Rodewaryer

The parking at this venue was limited to 135 cars. All English. The only major marques never represented as long as I've been going are Aston Martin and Bentley. Military class had a Landy Forward control ambulance and a very nicely presented Ferret. Special awards went to the 1950's Singer, and I think the other was the MG Y. All other awards were based on popular votes. 1950 Austin Atlantic, the 1955 MG TA, the MG Y, the Singer and an Austin 7 (1928 I believe) were some of the stand out verhicles. Oh, and the Jensen Healey GT was a bit unusual as well. Lotus' present at the event were the five beforementioned 4cyl Esprits, one late model Elise, a Lotus Cortina and an early Elan. Thanks, yes the slowly improving generic coloured S1 is mine. I did a revitalization (temporary) of the bumpers and that's had the biggest impact to it's appearance recently. The colour sand and emblem completion were the biggest overall though. I still have many plans. One however, isn't to change the petrol caps. They were that way when I got the car and look as though they've been black a very long time. Since I find the monochromatic nature of a white S1 a bit of a distraction personally, making the caps white wouldn't help. It may be correct but like my incorrect coloured Lotus bonnet emblem, I feel it helps the car and adds a bit asthetically besides exhibiting my own personalization. This car is never going to be a concours car anyway so some the fiddly details really aren't going to ruin the car. A couple other pics I have handy....

It’s that time of year again, the Phoenix area annual Wheels of Britain show was 13 Mar. We had 5 Esprits this year, one G turbo in the Masters Class and 4 in the normal Esprit class. The beautiful green S4S won the Esprit category this year.

Well there is certainly a list of glitches with this procedure. My image posted and now it's gone as well. This link should be a large enough image. http://img705.imageshack.us/i/77s1norterrasep2010f.jpg/ Let me know if there is a problem or if I need to do anything further.

Wow. This one goes on a bit doesn't it? I will add a vote for telling us what happened next (the secret) that we "all" don't necessarily know. And I add "Please"..... So while in the paddock at LeMans 1980 I got my piccy taken in one of two Essex Turbos, how early was this pair of cars? It would be interesting to know the provenance (yes that's how it's spelled) of the cars I fell madly in love with all those years ago. It was one of my all time favourite Lotus highlights. Sorry if the pic is a bit poor but that is yours truly behind the wheel (in the pic, not the model) and trust me, the smile is huge. No, I don't think she looks cold in the way suggested, but I would imagine she IS uncomfortable considering Old Blighty, the grey appearance of the day and the way the folks milling about are dressed. My original of this pic is 1400X800...... :-) This thread needs more pics. It's hard not to appreciate a pic of a beautiful Essex Esprit. I have to agree with some here, likely the most attractive model of the lot.

Gave me grief too. Image does not appear to be valid, is more or less what it said. Yet I see it in the gallery......weird.

I absolutely cannot understand going to Egypt (esp if it might be the only time you go) and not visiting the Giza plateau. I have not yet made it to Egypt but plan on the longest possible trip as someone previously mentioned to include a long cruise. Mine may be my only chance and I plan to hit as much as possible from Abu Simbel to Giza. Wonder how it is for people going solo.....my wife refuses to set foot anywhere near (more like anywhere within 1000 miles of.....) an Arab country. So I'll be going it alone.

Last nights sunset outside the Phoenix homestead. Nothing terribly unusual about it for Phoenix. Another one prob a week or two ago: The latest addition to the stable just last friday. It was time for a 'responsible' commuter car. These may be old hat in the UK but mine was first my dealer delivered. Longer wait time to the Fiesta (and about the same build time) but a lot easier to store, the latest addition to the model collection. Slightly less anticipated than the car but not much.... :-)

I prepared a lengthy explanation of how the very best method outdoors is by using 2 fitted covers. I lost my draft and will not go through that trouble again. Long story short, if you're only using one cover it needs to be fitted to not only protect the car but to last as well. After 28 years of covering cars in the desert (yes, we get quite violent thunderstorms here) I've learned non-fitted covers are a compromise and in the end I should have spent the extra money on a fitted one. I can give a better run down of what I actually do in a PM or email if desired. It's a pain in the backside but it works and the covers last.

Pretty minor stuff but feels good to have made the changes,. The nose Esprit script had been missing since I got the car, and the horrible 'sticker' applied to the rear to cover up a body flaw is replaced with what I felt was in much better taste, short of a trip to the bodyshop that is. Oh, and I finally got the garage floor tiles done! Whew, about time.... And I no longer have to crop my Landy's bay out of garage pictures! :-)

Sadly I found out about them way late and found that they had all been bought up/hoarded. Never saw another one for sale and I've been looking.

Steve - Do you have a larger copy or source link for that pic? It's wonderful but needs to be slightly larger for posterity.....

