Eliseparts Linkage Kit + Short Shifter... Worth getting?
Discussion
Hi all,
As I've said in another thread I've been getting a few bits and bobs for the Elise, the Hurricane kit and 160TB is now on its way after my plastic one started to stick every now and then (the perfect excuse) and I'm probably going to do the Exhaust thing with a full Larini System just before christmas. These are both modifications that nearly everyone seems to recommend.
Now, given that I'm thinking of getting a S1 Exige in a year or so's time to take care of the track-work, I want to leave my car pretty much standard, certainly able to be altered back to factory-spec at a moment's notice if I so decide. I do just want to do a few things to it (like inlet and exhaust) that just make the sunday blat that little bit more enjoyable. The Elise is such a wonderful little car I don't WANT heaps more power or grip, it's just so much fun!
The only other thing I can really think of doing is improving the gear shift. My car is miles better than most other S1s I've driven but I can't help but feel the gearshift could be a bit better at times. I've been thinking about getting the Eliseparts short shifter and gear linkage kit at the same time as the exhaust and have it installed in November in time for mid-summer (NZ). Is this a worthwhile addition to my little funmobile? Once the hurricane and exhaust is on giving it the soundtrack to match the driving experience, the gearshift is about all I can think of doing.
I see a couple of people have posted in previous threads about short shift kits etc, but does anyone have any recent experience of the EliseParts one? Any other recommended brands?
Cheers :)
Roll on summer :driving:
As I've said in another thread I've been getting a few bits and bobs for the Elise, the Hurricane kit and 160TB is now on its way after my plastic one started to stick every now and then (the perfect excuse) and I'm probably going to do the Exhaust thing with a full Larini System just before christmas. These are both modifications that nearly everyone seems to recommend.
Now, given that I'm thinking of getting a S1 Exige in a year or so's time to take care of the track-work, I want to leave my car pretty much standard, certainly able to be altered back to factory-spec at a moment's notice if I so decide. I do just want to do a few things to it (like inlet and exhaust) that just make the sunday blat that little bit more enjoyable. The Elise is such a wonderful little car I don't WANT heaps more power or grip, it's just so much fun!
The only other thing I can really think of doing is improving the gear shift. My car is miles better than most other S1s I've driven but I can't help but feel the gearshift could be a bit better at times. I've been thinking about getting the Eliseparts short shifter and gear linkage kit at the same time as the exhaust and have it installed in November in time for mid-summer (NZ). Is this a worthwhile addition to my little funmobile? Once the hurricane and exhaust is on giving it the soundtrack to match the driving experience, the gearshift is about all I can think of doing.
I see a couple of people have posted in previous threads about short shift kits etc, but does anyone have any recent experience of the EliseParts one? Any other recommended brands?
Cheers :)
Roll on summer :driving:
I bought the eliseparts shortshifter 2 months ago. Easy installation in less than 30 min. Firmer change, but much better already - and looks that much smarter, especially with a lotussport gear knob. I am still waiting for the courage to install the linkage kit to reduce the lateral play in the gearstick and by all the threads I have seen, this is a whorthwhile exercise - ie do both the shifter and the linkage.
Yes. Best £100-odd quid that can be spent on an Elise, IMHO. It completely transformed the gearshift on my S1, from being barely tolerable to actually being a pleasure to use.
The annoying thing is that, so far as I could tell, the bit of the linkage kit which made the difference was a couple of nylon bushes which replace rubber OEM Lotus items. The 'rod end' (expensive) part of the linkage kit didn't seem to be substantially different to the Lotus one - neither would give any play if they were in good condition. There is a market for someone manufacturing and selling the nylon bushes separately, I think...
The annoying thing is that, so far as I could tell, the bit of the linkage kit which made the difference was a couple of nylon bushes which replace rubber OEM Lotus items. The 'rod end' (expensive) part of the linkage kit didn't seem to be substantially different to the Lotus one - neither would give any play if they were in good condition. There is a market for someone manufacturing and selling the nylon bushes separately, I think...
Some Geeza said:
Is the Eliseparts short shifter and gear linkage kit a worthwhile addition to my little funmobile?
Yes my good friend it is. An elise without a short shifter feels like a tractor. The gear linkage is the cream in the coffee - milk would do but hey why the hell not??
The discerning gear changer would choose both but bear in mind that the linkage kit takes far while to bed in.
andysv said:
also got the link kit but that looks a bit more complex so may do it over the winter, i'm told it's a great improvement.
Don't let the fact that it is made up of apparently technical 'widgets' fool you. If you follow the instructions, the linkage kit is a piece of cake to fit.
IIRC, it took me a couple of hours at a very relaxed pace to fit both the quick shift and the linkage kit. The worst bits were removing the gear knob (bloody tight - you may need mole grips and some bits of sheet rubber to prevent the grips damaging your knob
) and the undertray (siezed fixing screws). >> Edited by Mutant Rat on Friday 16th September 20:30
Well that's the result I was hoping for... think I might do it 
Will probably get the linkage kit AND the short shifter (in for a penny, in for a pound eh?) Like I said, might ask santa to bring me one. I have a hoist downstairs in the garage where I keep the Elise so I might pull the undertrays off and do it myself of a weekend
Now, just gotta hope that Santa gets my letter this year
Will probably get the linkage kit AND the short shifter (in for a penny, in for a pound eh?) Like I said, might ask santa to bring me one. I have a hoist downstairs in the garage where I keep the Elise so I might pull the undertrays off and do it myself of a weekend Now, just gotta hope that Santa gets my letter this year
I was feeling a slight vibration at about 80mph so decided to get all the wheels balanced. All were good except for the front left which was buckled. I don't think its fixable as the whole wheel is out of round. I’m not sure how you achieve that on a car that weighs 700kg? So the hunt was on for a new front wheel. Problem is they are no longer made and most of the second hand ones have issues. Luckily I found a guy on SELOC who was selling a low mileage wheel, that had been stored for years, was in mint condition and still had the original paint. So after a few emails and handing over £120 a box arrived that made me a very happy boy! The wheel is mint and obviously not done many miles. 
To go with this new wheel will be a set of Yohohama Advan Neova AD08R’s which seem to be the go to performance tyre for the Elise. Although the old tyres have loads of tread left, performed well on track and show no signs of hardening or cracking, they are VERY old.
I’m also in the process of purchasing a new set of seats. The originals were killing my lower back, despite the inflatable lumber support the only way to ‘suffer’ any drive longer than an hour was to put a piece of foam behind my lower back. So after much research and overthinking I’ve chosen a set of Corbeau Le Pro which are designed for the Lotus Elise and should fit straight in.
Its Elise’s 20th Birthday on the 25th June, so thought it only fair to buy her something nice.
To go with this new wheel will be a set of Yohohama Advan Neova AD08R’s which seem to be the go to performance tyre for the Elise. Although the old tyres have loads of tread left, performed well on track and show no signs of hardening or cracking, they are VERY old.
I’m also in the process of purchasing a new set of seats. The originals were killing my lower back, despite the inflatable lumber support the only way to ‘suffer’ any drive longer than an hour was to put a piece of foam behind my lower back. So after much research and overthinking I’ve chosen a set of Corbeau Le Pro which are designed for the Lotus Elise and should fit straight in.
Its Elise’s 20th Birthday on the 25th June, so thought it only fair to buy her something nice.
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