Restoration - how original should it be?

[TAR]

As some of you may know, I'm muddling my way through a very slow restoration of an 82 dry sump Turbo Esprit. I really love the colour combination and think it would be nice/important to keep it original.

 

This raises the question of how original should it be? I know that there are plenty of obsolete parts which may be difficult or impossible to find. I have kept everything I've taken off right down to the screws but some of it is past being reused. 

 

The interior is half leather, should I recover with the same?

The air con has old pipework which may not be available any more - is it OK to replace with a modern alternative?

The red clutch pipe is known to fail, is it OK to fit a braided stainless one?

 

These modifications take it away from factory original spec, but may have needed to be done during its lifetime, especially serviceable items.

 

Would my car be worth more if it was in museum condition?

I know I want to use it when its done and I am not necessarily worried about its final value, more about its rarity value and being a sympathetic custodian of a relatively rare car.

 

What price originality?

 

[stephenwhyte]

Hope this helps........

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/12170/lot/608/

Clearly the bottom half as resprayed black and the side decals look the smaller later ones but the top half looks right and it's the same interior as yours by the looks of it

[slewthy]

 I think that hidden upgrades make sense.  I can't think for example that people would recommend keeping the red clutch house arrangement given that they're are proven issues with it. w what use an original car if it doesn't really work? You can easily get modern equipment that is made to look classic/original. so, for my money, a sympathetic restoration makes far more sense than one blinkered for originality sake. 

[Laurie Cross]

I think it all depends on what your plans are for the car, If you don't plan on selling it then do what you want.

 

Mine I plan on keeping, Though I want the car completely original. I will at some point get in the next couple of years get the engine rebuilt with some mild tuning nothing major just a few more horses.

 

I may look into swapping the seats as I read that you can get a bit more head room with the elise seats or later Esprit seats (im 6 3 and my car has the original webasto so my head is touching the surround)

 

I like the idea of originality nowadays as there are not many around and the car looks incredible as it is.

[vintaylor]

When I originally got my car I thought about spraying it black etc.. but the more I got into the car, the more I decided to keep things original.

 

One issue with my car was that the interior was all black cloth.. I fell in love with the beige and brown two tone interior which was an original option, so decided to go with that.  Bearing that in mind, I though any future owner can simply dye everything black if they wish!

 

Also I've tried to upgrade certain areas such as brackets etc.. Seeing how rotten they were, I have tried to replace as much as I can with stainless steel.

I think when you take these cars apart you find out its weakest areas and when you put it back together you realise you have to be nuts to keep things the same.  So areas with foam will be replaced with closed cell foam and both engine bay and interior insulation have been upgraded.

 

My esprit doesn't have a/c so I've decided to line the engine bay with heat shield material to help keep the cockpit as cool as possible

 

So definitely, as original as possible on appearance with all the smart hidden upgrades as possible

Also fuel tanks will be alloy with closed cell padding.. and all hoses etc.. will be upgraded to silicone and braided

 

 

one other pain in the a** is the horrible fittings on the car... Instead of using spire nuts etc.. all are being upgrade to rub nuts and stainless steel fittings

[The Pits]

Interesting issue. Sensible upgrades wouldn't put me off as a buyer but the original look has to be preserved inside and out for me.

 

So braided hoses and the like is no bad thing but more modern seats, interior switchgear, steering wheel and alloys would put me off a dry sump Turbo.

 

With my own car I will be considering uprating the brakes if they can't be improved using original parts. However I'm hopeful that I can get them sorted, keeping the solid discs and tiny calipers as they are in some small way interesting period features.

 

I am attempting to fit some Compomotive split rims, despite the original wheels being 5 stud BBS. However in this case the Compomotives are lighter and were part of the original plan for the car. Many can reasonably argue that they were changed for a good reason to the stronger, heavier BBS wheels but I consider the Compomotive a race wheel design and that adding lightness is allowed with a Lotus! Given the rarity and beauty of these wheels I'm convinced they will add value to the car, certainly not what it will cost me to get it done properly, but hopefully the investment will pay off over time. Once fitted, the only difference between my car and the early press dry sump/Bond FYEO car will be the interior colour. Mine's red leather, Roger's was Tobacco Brown. Probably the best thing to do from a financial point of view would be to have the whole interior redone in Tobacco and sell it to some far eastern Bond fanatic (who already has a Copper Bronze FYEO replica no doubt) as an exact replica of the white FYEO car. But the interior is lovely on mine and having seen some recently restored cars I have come to fully appreciate the value of patina inside a classic car.

 

The Malaysian billionaire can retrim it himself! It means just as much to me that the car is 'Essex spec'. The correct Compomotives will make it genuinely 'Essex spec' but ditching the gorgeous red interior will undo that. 

[TAR]

Its a real dilemma.

 

I want the car original as when it left the factory and as Vin mentions above, there were things (spire nuts one of them) which could be improved upon. I wouldn't want to fit stuff like alternative seats or steering wheel, or change the colour of the interior.

 

It also has a sun roof, this was obviously an aftermarket thing but of its time, should it stay or should it go?

 

I have also thought about replacing the entire wiring loom using a more modern wire which will be thinner and better quality connectors. The existing loom is not that bad and could be fixed, should I keep it?

 

Some rhetorical questions there, but I'm happy to get more feedback on the subject as it may sway my decision making process.

 

Keep your thoughts coming.

 

[vintaylor]

Hi Tim,

 

Was also thinking of replacing the loom, but after hearing that the SJ alternative doesn't have any connectors or labels or anything .. I've decided to have mine refurbished.

