[Dry Sump Register]

On 20/08/2022 at 06:55, Bazza 907 said:

Met Tim Shaw (of Car SOS fame) today at The British Motor Show. He said he owns a white dry sump Esprit and showed me a photo of it.

chassis 11096

[1981 Dry Sump Full Restoration]

These look great @PaulM what is the difference between machining and diamond cut? Both obviously involve taking material off the surface on a lathe.

Any pics of the fronts?

Lex.

[James Bond Esprit Turbo]

that's cool @Lotusfab

[James Bond Esprit Turbo]

First photo I’ve seen of the interior of 10929 at Miami. 

[James Bond Esprit Turbo]

A new photo of 10930

[Dry Sump Register]

4 minutes ago, Glen said:

Good morning @Lex Templar

is there a guide somewhere that will explain what needs to be removed to allow the body to be separated from the frame or is it easy enough to figure out as I go?

I will be removing the dash as it will be retrimed but is there anything that I need to watch out for?

Regards,

Glen

Hi Glen, SJ Sportscars is doing all the work so I don't have first hand experience at removing the body. If you start a thread in the restorations section I'm sure people will be along to help.

The dash will look something like this below when removed. Keep in mind your car would have had a ruched leather interior, something very difficult to re-produce. It looks like all the original leather has been replaced in your car. It may be easier to find a complete interior as it looks like everything needs replacing..but of course there are lots of subtle differences between an early car like yours and and an 82 and onwards car. It depends on how far you want to take it and how much money you plan to sink into it.

 

 

[Essex Random Images.......]

I mean the Enzo’s challenge to Chapman..

 

 

[Dry Sump Register]

Hi @Glen yes body is off chassis, I think in tour situation it would be the best thing to do.

[Dry Sump Register]

@Glen this is 10953 from 1980 going back together at the moment. Another L25 Monaco white (with brown) and all Essex bits from factory.

 

[Dry Sump Register]

@Glen have you received the certificate from Lotus yet? 

[Essex Random Images.......]

Nice headline.

[Coronavirus]

All I can say is accept the lock downs, we have been strict here in Australia and we have had many weeks now with 0 locally transmitted cases.

[Dry Sump Register]

On 15/01/2017 at 15:01, v8vantage said:

More on 003 in Hong Kong

" I have been reading the advice being given to you about buying an Esprit
and references made to the Essex. The advice about not buying a 20 year old
car (the Essex) is probably understandable, but in defense of the Essex
Turbo Esprit you might like to know.....

I have Essex number 003. Purchased in 1985 with 38,000 miles on the clock I
took the clock to 103,000 miles before leaving the UK to work in Hong Kong.
With daily use (abuse and misuse)taking me all over the UK in my capacity
as lighting designer, within its 103,000 miles, 003 only ever left me
stranded twice: Once with a blown hose on the M5 and once when the gear
level broke off at the base (literally came off in my hand!). Servicing
was often late because I couldn't afford to be without the car too often
and the car worked hard. Despite this, reliable? - absolutly yes.

After being in Hong Kong for 4 years I could stand being without the Essex
no longer and decided to have a total restoration carried out (body off,
chasis stripped & rebuilt, repaint, redecal, retrim etc). Quotes to rebuild
the engine by Lotus specialists were around 6,000 pounds, so when Derek
Dean offered me a brand new HC unit with all new ancillaries including
turbo for 3,000 pounds the temptation was too much. So 003 now has an HC
engine with its original carefully crated to be sold with the car (for the
purist) should I ever sell it.

My (virtually new) Essex 003 is now with me in the heat and humidity of
Hong Kong, used every day and is able to enjoy more regular servicing. So
don't write the Essex off completely - it's unique and a stunner, but after
around 20 years since birth - caution is needed and consider only a
professionaly restored example.....if you can find one (I haven't seen one
advertised for ages). You will may know from an article in the current
issue of Club Lotus magazine that only 26 units of genuine Essex Turbo
Esprits left the factory. Although there is a number 100 registered to the
son of Mrs. Thatcher (Mark) it is, in fact, number 26 labelled as 100 and
the last unit."

Another dry sump in the USA.

