Finally, Restoration Begins!

[silverfrost]

Hi Giorgio,

Yes all esprits steering wheels are set off to one side so no worrys there

always wanted to have a closer look at a bare esprit cockpit and what under the

dashboard looked liked cheers for picture, your restoration is coming on well

your really going to town on it! keep the pictures and posts coming

regards danny

[giorgio67]

Hi Giorgio,

Yes all esprits steering wheels are set off to one side so no worrys there

always wanted to have a closer look at a bare esprit cockpit and what under the

dashboard looked liked cheers for picture, your restoration is coming on well

your really going to town on it! keep the pictures and posts coming

regards danny

HI Danny,

thanks for you answer

Happy to know that all esprit steering wheel are set off to one side!!

I will put more pics in the next

CIAO

[giorgio67]

HI Friends,

A nightmare weekend working for taking off heather assembly and all the wiring loom from bulkhead.

Anyway after some curse now I'm ready to finish the work about the pedal box assembly and in the engine bay I will try in the next the fuel tank removal

If there are some tips/advice that I need to know regarding these works please let me know, I need your help

I will put a lot of pics in the next so you can see the amount of work done!!

If someone have some photos of the radiator (inclined) mounting assemblage, rad duct etc... it would be a great help for me, in my car the assemblage was in so poor conditions that it's impossible for me to recognize what is original and what is completly wrong.

Any info about body removal are welcome too

Thanks for your help and kindness.

Ciao

[giorgio67]

HI Friends,

These are some pics of the work I have done in the past days

I have disconneted the steering column and from under the car the joint of the intermediate column but I have some problem to dismantle the lower/upper universal joint, so now I have the intermediate column inside the car attached to the joint that is free but underneath the car.

Any ideas?

Thanks to everybody,

next week hope hope hope body off

Ciao

[Mikes2esprit1979]

Hi Giorgio,

Looks like your S2.2 is coming along nicely. Plenty of work going on.

Did you get yout fuel tank out yet??? I removed mine a couple of years ago, the right side is a bit tricky but it does come out. You might find it easier if you loosen the the vertical bar that is between the tank and firewall. Open the driver/passenger doors and you will see the bolt heads in the area of the door lock catch. Big bolt at the bottom and a smaller one nearer the top if i remember correctly??

Some large gaps in the body work, make sure your doors are lining up before you lay the glassfibre.

I have a full wiring harness for my S2 from SJ ,still not fitted it yet but the connections are not marked so you will have to mark the old one then remove it and use it as a guide.

Keep up the good work

Look forward to seeing more

Mike

Edited September 15, 2007 by Mikes2esprit1979

[Paul Coleman]

Giorgio

The universal joint can be *VERY* difficult to get off, as you have found!! It took me a good 2 hours to get mine off The problem is that the joint has been closed on the shaft by the bolt and you need to prize the joint apart to let it come off the shaft. I used a cold chisel and hammered it into the split in the universal joint to open it up but it is very difficult to get a hammer in there to hit the chisel. Also, the universal joint moves every tim you hit it as well which makes it a very slow procedure. Inside the car I used a crowbar to pull on the universal joint against a piece of wood (otherwise you'll push the crowbar through the fibreglass). That's about all the help I can offer I'm afraid - it's a difficult job but keep at it and it will come off eventually. Soaking it in penetrating fluid will also help if it's rusted in.

Good luck!!

Cheers, Paul.

[giorgio67]

Giorgio

The universal joint can be *VERY* difficult to get off, as you have found!! It took me a good 2 hours to get mine off The problem is that the joint has been closed on the shaft by the bolt and you need to prize the joint apart to let it come off the shaft. I used a cold chisel and hammered it into the split in the universal joint to open it up but it is very difficult to get a hammer in there to hit the chisel. Also, the universal joint moves every tim you hit it as well which makes it a very slow procedure. Inside the car I used a crowbar to pull on the universal joint against a piece of wood (otherwise you'll push the crowbar through the fibreglass). That's about all the help I can offer I'm afraid - it's a difficult job but keep at it and it will come off eventually. Soaking it in penetrating fluid will also help if it's rusted in.

Good luck!!

Cheers, Paul.

Hi Paul,

thanks for your help, good as always

I think that maybe it will be easy removed with the help of other two hands and when the body will be on the stands

Next time more pics

Cheers

[Paul Coleman]

Hi Paul,

thanks for your help, good as always

I think that maybe it will be easy removed with the help of other two hands and when the body will be on the stands

Next time more pics

Cheers

Giorgio

I don't know about your series 2 but on my series 1 I had to get the universal joint off before I could take the body off the chassis?

Regards, Paul.

[giorgio67]

HI Paul,

I can't see any problem about that.

Maybe my english is very bad about technical terms so:

the steering column is free frrom the intermediate column, and I have disconnected the lower joint from underneath the car.

So, now I have the two joint free but one is inside and the other is under the car where there is the box of the steering arm. (free)

When the body will be on the stands it will be more easy to work on the joints from under and I think I will be able to fix the problem.

I don't know if the S1 it's different anyway hope my description is correct.

Ciao Paul

[Jeanvm]

Hi Giorgio,

A big resto you are in, much interesting time you will have. I have seen a picture of your engine. Its like such as an 912 HC engine. Do you have more info of this.

Much pleasure.

