Chilli's classic car thread.

holnrew

Front wheel drive in a sports car? That's pretty gay. It looked quite nice otherwise.

chillidoggy

Engine bay is looking cleaner, mostly because I'm dirtier, but the fuel tanks are both in, and piped up. I'm fucking knackered now!

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/2015-03-20%2016.32.03_zpsvljd1niv.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/2015-03-18%2018.19.19_zpsqw6whpcw.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/2015-03-18%2018.19.12_zpsf0bb5snl.jpg

holnrew

Do the fuel tanks have separate fillers?

chillidoggy

Yes they do, but the tanks are connected together. There's a balance pipe running between them so it evens out the fuel levels. You can see the pipes in the photo of the new tanks I posted a while back.

rsvmark

That exhaust manifold is a thing of beauty

holnrew

Oh right, interesting design.

Garthy

Is it an Esprit S4s?

chillidoggy

holnrew said:

Oh right, interesting design.

I guessing it's so the car is always balanced for handling reasons, but it could be they never had the resources to do anything different!

Some cars had separate tanks with a switch so you could run from either tank, or both. The Jaguar XJ6 was like that.

chillidoggy

Garthy said:

Is it an Esprit S4s?

Yes.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/2014-07-11%2016.25.56_zpsqotiaibp.jpg

TTony

chillidoggy said:

Garthy said:

Is it an Esprit S4s?

Yes.

That is a thing of beauty.

And also a prime example of why I enjoy looking at other people's classic cars, rather than owning one myself!

stickyfiddle

I will send this thread to my Dad when it's sorted. It'll make him chuckle and/or weep!

holnrew

stickyfiddle said:

I will send this thread to my Dad when it's sorted. It'll make him chuckle and/or weep!

How much of it is his fault? :P

stickyfiddle

holnrew;567714" said:

stickyfiddle said:

I will send this thread to my Dad when it's sorted. It'll make him chuckle and/or weep!




How much of it is his fault? :P

Don't think he did much on the Esprit, honest!

He was there for the launch of the Elan S2 and was project manager for a big chunk of the Elise mk2 and ill-fated M250 project. I remember a very fun ride round Norfolk lanes in a pre-production Toyota-engined Elise aged 17ish

http://www.carstyling.ru/resources/concept/1999_Lotus_M250_Concept_01.jpg

Garthy

chillidoggy said:

Garthy said:

Is it an Esprit S4s?

Yes.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/2014-07-11%2016.25.56_zpsqotiaibp.jpg

chillidoggy said:

Garthy said:

Is it an Esprit S4s?

Yes.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/2014-07-11%2016.25.56_zpsqotiaibp.jpg

Oh very nice, they go like the clappers too.

chillidoggy

The latest thing is I've broken the cable that opens the rear deck. Thankfully the deck is off, because apparently the only way to open it if it breaks when it's closed is to take the rear number-plate off, then cut a hand-sized hole in the GRP bodywork, stick your arm in and pull the latches.

holnrew

That would be awful, knowing such a big hole got cut. I hope all this work is worth it!

Axe_meister

chillidoggy said:

The latest thing is I've broken the cable that opens the rear deck. Thankfully the deck is off, because apparently the only way to open it if it breaks when it's closed is to take the rear number-plate off, then cut a hand-sized hole in the GRP bodywork, stick your arm in and pull the latches.

Seems to be a recurring theme with Lotus. Same problem on the elise.

chillidoggy

I've replaced the cable this afternoon. £18 for a new one, and I'd rate it at 2/10 on the Esprit scale of bastardness. Which is almost not worth worrying about compared to some jobs. To be fair, I reckon it was the original cable, therefore I can forgive it as it's 20 years old.

I have renewed the pipework to some of the emissions thingys, which should make it smell a bit nicer, and save the environment. Pffff, 25mpg ain't gonna cut it.

And I've just picked up the new polyurethane bushes for the rear suspension, so no doubt I'll be looking forward to some real grief in the not too distant future.

Thing is, I haven't picked a guitar up for three weeks because of all the work I've been doing on the car, and I've got a band rehearsal tomorrow. It'll be shit, I just know it will. 

chillidoggy

No, it's not something from the Tate Gallery, gentlemen I give you the work of art that is the Esprit engine mount heatshield assembly:-

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/2015-03-30%2015.58.49_zpstickpwxq.jpg

They must have been smoking some serious shit to come up with that little lot,

stickyfiddle

chillidoggy said:

They must have been smoking some serious shit to come up with that little lot,

Potatoes, most likely...