Mike6

When is it on. I will make sure I am elsewhere. I stopped watching top gear years ago. Just a bunch of prats with no mechanical skills wrecking perfectly good cars. If anyone thinks that enntertainment then you are not car enthusiasts!

Kim Cannot really help as I live in the South East and I wouldnt imagine coming down here would help much

You could probably get away with a helicoil repair. When you drain the old oil, keep it and then when the repair has been done pour the old oil back so it flushes out any metal particles before using new oil.

When I was at work many years ago my boss was Ian Head. Behind his back you can imagine what he was called and then it seems someone forgot and at a meeting referred to him as dickhead. A lot of laughter followed but the culprit was taken to one side - funny but never saw him again.

Bugger didnt realise it was a model and have bid £3000.

I may have this wrong and I do have the carb turbo with 910 engine. But when my engine went bang (cam followers) I replaced a lot of parts including putting in SE pistons which are chromed. They also have a different profile from my original ones which are not chromed but have the newer nikasil liners being the Stevens version car. Anyway, I have now discovered that as these chromed pistons were from the Chargecooled SE 910 engine they have a slightly lower compression ratio than the original 910 pistons on my car. In which case by upgrading to better quality pistons I have probably unwittingly lowered the compression ratio on my car. so, one step forward and one backwards - just beware

The speedos are prone to breaking (magnet drops out of position) and some people dont bother to get them replaced - its a fiddly job, and this can mask the true mileage which in turn can work to the benefit of the owner if he plans to sell.

As a retired person with a wealth of motoring experience I wouldnt trust a garage near my car, if I could possibly help it and more so with the Esprit. Bodged dangerous repairs are what you can often get through a garage and dare I say it, I dont think you should own a car like an Esprit without being a bit of a mechanic. Some of the problems you have had with the car seem the sort of thing you should expect with a car like this but not the other problems. The C service obviously wasnt carried out or skimped over - servicing is one area where you can be conned big time. Most people assume if the oil looks clean the service has been carried out. Its unfortunate you seem to have been conned (a bit) but with the repairs done you should have a lovely car and will soon forget these issues.

Looks very nice. Are they just polished alloy, if so they will tarnish very quickly

Probably a useless comment but if you change to a stiffer suspension will this not increase the forces on the rear bobbin at the top of the chassis and then you experience that problem of the bodywork tearing itself away from the housing

Try opening the vent on the radiator when engine warm and heater on. Access through the front passenger wheel arch.

Whats all this talk about radios. If your engine is running correctly ie loud, thats the only radio your ever going to need.

Motors TV - just discovered it. Makes a nice safe haven away from all that crap reality TV.

Yes I spotted the Lotuses at Sporting Bears - really nice. I also met the guys from one of those car programmes and had a lengthy discussion with 'Fuzz' about the merits of DIY turbo overhauling. Chris - Yes it was alongside the wall and whilst a fantastic motor, it shouldnt have been trying to convince people it was a James Bond car. Didnt get a chance to speak with the owner.

When I got my car every time I went over a bump there was a donking sound from the rear. When I lifted the carpet all the fibreglass together with bolt had broken loose and the back of the car one side was banging on the chassis strut. In a panic I took the car to a bodyrepair workshop who charged me £200 plus vat for a completely bodged job that lasted all of a week.When I jacked the car up it seemed obvious what needed to be done and using the LEW guide I fabricated some metal to make two plates which are bolted on the underside of the car through the large bolt which hold the bodywork to the chassis together with a few large washers to give it the correct clearance. It seems to have worked fine and I have since discovered that its not uncommon and you certainly do not have to remove anything other than the rear wheel and allow the chassis that side to dangle a bit through use of a couple of jacks.

The way I see it Brands Hatch management should be in the dock for making it so easy for someone to drive onto the track during a race. Either that or it was a pre planned stunt that went wrong - good advertising for VW.

There was a solitary Esprit on a club stand (not one of those mentioned above) that purported to be a James Bond Car. It was in lovely condition but fairly certain it was a S3. Sorry but I didnt take any pictures.

I was always under the impression that liners and piston had to be a pair and that you couldnt mix and match. Sure it says that in my handbook but I do have the carb turbo model.so perhaps that different

Hmm, do I smell a con. If not car looks good but I would discount mileage as accurate but still seems a cheap buy.

Eddie- nice to meet you on the Friday. An excellent display of Lotti (is that the correct term) on display and even a few nice ones in the car park at the end of the day.

Its all been covered before with people paying top price for a car and then spending a fortune repairing bodged jobs, mostly carried out previously by garages. I would always look for an enthusiasts car rather than something from a garage which unless it is Lotus endorsed I wouldn't go near. As an example at a group meet last year to change cambelts a new owner had an enormous bill for works to his car but the garage had fitted the wrong cambelt and not even tensioned it properly. It was just a few miles from disaster. Conversely you can get a cheap one knowing that work is needed and not get conned. Watch speedo readings as well and dont trust them. These speedos are known for failing and car could have covered considerably more than recorded.

Excellent meet and thanks Sparky for that turbo unit. Car even made it home so I have actually made it both ways for once.

Hope your going top be there Sparky with that knackered turbo unit. I have just rushed back from sorting out a deceased relatives house in Devon just for the purpose. And yes there is a car locked in her garage - a 300 year old Nissan Starlight (I think) which will have to be removed!!!

That seems a bit cheap. How much extra is the engine

If it reaches my neck of the woods, I am just going to sit in the Esprit with a crate of good strong ale.