22||Track||
|-
|Yoko AO48||22 ||24||Road||
|-
|Dunlop SP9000||24 ||26||Road||
|}

The Elise manual says 26F/29R for Bridgestones on a Toyota-engined Elise Standard 111R

{| border="1"
|-
| '''Elise S2 Toyota'''||'''FRONT'''||'''REAR'''||'''Road or Track?'''||'''Used by'''
|-
|Yokohama AD07||23||25||Road||
|-
|Yokohama A048||22||24||Road||
|-
|Bridgestones||23||24||Road||
|-
|Toyo R1R||22 ||24||Road|Juninho1976|
|-
|Tyre Name||PSI ||PSI||?||
|-
|Tyre Name||PSI ||PSI||?||
|-
|Tyre Name||PSI ||PSI||?||
|}

{| border="1"
|-
| '''Exige S2 Toyota''' ||'''FRONT'''||'''REAR'''||'''Road or Track?'''||'''Used by'''
|-
|Yokohama A048||22||24||Track||
|-
|Yokohama A048||24 ||26||Road||
|-
|Toyo T1-R||26||28||Road||
|-
|Toyo 888||19||23||Track||
|}

{| border="1"
|-
|'''Europa'''||'''FRONT'''||'''REAR'''||'''Road or Track?'''
|-
|Tyre Name||PSI||PSI||?
|-
|Tyre Name||PSI ||PSI||?
|-
|Tyre Name||PSI ||PSI||?
|}

===Toyo 888 Tyre Pressures===

Extracted from the following thread:

http://forums.seloc.org/t/222602

My name is Alan Meaker, I am the Motorsport Manager for Toyo Tyres (UK) Ltd.

I was at Rockingham on the Saturday 1ST March at the LOT trackday and worked with a couple of cars using our R888 tyre regarding pressures and tread temperatures.

What I would like to do is to offer some advice on tyre temperatures and pressures and how to achieve the best from our tyres when taking part in either trackdays or racing.

The R888 has a semi race construction (very stiff) and a race tread compound. The optimum tread temperature range is between 85C and 95C measured using a probe type pyrometer, and ideally a maximum difference across the tread of 9C. The maximum hot pressure we recommend is 40psi. Camber angles up to 5 degrees are permissible but the final setting will depend on tread temperatures. It is advisable to have as much positive castor as practical as castor induces a beneficial camber change during cornering. I recommend that the tyres be put through 2 heat cycles before hard use.

The pressures you use will initially depend on the weight of the car, too little pressure on a heavy car can lead to over deflection of the tyre and subsequent failure.

Below are some basic settings:

VEHICLE WEIGHT COLD PRESSURE HOT PRESSURE
Very Light < 800kg 17 - 22 psi 22 - 29 psi
Light 800kg - 1000kg 20 - 26 psi 24 - 32 psi
Heavy 1000kg - 1400kg 23 - 27 psi 28 - 40 psi
Very Heavy > 1400kg 27 - 35 psi 37 - 40 psi

As a tyre gets hotter the pressure increases, this is due to the moisture in the air. The cold pressure you set to achieve a desired hot pressure will depend on the conditions on the day i.e. ambient and track temperature, wet or dry. If the day/track is cold you will need to start with a higher cold pressure as the tyre will not get as hot therefore the pressure increase will not be so great.
Hot pressures must be balanced side to side. Once the tyres have cooled you will find that you will have a difference in pressure side to side, if you have been racing on a right hand track you will find the offside pressures will usually be higher than the nearside.

Changing hot inflation pressures by small amounts can be used to fine tune handling.

Reduce Oversteer Reduce rear pressures or increase front pressures
Increase Oversteer Increase rear pressures or reduce front pressures
Reduce Understeer Reduce front pressures or increase rear pressures
Increase Understeer Increase front pressures or reduce rear pressures

Achieving the required tread temperatures will depend again on the conditions on the day i.e. ambient and track temperature, wet or dry.