Flump, you have an eye for it, nice pics. A few pics of mine.

I've been known to dabble with the pen and pencil but the virtual realm is well beyond me. From one with an eye for art, you do nice work, stick to your guns, you're good at this and you know as well as anyone that you should be doing it professionally. Only one thing, just a little life lesson that experience can testify to......doing what you love for a living will burn you out on it. If it doesn't it will at least take the fun out of it eventually. Be prepared for that and maybe you'll be ok.

You can raise them, put them through school, teach them all kinds of things but somehow you just can't teach taste.

Very nice pics to all. Here's a couple more from out west.

I agree on the Calif comments, that will be a challenge. Strombergs are easier to maintain than the Dellorto's but also lack response and power. Mine was noticeably better than this blue one (jealous of colour though) with around the same miles and I considered mine pretty rough, so that means counting on this one for some daily driving is risky at minimum, esp considering the belt service and it's short duration not to mention whatever issues this car turns out to have. You wouldn't expect many with 37K mi on it but with it's age and how this car actually looks, expect the car's condition to be more like it's over 100K.

Sweet car Gavin, and a class act amidst 'nearly' all that iron and chrome. Good one.

Not sure I'd want to be around any meetings justifying the last two races to management and sponsors though. Hopes were high at season start up and still are though. Fingers crossed.

Compliments on your write up, nicely done. It brings a smile. :-) About 1974 after owning two MGB's and my current Sunbeam Alpine I read about how the two best handling cars in the world at the time (in Road & Track's opinion) were the Dino Ferrari and Lotus Europa twin cam. Interest further piqued. As an SCCA volunteer working a track event in 1977 I take a wander around the paddock and deeply admire the gorgeous JPS Europa as well as the days pace car, a white Esprit S1 with dealer window stickers still in place. At days end they let me sit in the car and my best mate took a much coveted picture. Skip forward to 1980, stationed in East Anglia (after two Lotus Factory visits), a buddy and I tag along with a great group of UK Sunbeam owners to that years running of the 24hrs of LeMans. We spot an Essex Turbo Esprit in the paddock and again by the same mate, I get a pic taken of me in the car. Still Lotus barren, it's now 1985 and I get a card in the mail from Lotus Cars USA inviting me (due to a request sent in by you guessed it, my best mate) to a Lotus Dealer in Scottsdale Arizona for a test drive. Long story short (it was a hell of a day) I got to drive a black Turbo Esprit 'alone' for nearly an hour at the urging of the owner (after he discovered I was more intimately familiar with the factory than he was...). The peak of my Lotus experiences and I still owe Bob Young of Youngs Motorcars for that pleasure. I never did get to sample the much admired Europa but I did finally get an S1 Esprit and it brings me great pleasure every time I step into the garage. :-) Rest in Peace Ryke Erekson, a better mate I could not have asked for, I still owe you buddy.

A perfectly delightful day celebrating the British automobile. Many marques were missing or thinly represented but it was still an excellent day with a great turnout. There were 5 Esprits all told (two Stevens and 3 Guigiaro cars), one was parked in the Masters Class. The little pre 1955 MG (PA maybe?) was immaculate. There were also 6 or 7 E-types but someone.....regrettably missed getting any pics of them during the rather time constained and labor intensive voting. That's my story and I'm sticking with it. MG TC's and TD's (no TF's). Morgans: MGA's and MGB's were of course numerous, no MGA TC's though: TR4's, one TR250 and TR6's well represented and all very nicely prepared cars: There were a couple Jensen Healey's, a Land Rover 101 Forward Control Ambulance, a Ferret, and the best of show went to the Masters Class entry Austin Atlantic. Another car I regretably missed getting a pic of during the OTT voting intensity.... A few individual stand outs: Then this highly unusual (as far as I know) Zagato bodied XK-140:

Is it just me or does V21 DTP look a bit out of place amongst all those beauties? No offense to the owner but it just does.... :-) Boy does that ever look like a typical English day......nothing like a gathering of Lotus' to cheer one up!

Finally got the front number plate I've been wanting for the S1. Try not to spend too much time looking at the hideous US bumper.....the plate does help draw attention away from it a bit. Euro bumpers are on the list, just not at the top yet. :-)

It finally made it out of the garage to a local car show. After, I had the place all to myself.

Another one completed. Luck with your studies and the survey!

Had to add a vote to the 'Love it' selection, but my view is slightly different. Truly the grass isn't always greener, here in the US we have pretty much the same gripes you have but this is a country with about 1/10 the character/soul and history. For an OTT enthusiast of everything automobile (i.e. European) and an Anglophile as well, my years in the UK spoiled me terribly. The grass 'there' is definitely greener. :-)