Esprit S2 - Restomod

[Suddabym 336]

Superdudes!  And beardy types.  I am about to return my Esprit to the roads of Britain and thought I would give you a bit of a heads up, seeing as you're into this type of thing.  But, please note; a, this is not a restoration, and, b, I have not done any of the work myself (thankfully for all concerned, including the car).

Background - two and a half years ago I decided to buy an S1 and modify it (on the basis that the car in original form could not be considered a daily driver).  But, it became clear that to modify an S1 would be a bit like touching up the Mona Lisa, so I decided not to take on the sandal and pipe brigade and settled for an S2.  Now, at the time, there were actually more S1's (one) on the market than S2's (none)!  The market has changed muchly since then (there are now more S2's (and Sport 350's, weirdly) than bearded middle aged men to drive them!).  Luckily, Bibs rode his keyboard to the rescue and I ended up buying a partially restored S2 from Bell and Colvill, which happened to laying low at their super secret workshop in Bristol; namely Tomorrow's Classics.  And, there it has remained for the past two and a half years, being stripped and poked and hammered and bolted.  And sworn at.

The intent - To create a 'G' Esprit that can be used everyday, with absolute priority going to safety and reliability, without fundamentally altering the look.

The work - the list of work completed on the car is, not unusually, quite extensive.  So, please take all the elements of a standard 'body off' 'nut-and-bolt' restoration as read, including upgrading where practicable.  In sum, the major work has included:

Mechanical:

• Refurbished, powder-coated chassis
• Refurbished and upgraded engine to high compression 2.2 litre fuel injection system and stainless steel exhaust
• Upgraded suspension system, lowered and adjusted for larger wheels
• Upgraded brakes
• Upgraded gearbox and clutch with new gear linkages, lightweight flywheel, clutchplate etc
• Refurbished steering rack
• Upgraded cooling system with alloy radiator, triple fans, water pump, stainless steel pipes etc
• Added oil cooling system
• Replaced HV unit with integrated, compact HV+AC system (compressor, condenser, evaporator etc)
• Replaced windscreen wiper motor, arm and blade with uprated version
• Replaced fuel tanks with baffled versions, increase tank-to-tank flow, fuel pump etc

Interior:

• Re-sighted/replaced 2 air vents with 2 circular vents (to side window positions)
• Added control panel to binnacle for HV+AC
• Added sound proofing / insulation (dynamat and dynaliner and lots of it)
• Replaced seat belts (change belt colour to tan)
• Replaced interior marcasite trim with brown alcantara
• Added S1 style central chrome ashtray (central arm rest 'de-ribbed')
• Painted new binnacle facia satin black, upgraded gauges, replaced switchgear and warning lights

Bodywork:

• Replaced fuel filler caps with locking versions (S3 style) and painted body colour
• Removed original aerial and painted hole in bodywork
• Replaced wheels with Woolfrace styled highly polished, wider replica 17” special build wheels
• Painted engine cover and hatch gold
• Replaced front and rear screens with 'special build' versions

Electrical:

• Upgraded electrical system with high capacity battery, alternator and wiring etc
• Added reversing camera and 2 reversing sensors (flush into the rear bumper)
• Replaced speakers, relocated to rear bulkhead and added tweeters to A pillars
• Replaced stereo with double din Apple Car Play mechless system (Sony XAV-AX100), including phone preparation, integrated radio aerial and USB power socket to glove box
• Added central locking / remote boot release / alarm and immobiliser
• Replaced all bulbs everywhere with LEDs
• Added LED DRLs to front air intake (in front of grille)
• Added side indicators
• Added high rear LED brake light
• Replaced headlights with bi-xenon

There's still a little of this list left to be completed, but the car is on the home straight, with just the electrical installation, ECU programming and road testing to be completed.

The workers - as I have said, not me. Tomorrow's Classics, based just north of Bristol have completed the work (both before and after change of ownership), and I can not praise them highly enough.  Nick, Rory, Steve, James (their leccie superdude) and Keith (on upholstery) have done a superb job and come highly recommended.  But don't take my word for it, Bell and Colvill use them for their restorations and currently there are (I think) seven Esprits in the shop being worked on.  Can't praise Nick and his team enough.  They've been fantastic to work with on this project.  And it's not been quick, or easy (apparently fitting air con to a non air con Esprit is a bit of a job - who knew?).  The engine, incidentally, is an 'everything on the menu, please' LotusBits rebuild.  You name it, LotusBits threw it in.

