mywedge

Ian, Lotus PBC in Cerritos, CA. You can get their # by searching their web site...

Bob, Thanks for your input on Spax dampers. Your vigilance in checking for out of spec dampers really applies to all products we consider for purchase. I have personally have problems with KYB shocks (another application) and Armstrongs on an 86' Turbo I owned in the past, leaking and squeaking after less than a year of use. However, I understand that opinions and experiences on a message board are anecdotal at best and weigh them accordingly. Fortunately, all the dampers I received appear to be in top form and had resistance upon compression (compressible with some muscle as designed). Going to fully adjustable units was definitely the right choice because I control the ride characteristics and height. Now that I have Spax dampers all around on my Esprit, the ride and look is incredible and I could not be happier with the Spax units. I suppose I will have to check-in a few years from now for my long-term opinion. I have business in the UK in early spring and have arranged to return the S1-S2 units at that time if I do not sell them first. The freight and restocking fee combined would have killed me. If there is interest, I will have the fully adjustable rears until that time at a steep discount to U.S. prices... Bob, I just noticed your reply mentioning Lotus PBC. I'm not sure where you are located... but the Claudius family services my vehicle. Your promotion of their products and services and knowledge of their specific services is a welcome addition to this thread. Currently, they are working on a very special early Esprit for a wealthy client and have installed Spax fully adjustable dampers on all four corners. If you live nearby

Gavin, Yes, JAE quoted me $258 each ($516 for the pair) without freight or tax. Perhaps your quote was for the SPAX dampers that are not ride height adjustable? By ordering them direct from the UK, I ended up saving $43. The freight cost was $148 but a $43 savings is a savings nonetheless. In hindsight, because of my dilemma, I should have just ordered them stateside...

In the excitment of putting new, adjustable height and pressure rear dampers on my modified 1979 S2 Esprit, I failed to verify which chassis was pinned under my auto (why would I need to do this?). Apparently, the prior owner upgraded the chassis to a 1986 Turbo version so my G853 dampers do not fit. If anyone is interested, my brand new in box SPAX G853 S1-S2 (all models-1975-1980, excl. Turbo) fully adjustable rear dampers are available at a huge discount to US dealer prices (US only). The dealer who sold me the units would not let me return them because the return period lapsed... (got to love that customer service!). Just PM me if you are interested.

Andy, Thank you so much for the quick response! You have helped me confirm that the the prior owner must have switched out the chassis plate. Now I need to figure out what to do with the S1-S2 rear dampers. To save $, I ordered them from across the pond and the shipping to get the correct untis would be prohibitive. Oh well, I suppose you live and learn...

After three months, I finally got around to installing my SPAX dampers on my 1979 S2 Esprit. The fronts were no problem and only took about 2 hours to complete. However, I ran into a real problem with the rears. My Lotus is a Frankenstein car (lots of modifications). The rear suspension was upgraded to the S3 turbo setup by the prior owner but I did not think that it would interfere with the damper choice (Spax G853). However, the G853 dampers have a horizontal (lateral T) bolt slot with bushings on both ends. My Esprit needs a verticle (I-bolt) on the top end just like the front dampers. Do the S3 Turbo Esprits have the verticle (I-bolt) top setup for the rear dampers?? Geeze, I can't believe that the prior owner would have switched out the entire chassis of my car to do the upgrade....

Ahh, I can tell from the pictures that your wheels are Work VS's (16" or 17"). I had a pair of Work's on my old MR2 Turbo back in my import racing days. The look is good but not exactly (but similar) to what I am looking for. Also, I decided to go with 17" and 18". I just confirmend that the wheel size is not an issue on our cars with custom wheel maker the other day. Good luck and good work!

Ben, Excellent job! You made the correct change to the one thing that has bothered me most about the design of the G car. Your rear view mirrors are now in the proper location. Are those 16" or 17" wheels on your car? I can't quite tell. Also, are they custom? I ask because I am thinking about changing my wheels... All the best at the car shows, Alex

The previous owner did the conversion. It is a long story, but I have known the owner of the car and the mechanic responsible for the conversion since I was 17 years old (decades ago) and it has always been my dream car (this particular car with the conversion). Therefore, the knowhow behind the conversion is fortunately just a phone call away (I am a fair mechanic but could not pull this off). My best friend at the time and his father owned a Lotus repair shop so I had the pleasure and fortune of being around the cars for some time. Friends and I would spend hours discussing this car, the tale of beating a Kawasaki Ninja 750 motorcycle in a drag race, and countless what if's of the imagination that fill the hours of free time young adults afford. Not long ago, the previous and first owner started to become frail in his old age and needed liquid capital to pay some bills. By chance, I was notified of his desire to sell the Lotus and the rest is history. I still can't believe my eyes when I look in the garage. I owned a stock Black 1987 Turbo Esprit about 15 years ago, but this is a very different car. The transformation of your Esprit, if executed correctly, will put an ear-to-ear smile on your face every time you drive it. Oh yes, and an uncontrollable Whoo Haah will spill out of your mouth from time to time.... Cheers,

