Web
Analytics Made Easy - Statcounter
Leaderboard - The Lotus Forums - Official Lotus Community Partner Jump to content


Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/09/19 in all areas

  1. Hi, I've decided to start a restoration thread to keep track of things, keep the motivation up and hopefully will be of interest to a few others. Also might pick up a few much needed pointers along the way. The car in question is a '89 SE in the familiar 'Esprit challenge on the amiga' spec - Red with tan interior. This must be by far the most common spec/model? The cars history is it has originally been looked after well (receipts from all the well regarded garages) but it has been off the road for 10 years and hasn't turned over for approx 5 years. I'm fairly sure it was wiring issues that brought it to a halt related to the Clifford alarm install. The wiring is a shambles and I'm expecting this to be the most challenging part of the project. So I've been taking it apart and I'm planning to get it back together in better than ever condition. I'll be making improvements along the way but not straying too far from the original design. The focus is on creating a trustworthy vehicle not performance gains. So far I've removed the engine and box, most of the interior, the fuel tanks and done a few of the easy bits to get me started - * Originals wheels refurbished as a leak was getting annoying * Front brakes replaced with PNM 310mm 4-pot brake kit (rears still to do) * Turbo refurbished The engine and gearbox is booked in for a rebuild and will be using stand-alone management. Next jobs on the list are replacing the hand brake cables and fitting the new fuel tanks to get them out of the way. I've also got a new alloy balance pipe and fuel pump to go in. After that I'm tackling the oil coolers and rads. Not looking forward to that! The car before I started & the new tanks pics attached. Old tank weights: RH = 10.3KG, LH = 10.0Kg New tank weights: RH = 3.9Kg, LH = 3.7Kg Any comments/advice welcome and appreciated, I'm excited by the thought of the end product but it's a long long road first. Dunc.
    2 points
  2. So the cars in... I'll miss it for the next 2 weeks.
    2 points
  3. Lotus+0forthewin wasn't a hard password to guess!
    2 points
  4. Hello everyone, I've just come back from a holiday in Sardinia where they filmed The Spy who Loved Me. Went to visit a few famous lotus car chase/submarine locations. Firstly the famous pier, then the beach where the car drives out, and also the area where he spins the car round under the helicopter. Really amazing to see those locations. I went scuba diving off the pier and had a search around for anything of interest and found this metal item. The film was made in 1977, so quite a while ago but it does look like the sort of painted metal item that could be from a prop car. Would love to think it was. Thought I'd ask if it looks like anything that anyone might know of from an S1 Lotus! James
    1 point
  5. 1 point
  6. Labour whipped to abstain so it was a deliberate act that influenced the outcome - if you like it, it was neither for nor against but by abstaining en masse it prevented the motion carrying. Very different to just not bothering to vote in parliamentary terms. General election is a first past the post system (simple majority) but FTPA specifies 2/3 of eligible voters. There are many different methods of conducting votes which are not any more or less valid - just different. There were various reasons the FTPA was introduced and one of them was to remove the PM's ability to call a snap election against the will of parliament. There is no their law and our law, just the law and differing methods of determining the results.
    1 point
  7. Les, Demister vents are a necessity in any locale other than desert, perhaps. You are correct in that long slot atop the binnacle being for the driver's side demist, there should be another on passenger side very near base of screen as well. SJ have the metal vent listed, you might try Lotusbits if in need of the moulded plastic hose connector/adaptors. The attached photo is of my AC equipped S2 during teardown and is representative of the passenger side vent which seems common to most all G cars. Cannot state with certainty that the earliest S1 were so equipped but suspect they were. Cheers
    1 point
  8. Dear god that car is gorgeous 😍! The more pictures I see and the more angles see the more I'm impressed by the design. I've said it already but well done Lotus!
    1 point
  9. Thank you all for your instant responses.
    1 point
  10. This was an interesting job on Tuesday. Working for a surveyor, we photogrpahed 119 hectares of building site to measure with very good accuracy all of the stockpiles on site. Around 1,200 images... Turns into this point cloud map with 16,000,000 datapoints... Which looks like this a little closer. These aren't photos but the millions of points all of which can be used for measurement datum. It needs to be run through 4 more software packages to improve accuracy yet but here's a rough volume measurement just from the pics..., it's not bad!
