Chilli's classic car thread.

markslade07

stickyfiddle said:

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

I had an S2 Elise....he could have made sure that when it rained, I didn't get soaked as the water just ran in between the roof and the windows!

stickyfiddle

markslade07 said:

stickyfiddle said:

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

I had an S2 Elise....he could have made sure that when it rained, I didn't get soaked as the water just ran in between the roof and the windows!

Always a hard bit to get right, apparently. FWIW I'm informed that the S2 was much improved from the S1 and *especially* the Elan SE..!

markslade07

Yep, I knew someone who had the S1....he kept towels next to his seat!

TTony

markslade07 said:

I had an S2 Elise....he could have made sure that when it rained, I didn't get soaked as the water just ran in between the roof and the windows!

To be fair, it doesn't rain that much in Norfolk.

Not so much opportunity to test the waterproofness.

Paul_C

Years ago I used to work for Kennings and we had a Land Rover Defender on our fleet for a while - if you drove it at motorway speeds in the rain the low pressure areas by the sides of the windscreen meant the tops of the doors got pulled outwards and then the rain came in

We used it as a runner for a while until we got a memo from head office about the amount of fuel it was using - good fun while it lasted !

chillidoggy

I did have a test-drive in an S1 Elise when they first came out. It started raining halfway through, so the salesman and I had to stop and put the roof on. Which would have been fine if we'd had an idea about how it fitted. After about 15 minute, we gave up trying to figure it out, and just got wet.

stickyfiddle

chillidoggy said:

I did have a test-drive in an S1 Elise when they first came out. It started raining halfway through, so the salesman and I had to stop and put the roof on. Which would have been fine if we'd had an idea about how it fitted. After about 15 minute, we gave up trying to figure it out, and just got wet.

And that's why, as much as I still love the idea of an Elise, I'd still buy an MX5.

I remember one Elise ride that was a lot of fun. Dad had to take a loaner BMW Z3 M (340bhp or so) down to Bracknell and bring an S1 Elise back. I had a day off school to go with - family emergency, obviously (the emergency being he wanted a navigator). 3 hours each way or so. Getting in the Lotus after the BMW was like going karting having arrived in a limo. Sounded like a BAG OF SPANNERS. Great fun though, at about 2/3 the price and half the fuel consumption.

chillidoggy

I wish I wasn't such a pedantic bastard. I've spent every poxy weekend in the garage, and probably most evenings. I hope this all pays off. Anyway, here's an update.

Checking the valve clearances on the exhaust camshaft.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg3_zpsz3e9va3v.jpg

And three new fans fitted

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg2_zpshbjgg1eg.jpg

Flywheel just back from being rotary ground

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg4_zpsx9ailtoz.jpg

Took the seats out to do a bulkhead mod while the engine is out

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg1_zpsyrubaxsl.jpg

chillidoggy

This thing will be the death of me.

Anyway, I'm getting close to engine and gearbox installation now. It's fought me every twist and turn, whatever I look at is either seized-up, knackered, obsolete or completely unfathomable. Meanwhile, the missus has shifted a tonne of gravel onto the garden beds today, with no help from yours truly, which I feel guilty about. Poor woman is almost as knackered as the car.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg1_zps3tfmkep2.jpg

TTony

chillidoggy said:

This thing will be the death of me.

It'll all be worth it.

Imagine how you'll feel, starting it up for the first time, hearing that perfectly tuned & set-up engine, and knowing that you've got it sorted, driving down the road with the windows down, people turning their heads to look at the beautifully, lovingly, restored classic car doing what it should be doing, chatting with the RAC man about WTF could have gone wrong with it this time ... 

TBH, I'm just jealous.  Anything beyond (very) basic car maintenance, and I just book it into the garage.

holnrew

I'd love to be able to be so anal about something, I just lack the motivation. Much respect though.

chillidoggy

Thanks, guys.

It has to be said that the FB is so much better than the Lotus forum. There's a serious amount of bodgers, wankers, cheapskates and cocks on there who are a danger to their cars.

McToot

chillidoggy said:

Thanks, guys.

It has to be said that the FB is so much better than the Lotus forum. There's a serious amount of bodgers, wankers, cheapskates and cocks on there who are a danger to their cars.

I don't know TBH: I fit three of those four categories and I'm on here. 

I won't have anyone call me a cheapskate though. No sir. 

holnrew

Are they a danger IN their cars too?

Nitefly

@chillidoggy - fancy swapping it for a Merc?  

There's a nice one round your way... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-32472168  

>:D<

Chalky

Aaaaahhh. S Class Mercs. Had the 420 and 500 both long wheelbase with both with electric everything. Would sit at 140 supremely quiet and steady as a rock. Sighing now in a wave of nostalgia.....

chillidoggy

Bloke down the road is selling a 2003 350 SL in black. If I had the dosh, I'd buy it.

chillidoggy

Update on the Merc - his missus had to take it in to the dealers yesterday to see if they could fix the GPS system. After spending all morning in there, apparently they couldn't fix it, and he's muttering about a grand bill.

chillidoggy

Some photos from yesterday's performance -

 All boxed up

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg6_zpsbbz7xjco.jpg

And finally back in again!

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg5_zpsihv20jki.jpg

Now I've simply got to remember where all the wires and shit went....

Paul_C

hurrah!