Newbie question

[Andy wright]

At the rear, the dampers should fit directly onto the subframe brackets which are not bolt-on on the Toyota subframe . As for ride height, adjustable obviously but I am aiming at 130mm rear and 125mm front , measured at the usual floor jacking points. Once I have those set, I will corner weight and then finally set camber and tracking. So lots to do once the dampers are installed . 

[Andy wright]

Switch panel,completed with central locking switch and CF wrap ( eBay style ) 

[Andy wright]

And all installed . 

[Andy wright]

BOE pedal box on eBay . Oh dear. That is a temptation. 

[Dave-hp]

On 17/01/2026 at 09:52, Andy wright said:

And all installed . 

Got the seats and carpet back in yet Andy? Hows the stick look then?

[Andy wright]

21 minutes ago, Dave-hp said:

Got the seats and carpet back in yet Andy? Hows the stick look then?

Carpets in but no seats. Delay caused by a bit of brake installation, a fall which has resulted in a fractured kneecap that is keeping me out of the garage and temptation to fit a brake bias cage   

[Andy wright]

So,the summary. Brake callipers refurbished and fronts converted to side feed. Tick. Two piece rotors fitted front and rear. Tick. New pads. Tick. New handbrake cable. Tick.  Bigger bore Eliseparts master cylinder fitted . Tick. Brakes bled. Tick. HPE shifter fitted. Tick. Penske dampers fitted. Tick . 
All these trivia may just have a minor impact on the overall feeling and general performance of the car but will pale into insignificance when compared to the latest addition,    Yes, an led lamp next to the central locking switch ( I have an Elise that has electricity that goes all the way into the doors ) )  This one is the game changer . Don’t you think ? 

[Lithopsian]

Electricity in the doors 🤩 How did you know when the doors were locked before?  Just have to remember?

[Andy wright]

That was part of the fun. 

[Andy wright]

And is there no end to the level of bling this idiot is prepared to go to? 
Undertray and diffuser powder coated . Picture of diffuser to follow . ( the above was a rhetorical question ) 

[Dave-hp]

9 hours ago, Andy wright said:

And is there no end to the level of bling this idiot is prepared to go to? 
Undertray and diffuser powder coated . Picture of diffuser to follow . ( the above was a rhetorical question ) 

Bling indeed! 

[Andy wright]

And my huge readership will be wondering why there are no updates on how the suspension feels, what the HPE shifter feels like and whether or not the larger ( and expensive ) master cylinder has made any difference to pedal feel. Not to mention how the RC5+ pads compare to my previous Mintex 1144 . Well, I am wondering the same thing , because I have not driven it since I finished screwing it back together. And that’s because the damn knee that I damaged nearly 6 weeks ago is taking its time to heal , meaning that I can just about get in to the car ( hardtop on ) but getting out is agony . So, the car sits there begging me to let it out for a play, ( my bikes are doing the same ) but it/ they will have to wait a little longer, as do you dear reader. 

[Andy wright]

Well. I managed to get into the car, drive it around Ashbourne, come home and get out of it again. First impressions.

Gearchange. Very solid and precise . An improvement over the standard Lotus offering, but this is in part because the whole system is more rigidly mounted to the floor. I suspect that if I had re engineered the Lotus one, the residual difference would have been reduced. 
Brakes. Still more pedal travel than I would like and now the servo is operating, the pedal feels less firm and sold than it did when I was bleeding the system. Howver, the pads do need to bed in, so I will use the car a bit and then perhaps bleed again and maybe find a Lotus specialist who can cycle the ABS 

Penske 1 way damping. Transformational. After a few minutes I was no longer dodging the holes and bumps in the road. The ride is much more composed . No crashes or bangs. It’s much more able to soak up bumps. Yes, it’s still firm but feels less stiff than the Bilsteins it has  replaced despite having higher spring rates . The benefit of really good damping I guess. So,an expensive upgrade but absolutely worth it . 

[winthattt]

If you don’t have to dodge the potholes near Ashbourne the suspension must be good. 

[Andy wright]

Well, not the small ones. The big ones would swallow the car . My take- away is that , because the car feels more composed, I feel more in control of it . Before, on some poor surfaces, one felt a bit like a passenger at times .