I've finally gotten around to some small projects on the Lotus!

First up is getting rid of the rear view mirror. Friday I picked up an Alpine HCE-C105 after looking at a half dozen camera kits.

is the kit. It took me about 5 hours to get it installed. This is the first time I've really had to dig into the Exige... this car is not fun to run wiring through. The service manual is horribly lacking, and doesn't even contain mention of most of the trim elements of the car.

Fortunately for me, the lotustalk site is amazing. Probably 2 hours of the 5 was just reading and looking around the vehicle to plan out wire routing. I ended up mounting it just above and behind the license plate, running the cable up into open gap above the plate, and into the trunk through the left license plate light grommet. Then tied it to the main harness and around the battery, through the battery harness grommet into the engine bay. From there I had to remove the side scoop and ran the cable down under the airbox and to the firewall grommet into the main cabin, to the center console. Fortunately the breakout box fit under the center console pocket, and the video cable up to the head unit breakout box.

To anyone considering a rear view camera, this one is AMAZING. Low light performance is amazing, the refresh rate is smooth as butter, and the wide angle is crazy (138 horiz, 98 vertical). It completely eliminates all the blindspots of the vehicle.

So today I took out the rear view mirror, and it's amazing how much more you can see without it. I'll get some pictures this week

Next up, I ordered downLow seat rails and a reverie CF engine cover.


The seat rails will hopefully drop the seat enough that I can comfortably wear my helmet with the hardtop on at the track. The engine cover is to replace the current one that has some peeling paint, plus I think CF will fit the character of the rest of the car a little better (CF front splitter, scoops and center console currently). I may eventually spring for a CF rear wing, because the stock one just looks too small for the car.

[Edited on June 15, 2009 at 5:49 AM. Reason : part pictures]

6/15/2009 5:39:14 AM

how tall are you? also more pics of the car please.

6/15/2009 9:21:13 AM

Quote :

"this car is not fun to run wiring through."

HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH

try wiring the power and data for 9 mac minis, 5 lidars, radar, and all sorts of other random shit in one...

6/15/2009 9:37:51 PM

^did you work on the DARPA car?

That *HAD* to be easier than this. If I'd removed the rear clam and seats, it would have been easy. Also would have been easy if I didn't want it entirely reversible. But as it was, I didn't do anything I can't just pull out later, and managed to do it all without disassembling the damn car.

I'm just glad I bought it with the head unit already installed. That shit is a beast. In talking to the guys at CarToys, their labor book to install a head unit on a Lotus El/Ex is like 17 hours. When I bought the camera, they said they could install it for me for $150. When I was like "HELL YES", they asked what car I was putting it into.... the quote went to $750. DOH.

6/16/2009 12:02:53 AM

why would you get rid of the rear view. cant you just take it off with a phillips head, like most cars for track days?

6/16/2009 12:12:28 AM

I might be missing something but how hard could it possibly be to install a head unit in that car? not to mention the thing is tiny. Granted I have a japanese car so taking the interior completely apart is a piece of cake.

6/16/2009 12:36:36 AM

^^You can't see anything through the rear view mirror anyway. And no, getting it out is a BITCH, it uses a tension pin on plinth and needs a custom tool (or in my case a bike tire wedge) to get it off. With the camera I have no blindspots around the entire car while driving now.

^The tiny part is what makes it hard. Cable routing is a nightmare, because there isn't really any "trim" to route things under/around.

Pictures:

Camera right above the plate:

Closeup:

Dash Screen:


Rear-view delete inside/outside:

6/16/2009 12:44:13 AM

Is that a pioneer deck? The map/camera UI looks exactly like my head unit. I've got the AVIC-D1 (double-din) though. Although I have a video source hooked up to my rear-camera feed haha.

6/16/2009 12:51:29 AM

^Yeah, it's the AVIC-N3

6/16/2009 1:57:23 AM

double din = double weight?

6/16/2009 8:09:34 AM

looks pretty nice

6/16/2009 9:33:25 AM

^^basically, mine is the single din

6/16/2009 11:31:55 AM

So, is that your address?

6/16/2009 11:39:52 AM

are there not safety laws that require there to be a rearview mirror when there is a rear window?

6/16/2009 11:43:37 AM

For WA state, nope.

Quote :

"(1) Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with a mirror mounted on the left side of the vehicle and so located to reflect to the driver a view of the highway for a distance of at least two hundred feet to the rear of such vehicle. (2) Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with an additional mirror mounted either inside the vehicle approximately in the center or outside the vehicle on the right side and so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway for a distance of at least two hundred feet to the rear of such vehicle."

As long as you have two mirros, and one of them is on the left side, I am good and legal

6/16/2009 12:41:31 PM

Quote :

"double din = double weight?"

well if its twice the size I'd imagine so. But it also means it takes up two slots and not just one. i.e. not a flip up screen.

