Calling All S1/S2/Pre '85 S3 Owners Worldwide!

[Chris1]

Please count me in for a set.

Out of interest will they be finished in the original damper & spring colours?

[thomascrown]

Hi,

If price not to expensive I can go for my S1.....If the bilstein fit also my two Esprit S3 turbo dry sump I go for 2 more....

[jisherwood23]

sure sign me up for the new suspension system..

Jisherwood 79 jps no 23

[GordonMasson]

Getting closer all the time!

For anyone who thought it would never happen.........................

From Brian Angus this morning:

“The Lotus mechanic has now done an initial fit of all 4 Dampers on the car.

We are in the process of measuring Damper Travel & Bump Stop Specification and checking Mid Laden Ride Height.

We have just had the Front Springs measured and confirmed they are within specification so going back on the car this afternoon.

We are getting the new Eibach Rear Springs today and will fit them shortly.”

Credit cards at the ready guys!!!

Edited January 19, 2012 by GordonMasson

[simonb]

Looking forward to this. Are dampers adjustable, if so would be really good to find out how Lotus set them up, what tyres & tyre pressures they used, and the geo setup on the car.

To have this whole package would be really good.

[Bibs]

It should all be to the original spec, that was the aim of this program - to achieve the original ride & handling but with today's component technology.

[GordonMasson]

Looking forward to this. Are dampers adjustable, if so would be really good to find out how Lotus set them up, what tyres & tyre pressures they used, and the geo setup on the car.

To have this whole package would be really good.

No, the dampers will be fixed

There is no point of Lotus going through this exercise to make everything perfect if people then change the settings

Edited January 20, 2012 by GordonMasson

[GordonMasson]

Good to go!!

I had the latest update from Brian yesterday and he is making good progress.

The car is now reassembled and on the initial test spring / damper test set up and is just waiting for good weather, a slot on the test track and Matthew Becker to be available to test it.

Front and rear settings..........

Brian:

The car is ready for Matthew to have a drive.

We are now happy with the Ride Height.

We now have the car at the original production ride height.

There is a lot of confusion about the S1 Ride Height. There were several changes over the production period plus differing specifications for UK/Euro & USA.

Attached pictures show car at Unladen. Mid Laden will be a bit lower.

As soon as Matthew drives it and gives us feedback we will know what our new baseline is.

Matthew will be able to advise on what changes are necessary.

Gordon:

The car looks slightly higher at the back than I remember from the past but I could be wrong but as you say, mid laden will be a bit lower.

The car was a few years old when I got it and it needed the rear dampers changed at that time so the springs could have been tired as well.

Brian:

Yes the old springs would have ‘sagged’ over time so the car would have been lower.

The old 1970s springs used to sag after time. The new springs are made from much superior material (not available in the 1970s) so don’t suffer this fate

The car has brand new Eibach Springs on the rear so will settle a little bit in the first few hundred miles.

If we go much lower on the Front the car will start grounding out on Speed Bumps.

I know everybody likes the cars lower but they become impractical to drive.

We can go a bit lower but we wanted to start at the correct 1976 Ride Height.

Once we get some feedback from testing we will know what we want to do.

Gordon:

It was probably to do with the poor damper / spring set up on the front of the car after the re-build but when you went over bumps it would crash down on the end stops.

Didn’t lead to a very pleasant ride!

That was probably knocking hell out of the underside of the car as well.

Edited February 22, 2012 by GordonMasson

[Guest surferphil]

I'd like the original set up for my car, not interested in the modified scene or fake track car looks as I bought it for what is was in the 1970s.

All this is great news and I had genuinely given up any expectation that this will happen, so very glad this has happened and very appreciative to those who put the time and effort in.

[Moxie]

:thumbup:

Thanks Gordon. Has Brian said anything about what tire make/model and sizes he tested it with (can't quite make it out from the photos) or what he recommends given that no one is making matched fronts and rears?

[simonb]

Understand the non adjustable dampers, would be interested in recommended tyre pressures and tyres that are not obsolete

[Bibs]

Can we keep this thread on topic please. If you're after tyre recommendations, please start another thread if there isn't one already. This one is already 15 pages long, pertinent info only makes it more useful

[simonb]

Sorry comment is meant to be on topic, Lotus have a great history of designing cars on a specialist tyre, and the 14" rimmed Esprit does suffer from a remarkable lack of choice in the tyre department, none of the tyres are necessarily what Lotus would choose as obvous suppliers.

I would guess that the Eagle NCTs on Gordons car are beyond their shelflife, and do think that tyre choice could make a massive difference to ride & handling. If the track time is just for sign off, then that is fine. However you could not go out now and buy either the Goodyears or the Fuldas new

[Bibs]

Looking through this section there are a few tyre topics already, have you had a look through them?

This topic is just about the new suspension development.

If you like, I'll ask the factory about tyre recommendations but please request this in a new topcs, perhaps in our new parts availability section since the original tyres are obsolete.

[Guest surferphil]

Looking through this section there are a few tyre topics already, have you had a look through them?

This topic is just about the new suspension development.

If you like, I'll ask the factory about tyre recommendations but please request this in a new topcs, perhaps in our new parts availability section since the original tyres are obsolete.

Yes I get you Bibs, this is about who is interested in the development as in a list of interested parties. I did think hang on tyre choice is critical and goes hand in hand with the suspension set up so it is on topic! But of course this isn't really about development it just happens to have evolved off topic to that. I really want to talk about the tyres so it would be good if someone regularly on here starts another thread and posts a link to it on this thread.

Cheers!

Oh and a massive THANK YOU!!!!!

[GordonMasson]

Latest news from Brian Angus at Hethel...........

