Esprit S2 - Restomod

[snowrx]

Looking good, maybe a heavy spray of clear lacquer to give them a bit of water resistance?

[Suddabym]

So the new front lights are in, but they’re so blinking bright that they don’t photograph well.  I’ll try to take another in brighter light. In the flesh, they are ace, natch.

Awesome!

[Suddabym]

There, that’s better, and a better impression of what they look like in person. 

Boom!

[Bibs]

Great video featuring our very own world knowned author, restomodder and bunker kidnapper of CEO's and their hair products, @Suddabym 

[skiing]

v interesting - would love to hear a hot start with fuel injection / acceleration through the gears with the upgraded engine... 

[Suddabym]

So, Callum, who’s the YouTuber, had an issue with the drone, so we couldn’t do the drive, but that’ll come, probably in the spring. I’m never sure if the sound, engine noise, tone, revs and such come across well, but we’ll give it a go.

[Suddabym]

40k views. I am well impressed.

[drdoom]

Your car is entirely worthy. 

[Suddabym]

There's actually another video out, as a follow up, but I can't upload it.

Age, most likely.

I need a quick vote, for anyone that's interested.

I'm getting rid of my Telemetrix gauges (tbh, I was never a fan, and only liked them because they were electronic and not the old ones, and Nick wanted rid and palmed them off on me).

So, I'm going for a new set.

Please let me know what you prefer - black, magnolia, white.

What's triggered this is the terrible fuel reading and the desire to fit a VDO dip sender unit; anyway, it's now snowballed to new clocks.

Thank you.

Answers on a postcard (not really) etc.

[drdoom]

For what it's worth mate, my tastes tend toward the traditional so I'd go with what looks most period/OEM correct. That would be the Smiths in my case, fine so long as they function adequately well. 2nd from top therefore.

Cheers

[TAR]

Black faced dials look like they'd be a good fit  

[snowrx]

Not fond of the white, but black or magnolia are to my taste. Large type on Magnolia seem easier to read at a glance, but black the more traditional look on an "older" car

[jonwat]

Either of the first two, what about lighting? 

[Paul Coleman]

I like the top one personally. Will these new gauges match electrically with the sensors in the car?

[Suddabym]

TY.

Paul - I’ll swap out the relevant sensors as well. Being EFI helps. For me the Telemetrix (top), are too ‘motorsports’ for the car. I could keep them as I can now connect a dip sender to a smiths gauge, but I’m not a fan of the look, hence the decision to swap them out - but thank you.

Tim - thanks, the black is classy.

John - thank you. They’re white LED lit, but just round the sides, I think. So standard, but I’ve not seen them lit.

Thomas - thank you. I agree, although my feeling is that the magnolia is a bit too ‘classic’ for such a modernist ‘classic’. Although they would have been my first choice when I started to restomod.

Steve - thanks. The black speedo is anti-clockwise and that really appeals to me. The symmetry and the fact I’m left handed.

Many thanks. Going firm on Tue.

[snowrx]

Look into the dimming of the LED's if you drive at night. If the vendor doesn't provide a dimming provision, you can add a inexpensive PWM module to give full range dimming.

[Barrykearley]

I’ve got a two channel PWM dimming module in the back of my van if you fancy a play. @Suddabym

[Suddabym]

Thanks for that, Thomas. Really good point. I’ll ask.

Barry, are you inviting me into the back of your van? 🤨

[Barrykearley]

1 hour ago, Suddabym said:

back of your van?

I have sweets 

[Suddabym]

You had me at van.

[drdoom]

3 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

I have sweets 

. . . and a tear stained mattress?

[snowrx]

When you are zipping into the inky night scanning for black bears and the dreaded moose, you don't want a bright dash lighting up your retinas.

I've got an non-dimming AFR gauge that's so bright I can't keep my night vision. The gauge LED's are so embedded in the circuit board I can't isolate them to add a dimmer circuit, so I've had to fabricate a silly flip up cap with a tinted lens. But my driving is in a rural area on the main beams most of the time, if I was driving in town it might not bother me.  

Here in the States it seems DOT has required that your high beam indicator be brighter than the actual view from outside. A pet peeve of mine usually resolved with a well-placed sticker, but occasionally with a resistor on the lamp.

 

[drdoom]

I struck out in trying to add dimming. The gadget purchased, though proven to work upon return to the vendor, will not affect the bulb I got for the fiber optic unit from Classic Car LED. Weird.

[Suddabym]

Yeah, so dimming is not really an issue for me. A lot of faff, I suspect, for not much reward. The current clocks are LED lit and I'm not blinded by them. Nothing's quite as bright over here, as is it in the US, so I suspect that's it.

I may still take Barry up on his offer though, as I'm always open to persuasion.

 

[Barrykearley]

I’ll get the tear stains cleaned 🧽