You often here competitors saying “My tyres started to go of towards the end of the race”, this is usually due to the tread getting to hot.

The tread temperatures are constantly changing through out a race, hotter when cornering and cooler when on the straights and cooling even more when you are slowing to come into the pits. Therefore the temps you record in the pits will be lower than those during the race. So if you record temperatures within the range given above the probability is the temps will be too high during the race.

Increasing your tyre pressures will cause your tread temperatures to increase, more pressure stiffens the tyre’s casing which results in the tread having to do more work resulting in the tread getting hotter. Lowering your pressures will cause them to decrease.

Inevitably changing one thing will affect other things, the whole set up of your car is a compromise between anything that is adjustable.

Some of you are also asking about different compounds. Originally we only had one compound ‘GG’ (medium hard), but we have now introduced some sizes in a ‘SG’ (soft/wet) compound. This was done primarily for sprint/hillclimb (around 60 second runs) where the distances covered are relatively short and you need the tyres to work/heat up very quickly. This is not a compound I would recommend for race/trackday dry use as the tyres will go off very quickly.

The sizes that will be available are:

185/60R13, 205/60R13, 195/50R15, 205/50R15, 225/45R16, 225/45R17.

Another subject is the introduction of our Proxes R1R. This tyre was due to be launched at the beginning of 2008, unfortunately this has been delayed to at least mid 2008 but there is a good chance it will be latter than this. Regarding sizes, initially we will have a rear fit (225/45ZR17) but not the front (195/50R16).

I hope this is of some use to you.

If I can be of any further assistance please give me a call.

01933 414537

Best Regards

Alan

[[Category:Wheels and tyres]]
[[Category:Lotus Elise]]
[[Category:S1]]
[[Category:S2]]

Newsletter Issues

2011-07-27T22:40:22Z

Stu:

This is a page contains links to and details on the contents of past issues of the SELOC Newsletter. It is currently incomplete.

{| border="1"
|-
! Issue !! Publication Date !! Contents !! Editor
|-
| [http://news.seloc.org/19/seloc_newsletter_nov09.pdf November 2009] || 20/11/2009 || '''Lead''' - Lotuses on an exclusive day at the Nordschleife<br />'''Ten Tenths''' - Top driving tips from Andrew Walsh at Carlimits <br />'''Tech Focus''' - Randy dampers! Go on, you know you want to...<br />'''Regional Spotlight''' - News from the IOM, FleetLoc oop north and more<br />'''Meet Your Specialist''' - Christopher Neil: Lotus through and through<br />'''Directors' News''' - Fatwomble on our SELOC activity day<br />'''Back to School''' - Chapter two in our potted history of Lotus<br />'''Upcoming Events''' - National and regional events to look out for|| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/luvyalizzy Frederic de Ryckman de Betz]
|-
| [http://news.seloc.org/22/seloc_newsletter_mar11.pdf March 2011] || 25/03/2011 || '''Page 1''' - News - Lotus at Geneva, Elise Club Racer Unveiled, Elise-shop release revised toe link kit<br />'''Page 2''' - Upcoming events inc. Lotus-on-Track, Castle Combe<br />'''Page 3''' - All change - What’s happening at SELOC and Lotus on Track?<br />'''Page 4''' - A Competitive Activity Day — Your First Step into Motorsport? || [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Thorburn James Thorburn]
|-
| [http://news.seloc.org/23/seloc_newsletter_apr11.pdf April 2011] || 29/04/2011 || '''Page 1''' - News - Lotus Driving Academy Relaunched, Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2 Alloys on offer at Seriously Lotus, Team Lotus buys Caterham<br />'''Page 2''' - Upcoming events inc. SELOC Wakeboarding Day, BBQ and Run 2011<br />'''Page 3''' - Nitron Factory Tour<br />'''Page 4''' - CAT Driver Training - Drift Day<br />'''Page 5''' - Sprinting - The Next Step on the Motorsport Ladder... || [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Thorburn James Thorburn]
|-
| [http://news.seloc.org/24/seloc_newsletter_may11.pdf May 2011] || 27/05/2011 || '''Page 1''' - News - Geoff Leppard set to rock Snetterton, and the charts!, Eliseparts Toyota Turbo Conversion coming soon....<br />'''Page 2''' - Upcoming events inc. SELOC@Snetts 2011—June 24th-26th<br />'''Page 3 & 4''' - Driven: Lotus Elise 1.6<br />'''Page 5,6 & 7''' - An Idiots Guide to your first track day<br />'''Page 8 & 9''' - Bocardo Autosolo Review || [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Thorburn James Thorburn]
|-
| [http://docs.seloc.org/seloc_snetts11.pdf SELOC@Snetts 2011] || 15/06/2011 || '''Page 1''' - SELOC@Snetts<br />'''Page 2''' - Event Timetable|| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Thorburn James Thorburn]
|-
| [http://news.seloc.org/25/seloc_newsletter_jun11.pdf June 2011] || 27/06/2011 || '''Page 1''' - News - Rumour mill churns out more Exige V6 information..., “Ultimate Buyers’ Guide” released for the Elise, Tillett B6-F seat gains FIA Approval<br />'''Page 2''' - Upcoming events inc. Lotus-on-Track, Brands Hatch Indy Novice Evening<br />'''Page 3''' - Lotus Driving Academy Day || [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Thorburn James Thorburn]