    1 point
  11. I hate to waste anything in this age of the disposable society! I also considered using vegetarian course hair string to tie them on with but the environmental impact on the local wildlife was too great!😂
    1 point
  12. Hi Steve, sorry for the late response, been working hard on a friend's Subaru wrx. The details about the electric steering would be: Bought the steering column with the control unit. You can connect electrically 2 ways, with or without vehicle speed signal. I chose the non signal because it is much more simple, the difference would be the same steering assistance all the time, but the steering weight was so perfect that I didn't need it. Make sure the steering comes from a Yaris that does have ABS. The mechanical part is to cut the lotus column into 2 pieces and the toyota in 2 pieces and weld them together both on the inner shaft and the outer. You need a Borgussen coupler for the rear. This way you don't have to remove anything from the cat to install the new steering, and you keep your turn signal and wiper switches and your own steering wheel. I' including sone photos, one of them shows the steering installed, notice the steering motor under the dash. Forgot to mention the hood release works perfectly and does'n need alteration. The last picture shows the location that I chose for the fuse and the relay.
    1 point
  13. I have removed my binnacle before and IIRC the pipe was one of the last things to connect once I had the binnacle in place. Admittedly mine is an S4. Not sure if Lotus changed it.
    1 point
  14. Thank you very much for the link but I am afraid I don't have the skills or the tools to do that. It has to be dealership job for me. (BTW the noise disappeared today.... strange)
    1 point
  15. In a General Election, irrespective of turnout, the majority wins, assuming the winning party wins over 50% of seats (ie a clear majority over everyone else.) So within Parliament, to call a GE (under the Fixed Term Parliament Act) a majority of 2/3rds is required. Pardon me for not understanding how yet again it is one set of rules for us and another complete set of rules for those in Parliament but how is 298 v 56 not a significant amount over 2/3rds of those who bothered to vote? Christ on a bike, we need some MASSIVE reform of our political system in this Country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    1 point
  16. @Steve V8 I've had a 2000 P38a 4.0lt petrol V8 for 18 months as a backup/weekend runabout. We all absolutely adore it and it consumes people and dogs as well as it does petrol. They have an awful reputation (largely justified) However, they are very cheap! I bought mine, W reg, 109k miles in overall really good nick (I looked at 8 before buying) £1650. They don't seem to corrode badly (on the whole) unlike their predecessor but the engines/gearboxes can cause problems. In my experience, this is usually down to lack of previous owner maintenance (Lotus.....sound familiar). I bargained for this and spent the first month (and £700) of ownership replacing the rad, viscous fan, water pump, hoses, air and pollen filters, engine oil and filter, gearbox TF and filter (irrespective of model - ignore the LR/BMW advice that they are sealed for life - this is what leads to most failures!). Engine liners can slip and the pre-1999/2000 GEMS engine management cars seem to suffer more than the later Thor engined cars. 5 inches of suspension travel makes working underneath easier. I've done 5000 miles in the intervening period and loved it - ok it has no headlining material but the previous owner made a really good job of cleaning the old one off - I choose not to look up!. The A/C doesn't work and I've had to replace the heater matrix O-rings (cheap job but a bastard!). On the plus side, these cars are much simpler than the later, more electronically controlled cars (with more expensive parts). Ignore the naysayers about the air suspension. Parts are cheap and if you do the relatively simple work yourself, replacing a seal on the compressor pump (I did mine for £17) is a piece of piss and even putting new seals in the valve control box isn't scary. New air springs at each corner are circa £65 each and easy to fit. There's a wealth of info out there on youtube and an excellent forum at https://rangerovers.pub/category/1-range-rover-p38 The later cars are no doubt more refined but no less troublesome if neglected. Avoid the TD6 diesels (gearbox especially) and go for the later (post 2008) TDV8 - great review here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl51reRXxgE Whatever you choose, it will make you smile - keep it maintained and expect the maintenance costs associated with a £50,000 car and not a £8,000 car which is what you could pay!
    1 point
  17. 354 could be bothered to vote tonight on the question of should there be a general election. So where are the rest of these work shy skiving bunch of self serving arseholes??
