The Lotus Grand Tourers

I find my knees hit the steering wheel so would like a smaller one, like the nice 300mm fitted to my Elise. The current steering wheel is 'Personal' and has a different diameter boss from the standard Sparco/OMP/Momo bosses.

Options are find a smaller Personal wheel which is proving tricky. Easier is to buy an OMP/Momo wheel, but then I need to fit a boss.

What is the steering column from?

iangotts wrote:I find my knees hit the steering wheel so would like a smaller one, like the nice 300mm fitted to my Elise. The current steering wheel is 'Personal' and has a different diameter boss from the standard Sparco/OMP/Momo bosses.

Options are find a smaller Personal wheel which is proving tricky. Easier is to buy an OMP/Momo wheel, but then I need to fit a boss.

What is the steering column from?

could you not adjust your driving position?? or move the wheel up slightly...........the Lotus position is straight legs straight arms.......

"Personal" is/was a sub-brand of Nardi - might be worth looking for something from them.

I'm surprised that your knees are hitting the wheel though, even Mike Kimberley can drive an Excel with the standard wheel.

I find the arms straight, legs straight very tiring. 8-( This is certainly not the Elise style. So I thought a smaller wheel would solve the problem, but as I am finding with the Excel to solve one problem normally creates 2 more which need solving first!!

So to go back to the earlier question. If I want a Sparco/Momo steering boss, what sort of steering column is it?

I'd guess at Toyota, the key is (although the same key blank would fit many different car manufacturers). It has to be a car that was in production by the time the Excel was being designed, possibly the MA61 as a good starting point as it was the donor for several other parts.

Thanks. I will start research there

Not all parts on a Lotus are shared with other manufacturers (no idea if this is true of the column or not).

Could you use something like this ? http://www.evasivemotorsports.com/merch ... =WB-010038

http://www.lotusexcel.net/phpbb/viewtop ... umn+stalks

read this - seems later columns are toyota ( with press release for key)

Ted

I think its the Mk1 Toyota MR2 column.
I've always thought that the adjustable column has far more upward travel than anybody would ever need.
I'm about 5' 9" so the perfect fit

Cheers Terry.

MrCoolA wrote:the Lotus position is straight legs straight arms.......

with straight arms you have no control over the steering wheel... and should be the case especially with RWD

although I have an Elise steering wheel mounted in my M100 -and there it is a very great improvement- I am very confidend with the stock wheel of the Excel (should be the same diameter like the personal) Only the instruments are not perfect to view with the right adjusting of the height.



Please keep us informed about your results Ian.

I think it is a 1986 toyota corolla steering column.

I you google the above you will find plenty pics of the above.

don.hasi wrote:

MrCoolA wrote:the Lotus position is straight legs straight arms.......

with straight arms you have no control over the steering wheel... and should be the case especially with RWD

Give me a break,, the arms aren't absolutely straight......but you don't sit in the Excel like you do in a BTC car............or a rally car

I am replacing the wheel in my Excel, firstly because it sticks out like a sore thumb now that the rest of the interior has been improved and secondly because I find the standard wheel too big. Being of 'modest' height I find that I'm most comfortable with the steering wheel quite low, unfortunately this means it can foul my legs when pressing on. I wanted a wheel that would look good, be smaller in diameter but not look aftermarket.

The solution for me was a 'Personal Grinta' 330mm wheel (standard wheel is 360mm diameter) which is available from Ebay or direct through a company called Drifworks. It's not cheap but you dont have to shell out for a boss. The only reason I havent actually purchased one yet is because you get a choice of stiching colour and I can't decide between red and blue. Currently thinking red as this is the colour on the oem wheel.

Shaun

shaunw wrote:I am replacing the wheel in my Excel, firstly because it sticks out like a sore thumb now that the rest of the interior has been improved and secondly because I find the standard wheel too big. Being of 'modest' height I find that I'm most comfortable with the steering wheel quite low, unfortunately this means it can foul my legs when pressing on. I wanted a wheel that would look good, be smaller in diameter but not look aftermarket.

The solution for me was a 'Personal Grinta' 330mm wheel (standard wheel is 360mm diameter) which is available from Ebay or direct through a company called Drifworks. It's not cheap but you dont have to shell out for a boss. The only reason I havent actually purchased one yet is because you get a choice of stiching colour and I can't decide between red and blue. Currently thinking red as this is the colour on the oem wheel.

Shaun

Red would stay in context as the SE's had red stitching on their wheels