Preparing an Elise to Drive abroad - what needs to be done ?

[mrahead]

I have a S2 Elise and am currently planning a trip to the Le Mans Classic this year and wondered what preparation / modifications I should make to the car.

Preparation :-

Service car
Inform Insurance / check cover

Modification :-

Point headlights to dip to the right or add some sort of mod to headlight covers ?
Do I need to carry a warning triangle ?

Any Advice greatfully received

cheers

Alan

[tut]

You will need a warning triangle, GB sticker, and a yellow fluorescent jacket, full set of spare bulbs, and god knows what else to conform with our French and Swiss "FRIENDS."

Don't forget to extend your AA cover to include Europe if you are with them.

tut

[BiggestNizzy]

some places will require a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit.

[meatball]

An offering to the gods????

[tut]

Good point, a wallet full of euros for when the thieving buggers fine you on the spot.

tut

[Nig The Stig]

You can buy euro travel kits from the likes of the AA and RAC that will have everything in it you need from headlight adjust stickers to flourescent jackets and warning triangle. I bought one when went to The Ring last year, was about £20. You'll need 1 F jacket per person in car.

[Shug]

Also, note that the flouro jackets need to be in the cabin with you - the nice Frenchies will fine you if they are in the boot.

[tut]

And remember when they stop you to say "vive la Agincourt, vive la Waterloo", they appreciate that sort of camaraderie and will let you off lightly.

tut

[delands]

For the past two years, I've never bothered doing anything with the lights and not bothered either with GB stickers, however, I have carried them.
I carry under the seats, flourescent jackets.
In the boot I have a first aid kit, triangle and Lotus spare bulb and fuse kit.
Fire extinguisher isnt required for France

http://www.bell-colvill.co.uk/LotusShop ... LOTAC05345

http://www.castlesportscarsonline.co.uk ... _Kit_eptk1

Castle Sports Cars were advertising the headlamp convertors for the S2 on their own. However, it looks like they are now in the travel kit.

[BiggestNizzy]

If you have a euro plate with GB on it you don't need a sticker

[heds]

We didn't bother doing anything to the Elise lights when we went, but I think I might if I went again because we got quite a few toots going through long tunnels. Don't blame them as you could see the beam of light covering the oncoming cars.

[whaleys]

Headlights wise you just undo the wheel arch liner, stick hand in, uscrew headlight housing (secured in three places), take off housing, flip up the little beam angle plate making the beam totally flat, then do the reverse to put it back on .

I had to do it for the Germany trip all was well, it does make the headlights much more pathetic than normal though.

[Nig The Stig]

That seems a lot of work when you can just buy a sticker which diverts the beam of light and far easier to apply and remove than getting a tool kit out.

[Stewart]

Haven't bothered with the headlights on the last couple of trips. As you are going to Le Mans I would imagine that most, if not all your driving will be done in daylight anyway.

For a "GB" sticker I just bought a couple of ones off eBay that turn normal number plates into eurostyle plates.

With regards to bulb kit, fluorescent jackets and warning triangle, just go to Tesco. You can pick the lot up there for peanuts.

You may want to take a small pump for your tyres and perhaps buy a new tin of tyre foam - it can fail if old.

Sat nav set with speed to kph is also a good call. Their fixed speed cameras have zero tolerance so 91kmph in a 90 will get a flash. Not sure that they will catch up with you for that but the sat nav is very handy anyway.

Many of the French Frolicers have liber-t telepeage badge which allows you through the "fast pass lanes" at the tolls - perhaps not needed for the blast down to LM but definitely handy when travelling your self with 4-point harnesses.

Good idea to take all car related docs with you and also to have a copy with you or give to a friend who is travelling in a separate car. Same goes with spare keys. There was an instance last year on FF where a couple trailered their car to a circuit only to be unable to find there keys they did turn up that night but they missed out on the best circuit of the trip.

[scottishselise]

Stewart, thats good info.

I am driving down to south of Spain later in the year.


Cheers