[[Category:Newsletters]]

Brake calipers

2011-07-25T11:43:29Z

Stu: /* Front */

Work in progress!

'''Chris i moved this from brake pads, better placed here'''

{| border="1"
|-
|S1 MMC||AP Racing Twin-piston Front Calipers and Brembo Rear Calipers
|-
|S1 non-MMC||AP Racing Twin-piston Front Calipers and Brembo Rear Calipers
|-
|S2 K Series||AP Racing Twin-piston Front Calipers and Brembo Rear Calipers
|-
|S2 Toyota||AP Racing Twin-piston Front Calipers and Brembo Rear Calipers
|}

=== Front ===
* AP Racing Caliper
* http://www.apracing.com/info/products.asp?product=22S0_446_186 - Right Hand
* http://www.apracing.com/info/products.asp?product=23S0_447_186 - Left Hand
* http://www.eliseparts.com/products/category/20/brake-calipers/

=== Rear ===
* Brembo Caliper

=== Painting ===

Many people paint their calipers so that they look less 'tatty', its a very easy job to do.

Various paints and colours can be used, from just plain Hammerite paint to specialist brake painting kits.

A few tips though:

Avoid rushing this job as it can look bad very easily, make sure you clean the calipers very well first. I used some brake cleaner, then some warm soapy water with a hard toothbrush and finally a soft cloth and my finger. (but my brakes were painted yellow before so I had to apply some paint remover and gently remove all the old paint first).

I used just a standard paint but made sure I used a base coat, main coat and finally a few coats of clear lacquer to fend off the brake dust.

[[image:after1.JPG|thumb|left]]
[[image:after2.JPG|thumb|left]]
{{clr}}

[[Category:Brakes]]

File:Wiki.png

2011-07-16T19:48:00Z

Stu: uploaded a new version of "File:Wiki.png"

France

2011-06-01T06:41:28Z

Stu: access test

France is the closest foreign country to England after Wales and Scotland. It is a country that has many roads, many of which are clear of traffic and some of which go up and down mountains in interesting ways. For these and other reasons, France is a popular destination for driving holidays.

Also see [[Traveling abroad]]

== Before you go ==
Consider getting european breakdown cover
Your insurance will almost certainly cover you for Europe, but will probably be just third party, so consider paying for Fully Comp Euro cover.