    1 point
  18. Hi, I had my Range Rover for nearly 10 years and put over 100,000 miles on it, I loved it to bits and when it was right it was the best car I have ever owned, it was just ended up being unreliable which I could not live with, but I loved it and fortunately could afford the repair bills when I couldn't fix it myself. I stand by my statement that they are unreliable and this will only exacerbated as they get older. The biggest problem is that as they get older they go wrong more often and the repairs for them are not cheap. The age range mentioned means that the newest one would be 9 to 10 years old, problems are going to arise. The reason I stated that you do not want to buy one with a tow bar is that you don not know what it has been towing for the past X amount of years, it may not have towed anything but it may have towed little Porsche's 3 1/2 ton horse box around a muddy field every weekend which will not do being doing the gearboxes any favours. What I meant was be careful, if you want to tow fit your own tow bar and know the car has not been used and abused. I have had old and not so old Range Rovers, the old ones never let me down. I have also owned old, not so old and nearly new Landcruiser's, they have never let me down, even the clocked import one I bought. @Steve V8 - If you are ever in the Devon area let me know I will let you try the Landcruiser, it makes Range Rovers look very small 🙂. They are not as refined as the Range Rover but peace of mind won me over in the end but as a diesel tank they are incredibly fast if you don't mind the fuel economy. I did not want to come over as anti Range Rovers - I love them and they are UK made, but running a farm I have to move livestock with it and I just cannot afford for a towing vehicle to be unreliable.
    1 point
  19. It is true that LandRover top (bottom?) the polls - JD Power etc - for reliability. Stuff does go wrong with more of them than it does for other brands. But (and its a big Butt!) that's still only about a fifth of them. If you get one of the other 80% you'll be fine. Marc says his was a 2002. That's the first year of L322 production when in BMWs hands and the least reliable. I also had a 2002 4.4 V8 petrol for 4 years and it was a bit of a mare from time to time - the least reliable car I've ever owned. I then had a 2007 4.2 V8 Supercharged for five years (when Ford owned and with a Jaguar engine). It was serviced on schedule but otherwise cost me nothing in fixes as nothing on it went wrong between 60k miles when I bought it and 120k miles when I sold. Many L322 aficionados reckon the 2007-2009 4.2 SC was the sweetspot of the L322 run. Since the beginning of 2017 I've run a 2012 5.0 V8 SC Autobiography. It was one of the final version L322 cars with a slightly different bodykit at the rear and all the toys. Again bought at 60k miles, now at 97k. Only problems so far have been the need to replace the deployable (known as deplorable) side steps as they kept sticking and replace the battery (not as easy as for many lesser cars - but hardly a killer blow). They are wonderful cars and having got used to their capabilities I haven't been able to think of anything better to replace it with. The BM engine gave about 275BHP the 4.2 SC Jag about 395 and the 5.0 SC just over 500. For a 2.5 ton barge they're quite quick! They are also sublime at towing so not sure why Marc advises against a towbar - I wouldn't buy one without. (or about £1k to have one added). The 5.0 does have a bit of a timing chain reputation - I've been lucky so far but will probably have it replaced next year as a preventative measure. Having been in all of the other big SUVs, there are plenty to chose from, many very nice places to be, but none I'd prefer to the Full Fat Rangie. Unless the satnav is near the top of your priorities as that's pants and the adaptive cruise is a definite retrograde step over the older standard cruise control.
    1 point
  20. Great, you can tarmac drives to earn some extra cash too. Do ya loike dags?
    1 point
  21. Hi Henry, Good to see you on the chat. Yes, that's the plan. My Brother-in-Law and I are lifetime skiiers and ticking off all the resorts. His father's favourite place was Cortina, so the trip planned is to honour that as he passed away last year. I was in 'shipmycar' mode and had lost hope car trains existed. what' the weblink and i'll take a look? Any skiiers reading this will know of the debauchery in the early 90's "Snow Train" from Calais to Bourg... Sorry to now turn this excellent rebuild story into a snow report. snow tyres - check. Heater. yes. Any suggestions on how to boost the power from that thing in the bonnet? Although I've seen heaters that run off cig sockets. @Fabain - the offer to drive over and talk racks still exists. For some reason I though you were in Surrey. I'm utterly inspired by the rebuild and to think they did this each time they made an Esprit...
