Fund Raising Ideas

[Steve J]

Been thinking about how we could raise extra funds for MLOC.

 

Expert Training Sessions:

 

A training course run by one of us to show others how to undertake certain jobs on the elise.

 

EG

How to change brake pads. Provide a donor car where the process of checking, removing, refitting pads can be demonstrated.

 

Any number of things could be covered to help other MLOCers to which they would make a financial contribution to MLOC running (say £10 each person).

I'm sure there would be a lot of interest from people keen to learn how to undertake repairs on their car.

 

Any thoughts, especially if there would be anyone willing to give up some time to do these?

[Martin R]

Steve, what a very good idea. How about someone showing how to change S1 Koni suspension to S2 Bilstien stuff. I will supply the car if someone can provide the parts Seriously though it is a good idea and im all in favour.

[Zircon450]

Any thoughts, especially if there would be anyone willing to give up some time to do these?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stevey,

 

Thinking of the base mods peeps do if the items are not fitted,

 

1. How/where to safely jack the car up

2. How to support it so it doesn't float mid air.

3. How to remove Undertrays front and rear.

4. How to replace a headlamp bulb / upgrade to H4 Osrams etc.

5. How to remove a CAT fit CRP/decat

6. How to fit a Hurricane/ K&N

7. How to fit Brake pads front so they don't squeel.

8. Ho to fit Brake pads rear. Plus tool needed to wind back caliper piston.

9. How to check your radiator fan is working.

10. How to change the oil and oil filter.

 

All sounds very basic, but there are a lot of peeps I bet that are non technical and would appreciate it and save a few bob.

 

They used to do a similar sort of thing with the Triumph TR Register local groups, turned out to be very popular.

 

Good call Steve - sort it.

 

PS

11. How to remove a Chimps radiator - it seems I have a small ooze - bugger

here we go again.

[Steve J]

I take it this does not meet with wider approval?

[GCCK]

Maybe have a "work in" at Horizon? I've not mentioned it to Mike/Wendy but it goes like this.

 

It all works off the assumption that many of us would like to tinker with our cars more, but are too inexperienced or incompetent. Pick a day when it's likely to be sunny, preferably a Saturday.

 

We all pitch up with our cars, plus whatever bits need attaching and park outside and start working on our own cars, plus float between each others, helping out. Wherever possible we should bring our own tools. Our combined expertise could probably make short work of easy stuff like fitting S2 suspension, hurricanes, brake pads, misc switchgear, ICE etc. We could borrow things like trolley jacks from inside the garage to assist.

 

Anything that is beyond us (e.g. Geo after suspension swap), we wheel the car into the garage for Horizon to fix at the normal rate.

 

Benefit to us is:

- opportunity to attempt stuff we might be nervous about on our own

- expert help on hand to bail us out

- chance to meet & mingle

- learn more about our cars

 

Benefit to Horizon is:

- influx of work, billable

- supply of miscellaneous parts

- meet some new owners, talk about future work required.

- we actually help with throughput on mundane stuff, they get to charge for added value stuff

 

Charge a nominal "entry" fee on the day to cover

1. MLOC donation

2. Horizon staffing/tool loan

3. BBQ/food/drinks if we think that would be popular.

 

I only suggest Horizon because they are so well known on here, but could work elsewhere too. Being on a cul-de-sac industrial estate which is largely empty of a weekend, there would be plenty of room for Elises in various states of dismantlement to be strewn around the place.

 

Comments?

[PeterField]

Sounds like a good idea to me

 

Limit of my mechanical knowledge at the mo is that I can just about find where the oil goes to top it up Would deffo like to know more though!

[Steve J]

Is it worth moving thread to general access?

 

Who would be the "experts", I clearly am not.

[bermudabob]

Well in favour of this - I could fit s2 suspension and then get horizon to do the geo setup straight afterwards...

[halfpenny]

Great idea - I'd like to know more about how to do stuff.

Keep thinking about upgrading the headlamp bulbs but don't know how to do it !

[Scott_Mac]

Good thinking... not at the moment though as the "end of the cul-de-sac" is currently a bit like a World War 1 trench... replacing the sewer pipes

[Chorlton]

Aaaah sewer pipes, I wondered why it was all being dug up down there...

 

Sounds like a great idea, so far I have just taken the plunge and tried things with no real idea of whats involved. Only the rear-view mirror has fallen off the car so far and I had no hand in that although I have made a right arse of sticking it back

[Nick gee]

Count me in.As a new owner i'd just like to know the general basics as my mechanical knowledge floats between nowt and less than nowt I need all the help i can get.

[Scott_Mac]

Nick, its quite simple really...

 

If it moves and it shouldn't use this:

 

 

If it should move and it doesn't use this:

 

[Steve G]

Definitely a great idea - particularly the Horizon part.

 

Have always enjoyed tinkering with my other cars but always seemed to shy away from the Elise and leave it to the experts. I know that underneath the shell, the Elise is not that far different from any other car but I thinks it's that feeling of the Elise either worth more, or percieved to be more specialised that I don't want to mess it up.

 

I know for certain that I would gain a lot of knowledge from something like this, and also it's that piece of mind that there's someone on hand for when you have one part left over after following the "refitting is a reverse of removal" procedure!

 

Steve.

[Elaine]

Not sure that we'd use the 'How to fix/upgrade your car' thingy ourselves, as Mr Reg is quite good with that sort of thing, but to those who have little, or no knowledge of cars, I'd say the service would be a god send.