Also worth checking your insurance covers you for the repatriation of your car in the event you vehicle ends up un-driveable following an accident. It may only stipulate that you are covered for transport to the nearest competent repairer. Repatriation costs can easily be over £1000 depending on where you are. If your insurance doesn't cover for this you can get aftermarket coverage. Your standard AA or RAC European cover may also not suffice in the event of an accident.

== Things to pack ==
Warning triangle

Hi-vis jackets for all occupants. These must be accessible from inside the car, so don't put them in your elise's boot.

Replacement bulb kit

Sat-nav

Driving License, V5, insurance docs

Euros for those 'on the spot' speeding fines.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do

== Getting There ==
Speedferries or [[Eurotunnel]] are frequently used by SELOC members.
Norfolklines offer a very good service (and cheap) to Dunkirk, which is only 25 minutes further up the coast form Calais. Far more reliable than Speedferries.

Don't forget that you can use your Tesco vouchers on the Eurotunnel.

== Driving in France ==
Drive on the right

Roadsigns: Blue = Motorway (Péage / Toll), Green = Main Roads (N), White = local roads

Plan your route (including péage toll costs) at [http://www.viamichelin.com/ http://www.viamichelin.com/]

Beware of possible French driving like idiots on their local roads (even on blind corners)

French drivers are eager to overtake too & usually in a hurry it seems.

Main Roads (N) usually have lots of trucks on them during weekdays. Frequent dual carriage ways though :up

If oncoming French traffic flashes their lights at you they either like your car OR warn you of speed-trap ahead.

Avoid Rouen

== Places / roads to go ==
The coast road south of Calais
If you're in the Loire go and visit Ambroise, it's a very beautiful small town with Da Vinci's resting place.
Azay le Rideau is a lovely chateau built in the middle of a river worth going to see not far from Tours.

== Other hints and tips ==
Remember that you'll struggle to find garages that are open off the péage (tolls) on Sundays or late at night.
24/24 stations in most towns accept British credit cards these days.

French people appreciate your attempts at speaking French by being generally friendly, polite and helpful people.
So give it a go. Outside of bigger towns not many French speak English, or only a little. Perhaps bring small dictionary just in case.

Look at sawdays.co.uk for places to stay.

Check Oil and take a spare litre or two.

Don't get caught speeding.......it WILL be expensive!....and if you are way over the limit - you could loose your car / licence!

If you have time before you go try and get a Telepeage beeper. I think www.sanef.fr is the website for them and it's a total godsend driving in an Elise, especially if you don't have a passenger to deal with the toll booths for you.

Do not get caught with a camera scanner - big fines and confiscation!!

GPS Based Navigation equipment such as Tom Tom, however, are 100% legal. A free Scamera database for France can be downloaded from the [http://www.alertegps.com/download_index.asp Alerte GPS site]

== External Links ==

[http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/general_advice.html General Overseas advice from the AA]

[http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/AA_France_Monaco.pdf AA Touring tips for France / Monaco]

[http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/compulsory_equipment.pdf AA Compulsory Equipment list]

[http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/overseas/european_tolls_results.jsp?country=France AA Toll information]

[http://www.alertegps.co.uk/index.asp?lang_choice=EN French speed camera database for GPS devices]

France

2011-05-30T09:33:49Z

Stu:

France is the closest foreign country to England after Wales and Scotland. It is a country that has many roads, many of which are clear of traffic and some of which go up and down mountains in interesting ways. For these and other reasons, France is a popular destination for driving holidays.

Also see [[Traveling abroad]]

== Before you go ==
Consider getting european breakdown cover
Your insurance will almost certainly cover you for Europe, but will probably be just third party, so consider paying for Fully Comp Euro cover.

Also worth checking your insurance covers you for the repatriation of your car in the event you vehicle ends up un-driveable following an accident. It may only stipulate that you are covered for transport to the nearest competent repairer. Repatriation costs can easily be over £1000 depending on where you are. If your insurance doesn't cover for this you can get aftermarket coverage. Your standard AA or RAC European cover may also not suffice in the event of an accident.

