steamdriven

Just took delivery of a pair of Miguel's fantastic marine grade stainless mudguard brackets, having disassembled the wheel arch of my recently purchased launch edition Evora in order to 'get at' the sealed light unit (another story !). There was only 'archaelogical' evidence of a bracket having been there at some point ! Only a few slices of rust stuck to the mudflap. I got intouch with Miguel, ordered and got delivery within 24 hours - plus a really interesting 'Lotus chat' on the phone. Being a long-time Lotus fan and owner of a couple of Esprits, I am so dissappointed to find the amount of untreated mild steel brackets - and also clearly unprotected interfaces between metals promoting galvanic corrosion - on the Evora. That and the sun damage-prone facia is just not what you would expect to find on any reputable vehicle construction. Well done Miguel for creating these brackets - which will outlast the car itself I am sure.

Been several times - both to corporate days and also independently to open track days. All very well run and the facilities are better than at most tracks. Also purpose built tracks means plenty of safe run- off rather than nasty concrete/ tyre/Armco barriers . Good luck and enjoy.

Bibs - Elise S1. theelanman - Evora j141 -Evora S ROJ - Exige V6 Club Racer bingoking - Evora GTE #8 The Pits - Dry Sump Turbo Esprit Sparky - Esprit GT3 & clipboard Sizona - expect Evora GTE #16 ChrisJ - '82 Turbo Esprit Choppa '86 Esprit S3 (no clipboard, but I'll bring a pen) Royal - '95 Esprit S4S Peapod - Exige S2 UNLUCKY FOR SOME! SnoBoardr & Dexter - Evora S Mayesprit - M100S2 Elan Pig - '95 Esprit S4 (Maybe) Hi Viz I expect x 2 (One for Wilf) Experienced finger pointing device and do as I ask face - No you cant park in the concours with your mate !! Dave Eds. Yellow E.... Kevin E -Elise S2 Red Alex L - Red 2-Eleven DaveC72 - Evora S Bazza - Dry Sump Turbo Esprit Paul-lotusesprit1 Lotus Esprit SE JAWS - Evora Rupert - Elise DanChantler - Evora Steamdriven -'98 Esprit GT3 'the purple one'

I must add to the long list of thanks and praise for the excellent day - well done Bibs and all who contributed. Really bad luck with the weather - it was a pity that it curtailed some of the engine bay peeping and nattering, but seeing the long line-up made it all worth it, even in the rain. (I live nearby and the following day was actually sunny and warm apart from a very brief bout of rain at about 4 PM - very frustrating) Very impressed with MBW hospitality - let's hope they can have us back next year, and perhaps allow a few more spaces, as this was evidently a popular event. Thanks again all.

Happy to add my name to the list - particularly if there may be a need to make up the numbers. never done a concours before. Deep Purple GT3 fairly rare......and I only live around the corner Ian p

13. Steamdriven - Esprit GT3

Just got mine back from a new windscreen fit at National Windscreens in Aldershot. It took a while to get the glass and trim sourced and sorted, but the guys did great job in the workshop today with the fit. They took plenty of care and pride in the result. Perhaps I am just a grumpy pessimist but I am surprised these days when I experience good service and workmanship ! If anyone needs an Esprit windscreen fitted then I'd recommend these guys.

I am up for it on the Sunday Saturday: 1. Bibs - Evora S IPS 2. Chipp - Elise S2 T49 3. Mattthesparks - Stevens Carb Turbo 4.dodge1979 - esprit s4 5.Changes. Esprit SE. modified 6. robcarter - Evora S Sunday: 1. Bibs - Evora S IPS 2. Hopo - S3 Esprit Turbo (hopefully) 3. Dodge1979 - esprit s4 4.Changes , Esprit SE modified. 5. robcarter - Evora S 6. Trevsked - ? 7. Ian P - Esprit GT3

Matt - sounds like a horror story; i will need to watch out when mine gets done by National Windscreens. Are the trims for your model the same as mine (98 GT3) do you know ? And how come Auto Windscreens couln't fit them ? If they are the same for mine then I'd be interested.

