Lip Spoilers

[chris]

I know the Sport 300 lip spoiler is approx 90mm tall but can anyone tell me what the standard SE lip Spoiler measures please?

Edited February 18, 2014 by chris

[Andy Esprit SE]

Hi,

I've just got one from S J Sportscars, it looks like once fitted it will be about 30mm, here's a side profile pic of it.

This is where your gonna say they are £5 a meter in B&Q and I'm going to feel sick about it ha ha

Andy

[Jacques]

And following this topic, can someone telle me please, if it is possible to pot on a Sport300 frontspoiler instead of the smaller standard one on an SE?

 

And should the Sport300 be fastened the same way with 30 small taps (?)

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[Bibs]

That's exactly what (and how) I had on my SE. 

 

[Jacques]

Thanks Bibs,

 

That is MUCH better!

 

Could you pass speed bumps (slowly)?

 

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Bibs]

It touched the floor when I braked hard! It does wear but is very flexible...

[Jacques]

ha ha, sounds like my similar 90mm frontspoiler on my Corrado. Anyway, I also just bought the slim SE spoiler rubber. Haven't installed it yet, and maybe someone could tell me, which way is which? (As per Picture above).

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[chris]

Bibs, What wheels do you have fitted to yours? 

I had the S300 lip on my stevens turbo and ended up cutting it down to about 60mm however I have now put the V8 saturns on and am thinking the increased height may allow the S300 lip to fit better?

 

I drilled the front lip when fitting and then used nuts, bolts washers etc. 

Am now thinking that these holes are going to be interesting to line up with next fitting but its not worthwhile unless its difficult lol.

 

[Bibs]

Those were Kahn RSR's a long time ago. Before I sold the car it was more recently on Oz Futuras.

 

[Jacques]

Bibs,

Did you fit your larger Sport300 front lip to the edge nearest to the ground, or to the edge just above that?

And would the standard slim lip be the same way?

 

Regarding which way is what? it's easy as I rolled it out, and then saw the many small holes drilled already in on side of the rubber.

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Jacques

[Jacques]

Anyone know this on this SE lip? I see the lower edge on the frontside as a bit deeper, than on the left and right side. This Means, that the lip can sit nicely on the front, but the glassfiber on the sides, as it is not as Deep, will push the lip out on the sides.

Good ideas most wellcome.

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[Bibs]

Can't remember, it was a long time ago. Do whatever the Sport300 has done.

[sanj]

The Sport 300 (and '92-'93 SE's) had different valences than the earlier SE, with the lip area molded larger to accommodate the rubber spoiler. The pre-'92 cars do not have a sufficient recess to accommodate the lip without modification.

[Vulcan Grey]

The X180-R lip spoiler is similar to the Sport 300 but has a fiberglass extension above the rubber portion.  It is nearly impossible to keep from breaking that spoiler on any drive, and definitley impossible to load the car on a trailer without breaking it.  We broke my friend's 3 times on one trip!

 

 

My Esprit's lower valence has some good scrapes, which I am repairing and repainting, but I was kinda thinking about trying the Rhino Lip that is sold on ebay...  Kinda like the look of it.

[Jacques]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I have decided to put on the SE lip anyway on my 1990 SE.

I have positioned it carefully, and taped it wil paintertape. Then I took a 4mm drill and made one hole. The 7,5mm drill, and inserted one of the Black fasteners. Then slightly tightened the acompanying plastic screw a bit.

Then on to the NeXT on each side, while measuring each side. Now, it's late and I'll finish it another day. What needs to be done is carefulle use a knife to cut the rubber parts from the corners and backwards to be more narrow in their mounting area. Then Drill new holes in the rubber not far from the original ones (that cannot be used any more). The new holes should sit more outwards, towards the 90 degree bend in the rubber itself. Violea, it sits as per original. I'll throw a few pics in my garage pics, when I finish it (hopefully) in the weekend.