== Things to pack ==
Warning triangle

Hi-vis jackets for all occupants. These must be accessible from inside the car, so don't put them in your elise's boot.

Replacement bulb kit

Sat nav

Driving License, V5, insurance docs

Euros for those 'on the spot' speeding fines.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do

== Getting There ==
Speedferries or [[Eurotunnel]] are frequently used by SELOC members.
Norfolklines offer a very good service (and cheap) to Dunkirk, which is only 25 minutes further up the coast form Calais. Far more reliable than Speedferries.

Don't forget that you can use your Tesco vouchers on the Eurotunnel.

== Driving in France ==
Drive on the right

Roadsigns: Blue = Motorway (Péage / Toll), Green = Main Roads (N), White = local roads

Plan your route (including péage toll costs) at [http://www.viamichelin.com/ http://www.viamichelin.com/]

Beware of possible French driving like idiots on their local roads (even on blind corners)

French drivers are eager to overtake too & usually in a hurry it seems.

Main Roads (N) usually have lots of trucks on them during weekdays. Frequent dual carriage ways though :up

If oncoming French traffic flashes their lights at you they either like your car OR warn you of speed-trap ahead.

Avoid Rouen

== Places / roads to go ==
The coast road south of Calais
If you're in the Loire go and visit Ambroise, it's a very beautiful small town with Da Vinci's resting place.
Azay le Rideau is a lovely chateau built in the middle of a river worth going to see not far from Tours.

== Other hints and tips ==
Remember that you'll struggle to find garages that are open off the péage (tolls) on Sundays or late at night.
24/24 stations in most towns accept British credit cards these days.

French people appreciate your attempts at speaking French by being generally friendly, polite and helpful people.
So give it a go. Outside of bigger towns not many French speak English, or only a little. Perhaps bring small dictionary just in case.

Look at sawdays.co.uk for places to stay.

Check Oil and take a spare litre or two.

Don't get caught speeding.......it WILL be expensive!....and if you are way over the limit - you could loose your car / licence!

If you have time before you go try and get a Telepeage beeper. I think www.sanef.fr is the website for them and it's a total godsend driving in an Elise, especially if you don't have a passenger to deal with the toll booths for you.

Do not get caught with a camera scanner - big fines and confiscation!!

GPS Based Navigation equipment such as Tom Tom, however, are 100% legal. A free Scamera database for France can be downloaded from the [http://www.alertegps.com/download_index.asp Alerte GPS site]

== External Links ==

[http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/general_advice.html General Overseas advice from the AA]

[http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/AA_France_Monaco.pdf AA Touring tips for France / Monaco]

[http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/compulsory_equipment.pdf AA Compulsory Equipment list]

[http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/overseas/european_tolls_results.jsp?country=France AA Toll information]

[http://www.alertegps.co.uk/index.asp?lang_choice=EN French speed camera database for GPS devices]

Life expecatncy of Bilstein Dampers

2011-05-30T09:15:14Z

Stu: Redirected page to Life Expectancy of Bilstein Dampers

#REDIRECT [[Life Expectancy of Bilstein Dampers]]

Window Seal Replacement

2011-05-30T09:14:38Z

Stu: Redirected page to Replacing the Window Seals

#REDIRECT [[Replacing_the_Window_Seals]]

SELOC TechWiki

2011-05-30T09:11:50Z

Stu: Changed protection level for "SELOC TechWiki" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

<div style="border:0; margin:0.2em 0 0.2em 0.2em; ">
{{SELOC TechWiki Welcome}}
</div>
<div style="border:0; margin:0.2em 0 0.2em 0.2em; ">
{{SELOC TechWiki Icons}}
</div>
<div style="border:0; margin:0.2em 0 0.2em 0.2em; ">
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For sale