    1 point
  22. No deal. No plan. No clue. No problem. Just get on with it. It will be what it will be. None of us have a fully functioning crystal ball to see into the future. I'm also getting a tad fed ul with people hiding behind "bullying" comments when actually all the Government is actually trying to do is follow the current legislation enacted after a democratic vote! Remainers have been the bullies, led by Bercow. They have consistently bullied their point and have point blank refused to acknowledge the will of their constituents as well articulated above.
    1 point
  23. Starting to get a bit annoyed now. Sat watching the news today (never a good idea) to watch a Labour MP state the public is ill informed about Brexit - REALLY! Do they realise however little they think of the British public we think even less of them - A LOT LESS.
    1 point
  24. At least three of the rebels are not even standing next time. Bercow, is a disgrace, he is so clearly biased that he is not fit for his role. The lot of them are unfit to serve us, we deserve better.
    1 point
  25. So Philip Lee MP defects to SDP and votes against the government: The country in an exercise of Direct Democracy decided they wanted to Leave. He fought and won his seat on a commitment of leaving the EU. His constituency (Bracknell) who voted him under Parliamentary Democracy reportedly voted to Leave 70% to 30% He grandstands the situation by taking a seat during the PM's G7 speech for maximum embarrassment. In what world can this man be seen to be enacting any form of democratic process and be following the wishes of the majority constituents. There are some seriously unhappy people in Bracknell today! Would it not have been more honest to stand down stating he was no longer able to fulfil his commitments rather than betray his national electorate, his party and his local constituency.
    1 point
  26. I don’t have any children starting school today but here is a picture of what my front door looks like if I did.
    1 point
  27. ....would love to Tim but as mentioned to Lee, I'll be slumming it in Tuscany by then☹️😎
    1 point
  28. But that doesn't seem to include actually doing what the majority of people in the UK asked them to do! So I have to disagree with you and say that they are selfishly following their own agenda, not the direction from their own constituents. The best example of all re this being John Bercow the remain biased Speaker who has refused to take a neutral view and instead abused his position to undermine our very own PM and Government. Or have I missed the point?
    1 point
  29. I Not at all Martin, I see you are from London, your view is probably hugely fashionable there, as it would be in Scotland. The problem seems to be most of our broadcasting associations and media are based in London, most of our MP's live part time work and socialise in London, but London does not share the opinion of the rest of the country, we the majority outside the M25 are sick to death of hearing the doom and gloom, Brexit car crash, off the cliff, do or die propaganda coming from within the capitol every day. Please take a look at the voting map of the UK to see the huge proportion of the country that voted to leave, those MP's who represent that huge proportion should do so, and if they have lost their careers and salaries for refusing to uphold a referendum result, then that's the least they deserve. Let me give you another example of how out of touch London is with the rest of the country... Anti semitism within the labour party, that was headline news for weeks, as if it were the end of the world. Being from outside London it means absolutely nothing, I don't think I've ever even seen a Jew let alone needed to hear about anti semitism every day.
    1 point
  30. I live in total.much.speeding Think it's trying to tell me something?
    1 point
  31. Ten quid says it'll never swim Love it though, I'm beginning to wonder what these machines will allow the 'older car' enthusiast to recreate without necessarily spending a fortune.... Keep it up and keep us posted
    1 point
  32. Got a 3d printer for my birthday and spent the last 3 days setting it up and playing. Tried something crazy like this flexi octopus. Took 13 hours to print, but I'm happy with the result. Is it perfect? No, it has a few blemishes and printer settings need some tweaking, but for a hobbyist I love it WhatsApp Video 2019-09-03 at 10.59.34.mp4
    1 point
  33. I've got out a fair amount Jonny, although mainly relaxed weekend driving & no track sessions arranged yet. I need to pull my finger out of my arse and use the car properly! TBH I'm still coming to terms with the level of attention that the car generates from friends in the petrol head community and total strangers alike over here. The guy who took the pics is an experienced motorsport photographer who has photographed some really out of the ordinary machinery over the years; (his last 'exotic' shoot was a Ferrari 488 GTB with black stealth paint). He was seriously impressed with the way the 430 was 'put together' & performed on the road. Some of the comments on his pics extracted from the main local petrol head forum: "That thing in the flesh is mega - every bit as stunning as a ferrari/lamborghini" "Agree! Pure f1 road legal kart. And so beautiful!" We are fortunate indeed to be able to own these cars.