The money - I'm all at sea about whether to reveal the cost, suffice to say, it's 6 figures and a whole lot more than any S2 is worth, or is likely to be worth anytime soon.  But, that isn't the issue for me - it's my car, for me.

So, in five weeks time (as I am away until early August), the car will be ready for the road, and I am superly turbo excited.

I attach a montage of pictures from throughout the build (because pictures, right?) and would appreciate your thoughts (noting that it's too late to change anything, and I wouldn't anyway).

Awe.

Some.

[Choppa 158 1 Vehicles]

Looks great! Love the body coloured engine cover, not so sure about the toggle switches in the reworked dash, but hey, it's yours and will look fab when it's on the road in August!

[plumdeplakmuis 13 2 Vehicles]

very nice wheels, 

[Suddabym 336]

The toggle switches are a bit sixties and I had a wobble, but I saw it in the flesh on Friday and it’s totally awesome.  You have to keep the faith with the facia.  It’s also getting resprayed to black; I got outvoted on the gold.

6 minutes ago, plumdeplakmuis said:

very nice wheels, 

Aren’t they?  So impressed with them. And because they are a normal size, they’re covered in Conti’s.

[Trevsked 716]

So you’re the fruit loop who can’t stop himself :-). Seen your car on a few occasions, very nice and quite an undertaking, hope it lives up to expectations.

 

Trevor.

[Rolls 128]

Very exciting. Congrats

[Suddabym 336]

8 hours ago, Trevsked said:

So you’re the fruit loop who can’t stop himself :-). Seen your car on a few occasions, very nice and quite an undertaking, hope it lives up to expectations.

 

Trevor.

I am!  In my defence, this was the plan (more or less) from the very beginning.  Just taken a while to realise.

[silverfrost 1,386]

Awesome,    build your dream and you have    

Enjoy,  looks stunning by the way, best colour for an S2 

[Jeanvm 89 1 Vehicles]

Looks lovely, more pictures in august please. The wheels wolfrace style 17''

[Suddabym 336]

I think, for an S2, if you're not in a 'JPS' commemorative, then Championship Champagne Gold is the only other option (for the classic look).

I prefer the simplistic elegance of the S1 Wolfrace over the S2 Speedlines, which is why I chose that style for the replicas (and, having 17" rims allows better rubber choice and is therefore safer).

[drdoom 159]

Hi Mark,

Count me among the bearded types by dint of age, otherwise quite inclined to tinker with a car in somewhat the same fashion as yourself. Please keep us posted on how it turns out! 

[Suddabym 336]

I certainly shall, Steve, thanks.

[Bibs 8,867 4 Vehicles]

Oh wow! Let me know when you're picking it up and I'll pop along and get some pics

[Suddabym 336]

4 hours ago, Bibs said:

Oh wow! Let me know when you're picking it up and I'll pop along and get some pics

It would be a pleasure.  Especially as you were the midwife to this epiccness in gold.

[skiing 71 1 Vehicles]

Very interesting - love the wheels, colour and interior - I prefer the round vents - the original prototype had round Italian car style air vents and I have always thought they look better than the square ones originally fitted. I think I would have gone for a more original looking dash - that is the only thing - so agree I think it will look better in black. I would have gone for larger rocker style switches or something like that - I love the retro switches / lettering on the original. although I agree they are plasticky and not the best quality! - more pics when this is finished! and intrigued on how this will go with uprated power. Mine is an S3 with HC engine, lightened flywheel and stainless system but no injection.

Only other thing I would have done is twin exit exhaust pipes as standard, with a slight slash cut (I have seen early S1s with this and I think it looks super cool). NB I have a very similar exhaust to you - it sounds great - the lotusbits one. The one thing I would change is back to twin outlets. Did you consider power steering?

[nello 276 1 Vehicles]

Great work - as per the others - my favourite colours but not sure on the dash and I would have kept the Speedlines - looking forward to seeing the final results!

[Sizona 138]

On 01/07/2019 at 14:31, Suddabym said:

I think, for an S2, if you're not in a 'JPS' commemorative, then Championship Champagne Gold is the only other option (for the classic look).

