[Friday evening BBQ @ Dunston Hall]

Andy's entire focus was drawn to the word/abbreviation 'BBQ' - he didn't get past that!

[Lotus Festival 2018]

I've already got a sticker in the top left of my screen, and another directly below that. Now what do I do?  .

 

OK, yes I admit it. Just another shameless excuse to post a pic of my car, .

[I was told that I should "wing it" and finally I have!]

It's probably best done as a two-man job to keep it steady but I managed it single-handed.

Propped the tailgate open just enough to get into the mounting screws with an allen key and laid plenty of soft blankets on the surrounding panels just in case the wing slipped. On the subject of the screws, they're a different size from the OE ones - M8 rather than M6 but all the holes in the bodywork and mounting plates are slightly oversize anyway so no drilling required. Apart from that, less than 10 minutes and it was 'job done',  .

I'm reckoning on a fair bit of downforce, judging by the highly cambered inverted aerofoil section that is clearly visible with the end-plates off. I've not had a chance to calculate even roughly what levels it's likely to be but I'm working on a front splitter which I'll be taking through various stages of development over the coming months.

For now I've fitted a deformable rubber lip to the existing 'chin' which you can see in the frontal shots. As the airspeed increases, so it should dip down further and further and so create an increasing downforce at the front. When I get back from my trip to Hethel via Spain I'll rig it up with some sensors to measure the deflection angles against speed, and also take some airflow and pressure readings from above and below the rear wing then use the results to design a permanent version of the front splitter, possibly incorporating some 'active technology' if I can keep the weight down to 2-3 kgs maximum.

I'm signing-off now as I've already divulged too much information on this secret 'Skunk Works' project,   .

[Evora Picture & Video Thread]

I've already posted these in my thread on the preparation of the big wing over in the 'Exterior etc' lounge, but I make no apologies for sticking them in here too - I'm well-chuffed with the finished article, .

[I was told that I should "wing it" and finally I have!]

3 coats of lacquer later and..........IT'S ON!!!!!!!!

[I was told that I should "wing it" and finally I have!]

4 hours ago, SH said:

..................we cant have 2 laser blue Evora's in the Lothians!  😂

FTFY - I don't remember giving permission for my exclusivity to be compromised!!!!

Seriously, good choice - best colour out there. It could be worse - at least you're in East Lothian. The last Laser Blue Evora to muscle-in on my territory was only about 5 miles along the road from me, wasn't it @The Lotus Position ?

[Evora Picture & Video Thread]

More details here : https://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/topic/97988-i-was-told-that-i-should-wing-it-and-finally-i-have/?tab=comments#comment-805390  .

 

[I was told that I should "wing it" and finally I have!]

Back in April of 2016 I acquired a GTE-style rear wing from @Kalli when he was at the end of his pink period.

I wasn't quite ready to do anything at that time so the wing was put into storage in the rafters of the garage as a future project. Circumstances then took over (losing my mum, being made redundant at work, then my partner being diagnosed with cancer being the main priority refocusing events amongst others) so it had taken until now to get around, finally, to doing something with it.

As the wing was a genuine Lotus Motorsport one, in GRP, it didn't have the mounting for the high level brake light which was the first thing that had to be addressed. I looked at various aftermarket options but my first choice was always going to be using an OE light to convey that factory-fit appearance. Over the course of the past 6 months, I've tried in vain to source a suitable donor but in the end there was nothing for it but to use my existing wing so out came the Dremel and a cutting disc,   - many thanks to my current employer for allowing me to use their vehicle workshop facilities rather than making a mess at home with all the dust produced when it came to sanding back the filler.

No going back now! The bendy-wire was used to feed through the wiring for the light - that was fun!

Then after a load of sanding back to key the surface of what had been a mirror-finish Canyon Red paint job, it was off to my local paintshop (big shout out to Protek of Bathgate here) for the final finish.

After a coat of primer, first the gloss black went on.............

..................followed by some Laser Blue.........

The decals are on the end plates, which will now be lacquered to seal everything in.

Hopefully I'll get it all fitted at the beginning of next week (I'm working over the weekend, ) and I'll get some pics up of the finished job.

[Evora Picture & Video Thread]

Note to self: "Must make the clues harder next time!"

I've finally got around to doing something about it having bought the wing in April 2016. At least nobody can accuse me of being impetuous, .

Sorry Gavin but unfortunately you don't win anything as you didn't abide by the T's & C's - 'entries on the back of a £20 note'. 

[Evora Picture & Video Thread]

What's happening here then?

Taking the "added lightness" mantra to new levels perhaps?

As it seems almost obligatory nowadays not to pay for something if you can persuade others to do so for you - answers on the back of a £20 note please.

