Hello from Finland 🇫🇮

[Osku]

I have re done the center in correct size now.  An other thing I did with the new version was to make new fixing rings to mount it to the car. I did two rings with O-ring growes so that the center can be adsembled and disasembled easy.

Its been also covered with leather so it should match the steering wheel nicely.

 

[ChrisJ]

Looks fantastic 

[Osku]

I do not have the wheel but here is a comparison of the orginal and new showing the difference in visibility.

Edited February 3, 2021 by Osku

[Osku]

I drow by the shop today and tried the center on the wheel they had there it fitted perfectly, so now I just wait for my wheel to arrive whitout the Center line then I also have to paint of the Luisi text that is partially shoving but thats easy and fast.

Edited February 15, 2021 by Osku

[Zeb]

Hello from Germany

Osku Your steering  looks great! Perfect choice!

I have just purchased an ´82  very early´83 model like yours in a darker blue with gold trim and beige / gold velour /leather all original and as far as I can tell so far absolutely spectatcular original condition.

I viewed it purchased it but unfortunately its not here yet. I will pick it up with a tow truck next week hope to get all the MOT tests paper works ready soonish to get in on the streets asap!

Osku can you confirm that on our models the steering rack is 36 spline 17.5 mm?

Maybe I´d like to source a momo hub and have a little fun with a different steering wheel. I was eyeing this cheapo dished rallye style and stash the original nicely away to protect it from unecessary deterioration due to my angst sweaty hands under heavy driving 😉.

 

Best 

Zeb

 

 

[ChrisJ]

That looks lovely Zeb. Welcome to Lotus ownership.

[exeterjeep]

Excels are an underrated Lotus - it looks good and is more reliable than the earlier elite/eclats and is more practical for everyday use. Enjoy it.

[Osku]

I have not had it from the splines jet as I til now have bolted it off from the six bolts on the Guigiaro wheel and will use that center also with my new wheel. But if no one else can answere you I can pop the wheel of and count. Nice car by the way the colors are wery different to mine.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Osku

[Osku]

Lotus is a briliant secondhandcar. Porsche is nice as new but but when they come to this age lotus is much better both in part prices and rust issues. other vice both are equaly reliable the quality control was better at the factory for porsche but at 30 years plus it makes more difference who maintained it during its life time than who put it togather.  I'm restoring two flat six engines at the moment and at this point i wich they where lotus engines. Same power less complexity.

As a new car chose porsche as secondhand go for lotus. I have both so I must be an masocist.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Osku

[Osku]

The deep dish wheel is good for ergonomics in the excel, as I had spacer on my guigaro after the first summer. I always hit my finger on the binacle so one inch more space was welcome.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Osku

[Osku]

My steering wheel arrived finaly. Here a picture.

[Osku]

6thMy steering wheel arrived finaly. Here a picture.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Osku

[Osku]

I have tried to ad tje picture with better quality but it dif not work, i could not remove the picture any more so I guess Tjats the picture that is here.

[rjwooll]

Can’t see your pictures Osku!

[Osku]

I have had a problem adding the picture, I suspect there is a limit on users on how much pictures one can add or something as as now the picture size allowed is dropping drastically.

So I can not add even an thumbnail at the moment.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Osku

[Barrykearley]

It’s one of the FFM benefits. I’m sure the cost of hosting isn’t free - hence the small FFM fee. For sure the discounts available will more than offset the FFM cost.

[Osku]

Well as I see it, the revenue comes from the ads, and the ads have a place to be if some one makes actual content. So I guess I'm in no hurry to ad pictures and make content on this forum right now as that left a bit of a bad taste of blackmail.

[Bibs]

Revenue comes from many places Osku, FFM's memberships are one of those which is why we 'reward' those who financially contribute with some small upgrades including more space for pics/PM's etc. Without all of the different sources of income, this site would cost me personally lots of money to run as it has done for the 16 years we've been going, our hosting bill alone is £6k a year and I don't draw a wage for the 60+ hours a week I spend running the site. 

[Osku]

The ones interested can follow me here.

https://www.lotusexcel.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11158&p=92774#p92774

Edited March 28, 2021 by Osku

[rjwooll]

On 26/03/2021 at 16:40, Bibs said:

Revenue comes from many places Osku, FFM's memberships are one of those which is why we 'reward' those who financially contribute with some small upgrades including more space for pics/PM's etc. Without all of the different sources of income, this site would cost me personally lots of money to run as it has done for the 16 years we've been going, our hosting bill alone is £6k a year and I don't draw a wage for the 60+ hours a week I spend running the site. 

Agree fully with Bibs. Hosting isn’t free and images take a lot of space. Over on lotusexcel.net we don’t allow images to be posted directly; rather they can be embedded in posts eg from a personal OneDrive account. This way the forum site only has to store a link, not the image itself. The downside is that it’s a bit clumsy to post pictures. I haven’t tested it but maybe images can be embedded in the same way here?

There is an argument that says that the main benefit of images is to those that view them, not post them - so maybe only paid subscribers should be able to view images; however that argument just opens a different can of worms!

Cheers, Richard

[jep]

Is this thread now 'Goodbye from Finland'? 

I have never understood why TLF members would not contribute towards the costs and time of running the site. I did not join Club Lotus or Jaguar Enthusiasts Club for free in the 90s.

I suppose with 'free' web content everywhere, folk just assume everything is for nowt. A niche product like TLF can only be done for love, advertising is simply not going to bring enough dosh in. 

I suspect the amount of work in running a small business like TLF is just not understood by many.

Justin 

[C8RKH]

@Osku - I am sure you wouldn't be giving hours of your time a week for "free" so can't understand why a couple of pounds a month would be such a hardship especially given the community, access to material etc on here?  It's not facebook (thank Christ) where the ad revenue generated is in the billions of dollars, but a small enthusiast run forum.

To use the term "blackmail" is extremely harsh. Good luck with your car. Bye.

 

[exeterjeep]

1 hour ago, jep said:

I did not join Club Lotus or Jaguar Enthusiasts Club for free in the 90s.

I joined club lotus in the late 70's and have been a member since then - even when I did not have a lotus (a period of around 5-6 years). But was still happy to keep the membership to get the quarterly mags.

[Osku]

At the same time you value your work time etc. you disvalue mine to the degree that you feel entitled to ask money from me for making content. You do you I do me.

Edited April 5, 2021 by Osku

[jep]

What an odd comment. I pay to be member of Club Lotus and I have contributed articles to the magazine for free over the years. Writing a printed article is considerably more work than posting numerous comments to threads on a forum. I would not expect to be paid for either, I do it for the love of the marque and wishing to share my experiences with like-minded people.

I do expect to contribute to the cost of running a club. It is tedious work doing the day to day admin and tasks; the organisers should be compensated for that work.

You are not being asked to pay for 'making content'. You are being asked to pay if you wish to add more content than the minimum allowed for free. If you do not consider that reasonable, I cannot agree with you.

Which is a shame but given a choice between the two situations, I would side with TLF.

Justin