“Just thought I would keep you up to date on the S1 Damper exercise.

Matt has driven the car this week on the Lotus Test Track.

First impressions are good. Car feels fine.

We need to play about with the tyre pressures.

We had to stop running as we were experiencing some sort of carburetion / fueling problem.

Kevin is looking at it at the moment. May be some form of Fuel Blockage.

The next runs will be on the road.

The Test Track is so smooth these days (since the refurbishment) it is like a Race Track and does not test the Suspension as we want for an exercise like this.

This is a road car and needs to cope with real road conditions / surfaces which the Test Track no longer provides.

The main thing is we are pleased with the initial feel.

I will keep you up to date on progress”

So looking good

Years back there was a small fire in the engine bay.... usual thing caused by a fuel leak.

Luckily it didn’t amount to anything but the carbs were damaged.

The guy who repaired the car had a new pair of Dellorto DHLA 48’s available and they were put on the car.

The car should have Dellorto DHLA 45’s fitted and it looks like the carburetion / fuling problem may be linked to this.

I am trying to source a pair of Dellorto DHLA 45’s ASAP so we can get them on the car and have it running perfectly for the testing.

Does anyone have a pair available for sale or that they would be happy to swap for the DHLA 48’s.

They would need to be in good condition and have all the necessary linkages, fittings etc. for the Esprit.

I am guessing they would have to come off an Esprit rather than something like a Peugeot 205GTi??????

If you can help out then please get in touch .... thanks

Edited March 7, 2012 by GordonMasson

[Guest surferphil]

I have a spare pair of Dellortos on my spare 2L engine that is in bits.

If the fuelling problem is any thing like my cars fuelling problem, then it probably isn't the carbs.

[mark p]

Hi guys sorry to be a numb nut but this will be the same fitment on my 1983 S3 hopefully ?

Do they have a ball park figure on the price yet Bibs

[GordonMasson]

_{Got the carbs sorted now....... should be more testing soon.}

_{I will keep you posted}

[molemot]

Harking back to the tyre question....Lotus developed the suspension to work with a specific tyre choice. Different tyres will undoubtedly change the way in which the suspension works and feels to the driver. Doing road tests of the new suspension with unobtainable tyres seems to me to be ineffective; surely this ought to be done with tyres that are likely to be available for a good few years.... Not a matter of "Tyre Choice" as in other threads, but a part of the suspension development programme. Otherwise, I think it possible that the "new suspension" - although perfect as tested - could be substantially degraded by having to use different tyres....before laying out the cost of a complete new suspension fitment, it would be nice to know that you were going to get exactly what the development and test crew had created; which you won't if they have used different, old and obsolete, tyres? The quoted "need to play about with the tyre pressures" reinforces that view, I think.

[andydclements]

Hi guys sorry to be a numb nut but this will be the same fitment on my 1983 S3 hopefully ?

Do they have a ball park figure on the price yet Bibs

The S3 use a Triumph based top front whereas the S1 & S2 use a Vauxhall / Opel derived system. The later S3 also use the Triumph based tops, but a ball joint at the base instead of a trunnion.

I think somebody on here has already discussed it with Lotus Technical and the outcome was to use the post'85 dampers but to not use the spring base that come with them, continue using the spring base that's part of the lower link.

[Moxie]

Harking back to the tyre question....Lotus developed the suspension to work with a specific tyre choice. Different tyres will undoubtedly change the way in which the suspension works and feels to the driver. Doing road tests of the new suspension with unobtainable tyres seems to me to be ineffective; surely this ought to be done with tyres that are likely to be available for a good few years.... Not a matter of "Tyre Choice" as in other threads, but a part of the suspension development programme. Otherwise, I think it possible that the "new suspension" - although perfect as tested - could be substantially degraded by having to use different tyres....before laying out the cost of a complete new suspension fitment, it would be nice to know that you were going to get exactly what the development and test crew had created; which you won't if they have used different, old and obsolete, tyres? The quoted "need to play about with the tyre pressures" reinforces that view, I think.

Ditto. This is an integral question apart from the fact that you can't buy matching tires anymore as discussed on other threads. I would almost rather see Brian pull the tires and put on 205/70-14 and 195/60-14 Kumhos or Sumitomos and balance it for that so at least we know we can get a match.

[GordonMasson]

This development is in very safe hands guys. It’s well understood that tyres are a problem but Brian is fully aware of this.

We have had a few discussions about it recently………….see summary below

Gordon:

“With regards to tyre pressures, I was wondering about the tyres actually. The front tyres are a real problem because you cant get NTC's now and I think the only tyre you can get is something like a Carrat Attiro on an H rating.... I think its similar to whats on the back.

Having said that, the modern tyres that are available (which tend to be on the lower end of the market) are probably way above the quality of the Dunlop SP Sports that were original equipment on the car.

Do you have any thoughts on how we go forward with the tyres because I guess we have to get a tyre that is readily available that suits the new set up.

I told the Insurance company about having H rated tyres on the rear and they were ok about that because of the lack of availability of other tyres.

I have seen various posts discussing that.... everything from getting a batch of tyres run off to making new woolfrace wheels in a larger size.”

Brian:

“The original car had the Dunlop SP as you say.

The original Tyre Pressure figures specified were very low - Fronts about 18 PSI.

We would now specify something like 24 / 25.

The car originally went into production with H Rated Tyres and progressed to V Rated spec.

As you say V Rated Tyres in these sizes are basically extinct.

We are looking at what tyres we want to progress with.

Tyre technology has changed significantly over the 36 years since the original development of the Esprit.

We will come up with something that we are happy with.”

Edited March 12, 2012 by GordonMasson

[simonb]

[Moxie]

Garoovy! Thanks Gordon!