2011-03-13T11:19:54Z

Stu: /* For Sale */

===For Sale===

Places to look for Lotuses.

http://forums.seloc.org/classified.php

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk

http://fish4.co.uk/cars/index.html

http://stock.autorespond.co.uk/hawkinsandlock.aspx

http://www.adtrader.co.uk/postcode_splash.php

http://www.alexanderdavid.co.uk/_adavidmc.htm

http://www.allapprovedcars.com/UsedCarSearch.aspx?UManufacturerId=0&UModelId=0&UseContext=1

http://www.carsource.co.uk/

http://www.desperateseller.co.uk/findacar/searchpage.asp

http://www.esprit4sale.co.uk/

http://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/motoring/index.php

http://www.findit.co.uk/cars/lotus/elise.htm

http://www.leichat.co.uk/classifieds/elise.html

http://www.preloved.co.uk/search/advanced_results.cfm?sect=Motoring&cat=Cars&subcat=Lotus

http://www.trade-it.co.uk/cars/

http://www.upmystreet.com/cla/uc/?a=37&d=elise&m=any&x=any&k=&l1=E1

http://www.usedlotuscarsforsale.co.uk/used-list

Free Glasses Valuation (though they do appear to undervalue)

http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vaux/pages/financeAndServices/valueYourCar/index.jsp

[[Category:Reference]]

Insurance

2010-07-03T17:32:27Z

Stu: /* Companies */

[http://www.seloc.org/benefits.php?bc=4 Check the latest SELOC membership insurance benefits]

[[Category:Lotus Elise]] [[Category:S1]] [[Category:S2]] [[Category:Lotus Europa]]
==Companies==
{| border="1"
!Name & Weblink !! Phone !! Contact !! Mod Friendly !! Track Day Cover Included / Additional Information
|-
|[http://www.RichardEggerInsurance.co.uk/ Richard Egger Insurance]|| 0115 985 0165 || Steve Hallam or Mary Singleton (mention SELOC for special rates)|| Yes || Agreed Value Cover available. Track Day Cover (Four days included - any venue in the UK or Europe, excluding Nurburgring/Nordschliffe) available. Glass Cover & Club Discounts all available. Discount for Andy Walsh/Car Limits Driver Training Day. All drivers must be 25+
|-
|[http://www.competition-car-insurance.co.uk/ Competition Car Insurance (CCI)] || 0844 892 1966 || Option 4 || Yes || 4 free days with approved organisers & notification prior to day (1 days notice minimum) required. [If you have 2 years+ claim-free experience driving an Elise or similar, quotes are very competitive. 10% discounts available for SELOC Club Supporters. Also additional discount (10%) to be had for car control course / driver training - need certificate to prove attendance though]. Track cover includes some EU circuits (NOT Spa or Nurburgring) but doesn't include recovery costs and windscreen damage not covered on track. Won't mirror NCB from another car, but were happy to give me 4 year's worth "introductory bonus".
|-
|[http://www.heritage-quote.co.uk Heritage] ||0121 246 6062 - ask for Martin (drivers over 28yrs.) ||Discount for SELOC members || Yes || Track cover only included for club you are a member of eg LoT, cover is available for events with other TDOs at an additional premium. Will mirror NCB from other cars - no need to transfer your NCB to the vehicle insured with them. check terms with Heritage.
|-
| [http://www.ckinsurance.co.uk Chris Knott] || 0800 917 2274 || Mention SELOC for special rates || Yes || Drivers over 25, Need to have been driving your lotus for at least a year.
|-
| [http://www.hendersontaylor.co.uk/ Henderson Taylor insurance] || 0161 4377442 || (Matt) Mention SELOC for special rates || Yes || +£50 for track days on Aviva/CCI policies
|-
| [http://www.privateclients.aon.co.uk/privateclients/microsites/cars/ Lotus - Esteem / AON (Official)] || 08705 708090 or 01483 706055 or 51 || Ask for Lotus Esteem contact - NB, when I phoned they put me through to Footman James (below) || ? || (Require driver be 30 or over)
|-
| [http://www.aplan.co.uk/ A-Plan] || 01635 874 646 || Discount for SELOC members || Yes || Contact the Thatcham office for Lotus schemes.
Can provide free 5 day UK trackday cover on Royal Sun Alliance policies
|-
| [http://www.adrianflux.co.uk/ Adrian Flux] || 01553 845 919 || Mention SELOC for special rates || ||
|-
| [http://www.noeldazely.co.uk/ Noel Dazely] || 0870 0466604 || Mention SELOC for special rates || Yes ||
|-
| [http://www.aplan.co.uk/ Admiral] || 0800 600 800 || || No || ?
|-
| [http://www.bell.co.uk/ Bell Direct] || 0800 140 180 || || No || ?
|-
| [http://www.directline.com/ Direct Line] || 0845 246 8701 || || ? || (require tracker and driver over 25yrs old)
|-
| [http://www.elephant.co.uk/ Elephant] || 0870 0401 140 or 0870 0131072 || || No ||
|-
| [http://www.footmanjames.co.uk/ Footman James] || 0121 561 4196 || || Not very - didn't even like Performance pack on Exige || ?
|-
| [http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ArgosFSCarInsuranceHomeView?langId=-1&storeId=10001 Argos] || 0800 015 4835 || || ? || ?
|-
| [http://www.asdafinance.com/car-insurance.html ASDA] || 0845 300 2310 || || ? || ?
|-
| [http://www.lv.com/insurance/car_insurance Liverpool Victoria] || 01202 292 333 || || ? || Driver must be 25+ on an Elise
|-
| [http://www.hastingsdirect.com More Than / Hastings] || 0800 072 4186 || || ? || ?
|-
| [http://www.michaelwardassociates.com Michael Ward] || 01707 378260 || || ? || Good for young drivers on all sports cars, very easy to deal with!
|-
|}