"I just acquired my Lotus. It hasn't run in 4 years but was running 
fine prior to sitting. I realize I need to go through everything and 
replace a lot of stuff as I go. I thought I'd start at the front and 
go through the brakes, suspension,fans,lights,etc. and then do the 
same to the rear. For economic reasons I thought I'd do the fuel 
system and drive train last.It's # 54 of the turbos(SCC082910AHD10954) I would appreciate any suggestions.

PS Not sure if it's an Essex, has everything except Essex decals- 
looks identical to cover car on Osprey's Lotus Esprit book.

Still trying to find out about 10954 above...looks like it still exists.

[Dry Sump Register]

Thanks for these pics @Glen

The interior has had a complete re-trim at some point so it will be interesting to know what the original leather colour was. On an early white car it would be either red or brown leather.

Interestingly, 10310 (red) was delivered to Bahrain from new, perhaps you have some idea where it is or will come across it in your restoration travels.

10311 was white with brown and delivered to Switzerland.

The car before yours 10308 is LHD Essex 008. Sold to Italy, now in Germany.

[Dry Sump Register]

Wonderful to put another piece of the dry sump puzzle together. Interesting if this was in fact a white with brown car and and yes would be great to know if it has an engine and also what kind of condition the interior is in @Glen

[1982 S3 Turbo Restoration]

3 hours ago, Trevsked said:

Happy to help 🙂 I think Graham still has the car but not sure if he uses it much.

 

Trevor.

managed to find a 1980 factory white/brown/comps/roof stereo.

[The Esprit Registry]

1 hour ago, Glen said:

A quick question, we’re all 100 Essex blue with the silver and red stripes?

Glen there were less that half that amount of Essex cars in total across LHD and RHD. Number 24 RHD was changed to 100.

29 is the highest number on any other Essex. Your car is not an Essex but rather an early dry sump built alongside the Essex cars in November 1980. A very special car on Compomotive rims and roof stereo, just like an Essex car.

The best place to read through is the dry sump register thread. You will see that there are only a handful of these 1980 non Essex cars left.

 

[1982 S3 Turbo Restoration]

1 minute ago, Trevsked said:

I’d forgotten about that 👍

 

Trevor.

this article was the reason I sold a red interior car and went hunting for brown leather dry sump.

[Calling all early-G Turbo Esprits!]

17 hours ago, Glen said:

I’m new to this thread but stumbled on it looking for info on the Turbo Esprit I just bought as it has 4 bolt wheels not like the rest of the turbos with 5 bolt.

scc082910AHH10309 motor 

CD910801118844 colour L25

it has a FM cassette mounted on the roof so think it might be a Essex model.

Any info on it would be greatly appreciated.

Glen

Hi Glen welcome to the forum and how fantastic this has turned up.

We are all dying to see some photos. Is the interior red? and what kind of condition is the car in?

It's a very early one indeed.

This is a picture of what I believe is 10311 LHD (Switzerland) which is almost identical spec to 10309, interior is brown.

[1982 S3 Turbo Restoration]

24 minutes ago, Trevsked said:

My car was 719 EBY at the time @Bibs

 

Trevor.

Who can forget it!

[Essex Random Images.......]

The anodised finish is lovely, Bauke's #951 are still like this, for some reason you cant re-anodise them? Which I always thought was strange. We are used to seeing the Essex cars now with them shiny and polished @Bazza 907 and @Veilside which I agree look great too.

I also wonder if only the pre-production cars in the brochures had the GOODYEAR lettering from the factory. Most of the customer Essex cars in period photos don't have the lettering coloured in.

 

[Dry Sump Register]

Looking through the list, there were 12 domestic non-essex cars delivered with Compomotive wheels and Panasonic Roof stereo.

Only 4 of them are left in the UK! Of those maybe only @Sweatow's car is the only one on the road.

Staggering.

[Essex Random Images.......]

I posted these on the dry sump register thread.

Current photo of RHD Essex 18.

And a period photo of RHD Essex 13, this was owned then by the current owner of RHD Essex 18.

What a sight these would have been in the early 80's. Just look at it.

[1982 S3 Turbo Restoration]

Indeed @Bibsmy old car which is now sold but lives in Sydney Australia. 
A65 JEX was a Lotus company car.

Trevor had 1981 dry sump 1035 white/brown now owned by @GJones

Unless he had A65 JEX too at some stage, there were 11 owners before me, Lotus being the first.

[Essex Random Images.......]

@LOTUSMAN3310859 Development 002! 
KAH 540V