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Dunc

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Everything posted by Dunc

  1. The register is kind of dormant at present. Its not online - its on a laptop. As I look to get more time, I will try and update it and see if we can publish the bits that aren't personal data within the meaning of the prevailing legislation.
  2. Judged by modern standards, brakes on an excel are tragic. Dont be fooled by thinking they are disks all round and will be decent. The splitter valve essentially turns the rear ones down to marginal to avoid rear wheel lockup, and its all about the front ones, but single pistons on sliders from an 80's celica aren't about to impress anyone. I looked at fitting twin piston ones from an ABS spec Previa, which I think bolt right up to the original carriers and would give a bit more friction surface and a decent increase in clamping area, but I sold the car before I did anything with them/investigated further. The twin cam isn't unreliable - I wouldn't swap it out for better reliability. Engine swaps get done when people want more power -v8 noise , or avoiding the high cost of rebuilding a Lotus 907/912. Componentry is comparatively expensive on a Lotus engine. Standard eclats/elites/excels arent particularly quick, despite the looks. Its the handling and road manners which makes them sporty.
  3. driven gently on a 70 mph motorway run, I can get an 18mpg average. Its a 4.6 with big valve heads and a lumpy cam on an edelbrock 500 quad barrel and a 4.1 diff, so its not exactly set up to be economical. The v8 cars I know of have engines fitted, but are not runners and have not yet been runners. They would need fettling on the ignition side and usual project ironing of issues.
  4. prices wont go down any time soon - general consensus is they have been very underpriced vs their peers for some time. If you want a V8 engined one, and your a capable mechanic, drop me a line as I have leads. I've owned 5-6 lotus, including an excel and eclats. Everyone has their own favourite. There are no "bad" driving Lotus, only unmaintained/tired ones. My weapon of choice is the V8 conversion, you just have to be a bit careful not to get one that's too undergeared or it becomes a very thirsty machine. Whether this bothers you or not depends on how often you are going to drive it. I can get mine to average single figure mpg when booting it away from the lights around town. On the points above - for a weekend toy, I don't really follow the excel choice. The items that made Elite's a pain in the bum in the 70's and 80's were things like driveshaft UJ's that wore out every 5-10k miles, and mild steel chassis that crumbled. 5-10k miles is probably 4 years running for most elites and eclats nowdays. I wouldnt bother with efi.... mapped ignition perhaps, but its fine on carbs.
  5. Virtual meetings still happening? Had a life change and no longer working ridiculous hours for an employer. I might actually be able to make one for a change! Hope everybody is well and had a reasonable start to 2024! Dunc
  6. Hi Graham, What you are describing is called micro blistering. it is caused when paint is applied to fibreglass and droplets of moisture get trapped between the gelcoat and the paint. When the temperature dips below freezing, the moisture freezes and expands, creating a small blister, which then fractures the top layer of the paint. Its quite common - I have it on one of mine - it is a result of a poor respray that didnt get the gelcoat completely dryed out, or had too much moisture in the paint. Spraying fibreglass well is not an easy thing to do, which is why bodyshops that can do it well, charge a lot of money. Also if your car is stuck in the sprayers oven, he (or maybe she) isnt painting other cars, so they charge more for fibreglass.
  7. its a far nicer drive without power steering. Its heavy at parking speeds, granted, but on the move its perfection. i hadnt driven a power steering wedge until I bought that excel, and I didnt really like it at all. The power steering on my v8 was deleted due to pump clearance, and I'd always had a hankering after re-instating it as I have the bits and would use a remote saxo/ax electric pump mounted remotely, but after trying it, I'm not going to bother. I also have a smaller seering wheel on mine. Yes, it gives you a bicep workout, but I'd have no qualms about switching to a lighter, simpler manual rack witht he stock wheel if its only you thats going to be driving it. Different story if your wife is going to be parking it perhaps?
  8. any update on this post alignment check Michael?