Shade, Great input.... The bolt pattern on my S2 is 4 x 100, which is a very common pattern (hub size is likely an issue though). The challenge is the offset. No manufacturer of standard wheels that I can find (believe me, I have checked tens if not hundreds) sells wheels with our offsets except perhaps Compomotive (Unfortunately, I don't like any of their new wheel choices and the sizes are too small). Maybe spacers would do the trick but I am leery about messing with the geometry of the rear end. Thanks for the bolt pattern mod info, I do do my homework and see if this will help my cause... Cheers...

Jamie and gents, Yes, great eye, at the beginning of the thread I first mentioned going with black centers and agree really with most of the feedback I am receiving. I agree that the mock up picture I made make the car look way too "bling". However, I only had chrome wheels to use for the rendering. The wheel renderings are also too large (more like 18", 19"- I would go with 17", 18"). If I make the change, I would choose either black centers with a polished lip or sealed brushed aluminum/grey centers with a polished lip. I would keep the lip depth of the rear wheels on the conservative side to avoid another common "too bling" mistake (by sinking the center contact to the lugs (hub). I did try to find a more busy mesh center but because we are limited to custom wheels (in sizes greater than 16"), it was a near impossible task and I don't want to pay an outrageous sum (like HRE and some other charge). I have received a few private messages letting me know just how rare the set I have on now are and perhaps I will keep them just in case hell freezes over and I have to sell the car. Can anyone help with viable alternatives for larger wheels for an S2, 4x100 bolt pattern Esprit? Keep in mind that because of the offsets and size, they will have to come from a custom manufacturer.... Thanks again for all the input!

PP, No, I only have the Compomotive 3 pc. wheels you see in the pictures. They will likely be up for sale if anyone is interested.

Jason, Keep up the fantastic work and keep us posted! The Citroen gearbox will hold! To this point, no one that I can find has submitted relevant tolerance data for the Citroen Gearbox, just a lot of assumptions and conjecture. In support of your gearbox choice, my 1979 S2 has a modified, intercooled turbo Buick GNX V6 motor in it producing just under 400 ft. lbs. of torque. The motor is mated to the stock Citroen gearbox. Converted back in 1987, the gearbox has only needed rebuilding once since that time (to be more accurate, it lasted about 20,000 miles). Another point to consider is that I rarely do standing starts and am not the abusive type. As I think you expressed, I also just ordered the Quaife limited slip unit, which should serve to improve on an already reliable setup. In my case, I really need better traction

Simon, Wayne, Thanks for input bravely differing from most of the other helpful posts. I suppose wheel choice is really a personal thing governed by taste, age, influences, and who knows what else. I just don't want to take a step backwards. I did a poor rendering of what the new wheels would look like on my vehicle and think they look great (sort of like a newer Hotwheel instead of the old redline models). The rendering has the wheels in chrome, which I think is too much but now think that I will not go for black high gloss centers with chrome lips. Instead, based on how the rendering looks, I am thinking of going with sealed brushed aluminum centers with chrome lips because the wheels look pretty good on the car so I don't want to hide them by having the centers painted black. Below are the before and after pics (the after image has the front wheel size pretty close to a 17" but the back wheel looks more like a 19" as opposed to the 18" I would choose... What do you think?

Thanks for the compliments gents , Mark, you are correct about the front tires, they just scrape the wheel wells at full turn. Fortunately, the front tires are in need of replacement so I can correct the issue (the worn tires is partly why I am thinking of making a wheel change). After doing some more homework, I found a good custom wheel maker that can make me a set to my specs (18" in back and 17" up front). I am considering the wheel pictured below but executed with black gloss centers and a brushed aluminum lip. The first pic below is of the wheel and the second pic conveys the finishes I would choose. Not sure if the wheels will be too much but I have seen Paul Wendling's 85' with 17 inch wheels all around and it looks good and functions well (can be viewed on the LEW website under owners). The last issue is originality. Since my Esprit was substantially modified (exterior, interior, suspension, and engine) prior and since my ownership, originality is not a concern. I have accepted that this car will always be categorized as custom. What do you think? Wheels link if pics are poor- http://www.trueforge...ls/chicane.html