Thanks for your reply. The same may apply to my car - looks like I will need to do a bit more research. Hopefully someone that has been through this learning curve before me (and with a 98 or later car) will jump in here and offer some advice. I find it hard to believe that trims are so hard to get for a 98 car as windscreen damage is going to happen.... (the windcsreen had to be made at pilkingtons - but the trims have proved to be very difficult to get)

Thanks all - I have now stripped-out the carpet and underlay on the drivers side and conducted several trials with hose pipe (now that veolia have at last allowed us to use our hoses again in Surrey). My latest theory is that the source of footwell water is probably from the door seals which commonly let-in a small amount of water, and also water unavoidably drips inside the car when opening and shutting the door in heavy rain. I think it is simply a matter that the water then has nowhere to go (except ofcourse for evaporation) and if it is allowed to get into the foam layer that sits beneath the vinyl underlay layer (due for example to a cut or tear in the vinyl) then it simply soaks-up and stays there. I am replacing my damaged foam-backed vinyl underlay and carpet and hope that this will sort the problem (in addition to trying to avoid taking her out in the rain of course - do you think summer will start anytime soon ?)

My GT3 (98) windscreen recently cracked and replacement is being fitted by National Windscreens under insurance (excess £75). They have sourced the glass but I am being told that they cannot get hold of the 'corner clips' trims ? (obolete apparently). Does anyone know how to get hold of them ? Can they be recovered from the existing windscreen and re-fit ?

Yes it has to be a watering can - what with this ridiculous hose pipe ban ! I guess I will have to try that - just wondered if anyone had encountered this before; the next question will be how to patch the leak !

thanks for this - I also thought it might be seat bolts because i had driven through some heavy ground water, but i am certain that rain is finding its way in whilst the car is stationary (I collected a few drops in a tray I had put into the footwell) - but i cannot figure out how and I cannot feel anything 'wet' above the footwell.

After standing overnight in one of our usual incessant downpours recently, I found footwell carpet soaked (driver side). Any ideas where this is most likely to be getting -in ?

Guy, In my case, the problem turned out to be with the vac supply rather than with the control module. As you will find from the various threads on this subject, the most likely source of trouble with the HVAC does appear to be the vac lines which are vulnerable to dislodging and/or cracked rubber seals where the vac line attaches to the various solenoids and to the vac pump. So fortunately I never had to source a replacement module, but i did try several parts suppliers and got the same story each time : declared 'obsolete' by Lotus. A couple of experienced Esprit mechanics that I spoke to did report that very occasionally the HVAC can throw up fault which are difficult to trace and that in those cases it is a good idea to replace the control module with 'a known good one' - which is apparently what the lotus servicing manual recommends. This sounds like what you might need to do in order to progress. The module is in the passenger footwell, behind the carpet at the 'feet' end of the well (nicely positioned so that it is vulnerable to damage from then passenger's feet !).

Glyn, "Ive noticed there should be a foam seal around the air intake flap in the front luggage comp, I presume this should be shut when on de mist and dragging in unwanted cold air is not good." This flap should be normally open, and it closes when you set the controls to 're-circ'. When i had my heater problems, this flap was fixed in the closed position and I found that it was controlled by a vac solenoid. If there is no vac supply to this solenoid then the flap stays shut. "Ive had a slight temp rise on screen with poor air flow unlike facia vents a bloody gale out of those, see what tomorrow brings" If you look in the passseneger footwell, to the side of the centre console, you will find another vac operated solenoid. This solenoid operated a diverter flap which send air to screen rather than to facia. If you disconnect solenoid actuator you should find that you can then manually operate the diverter flap and test that you can send air to the screen, rather than the facia vents. This vac solenoid is operated when you set the controls to 'de-mist'. Again, this is the same problem that i had - and it sounds like your problem problem could be is a break in the vac supply to that solenoid - most likely at one of the rubber connection junctions, or a crack in on of the rubber connectors. (You should be able to divert that 'gale' to your screen !)

See you there - staying at a Gites near Chatres Sur Loir with a bunch of other regular Classic attendees driving misc motors including couple of Elise's, and my Esprit GT3 Crossing on Brittany Ferry, Portsmouth - Caen at 08:15 on Thursday 8th.

I have the opportunity to replace the rear springs and dampers on my '98 GT3 (getting the rear hub carrier assemblies replaced, so might as well change out the suspension whilst I am at it) ; Does anyone have any particular recommendations ? It is just for regular road use - not for track

This thread does not do much for the reputation of the garage fraternity does it ! Sad but true. ( I once trusted an Esprit to the Lotus factory garage several years ago now, thinking that it would be the 'exemplar A1' of Lotus care.....how wrong I was, but that is another story) Sorry to hear about the failure of your weld-repaired hub carrier Mike -could have been very nasty. I wonder whether it is advisable to 'repair' the hub carrier casting by welding ? Knowing what i know now, i think I would advise anyone to simply replace and not get fobbed off with anything less.