  9. I suspect diff output bearing failure. Had a funny "wiggle" develop on mine when I lifted off the throttle. Partially dialled it out with adjustment, but its still there. Got in and out play on the lhs of the diff of about 1cm... Still not fixed it/investigated any further.
  10. Yes, it has been done on a series 1 elite, but it required considerable cutting into the passenger footwell to mount the turbo.
  11. Slow cranking and a melted wire would suggest an earthing problem or a faulty starter. Random left field thought.... I once did an oil change on a mates nova 1L, and only ever having worked on engines of a proper size, put far too much oil in it. The result was very slow cranking, as the crank was immersed On 907's, the dipstick tube can break, allowing the oil level reading to become ridiculous. Did you perhaps over fill the sump? Probably not the above, but thought it worth mentioning. Also, I recall an issue on a Volvo 244 with a stromberg carb whose rubber diaphragm split. Car wouldnt start - took a long time to find that issue. Wouldnt affect the cranking speed however. Good luck with tracing it.
  12. I read somewhere that the Pilkington mould has warped and their screens dont fit anymore. No direct experience, just something I read somewhere.
  13. tentative interest Dan... PM me?
  14. It is possible to swap out a wheel cylinder with the diff in situ. It is a pig of a job, but so is taking out the entire diff.
  15. hey Dan, Symptoms describe a short circuit. look for rubs and freys...
  16. Hi Ryan, As commented on the facebook thread - engines that have been laid up will smoke for a suprisingly long period - my first eclat smoked like a devil for the first week or so - it can take a little while for exhaust heat to fully burn oil off, and piston rings can get a bit sticky from sitting static - they usually release themselves. The lubrication issue you mention is usually a track thing, and the cure is to fit a restrictor in the up oil gallery, but it shouldn't cause a leak out unless you have a leak in the lower cam tower gasket (common). You don't mention what grade of oil you have used - it should be a nice thick 10w60 or 20w50 - dont go thinner as it wont help. People over torque the cam tower covers when they leak, causing them to warp and get much worse. Be liberal with sealant - its not something that is universally praised on here, but I put quite a lot on, and don't tighten too much, leave it to sit overnight, then gently nip it up.
  17. All Getrag "265"'s will bear the stamp "262" on the side of the main casing. They are modular gearboxes with the 4 speed variant being the 262. To create the 5 speed 265 gearbox, Getrag bolted on an extra casing containing the 5th gear onto the end of the existing 4 speed 262. The part number you are seeing on the side of your 265 Getrag is the casting number of the main section of the gearbox, stamped 262 because that part is common between 262 and 265. A 265 being a 262 with an extra casing bolted on the end. 2 sections+bellhousing = 262 4 speed 3 sections+ bellhousing = 265 5 speed It is very easy for the uninitiated to buy a 262 thinking its a 265....ask me how I know... 🙂
  18. Just a stunning looking car - and an important bit of Elite history being pretty much the last S1 made....
  19. narrow body excel is on TR7 (Lucas) motors and wheelboxes. TVR wedge also use them and have published an excellent user guide online.
  20. Good to hear your back in the fold mate! Always associated that car with you.... Dunc
  21. The picture of the black car at Brands Hatch was to publicise the launch of the then new Lotus Elite. Black and Gold JPS livery was on the F1 cars on the grid from 1972, and a black eclat was stickered up as pictured. I think this was season 73-74. It is a well known photo and was huge publicity for Lotus and their new model. There never was an official JPS model Elite or Eclat, but lots of owners of black cars have stickered them up as such.
  22. could a vibration at the nosewheel be a result of an over-stretched casing Michael? Could it cause play at the outside of the bearing?
  23. Hmmm - in truth its a bit of a hike from me down in S London Lord Sinky.... What are we dealing with? Turns over but wont fire? I assume you've already given the body of the fuel pump in the boot a tap with a hammer?
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