The Lotus Grand Tourers

Apologies if this has been asked before (as I am sure it has plenty of times), but what can I do about the condensation (that's really not extreme enough of a term for it, actually, it's a full towel job) that covers all the interior glass every morning? I can't garage the Elite at the moment and I can't move to Australia so I need another solution to at least abate it, or preferably a longer-term solution (seeing as the heater doesn't seem to want to bother with the screen). Suggestions welcome.

Sorry if this is stating the obvious but fibreglass cars tend to leak more than steel bodied cars and paradoxically, they are more in need of garaging than their steel bodied counterparts. I think this is mainly due to wider tolerances on body aperture dimensions and probably a tendency to flex along the aperture margins when under the weight of glass etc.

Grommets and other rubber seals don't fit so snugly in apertures because, unlike steel, the thickness of the fibreglass around an aperture is difficult to control and rubber seals don't seat so well.

So it's a case of tracking down the source of the leak(s) whether its a glass seal, a grommeted hole, a body bolt hole, an ill-fitting door window frame, a blocked heater plenum chamber, or a collapsed/ripped door or boot seal, and then you clean out any dirt and debris from the failed seal area and apply sealant as appropriate.

Then protect the car from temperature extemes and excessive exposure to UV light and it'll stay dryer for longer.

I would recommend a decent outdoor cover as a good starting point - it keeps the temperature up a little and keeps frost off the outside of the car.

As it doesn't have a sunroof (yahoo!), have you checked that the air intake at the base of the screen isn't full of leaf debris? There can be quite an accumulation after a few years outside which easily blocks drain holes

I think condensation also has a lot to do with how often a car is used. I get some condensation in the Excel but very little in my everyday MG. Just driving a car even with the windows closed renews the air via the vent system. My mate has a four month old Nissan Qashqai and has a big problem with condensation but he mostly uses it for the 2.5 mile journey to work and back which means the air inside the car never really warms up (engine wear must be horrible too).

I have a couple of these in my Excel during winter and they seem to work http://www.shop.express.co.uk/i-HH-DHM1 ... humidifier

This was the hoar frost on the Excel this afternoon

<ahem>CALENDAR</ahem>

I have seen a lot of cars with condensation in them that dont leak, my corolla and my wifes alfa have puddles in the footwell due to snow bieng brought into the cars on our feet and it takes ages for it to dry out even when you mop it up because you cant get any heat into the insulation under the carpet when the weather is consistantly cold.

Also don't forget that the humidity levels are very high and have been for some time. Old car or new car that moisture will form on anything cold.
Dehumidifier of some sort required as Kev mentioned above. I have a large silica bag dehumidifier in mine.

Fantastic picture Kev!!

KevW wrote:

CALENDAR

Please ?

The rubber covered foam insulation on the excel floor is great at trapping moisture....

Bill

Fantastic Photo,

Looks like January 2012
Would make a great postcard to

Thanks for the comments on the photo chaps. I've copied it into the calendar section

[quote="KevW"]I have a couple of these in my Excel during winter and they seem to work http://www.shop.express.co.uk/i-HH-DHM1 ... humidifier

Great picture Kev - Must get out and take some for the next calendar

I have just ordered a couple of those dehumidifiers. I can't find any damp in the car but it soon mists up in cold weather - has to live on the drive unfortunately.

I've been using those de-humidifiers continuously during autumn,winter and spring for the past two years and they seem to work Tanz.