    1 point
  34. Stunning Kostas, Nightfall Blue works so well on an Evora, loved it on my Elise too. Very classy colour which does something special in direct sunlight. 👍 No GT430 in that colour to my knowledge which is a shame but at least we'll get to see what everyone else was missing!
    1 point
  35. Filled the car up and then had a magnificent 2 hour drive - I love this car😊
    1 point
  36. No problem Bruss. Thank you. If you are interested in a set please send me an e-mail to info@leitspeed-wheels.de and give info that you come from TLF. I will have my demo wheels (DC finish) for sale too.
    1 point
  37. By the way some extra news: As the discussion with Lotus dealers as resellers was not satisfying we are thinking Leitspeed may sell the wheels only directly to customers - no dealers involved. Maybe the way like most Lotus tuning is sold world wide. So there will be a new attractive pricing without the dealer margin soon and also a changed online shop form on the website. At the moment shipping inside EU and world wide at no or low cost is checked too.
    1 point
  38. Sharing a tour that myself and members of the Golden Gate Lotus Club received at The Quail show in Monterey a few weeks ago. https://youtu.be/5HfDrHpJotU Cheers, Kiyoshi
    1 point
  39. Nice to have another GT3 on the drive, this one belonging to @Chris Onelevenr. A very pretty car in Nautilus Blue. The old system is out, all vacuum work done at the engine, and pump is mounted. Lotus position (seat insitu) achieved yet again without lasting damage (a miracle at my age), and brake pedal drilled appropriately. Again, @Chillidoggy will be attending this week to help me install, test and adjust the important stuff, followed by a night of celebration and all-round back-slapping at a local CAMRA hostelry.
    1 point
  40. So my eldest is now able to start learning to drive. Arek delivered up a nice car for her. needless to say - she’s feeling very happy and has just had her first ever drive round the industrial estate.
    1 point
  41. A couple of pics taken yesterday in the balmy weather by a local pro car photographer:
    1 point
  42. I went to a gin tasting at TT Liquor in Shoreditch yesterday. The East London Liquor Co Dry Gin was standout delicious. Here's my little sister in their shop too, the venue was once a police station, very interesting place! And the gins...
    1 point
  43. Beautiful color! Every time somebody writes Kawasaki in this thread, I can’t but help read it in Jimmy Carr mode as he uses Kawasaki (along with Oompa Loompa) to teach Salma Hayek how to speak with a Geordie accent. Who has an Evora in Oompa Loompa Orange? 🤔
    1 point
  44. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_kent 7.46am - I'm on the wireless discussing council plans to fine drone users and drone privacy implications. They're also using my soundbite on the news! I'm also in the local paper! https://www.kentonline.co.uk/malling/news/drones-could-be-banned-from-parks-208538/ There will be an autograph signing session in my local pub later if anyone wants to meet someone famous!
    1 point
  45. Did a roof inspection yesterday looking for leaks. Whole job took less than 30 mins! They'd also had contractors in late last year to paint the roof and after this are on the phone to them making sure them come back and finish the job they were paid for!! No-one thought to check their work but obvs Friday afternoon early finish was their priority rather than nipping out for one more tin of paint!!
    1 point
  46. Anyone want a free range chicken shed wiring ?
    1 point
  47. Here is my Ram Air solution: one 3.5" dia silicone 135 deg elbow, trim ~1" , one end one 3.5" dia silicone 90 deg elbow, trim ~1" , one end 50mm section of the aluminum 3.5" tube 4 Norma clamps Tube has to be slightly squeezed to form an ellipse to clear the tank inlet tube. Clamps on the tank pipes have to be re-clocked to avoid interference. Short, smooth bore duct, easy to make, under $50. Thank you eBay.
    1 point
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking " I Accept ", you consent to our use of cookies. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.