Insurance world 01604 615415

Norwich Union Direct 0800 092 9564

Privilege 0845 246 0275

Quoteline Direct 0870 442 9049

Tesco 0845 300 4400

Also remember that you can get affiliate money with some of the bigger insurance companies simply by taking out insurance via your QuidCo.com account. For example, More Than currently give £75 back via QuidCo. These cashback sites are discussed on the uber-price comparison site:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/compare-cheap-car-insurance

==Temporary Cover==
For instant short-term insurance for courtesy cars and test drives etc - car not needed to be owned by driver:

http://www.dayinsure.com

http://www.tempcover.co.uk (some restrictions on insurance groups of cars they will cover - it will tell you during the quote)

== One-off Track Day Insurance ==

* Richard Egger Insurance - http://www.RichardEggerInsurance.co.uk/
* Competition Car Insurance - http://www.competition-car-insurance.co.uk/enquiry.htm
* Morris - http://www.morispayment.co.uk/affiliate_trackday.asp?prefix=CIG

CCI insurance is cheaper if the event is a novice trackday, so be sure to mention it.

==Insurance Check==
Use this site to check whether any car in the UK is insured.

http://www.askmid.com
http://ownvehicle.askmid.com/ (direct link)

Use this site to check a cars MOT history. You need the registation plate and V5 document number.

http://www.motinfo.gov.uk

[[Category:Reference]]

==Job Title==
Use this site to see what impact subtle variations in your job title can have on your premiums.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/car-insurance-job-picker/

==Postcode Risk Assessment==
Have a look at this site to see what risk assessment is associated with your postcode.

http://www.carinsuranceexplained.com/car_insurance_explained/insurance_postcode_risk.htm

DPM

2010-05-09T07:33:41Z

Stu:

A DPM is a topic that has been posted more than once on the forums. It stands for 'Double Posting Muppet'

(DPM is one of many forum [[acronyms|acronyms and abbreviations]]).

