Escape

Bill, you're right the table I sent is for 1988 and later, but the coding is the same as for earlier cars. The one you posted earlier is for later cars. There is however a difference between domestic/ ROW and US coding, so you need to look at the bottom table in the file to get the correct info. 😉 Model year 'H' is indeed 1987, as far as I know both I and J were used for 1988. So everything seems to check out. Filip

I'd say the bubble is already shrinking at the upper end. I've seen several higher end cars like E-types go for surprisingly reasonable amounts on auction sites like CarandClassic. I still have a few cars I want to sell, so I hope the lower end remains strong for a bit longer.

I think you have the wrong table for decoding the VIN, as it's for the later cars. I've attached the earlier codes, those make more sense for your cars. 😉 As for your trip, 1500 miles is a long trip for any car not regularly used. Give her a very thorough check to avoid surprises and make sure to have some sort of back-up plan. It will make for an epic roadtrip and you will certainly get to know and bond with the car. 👍 Esprit VIN.pdf

My bad, I didn't scroll through all the pictures and didn't see the entry and exit on the RH. But that means it doesn't fit a 4-pot, right? As for RH or LH exit, my '90 SE had a LH exit, my '89 SE has a RH exit. I looked it up and both are as standard, for some reason it was changed. Maybe old 2.2 SE stock was used for the 2.0?

Welcome to TLF Bill, you have certainly come to the right place for both technical knowledgde and friendly banter. Like you, I joined before I had my first Lotus, to do research etc. and have made several friends on car forums. Your story is sad and happy at the same time. I too would want my car collection to go to my best friends because I know they will appreciate and take care of them. For the Esprits, there is a lot of info on http://www.lotusespritworld.com/models.html The Europa is a rarer beast, but there are several owners on here that will surely help you out. Greetz, Filip

A lot of (older) cars use dual locking nuts, but usually with a washer in between with a tab or flat to prevent it from turning. Otherwise it's hard to tighten the outer nut without the inner one turning as well.

I also usually leave the batteries connected. Only when really depleted I tend to disconnect while running a reconditioning cycle. I figure the less external connections/loads to battery, the better the chance the reconditioning will work.

I have a mount on the other side of the dashpod, attached to a an L-shape wedged between the top of the center console and the dashpod. It's used for an (old) satnav, but should work for a phone as well. I've routed the charging wire behind the dashpod so it's well out of the way.

That would be a sad day indeed...

I have been using the CTEK MXS 10 for 6 years now on a semi-professional base, not as a trickle charger but mainly to charge and recondition batteries, often large ones (around 100Ah). It hasn't failed me yet and has brought back many a battery over the years. So well worth the money. Before I had the previous CTEK 8, that also did very well, even after I accidentally ran over it with a Range Rover (though no longer waterproof...). Only reason it was replaced is because it was lost when the Workshop burned down. If it's for personal use, I'd go for a cheaper smaller one though. A 0.8 will do the trickle stuff, but wont help much if a battery does get depleted. I'd chose the 5.0 over the 3.8 because it has the reconditioning mode. While I'm sure a lot of cheap chargers are fine, I've seen several struggle and suspect a few batteries even died prematurely because a cheap charger was left connected and didn't provide a proper maintenance charge. Filip

FTFY 😇 And I fully agree!

Indeed, and it's a much cleaner solution than the standard bellcrank design for the same effect.

Nice one, I was wondering why you didn't just replace the fuse. 😉

I second that!!!

Happy New Year to all of you as well! We've had exceptionally nice weather today, so I got a chance to end 2021 in the Jag with the top down. In my favorite christmas sweater and the heater on. 😎