6/16/2009 12:41:38 PM

Yeh, i did some grunt work on the DARPA car. nothing too interesting.

But yes, it was a bitch at times. many times. over a good period of time.

6/16/2009 5:41:54 PM

That's really cool, was this through school or employer or what?

Noen, have you ever driven an Elise? I test drove one after a friend pestered me into it, but back to back with the GT3, I was rather underwhelmed though he's a big fan of the Exige S. I feel like I ought to drive an Exige. Actually come to think of it, I've never ever been in a Lotus from this decade save for the one Elise (used trade in @the dealer in Durham).

6/17/2009 12:07:09 AM

^Yeah if you are coming from a GT3, you need to be hopping in either an Exige S260, or an Elise SC. In either vehicle, with the sport/track pack. Just saw the '09 S260 at the dealer here last week. The difference in the torque curve (almost flat) and hp really make for a completely different driving experience.

It's a second faster to 60, 3 seconds faster to 100, 26% more torque (179ft lbs), and it's 50lbs lighter than the Exige S240 (36lbs heaver than the Elise).

Compared to the 2010 GT3, same 0-60 time, the GT3 hits 100 a second faster (10 to 9). At a 30k price premium

If you have a chance, it's worth a drive over the Durham dealer in your GT3 just to see if you can get a test drive in one. If you like it, you can always pick up an 06 NA exige + the 6,500 VF SC kit and you will be rolling out with 275hp/180ft lbs for ~48k installed.

[Edited on June 17, 2009 at 12:52 AM. Reason : .]

6/17/2009 12:37:11 AM

Hah, I don't own a GT3, nor could I realistically afford a new one...

I'm pretty sure they'd toss me the keys to an Exige at the Durham dealer. I've been there twice, once w/my M3 and once w/the GT3. The guy was offering the Exige at the time but I didn't have the time nor did I really want to after the Elise I drove. All this Exige talk is peaking my interest, though it'd have to blow me away to make me consider it over my current love. I'll try to do it next week if I can, and report back however.

6/17/2009 1:15:38 AM

Quote :

"26% more torque (179ft lbs)"

lol

6/17/2009 7:28:16 AM

The Lotus Test Driver/Engineer took me for a ride around VIR Full. Pretty awesome, i wish i could have driven it.

That was the Lotus HPDE/Event where we expo'ed the DARPA car and i decided to take my 540i out on track. I ran in the intermediate group and reeled in a couple Elises and passed them. I was laughing my freaking ass off.

We also let the DARPA car attempt to navigate the track. Very very slowly of course, but it did somehow confuse itself and put a wheel off and spin into the grass at like 20mph. I don't know how thats possible. It also got into some really bad underdamped steering control oscillations on the front straight and it started swerving left and right over and over and bigger and bigger until it spun itself out and stopped. That was scary.

6/17/2009 11:55:44 PM

Afro Sheen is not your friend Noen.

6/18/2009 12:03:48 AM

Quote :

"i decided to take my 540i out on track. I ran in the intermediate group and reeled in a couple Elises and passed them. I was laughing my freaking ass off. "

Wouldn't suprise me a bit, especially N/A cars. VIR has three HUGE straights all with top speeds hitting 130-150mph for good drivers. Put's the Lotus at a big disadvantage to high horsepower vehicles. Also, HPDE isn't a race. I'd bet that it was the first time a lot of those guys had ever been on a track in their cars... not many Lotus owners ever track their vehicles.

Quote :

"I don't know how thats possible."

Because the Elise/Exige has HORRIBLE snap oversteer, especially with TC enabled. Low torque, lightweight, well balanced, and super high grip all contribute. If you break loose, you can't "power out" like a lot of other high HP vehicles, it just bites the other way and you spin.

^Yeah, that isn't my car . Was just an illustration until I get my parts in

[Edited on June 18, 2009 at 2:28 AM. Reason : .]

6/18/2009 2:28:08 AM

^They VIR Full did feel a bit big for the Elise i rode in, but it doesn't matter, they can FLY through the turns. a bone stock 3600lb grandma sedan has nothing for an Elise, 300hp or not. Carrying momentum is what matters and thats what an Elise (if driven properly) can do ftw.

They wouldn't be in intermediate group if it was their first time. They were moving a long decently. The ones i caught were just over braking and losing their momentum onto the long straights which will destroy the times in a low power car. I know they were pussy footing the brakes because i was out braking a few of them in the 540 on street tires and stock pads. Other cars in the group were fast and were long gone.

yeh.. but at 20mph, i think it was some sorta computer glitch.

