Why's my bonnet different?

[madmezza]

I noticed at the Hethel meet that the bonnet on my car is different to all the other G Esprits - it has 2 vents just under the windscreen, whereas all the other cars I've seen have 6.

I is intrigued... Does anyone have any ideas?

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

Before I even saw the picture of your car the answer was "Yours is an HC"

You also have a different lower valance (one great big intake )

[Gooner]

6 slot bonnet (B085B4357J) was introduced from chassis number 82 D 1061

2 slot (C082B4629J) was a styling update and also mainly the one used on American spec cars usually on High Comp cars to make 'em look different!

S3 Esprit NA copied the above.

Hope this helps.

Gooner

[madmezza]

Cheers guys.

Fishy - Cliff's car is an HC - almost identical to mine (but better nick!) - his car number is about 10410 and mine is about 10520. So guess it was introduced in between those.

Gooner - hello! Not seen you before. You have a good knowledge of the parts!! Glad it's a proper Lotus part - I was wondering if it was a dodgy non-Lotus part replaced after damage or something like that.

[Gooner]

Hello to you. I'm new to the site and have a mate who's in charge of Aftersales at the Factory. He's been there 21 years and looks it!!

Many cars after a prang we're fitted with the right or wrong bonnet. Indeed if 6 slot were not in stock and vice-versa 2 slot the other was fitted as they interchanged.

I think it was hoped many owners would not notice and many didn't !!

The beauty of not have a VIN point for reference is it can remain one of lifes great mystery's.

It's a great forum and you are all a good bunch!

Off to pack long underwear for Stoneleigh now.

Gooner

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

This is hardly the place for that sort of bragging! :o

[dodgy]

confused now , should my car (0974) have 6 slots or 2? and why has this ESSEX have 6 slots and my autoart Essex have 2?

[emg456]

HC, 6 slots, original bonnet.

Lotus logic - don't even try to figure it out!

Ed

[matk]

Dave

Just to clarify from above the original bonnet has 6 slots, but was changed later on (as Fishy says about the time of the HC's) to 2 slots. As the 6 slot wasn't made anymore, after stocks ran out anyone needing a new bonnet had to go to a 2 slot bonnet. IIRC the Autoart Essex model was taken off a particular Essex ( I think no 17?). If that had car had had a replacement bonnet then this would result in the model mirroring it.

Incidentally doesn't automatically mean that older cars with 2 slot bonnets have had front end prangs. Many bonnets get replaced because of stress fractures at the hinges etc.

See the blurb on this owners page on LEW for another example...........

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EOwners/TonyCaesari.html

[slade]

the only thing I've ever seen with the two hole hood () is one of those special edition HCi things... the gray ones with the dark gray lower body. Mine doesn't have em anyway. 6 holes

This is hardly the place for that sort of bragging!

cheers to those of us commenting on the temperature of the water at urinals

Edited November 13, 2006 by slade

[USAndretti42]

cheers to those of us commenting on the temperature of the water at urinals

That's the problem with having short legs. B)

[nello]

IIRC the Autoart Essex model was taken off a particular Essex ( I think no 17?). If that had car had had a replacement bonnet then this would result in the model mirroring it.

My mate Paul Dewey owns Essex No.17 - as per previous threads he had no involvement with the AutoArt model (it was a complete suprise to him when we bought the models ourselves?!!!) Think someone may have just snapped the car at an event without him knowing?

Oh and FYI - Pauls car has a 6-hole Bonnet - which is original

Edited November 20, 2006 by nello

[Jeff T]

My 87 HCI has six holes...

[Kimbers]

Hello to you. I'm new to the site and have a mate who's in charge of Aftersales at the Factory. He's been there 21 years and looks it!!

Ha, like that Gooner. I think he looks much older!

(Gooner a god when it comes to parts knowledge)

[Esprit Aviation]

Hey, wondering if the lower valence w/ the big intake area is available, and would it direct bolt-in on my '85 NA Turbo??

Thanks to the 'evil' one for pointing that out!

Happy Holidays, Lee

[Jeff T]

SJ Sportscars Lists the Lower Valance in their catalog. They have a website with the contact info, I suggest you e-mail them or call.

[robert87hci]

The bonnet on my '87 hci has two slots instead of the six holes, here in the US I know of two others. When I went to the UK in '02 for a tour at Hethel we stopped at Stratton Motorcar and they had King Hussian of Jordan's '87 pearl white Esprit on the showroom floor, it also had a two slot bonnet. The car had 5k on it and they were asking for 25k sterling.