That's a, uh, look. (Elise clamshell replacement content)

2005 Lotus Elise Base Convertible 2-Door

As you might guess, particularly if you know about the expense of replacing clamshells on the Elise, this car has a salvage title. I find it ugly. If this car were mine, I'd paint the carbon fiber.

I'm just sitting here trying to decide how I should consider CF clamshells on a rebuilt title car vs fiberglass clamshells on a rebuilt title car.

I'm not in the market, I'm just finding the idea of upgrading the clamshells interesting. Thoughts?

How much weight do they actually save?

I'd add a foot wide strip of faux carbon fiber to the doors to join the front and back, and rock that all day long.

Fiberglass, cheaper to fix when some idiot inevitably runs into it again.

Streetwiseguy wrote: I'd add a foot wide strip of faux carbon fiber to the doors to join the front and back, and rock that all day long.

I'd thought about doing a carbon fiber wrap over some or all of the yellow, but I feared the real stuff and the fake stuff probably look really different when put side by side.

Exposed cf makes me happy.

Most of the panels that aren't carbon yet look awfully replaceable...

Doesn't look worse than any other non BRG lotus

I sold the CF roof I had. It wasn't on the car when the dumb berkeleying kid in the Jeep with crappy USAA insurance totaled it for me.

I dig it.

But as stated fiberglass is way easier to repair when it inevitably gets hit again.

If course how someone managed to hit a school bus yellow car to begin with is always an interesting conversation. Probably why all the busses around here have a strobe light on them...

CF is not more difficult to repair than 'glass, provided you do not care what the weave looks like. If it's under paint, it's easy peasy to fix

In reply to mad_machine:

I guess I could have stated that better. Composite is composite. It's really not that hard to work with in much the same way as metal isn't terribly hard to work with. I'd actually argue it's easier in many cases just more time consuming.

You get hit in that though and you're painting it since it diminishes the purpose of the top layer. Unless you dig the battle scarred look.

I can't remember the motorsport livery but I'm definitely thinking it was an 80/90s Jag or other Brit set-up where it was British Racing Green and something similar to that orange/yellow hue above. So paint the carbon fiber BRG. Mais non?

CF the rest of that junker and rock the hell out of it.

The0retical wrote: If course how someone managed to hit a school bus yellow car to begin with is always an interesting conversation. Probably why all the busses around here have a strobe light on them...

I berkeleying hate that motherberkeleying strobe light on top of berkeleying school buses. They're berkeleying yellow. If you can't see a motherberkeleying big box of berkeleying yellow, get the berkeley off the road! That berkeleying strobe light gives me berkeleying migraines. How can a berkeleying bus have a berkeleying strobe light, and be legal? I can't put a berkeleying strobe light on my motorcycle, to make me more berkeleying noticeable; I'd be a berkeleying distraction to other berkeleying drivers.

[/rant]

mad_machine wrote: CF is not more difficult to repair than 'glass, provided you do not care what the weave looks like. If it's under paint, it's easy peasy to fix

Unpainted CF is the modern equivalent of 1950s CHROME ALL THE THINGS.

There, I said it.

RealMiniParker wrote: CF the rest of that junker and rock the hell out of it.

The0retical wrote: If course how someone managed to hit a school bus yellow car to begin with is always an interesting conversation. Probably why all the busses around here have a strobe light on them...

I berkeleying hate that motherberkeleying strobe light on top of berkeleying school buses. They're berkeleying yellow. If you can't see a motherberkeleying big box of berkeleying yellow, get the berkeley off the road! That berkeleying strobe light gives me berkeleying migraines. How can a berkeleying bus have a berkeleying strobe light, and be legal? I can't put a berkeleying strobe light on my motorcycle, to make me more berkeleying noticeable; I'd be a berkeleying distraction to other berkeleying drivers. [/rant]

The strobe light is there so you have to drive with your eyes shut. That way, you won't see any dangerous situations that may develop. Being blissfully unaware is more important than paying attention to reality.

That's a lot of panel gap, right there. Honestly, most of the rest of the gaps look okay to me.

On a track you'd never notice the gap

Streetwiseguy wrote: I'd add a foot wide strip of faux carbon fiber to the doors to join the front and back, and rock that all day long.

I am right there with you

Edit: Please forgive the crude MSPaint

Get carbon fiber doors, and paint the bottom of them to look like ^^^ that photoshopped picture.

I love exposed clear-coated carbon fiber, too. Heck, it's all over my Mustang.

After a bit of searching, it looks like the front and rear clam shells are available in CF from China for about $3000 each.

Front one...

and rear.

Door skins are also available, but not cheap.

In reply to Ian F:

Isn't Lotus China owned now? So OEM?

That isn't a trailer queen. It is a weapon. That panel gap doesn't worry me. The fact that it maybe caused by a bent structural component does.

I see these cars all the time with salvage titles. I just don't trust and e-bay purchase in that state. Much more likely with a test drive and PPI.

I was just reading the owner's manual and found this gem:

Isnt there a problem with most epoxies degrading in UV? Is clearcoat able to protect it from sunlight, or just from mechanical damage? I would assume someone has come up with a clear that also incorporates UV protection...

In reply to Mike:

That would receive rejection from me at the Patent Office as it requires drawing a comparison with a reference that is not stated.