Door Check Strap - early Excel

Body parts, seats, dash, headlining, windows and stuff!

Moderator: Board Moderators

Johnwindwood
Senior Poster
Posts: 473
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2017 14:34
Model: 1984 Excel
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1984
Location: walsall

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Johnwindwood »

Qwertyco wrote:
Thu Mar 04, 2021 22:22
Johnwindwood wrote:
Thu Mar 04, 2021 19:15
The locking part (Which is what I think you need) looks incredibly similar to those fitted to the Rover P6 2000, 2200, 3500.
http://shop.roverp6cars.com/DOOR-CHECK- ... ENGER-SIDE
Both left and right are out of stock on that site, but it's a good starting point, many thanks.
Give Mark a ring and mention my name-I strongly suspect he will be able to help-he's an old friend. I had P6s for 20 odd years.
Kind regards

John

John Windwood

1984 Lotus Excel (1985 MY wide body)
1952 Austin Sheerline A125 Harold Radford Shooting Brake
1949 Austin Sheerline saloon (Parts car)
1997 BMW Z3 1.9
2002 Volvo V70XC Cross Country AWD

User avatar
Qwertyco
Junior Poster
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 13:51
Model: plain old Excel
Colour: White
Year: 1983
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Qwertyco »

Made a bit of progress, had this delivered today, from a guy on a friendly Rover P6 forum:

Image
"Life is like a Dancing Monkey, - Pretty amusing, until it starts to lob faeces at you"

Pete Boole
Senior Poster
Posts: 3710
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
Location: Nottingham

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Pete Boole »

Is it the same? It looks identical.

Pete

User avatar
Qwertyco
Junior Poster
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 13:51
Model: plain old Excel
Colour: White
Year: 1983
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Qwertyco »

Same.
Lotus sourced them from the P6, but used their own design 'cranked' arm to suit the Eclat/Elite/early Excel. Also used on the Elan +2 apparently.

I'm working on a repair to my broken cranked arm now.
More to follow . . . . .
"Life is like a Dancing Monkey, - Pretty amusing, until it starts to lob faeces at you"

Pete Boole
Senior Poster
Posts: 3710
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
Location: Nottingham

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Pete Boole »

Which bit of the arm is damaged?

Pete

User avatar
Qwertyco
Junior Poster
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 13:51
Model: plain old Excel
Colour: White
Year: 1983
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Qwertyco »

The 'T' shape piece which fits in the slot, it's now an 'L' shape!
You can just see it in the pic in the first post.
I'm machining a new one from a 10.9 grade bolt, then just weld it back in place.
The broken bit came out nice and cleanly.

Also the door pivot hole is worn, so I've drilled it out and fitted a brass bush taking it back to 8mm diameter.
Machined a new stainless steel pivot bolt as well.
Pics to follow . . . .
"Life is like a Dancing Monkey, - Pretty amusing, until it starts to lob faeces at you"

Pete Boole
Senior Poster
Posts: 3710
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
Location: Nottingham

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Pete Boole »

Sounds like you're making a good job of it!

Pete

TAR
Regular Poster
Posts: 132
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2016 22:21
Model: Elite Type 75
Colour: blue
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by TAR »

Qwertyco, I sent you a PM about where you obtained the catches. I need a couple for my Elite restoration. :)

User avatar
Alan_M
Senior Poster
Posts: 1121
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2017 01:17
Model: Excel SE, Excel SA, Elan SE
Colour: Red, red, white
Location: South Wales

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Alan_M »

TAR wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 21:06
Qwertyco, I sent you a PM about where you obtained the catches. I need a couple for my Elite restoration. :)
I think you’ll find the info at the top of this page 👆

User avatar
Qwertyco
Junior Poster
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 13:51
Model: plain old Excel
Colour: White
Year: 1983
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Qwertyco »

TAR wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 21:06
Qwertyco, I sent you a PM about where you obtained the catches. I need a couple for my Elite restoration. :)
Replied.
"Life is like a Dancing Monkey, - Pretty amusing, until it starts to lob faeces at you"

User avatar
Qwertyco
Junior Poster
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 13:51
Model: plain old Excel
Colour: White
Year: 1983
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Qwertyco »

Well, for the first time in 30 years, the Excel has a working drivers door strap, first time I've ever experienced the door staying open by itself!

New 'T' piece turned from a grade 10.9 wheel bolt, welded into the arm:
Image

Cut back and sandblasted:
Image

Image

Brass bushed hinge pin end:
Image

Image

Zinc Plated:
Image

Etch primed, 3 coats of satin black, and fitted:
Image

Image

The front bolt is an absolute tvvatt to get at.
It was missing when I removed the strap assembly, perhaps it was never fitted!

Luckily the door mirror is currently off the car and I managed to reach the bolt head through the mirror cable
hole in the top of the door with a small 1/4" 10mm socket and extension bar, otherwise I suspect there's very little chance of getting a spanner to it.

Next job: Replace front door ashtrays with 3D printed tweeter holder/covers, and replace the front speakers, again!
Oh, and fit the refurbished door mirror!
"Life is like a Dancing Monkey, - Pretty amusing, until it starts to lob faeces at you"

Pete Boole
Senior Poster
Posts: 3710
Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
Model: Elite
Colour: Monaco White
Year: 1974
Location: Nottingham

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Pete Boole »

Brilliant job! Well done. 8)

Pete

TrevorK
Senior Poster
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 17:47
Model: Excel SE (Now gone)
Colour: White
Year: 1988
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by TrevorK »

Not that it matters, but I think that top, front hinge bolt is in the wrong way around and the head should be on the outside and the nut on the inside. Then you should be able to get a ring spanner on it and a socket on the nut (with a struggle).
What car is that?

User avatar
Qwertyco
Junior Poster
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 13:51
Model: plain old Excel
Colour: White
Year: 1983
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: Door Check Strap - early Excel

Post by Qwertyco »

TrevorK wrote:
Mon May 10, 2021 22:29
Not that it matters, but I think that top, front hinge bolt is in the wrong way around and the head should be on the outside and the nut on the inside. Then you should be able to get a ring spanner on it and a socket on the nut (with a struggle).
That's the way it came from the factory as far as I know.

The bolt I had a problem with is the M6 front one on the door strap itself.
You need child size hands with extra wrist joints to reach it!
"Life is like a Dancing Monkey, - Pretty amusing, until it starts to lob faeces at you"

Post Reply