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Jacques

[Jacques]

Here's a Picture of the finished article.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

 

 

[Escape]

Very nice Jacques! I hope mine turns out just as well when I finally get round to fitting it...

[Jacques]

Thanks Filip, I'll be on the lookout for a Sport300 front spoiler though, but  not install it untill I have some harder suspension, because I don't want to risk the car to scrape under braking, as Bibs mentions.

Tape it on first.

Just cut the part on each side right through the predrilled holes in the rubber, from the end untill apprx. middle of where it rounds the corner to the front area. You can see this because the holes are closer at those two areas. New holes in the rubber, and then take one at a time. Finally trim the end to be a bit shorter, as they will protrude on both sides (ends), as the cornering was trimmed Down to half as stated above. Real easy and you can use the original plastic fasteners, as I did, so if it hits something a bit harder, it will not be the bumper that breaks, but the fastener which is easy and cheap to replace. The two areas on the sides, you can cut off a bit on each side of the plastic clips so they will fit better in the more narrow trimmed down space.

It took me 2½ hours including 1 Liter of applejuice-drinking, and a blanket on the floor and a good garagejack to lift the car a bit, so I could get under the front bumper to drill the holes.

 

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Jacques

[Jacques]

A pic of the cut-off's:

 

 

cheers,

Jacques

 

[Andy Esprit SE]

The Sport 300 (and '92-'93 SE's) had different valences than the earlier SE, with the lip area molded larger to accommodate the rubber spoiler. The pre-'92 cars do not have a sufficient recess to accommodate the lip without modification.

I've been out to check under my front bumper (car is in a friends garage till mine is re built) and you can see the previous owner hugged a kerb at some point which I hadn't noticed before, I assumed my car had a lip once and it was missing, it now looks like it's never had one and will need some time to figure out how to fit it.

JAQUES was your similar to mine?

[Vulcan Grey]

89 SE did not have a lip.  Mine is looking worse than that!

[Jacques]

Hi Andy,

No problem. Mine looks just like yours. Mine is a 1990 Turbo Esprit SE. No mods (well, not untill now).

Do the following:

 

1/ Unroll your new lip spoiler and get a roll of the tape you use to avoid paint on anything, while painting.

 

2/ Hold up the lip's left end to the end of your left side front valance (I call it bumper).

 

3/ Following the lip along the edge on your bumper, the one which is NOT scraped. The upper one, so to speak. Not the very lowest edge, the one you have scraped (mine too). Don't let go of the rubber lip, and you end up on the end of the right side.

This is to make sure the rubber fits length-wise. While doing so, you'll notice, that the edge along the left and right side on the bumper, is more narrow, about half the depth. This will make the rubber lip stick out on the two sides, not on the front, where it will sit nicely.

This is what was changed on the later model; the recess got deeper til accomodate the rubber lip. Not so on your and my cars. But is does not matter, as you'll see.

 

4/ Having done that and adjusted slightly (should not be needed), take some pieces of the tape and fasten the rubber lip to your bumper. Look at my Picture, and you'll see what I mean. Very simple. 5-6 pieces along the middle section (the part that is on the front), should do.

 

5/ Unpack the 30 plastic clips and plastic screws from Lotus. The reason for using these, is simple: if you hit something while driving, the plastic clip will break, not the glassfiber bumper (hopefully).

Alternatively., use stainless domeheaded hex-bolts, nuts and washers. One washer on the upper side of the rubbers hole (30 holes), and one below. Pretty simple.

 

6/ Take your Electric drill and two drill bits, one, say 3,5 mm, and one 7,5 mm. The reason for not using 8mm is to avoid sloppy mountings. The holes in the rubber lip are already made. A certain distance between the holes, except for the two corners, where there are, I think, 7 or 8 holes, to get it to sit propperly. These are your friends, so use them to avoid the rubber lip twisting and turning.

 

7/ Press inwards and upwards on the rubber lip, and drill slowly with an angle tip (or lift the car), the first hole. Insert fastener clip and screw. Do not tighten fully.