#can'tbearsedtopayforitmyself

[Refurbishing the front grill (S1)]

I painted mine (21gg's old one) with Kurust about a year ago and didn't bother following up with any topcoat of paint as the rust-converter left a nice satin finish and, more importantly, I'd reached the limits of my will to live by that time.

Here's a pic taken this morning - there are a few tiny spots of fresh rust starting to emerge but overall it has lasted quite well.

[Yellow Evora - M6]

Spotted Sunday night around 9pm, 64-plate heading southbound near Lancaster (Forton) services.

(Ignore the time on the video - it's UTC time to correspond to the tachograph)

[My first 30 hours or so with the GT410 Sport]

18 minutes ago, Bruss said:

Multiple 6 packs of any liquid you like sit nicely on the rear seat and you can then put the seatbelts around them for extra security.

#should've bought a van

FTFY,  .

[Lotus Festival 2018]

9 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

David, I can pick them up in person on the Friday for you from Bibs if you wish?

Thanks for that offer Andy - I suppose it guarantees you get that lift on the Saturday morning then!

If @Bibs is good with that, then so am I,  .

[Lotus Festival 2018]

So, fingers crossed, they should reach me before I depart for Spain on the 17th?

 

[Hoons, Meets and Convoys to Hotels]

I'm not into Folkestone until 1425 so if you're still sitting in the layby @Kimbers when I drive past, I'll know that you really have broken down.  

[Friday evening BBQ @ Dunston Hall]

1. Bibs - Ticket Purchased

2. Pascal Massun - 2 tickets purchased

3. Pascal Massun - 2 tickets purchased

4. David Boyd - Ticket Purchased - (if I'm still stuck on the M25, can you send me a burger via carrier pigeon please?)

[What made you happy today?]

Despite my mini-rant in the 'Unhappy' thread, they were still worth the expense of getting them here.

Another great item from Sherman at HethelSport - just got to hope for a dry day now to get them fitted.

(key there for a sense of scale)

[What made you UNHAPPY today!]

Last week, I ordered a couple of lovely enamel and metal badges retailed by HethelSport in the US.

Today, I was left a card by Royal Mail saying that they can't deliver them as "there is a fee to pay", namely a customs charge. OK, so I suppose we've all got to pay our taxes and I've been lucky so far in that this is the first time ever that I've had to pay anything on a personal import, so it came as a bit of a surprise especially on something of relatively low value.

Off to the sorting office I go to collect them and pay the fee which was calculated as follows: import duty of 2.7% on the goods and shipping costs total of £25.34 = £0.68, then VAT at 20% on the cost of the goods, shipping and import duty = £5.07, then the Royal Mail's 'handling fee' for processing the customs charges - £8.00!!!

So my £25.34 has now become £39.09,  . In days of old, the highwaymen held the Royal Mail to ransom - now it's role reversal.

I think it's time I did that deed-poll thing and changed my surname to something like Amazon or Starbucks or similar.

[Evora Picture & Video Thread]

Had similar to @Relic222 at the Dumfries Car Show a couple of weeks back. I lost count of the number of people walking past who would first-off utter "Oh, it's a Lotus" followed by a walk around to the back of the car and "Evora? Never seen/heard of that one".

 

[How did you come to buy a LOTUS?]

2 hours ago, C8RKH said:

The rest of you +2 owners are just pussy whipped metro boys....

This "pussy whipped metro boy" WAS giving you a lift to the factory on the 29th - hope you enjoy the walk!

[Fitting a Radium CAI]

No danger of that with my 2bular - no 'wool' packing inside the box and the bypass valve permanently open. You could drown out a Motörhead concert with it, .

[Fitting a Radium CAI]

@electro_boy Sorry to jump in there and beat you up but I thought you'd had a change of mind from the wording of your previous post,  .

I'll certainly do some videos - just got to sort out a better camera to shoot them on. The mic on my current one is already overwhelmed by the wall of sound coming out of my valve-open 2bular and there is no facility to plug-in a better external one; with the Radium as well it'll go into total meltdown,  .

[Lotus Festival 2018]

Sorry to be a pest @Bibs but do you know roughly when will the tickets be sent out? - just concerned that I may need to change the delivery address to my B&B in Norwich as I'm out of the country from the 17th to the 28th then going straight to Norfolk on my return.

[Hoons, Meets and Convoys to Hotels]

5 hours ago, Peapod said:

If the tunnel is bad, drive up the A2 rather than the M20 and use the Woolwich Ferry. It is free as well 👍

Thanks for the suggestion/reminder  - I've used that before when trying to reach the A1/M1 from the Channel.