This post is aimed at newbies (or maybe not so newbies) who are thinking about enhancing their Loti with some basic and reasonably inexpensive mods in time for summer SE runs. Most of the mods listed are either cosmetic or noise related. My car is a standard S2 Rover Elise (2002). These quick reviews are my opinion only but i hope they will be of some help
Hurricane Induction Kit: Easy to fit and cheaper than a sports exhaust, gives a nice throaty growl over £3K rpm to a standard exhaust set up. BHP increase small and debated. Recommended.
Larini Club Sport: Relatively easy to fit (depending on nut corrosion) although i still have a slight pipe allignment issue. Very light, looks great over standard and sounds great (louder, deeper, sportier) without being a pain at motorway speeds. If i could only make one mod this would be it. Highly recommended.
Elise Parts Sports Cat: Relatively easy to fit (depending on nut corrosion). Smaller and lighter than standard. Passed MOT emmissions with flying colours. Sound is absolutely brilliant. It adds a certain 'ASBO' quality to the Larini when gunning it. Usually quite loud on start up so if you're worried about the neighbours it's maybe not for you. Highly Recommended
Pagid RS14 Brake Pads: Designed for the track but work brilliant on the roads aswell. Will try the RS42's next for comparison but cannot fault the 14's. Recommended.
Elise Parts Braided Brake Hoses: Look great compared to standard. Ali fitted mine and said it was a bit fiddly. Gave me a firmer pedal with much reduced travel. The brakes were bled at the same time which obviously helps. Recommended.
Front Splitter: Bought from 'Tigga' off SELOC for £100. Easy to fit. Makes a big difference to the look of your Loti. Gives a more aggressive front end and makes the whole car look more balanced. I need to take a bit more care on large speedbumbs, multistories and car ferries however, once dinged it's easy to fix with some P40. Highly Recommended.
Elise Parts Gear Linkage Kit: Quickly fitted by Ali. A most excellent mod that has transformed my gear changing experience. It has taken away all woolyness and made it precise and notchy. Highly Recommended.
Elise Parts Throttle Linkage Kit: Fitted by Ali, slighly fiddly due to access. It has 3 settings. In the medium setting it has made my throttle response much more immediate. This sharper response makes the car feel quicker. Recommended.
Black Wheels: Graham at MMC convinced me to have my wheels done there as they have started using the official Lotus satin laquer. I am pleased to report they did an excellent job at a competitive price. I wish i'd done it years ago. Highly Recommended.
Black Undertray: Done by Powdertech in Glasgow for not much. We all know how manky the ali can get after some abuse. The black looks great and is much easier to keep looking clean. Coating has proved durable. Recommended.
That's about it. After weeks of
my order of preference is:1. Larini Club Sport
2. Front Splitter
3. Gear Linkage Kit
4. Black Wheels
5. Pagid RS14's
6. Sports Cat
7. Throttle Linkage Kit
8. Braided Hoses
9. Hurricane Induction Kit
10. Black Undertray
Thanks for reading
Ron