 

8/ Repeat with one more on the right to the first you just made, and then one on the left, spreading it out to both sides, so to speak. Realign rubber lip to ends to see if they still fit.

The rubber lip is made quite accurately, so if you stretch it, it will be too long, and opposite, if you let it sit too loosely, it will be too short. Not a problem, because after having done the hole front section, you have now reached the two corners.

 

9/ This is where you need to cut with a scissor from each end, till middle of each corner, so you have two cut-offs like on my Picture above. Do not shorten the lip length-wise yet!

The pointy bits of the two cut-offs are towards the middle part of the lip/bumper (where you have already screwed it on).

As a guideline, cut with the scissor along hte centers og the predrilled holes in the rubberlip. This will make the rubberlip sits very nicely along the narrow edge on the bumper. Remember, NOT the lowest edge, but the one just above. In fact, it's pretty obvious, as if you hold up the rubberlip on the very lowest edge, there's nowhere it will fit. Again look at my Picture.

From each corner, you cannot use the predrilled holes any more, as you just cut through them with the scissor., so just drill new ones 2 cm away and nearer the bent piece of the rubberlip.. Be carefull when you reach the point on each side of the bumper, where you have the oilcooler vent tunnel. No need to drill into that.  Here you can enjoy the original plastic fasteners, as they just press in and up from below. No ned to mingle with nuts and washers from above. And easy to service, if you break any in the future.

 

10/ Again take one hole at a time. Eventually, to make it easier, undo two or three fasteners towards the corner, to be able to cut to the right extent.

 

11/ Repeat for the other side.

 

12/ Be carefull: As you reach the end of the bumper, say at the right side, look carefully at the rubberlip, to make it the correct length.

You will notice, that the rubber lip is most probably too long now. This is because you have the two cut-offs, so the circumfery became more narrow, and this Again made the rubberlip too long. Cut Again with a nice BIG scissor, the outer end to fit your painted bumper end. That side id now finished.

 

13/ Repeat for the other side of the bumper, with the other end of the rubber lip.

 

14/ Take off masking tape. and look carefully if the rubberlip twists or turns along the corners. Should not.

 

15/ Dring a six-pac for the moeny you just saved running to a garage to pay them a fortune to do the Work, and enjoy! Or do as me, drink a Liter of milk

 

16/ test-drive and take a snap-shot

 

Feel free to ask me.

 

Cheers,

Jacques.

Travis,

Nor did the 1990, but that is due time then ?

I think it looks better, functions fractionally better, and protects your painted fiber-bumper better. So no reason not to do it, really

 

Cheers,

Jacques.

[Andy Esprit SE]

Wow that's fantastic advice thankyou!!, I will be giving it a go in a fortnight (on holiday from Saturday for a week) all being well so will hopefully have a photo to share too.

I got my lip from Sj sports cars, no clips and no pre drilled holes, looks ok but will give the lotus dealer a ring tomorrow out of curiosity, I should have checked for an original one?

[Jacques]

No, I don't think so. Just as easy to drill it all yourself. Got mine from South West Lotus Center, along with the clips. I'll have to go look tomorrow, to Count the holes. I hope you get the idea of more holes on the corners, to avoin twisting. Basically, you just drill every 5-6 cm. and a bit closer on the corners.

Have fun

Looking forward to a Photo.

 

I did mine over a servicepit, but only for the middle part (front). The sides were too close to the ground, so I just lifted one side at a time with my flat Deep floorjack, with a 32mm socket between floorjack and the metal plate underneath the Esprit. And handbrake pulled and a wooden bar in front of Wheels, plus a spare Wheel udnerneath the car, in case if should colapse. No need to get injured I tried with my Festool 90 degree angle drill, but not enough Space, and it's sp much more comfortable to just lift the Esprit a bit. Much more easy.

Best Tool is the beer, though

 

Btw. the profile of the rubber lip, Andy, is the same. Just not drilled like mine was.

 

Cheers,

Jacques