The Lotus Grand Tourers

I’m getting close to painting my SE and this will include the rebuilt door beams. What colour would the section of beam between door shell and hinge that can be seen when you open door have been when it left the factory? Body colour or mat black?

Alan_M wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 12:45 I’m getting close to painting my SE and this will include the rebuilt door beams. What colour would the section of beam between door shell and hinge that can be seen when you open door have been when it left the factory? Body colour or mat black?

Mine, looking down into the hinge area with door open (ran down to the garage to look after reading your post! ):

door hinges affixed to the body (body hinge) = body colour (red in my case) - I guess door hinges were fixed in place when body went to paint as the body to hinge bolts/nuts are also body colour.

Door beams affixed to the body hinge= satin black - I guess door beam finished immediately after fabrication and before fitting into door skin.

Interested to know the answer too!

How would they do the painting according to Peter's reply? One of the hinge mounts would need to come off to get the hinge pin in and the beam on, or are all the bits painted separately and then put together afterwards?

Can't rely on mine as it been painted a lot....

Neil.

I'd agree with Peter's observations.
That's how my beam was when I replaced it a few months back.

Tony

Excel SA wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 15:43 Interested to know the answer too!

How would they do the painting according to Peter's reply? One of the hinge mounts would need to come off to get the hinge pin in and the beam on, or are all the bits painted separately and then put together afterwards?

Can't rely on mine as it been painted a lot....

Neil.

I only looked down into the hinge pin area. I'll look up into the area tomorrow to see if the lower bracket is body colour too.

Not having taken my Excel door off I am clueless on specific assembly method but I'm surprised that the brackets can't be left in-situ.

I would have guessed that the hinge pin would be a through-bolt like my Clan's - which was also designed by Lotus employees - so the hinge pin just knocks through with brackets in-situ then nutted up.

Both hinge brackets were body colour on mine, but the shell was painted behind the hinge plate, There was also paint on the nuts and washers. I can't work out the factory assembly sequence.
Tony

The hinge pin can't fit through the brackets - only the threaded ends. If painted on the car and the door beam has to move, then there will be an area behind the hinges that is exposed and not body colour....

IN the manuals it also shows some of the hinge bolts being installed from the outside and some form the inside...any particular reason for that?

Neil.

Top bolts aren't parallel to the bottom pair.
It's certainly easier to put nuts on the outside for the lower hinge.
Tony