Some DPMs recur when users new to the forums locate stories or videos on the web that are of interest to Lotus drivers, but have been around for some time.

Popular subjects include:

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4484212.stm]
The unfortunate story of an Exige driver whose car was wrecked by an employee of a valeting company.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTXbEg6yFCw]
A video of an undercover police car chasing a motorsport Elise with the catchy numberplate 'BLOWN K'

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjiF21sFAp4] Blue Angel - a modified elise S1. We've all seen it, and we all think it's rubbish.

[http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30674] Pictures of a US spec elise which has fallen off a set of ramps.

[http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z10240/Lotus_Sport%20Exige%20Espionage/default.aspx] The Lotus Exige Espionage. It isn't James Bond's next car, it's just an old special edition with an impractical "saville-row" interior.

[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=480288&in_page_id=1770] Vandalised Aqua Lotus elise in London. The vandals were tracked down by some unknown Lotus Owners Club.

[http://www.intuh.net/barnfinds/afa70.htm] A man buys a farm, and finds a barn full of cars. And it's not real.

[http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/14/geneva-08-preview-rinspeed-squba-concept-for-the-spy-who-lov/] Some swiss loons have made an elise that can go underwater.

[http://video.kenblockracing.com/flash/small_player/preloader.swf?vendor_id=204&media_id=9183&bgcolor=FFFFFF&autoplay=0 ] Ken Block driving a scooby very sideways. Posted at least once every week for the past month or so.
[[Category:Misc]]

[http://arc.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=76022&page=1#pid2131719]
Button in F1 accident - just don't please.....

[http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=218477]Snatch Wars - it was funny and we didn't want to add it but as Brick Top says "You're on thin f*#king ice my pedigree chums, and I shall be under it when it breaks. Now, f*#k off".

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0gHZrowzlU]Dean Evans overtaking about 30 Elises in the first lap of a race at Bathurst.

[http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?goto=3790059] The joke about men being agony aunts (also see [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?goto=3804564] and [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?goto=4232574])

[http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=246740] Beak's monthly, weekly or sometimes daily spotted of GaryDVO (also see [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=242706&page=1#pid4290485] [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=243530&page=1#pid4302927], [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=231570&page=1#pid4129488] [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=226929&page=1#pid4066537] [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=219092&page=1#pid3963429] [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=206578&page=1#pid3805122] [http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=206469&page=1#pid3804217])

NO NOT A LOTUS, BUT LOOK AT THIS! ugly green XTamy

Blue S1 elise behind hammond on topgear 21/06/09

Over 100k

2010-05-09T07:29:11Z

Stu: /* The Over 200,000 Miles Club */

===The Over 100,000 Miles Club===

{| border="1"
! Name !! Car
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/woody72 woody72]
|| S2
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Jaye.Tillson Jaye.Tillson]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Edw Edw]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Arno Arno]
|| S2
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/reAnimate reAnimate]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/oneslip Oneslip]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/BrianDrought BrianDrought]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Liam Liam]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/GaryDVO GaryDVO]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Tigga! Tigga!]
|| S2
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Onch Onch]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Hugh.N Hugh.N]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Steve69 Steve69]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Black_potato Black_potato]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Phil._S Phil._S]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Romtootes Romtootes]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Tanuki Tanuki]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Linds Linds]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/russcasey russcasey]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/DoubleD DoubleD]
|| S2
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Spunagain Spunagain]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/jeffers Jeffers]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/SidewaysMatt SidewaysMatt]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Azlan Azlan]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Andrew%20S Andrew S]
|| S2
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Andy_R Andy_R]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/fatwomble fatwomble]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/YvoTuk YvoTuk]
|| S1
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Hag Hag]
|| S2
|-
|}

===The Over 300,000 Miles Club===

{| border="1"
! Name !! Car
|-
| [http://forums.seloc.org/m/Stu Stu]
|| S1
|}

[[Category:Misc]]