Lotusfab

That looks pretty good! I love the JPS cars!

Looks great!

Glad to see you back with an Esprit, especially a JPS.

You have to take the surface layer off to remove all the grime and dirt so the colourant will bond to it. Then you have to apply a finish to stop it coming off.Heres new leather hide I recoloured and Steve Fulcher crafted into a seat for me, Big warning this is Lotus Gold exactly as supplied for the James Bond car, I don’t know if Lotus used it for the production cars. You would need to check the shade very very carefully before you use it. I’ll get the code for you. A better way is to use a sample off your seat for an exact match.

You need a postage stamp size piece of material. Usually if you take the seat out the leather underneath is undamaged and you can cut a small piece for a colour match from the edge between the clips. Factory style finish is achieved by removing the seat finish using chemicals. When the colour starts to come off the finish is removed. Let it dry. Then you rub in the new colourant by hand to form a base. Then spray the colourant on with a airbrush in layers, allowing each one to dry. When you have a uniform coat apply several coats of matt clear finish. If done properly it looks like new, but takes a lot of work! Lots of videos on how to do it on youtube from furniture clinic. Their products are really good. I have a lot of experience of this and you can’t match any colours from photographs. I had a sample of Lotus Gold sent to me by the director of Connelly leather. It was the colour used in the FYEO car, a swatch of the original. I can give you the code to order some as I had furniture clinic replicate it. But it may not be identical to your car. So best to take a sample from the bottom of your seat where the leather hasn’t faded. Have a look on my FYEO blog theres lots of how I did the leather on there.

Well done, thats seen better days.

Can you take the hub off and press it out?

Not sure what sort of system you have. Any pictures of the mechanism?

Yep fine thanks, I’m enjoying finishing the Lotus with all this time free!

Yes, from some years back.

So first mechanism is complete now building the second one!

You can also take the nut out 64 - then twist part 69 on the rod.this might be easier than the lock end. thats how I adjusted mine.

Hi Andy, good to see you still have the V8!

Hi Nigel, assuming you have the same set up as me sounds as if the adjustment of the catch is way off. I could have lost the tailgate as I was doing 50 mph, I looked in the rear view and couldn’t see the louvres, luckily it had opened and stayed attached! you adjust the catch taking part 68 out of the lock arm and rotating it. Part 68 is threaded at the end and screws in and out of part 69 to adjust the catch. I tried taking a picture, but it's too dark in there. Hope this helps.

Amazing, lots of pics please when you get it!