I prefer the simplistic elegance of the S1 Wolfrace over the S2 Speedlines, which is why I chose that style for the replicas (and, having 17" rims allows better rubber choice and is therefore safer).

The 'flying' black S2 in your collage (bottom row - 3 in) is a JPS Commemorative freshly painted awaiting decals plus other goodies.

Mine 

Saw you car this week looks nearly finished...what a big job. Congrats.

[Suddabym 336]

57 minutes ago, Sizona said:

The 'flying' black S2 in your collage (bottom row - 3 in) is a JPS Commemorative freshly painted awaiting decals plus other goodies.

Mine 

Saw you car this week looks nearly finished...what a big job. Congrats.

That's totally awesome.  I like that picture because it shows the 3 S2's that Nick currently has in the shop.  Including another Gold S2 (noting, that mine is more awesome).  I've kept an eye on yours too.  Big change from when it came in, what 2 years ago?

[Hornsey Boy 41]

Wow....love it, when I read the original post I wasn't too sure about replacing the Speedline wheels,  but seeing the photos of new wolfraces.... it works.

As an owner both of a S2 and S4 Esprit, I must admit it has always crossed my mind how much nicer the S2 would be to drive (or least easier to park) if it had the power steering of the S4. Toying with the idea of fitting an electric assisted system to mine.

Would love to see it in the flesh when its finished. At one of the Essex/Herts meets.

[Jeanvm 89 1 Vehicles]

Why would you need power steering if you keep the tyres 205? I do not need it.

[Suddabym 336]

10 hours ago, Hornsey Boy said:

Wow....love it, when I read the original post I wasn't too sure about replacing the Speedline wheels,  but seeing the photos of new wolfraces.... it works.

As an owner both of a S2 and S4 Esprit, I must admit it has always crossed my mind how much nicer the S2 would be to drive (or least easier to park) if it had the power steering of the S4. Toying with the idea of fitting an electric assisted system to mine.

Would love to see it in the flesh when its finished. At one of the Essex/Herts meets.

Thanks.  I prefer the wolfrace look for the convex / concave style that the inline brakes allow for, but that isn't so pronounced on later wheels.  I think they contribute the most to updating the look of the car.

The wheels are also wider (the idea being that more contact equals greater grip), and so I did toy with the idea of adding PAS, but decided I wanted to drive the car first, as I didn't want to potentially compromise the handling.  But you make a good point and I am conscious of turning at low speeds.

For info, these are my tyre sizes:

[Suddabym 336]

20 hours ago, nello said:

Great work - as per the others - my favourite colours but not sure on the dash and I would have kept the Speedlines - looking forward to seeing the final results!

I think your sentiments will echo many, as they are the two most visible departures from the original.  And that would have been the safer (least imaginative) option; I risk compromising the look by trying something new, but I think it's worth it to see what can work.  And what can't.  The problem I had with the dash, for example, (noting that the switches and lights were terrible, even in the '70's) is that they became really dated when everything else was being updated (Apple CarPlay for example).  It got to the point where I either went backwards (to the simple and stylish Veglia look) or tried some other way to declutter and modernise the binnacle.  When it's done, I think it'll work, but even I am having to keep the faith.

[nello 276 1 Vehicles]

Not knocking anything Mark - its your car and it still looks great mate. Bigger wheels always look superb especially with a lower ride (although there can be a limit for me!) And that colour is fantastic.

There is also something so period and correct about velour interiors especially in chocolate/brown. I used to love it when they called it Tobacco - conjured up all sorts of images of wealthy magnates - suppose its not exactly PC now - keep going and best of luck with it!

Edited July 4 by nello

[Hornsey Boy 41]

"Keep the faith" .... you have a great eye for detail, some of the slammed Espirts look OK,  but are just missing something, which yours has. I cant put my finger on it. But yours just works.....If I ever win the lotto I would do something similar. 

As for the steering, the electric option may be one to think about for the future as that works only at low speed and i believe then switches off once you move off.

My car is fine at speed, yours will be even better because of the smaller steering wheel. But for me getting my S2 in and out of my tight garage is a pain, as is parking it when I am in central  London. But the S4 is a breeze in that respects.

 

 

[nello 276 1 Vehicles]

Yes the work on the slammed cars is amazing but the look is too far for me on those. The lower the more exotic but there is a limit