Interior Exterior
Q:
Has anyone replaced their Elise front clam with one that comes on the Exige? If so, where could I get the clam and will it fit? Are there any other aftermarket clams that look more like the Exige than the Elise? Thanks.
A:
Apparently it will fit. The Elise in this thread has the Exige front clam:
A:
Alright I might be way off on this, but basically couldn't you just get the Exige grills and replace the plastic slats and have the same effect? I have been looking in to this option myself. I would love to replace all of the Elise's cheaper plastic slats/louvered pieces with the Exige's smooth black grills.
Anyone know if this could be done. The dealer told me they make the pieces just different enough in size that you can not swap them... Darn-it!!
--B
A:
Well,
1 - I believe that the mesh is molded into the clamshell.
2 - It's the "winglets" and fake body panel lines that bother me on my Elise.
Will have to add a wing to the rear to even out the aerodymics too. I just don't know where to get the Exige clam and if there are modifications required to have it installed. I will need my paint matched too!
Has anyone here that posts done this yet that can offer insight?
Thx! -e
A:
1 - I believe that the mesh is molded into the clamshell.
2 - It's the "winglets" and fake body panel lines that bother me on my Elise.
1 - I don't believe that they are molded into the clam, but they are mounted/attached differently.
2 - the "fake body panel lines" are actually the seams where the various injection molded parts are joined together (permanently) to form the clam. The Exige clams are made with a different process, and are one piece.
A:
Aren't the mesh parts on an exige just glued to the clam?
A:
Aren't the mesh parts on an Exige just glued to the clam?
I think so, but from the back side, so you have to remove the clam to glue them in place, and there is also probably "spots" made to glue the grills to (although I haven't seen one in person to check).
A:
There aren't any "spots" specifically for the grill. The grills just fit the back of the openings a certain way, and they are bonded in place with an adhesive.
The grills are not the only thing different between an Elise clam and an Exige clam. There are a handfull of differences if you look at them side by side.
xtn
A:
Has anyone in the US made the swap?
A:
ronin/frank did
A:
ronin/frank did
I thought he just did the rear, the question was regarding the front...
A:
I thought he just did the rear, the question was regarding the front...
ahh yes, i just read elias's post, his is still elisish.
A:
I had mine done - you need quite a few parts to do the job properly:
grilles
top panel covers
clam
mesh kit
front lower arch panels
mud flaps (yes they are different!)
some pics here :
http://community.webshots.com/photo/...39429722FbdbgV
A:
front lower arch panels
Is this because the fender arches are wider on the Exige front clam, and thus using an Exige clam directly on an Elise would cause the surfaces to not align properly, OR is this just to get the vent in the lower part of the wheel well?
The Exige fenders look a tad wider to me, but it might be an illusion.
- Justin
A:
Is the cost of the conversion and the loss in value (?) worth it? What is the cost of the parts?
A:
Thanks for the list Bogey. If I had all the right parts, is it a difficult conversion? Would I have to modify the frame at all? Your car is very nice looking!
I'm not worried too much about the resale value.
-elias