 

You can always upgrade the connectors etc.. 

 

Will post an update once its done .. but would be in at least 2 months time! 

 

I think it would be stupid not to upgrade things like alloy fuel tanks and expansion tanks as these are things that I can clearly say don't stand the test of time! Especially seeing as the tanks are so hard to get out of the car!

 

 

Again I personally think all seats, wheels etc.. should stay the stay .. or else keep the originals if you are going to replace  Mine came with aftermarket steering wheel and no mirrors.. and both proved hard to source!  Apparently back in the day alot of owners didn't want the original steering wheels, but now these cost over £250 second hand!

 

At the end of the day, if this is a car you are going to keep.. then you might as well do things right when restoring the car  at least for your own peace of mind ! 

 

With regards to the sun roof .. alot of owners say that this was a dealer extra that was done .. so its hard to say if its original or not... Mine didn't come with a sun roof .. but judging by the heat we have here in Malta it probably wouldn't have been a bad idea!

[red vtec]

Very interesting question and also answers. I work with car restorers and the question of what a restoration is very wide ranging. Some cars may be for concourse restoration where the restorer will even measure where the bolt, wire etc goes on the panel exactly. But then you get other companies that offer restoration but with a large number of modern upgrades, mainly seem to be modern A/C, headlight upgrades, brakes etc. but then you also get modern drive trains engine conversions etc... All depending on the clients budget.

The one thing that all the restorations do have in common is quality and sympathetic application. These cars are desirable and do not look like they have had every bargain option from chavs are us bolted on.

If the car has a certain provenance then it seems to be accepted that it should be kept as original as possible, but then again I think Steve McQueens XSS had the interior changed and so did one of his Ferraris.

If it is an older car such as an Aston it seems acceptable to upgrade parts as needed for better day to day use. Examples being power steering, climate control, upgraded audio etc.

I think on an esprit it depends on the model for instance you would not want to respray an essex a different colour or fit different wheels etc. personally I see nothing wrong with upgrading systems on cars to modernise them and make them more usable. I wouldn't start sticking wings and incorrect wheels on a classic ferrari etc, but then you get eagle cars with there reinvented e-type.

It seems to be a case of if the upgrades are well executed and sympathetic there is not an issue. Have a look at some of the companies out there and what they offer on there cars. Some good ones to look at are Singer, Aston Workshops, JD Classics, Magnus Walker. Loads of ideas about what can be done.

[Laurie Cross]

Sorry I wasn't really clear, undercover changes are great, My car has all silicone hoses and alloy tanks fitted aswell. When I think of modifications I immediately think engine swaps and body kits. Anything that improves on the original is great. I think it was Buddsy that machined all sorts of parts up in stainless and alloy for his car when rebuilding it, Anything like that is great. I will definitely fit alloy radiators to it in the future aswell.

[The Pits]

If it was me I'd ditch the sunroof. I think the car will look better without it.

[910Esprit]

Agree, I think an aftermarket sunroof is a significant negative and would affect asking price, as do non-standard interiors- as for all the other reversible detail stuff, don't think it particularly matters one way or another.   NB I'm perfectly happy with my 'red' clutch hose and original brakes....    

[ChrisJ]

Cosmetically I'd try to keep it as original as possible - e.g. I'd replace 1/2 leather with 1/2 leather.

 

Whereas mechanically, where there's an upgrade, I'd go for it.

 

Chris

[TAR]

Thanks for all the comments they are all very helpful.

 

With the wiring loom, I can make my own so its not an issue buying something and then making it fit.

 

I'm still undecided on the sunroof, its very 80's and has colour coordinated stripes around it, its really rather unusual.

 

I guess that due to the amount of work required I will have to make compromises and use new or upgraded parts where the original is no longer serviceable. I need the car to be reliable and drivable at the end.

 

I'm looking forward to the day I can start the reassembly

 

[GavinT]

quality and sympathetic application.

This hits the nail on the head. Nothing wrong with improving something that was perhaps flawed in design or application.   Something that is subtle and in keeping with the 'period' in my opinion  is completely acceptable. Tearing into a car with the intention of rebuilding it into something completely different is to me pointless. An Esprit example....S1 reworked to look like a Turbo, pointless. But Wolfrace wheels being replaced with Speedlines is perfectly fine or doing the conversion from Stromberg to Dellorto carburetors an a USA car is expected.  I also feel that the cars integrity should be maintained. A lot of value is placed on a matching numbers car, so for me I would always have my engine rebuilt rather than swapped. Even if I wished to push for more power.

[gvy]

 Hi Tim,

 

About the sunroof.

I own a S2.2 ( not many made eh) and it has a sunroof installed, when I bought the car.

I have driven the car 19000km after my restauration in the 3 years I own it. Not bad and I am sure more than most classic esprit owners do. Those cars need to be driven to keep in shape is my opinion..

 

About 80% of the time I use the car, that roof is tilted open and is being used. That roof adds value to the driving experience. It may not add value to the "purists opinion". I just dont give a .....

I will not remove it. It gives a less claustrofobic feel in a small interior and it gives a little extra headroom and lots of fresh air.

 

That said. Everyone has its opinion.

I would never add a bodykit. I love the original speedlines. My color is not original, The esprit s2.2 striping on the other hand is replaced as original.

I upgraded to a braided hose, I have a pertronix installed and irridium sparkplugs and I even do consider upgrading the (already overhauled) dellorto's to throttle bodies and injection, just for the sake of driveability and fun. I must decide on the cost and work, but I will not consider originality in this. I would never change the 912  2.2 engine though. Not in a rare s2.2.

 

Geert