[Edited on June 18, 2009 at 10:59 AM. Reason : aa]

6/18/2009 10:58:50 AM

To be fair, your 540i (our 540i? :'( ) weighed less than a 350z on the scales at Roebling Road. I've also passed an Elise w/it @ VIR BTW, while the seat and steering wheel heaters were on, eheh. To be fair, that was a pretty awesome car, I really enjoyed driving it...

I was out close by the Lotus dealer in Durham yesterday, alas scheduling conflict, never got to stop by.

6/18/2009 11:12:05 AM

totally, the car was really great on track. Like surprisingly so. bone ass stock but w/ OE M5 shocks.

6/18/2009 12:28:24 PM

^^ That car was light as hell for what it was IIRC. Like 3300lbs, right? It's absolutely pathetic that the newer 3 series weighs 400-500lbs more than an E39.

That's probably why those cars have always seemed rather quick to me for the relatively low power they claimed to produce. Even the 6 cylinder models feel reasonably quick. Those are great cars; practical, rather roomy in the front and the back, quite lightweight for the size (Especially compared to the tanks coming out right now), good interior, quite a few good engine choices, etc.

6/18/2009 12:47:56 PM

540's are sweeeeeeeeeet

6/18/2009 1:04:58 PM

parts came in

Goddamn iPhone deliveries, Fedex guy didn't get here until 9:30pm. Okay maybe not iPhones... but somehow I'm like the last deliver on his route every damn time.

6/19/2009 8:15:19 AM

Quote :

"Afro Sheen is not your friend Noen."

he uses SOUL GLO


I seen it

6/19/2009 10:03:24 AM

^^how did you get the iPhone yesterday or did you order a 3g?

6/19/2009 10:18:46 AM

I think he's saying that all the other people who ordered one caused his delivery to be late.

6/19/2009 10:24:49 AM

he hates you

6/21/2009 2:22:55 PM

Took me almost 8 fucking hours to get the seat rails right. Definitely one of the worst thought-out kits I have ever seen, although the space was REALLY tiny to work with. To get it right you had to fully assemble the rails (an hour), then test fit in the car (half hour). There are three possible basic settings, and of course the last one I tried was the one that was correct. Then you had to set the angle, which required setting, test fit, remove, adjust, test fit, remove adjust. Then the goddamn rails didn't line up (off by about 1/8") so I had to ease the opposing bolts in to get everything tightened down.

It was worth it though, the seat position is great, and much more headroom (more importantly, much safer on the track). Also took several pounds out of the car with the big slider harness gone.



The engine covers werent too bad, just needed some paint in the lettering (which you can only barely see in the header cover) and painted the washers to make them not ruin the beauty of the hex bolts. Definitely a few ounces lighter than stock

6/22/2009 2:56:19 AM

where is the smaller supercharger pulley ?

6/22/2009 8:16:02 AM

it's on the supercharger I haven't bought

6/22/2009 8:44:10 PM

yet

6/22/2009 8:51:27 PM

oh, there will be a VisionFunction SC kit in my future... perhaps even this year. How can you say no to 275rwhp?

6/22/2009 9:41:06 PM

Sounds nice...

Can that head unit record the rear facing camera's view? I wonder if this sort of thing can be used to capture track footage? Or would it not be stable enough?

6/22/2009 11:31:38 PM

the head unit can't, but the camera is certainly capable of it. It has CRAZY good refresh speed, if I got a chasecam or similar system, it would definitely work. Though it's such a wide-angle lens, it wouldn't be good for much (bullet cameras are much better options).

6/23/2009 12:17:08 AM

Most cameras I see are actually not wide enough angle... and have too much vibration (IO Port camera mount to roll bar). Any more info on the type/price of camera, etc.? I'll post some footage I took w/a Sony Cam, if I can get it to appear a tad more stable. :/

6/23/2009 12:21:49 AM

Alpine Alpine HCE-C105 Rear View Camera

It also does suprisingly well in low-light and night driving

6/23/2009 12:30:13 AM

2 threads 1 car

6/23/2009 2:31:44 AM

Quote :

"How can you say no to 275rwhp?"

Hopefully with the blower you can avoid some torque by keeping your HP in the high revs...otherwise you might be saying no a lot. What is the widest tire you can run ?

6/23/2009 8:12:41 AM

Torque curve is basically flat on the SC. From all I've read, you pretty much learn to never mash the gas pedal under about 60mph.

fronts: 225/40-16
rears: 245/40-17

Are as big as you can go on my rims. I'm running 205/225 right now.

6/23/2009 2:51:17 PM

power is basically shit

6/28/2009 5:55:28 PM

Another new toy:

7/1/2009 5:27:35 PM

wtf

7/5/2009 9:23:42 PM

set em up

7/23/2009 3:47:30 PM