Ciao

Jean

[giorgio67]

Hi Giorgio,

A big resto you are in, much interesting time you will have. I have seen a picture of your engine. Its like such as an 912 HC engine. Do you have more info of this.

Much pleasure.

Ciao

Jean

HI Jean,

it's a normal LC engine, but it will be converted very soon to HC specifications.

Yes, a lot of work and pleasure too!!!!

Ciao

[giorgio67]

Hi friends,

I have had a beautyful weekend.

Ok, fuel tank out in two hours everything disconnetted, little problem unbolting the central bolt of the rear chassis fixing in the engine compartment, and finally the body..... OFF!!! :thumbsup:

So, time for a better view and the chassis seems in very very good conditions, the only problem it's the Left tube and engine mount, near the exhaust manifold.... the well know damage due to missing heat shield.

Anyway, now I'm ready to bring the body to a big workshop and then I will strip the chassis to check with care the conditions.

The left side is still to low for me....

Some pics of the final stage.

Cheers

CIAO!!!

Edited June 28, 2008 by ghe67

[Jeanvm]

You are right its like the left tube is bent on the engine mount. Could be important to take a closer look.

Jean

[giorgio67]

Hi guys,

just to say that I have uploaded my restorations photos at :

http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn145/g...%20restoration/

I will update the working progress there because I have no more space for attachment here on LEF.

Thanks for your attention,

Cheers

Edited June 28, 2008 by ghe67

[Matt-watts]

What a fantastic job your making !

You seem to be tackling your restoration very well and have made great progress, good luck with all the labeling and storage thats a bit I found tricky.

With your keen eye of originality and perfection your going to end up with a real show stopper

Keep up the good work and please keep us posted

Matt

[giorgio67]

Matt,

thanks for your reply and help too.

Yes, it's a gorgeous work and maybe sometimes it appears too big for me but anyway I'm doing it...

I have not many problems about the labelling because I'm replacing........everything

I think that at the end of summer the bodywork will be ended and ready for the primer...there are a lot of work with the fibreglass etc... and the chassis also will be ready for the rebuild.

At the moment I'm on the engine mountings problems and I'm also interested for some parts that I will make from new using my old parts as a pattern.

My girlfriend's father has a big workshop with all the CNC machine so new rear hub, driveshaft and all I need will be ready soon.

I will put my progress on Photobucket as I said i have no more space here from attachment.

Thanks to everybody for the help.

Ciao

[giorgio67]

Buddsy,

the time it's not a problem for me...Since I was thirteen years old I was dreaming to drive one so....six months or a year more it's not an issue.

The only problem is that I'm changing work (so no much time to work on it) and the cost of spares.... :crybaby:

anyway I'm really in love with my car also in bits!!!

By the way, I have a good contact with a UK company for the alloy fuel tanks for my car.

They make me a very very good price for the pair (much much less of SJ) and I'm taking the right measures of my old tanks because the company has only the full drawings of the S1 tanks that are a little bit different i think.

If you are interested PM me and I will give you all the details.

Ciao

Thanks

[Matt-watts]

Hi

I can get Stainless steal S1, S2 and S3 tanks for

[giorgio67]

Hi friends,

Not too much time for my Esprit this month but anyway just a few pics of the work on the chassis.

Hope to be able to finish the job at the end of the week.

The body is now in a big workshop and I'm very happy for the chassis conditions, it's really perfect and i need only to change the left tube near the manifold.

Update soon.

Cheers

Edited August 5, 2008 by ghe67

[talon]

Looking good!

[giorgio67]

Hi Buddsy,

thanks to read my topic too.

Yes, finally my engine is disassembled so now I can have the final check and I can order the parts required.

I'm still not so sure if I want to swap for the eccentric tensioner system as I have bought all the new pulleys to convert my engine to the HTD type belt.

Tim engel said me that it's not necessary and also, maybe there is an issue with the thickness of the HTD belt with my front crankplate housing.

Anyone have done the conversion?

All the rear suspension parts are now on the bench so next week I start to rebuild the rear assembly with brand new original Lotus Parts.

I will put new pics next time.

I'm thinking to use the "old type" bushes for the suspension as I have read that there are some problems with the poly bushes, any suggestion?

As always thanks to everybody for the help.

Ciao

Giorgio

[Jeanvm]

Hi Giorgio,

"""""I'm still not so sure if I want to swap for the eccentric tensioner system as I have bought all the new pulleys to convert my engine to the HTD type belt."""""

It is a simple thing to do and no difficulties when you install a new belt.

Jean

[giorgio67]

Hi Jean,

thanks for your attention.

I'm not so sure only because there are not any advantage for what i know.

Each system has positive and negative point, so I'm thinking about.

Eccentric tensioner system will require more attention in the setting so ....it's a worth swap?

I will check my crank plate housing to see if there is enough space for my new HTD belt.

Some owners reported problems about that.

Ciao Jean

Giorgio

[giorgio67]

Hi guys,

just a little update of the work done in these days.

Engine, gearbox and rear suspension off..

Just an answer, hou much play should be in the primary shaft in the bellhousing?

I have a lot of play and I don't know if there is something wrong

Any advice?

Thanks

Giorgio

[910Esprit]

Yep, wobbly input shaft is correct/normal. If you study an exploded diagram you will see that the (very long) input shaft is simply splined into another shaft (presumably the mainshaft). It is the normal clearance of the splines that you are detecting.

cheers Steve