The restoration of S1 234G

Paul Coleman · January 28, 2021

2 hours ago, omegaman said:

Ok the S2 sender has a Value of 254 ohms when empty and 18 ohms when in the full position. Top of float to base of sender distance is 14cm when empty and 2cm when full.

Its not perfect as it shows a small amount of fuel when empty but its fine if you're aware of that.

Thanks for doing that It raises a number of questions...

1. What voltage are you running the gauge off? I was under the impression the gauges have a 10V regulator to feed them all but I could be wrong as I've never really looked.
2. The S1 sender is 345 Ohms when empty and 50 Ohms when full so it should be possible to add a bit of resistance in series with the S2 sender to see if that improves it a bit?
3. The S1 sender is about 215mm in length but the sender you have looks as though you can just lengthen the arm quite easily so that's not an issue.
4. Is the sender you have one of these as it's the only one SJ sells for the S2 by the looks of it... https://www.sjsportscars.com/parts-and-accessories/A079N6029F.htm

Thanks, Paul.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Paul Coleman

omegaman · January 30, 2021

The S1 gauge design doesn't need a regulator as the coil balance the same regardless. I tried at various voltages.

Yes I think it can be "Tweaked" a little with the addition of a resistor, I'll try it out and let you know.

Yep that is the one from SJ , this is the same one but a few quid cheaper 🙂https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/smiths-top-mount-fuel-level-sensor-tb9011-cb-fs-top

I guess the biggest problem is the fitting in the top of the S1 tank is different.

Paul Coleman · January 30, 2021

23 minutes ago, omegaman said:

The S1 gauge design doesn't need a regulator as the coil balance the same regardless. I tried at various voltages.

Yes I think it can be "Tweaked" a little with the addition of a resistor, I'll try it out and let you know.

Yep that is the one from SJ , this is the same one but a few quid cheaper 🙂https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/smiths-top-mount-fuel-level-sensor-tb9011-cb-fs-top

I guess the biggest problem is the fitting in the top of the S1 tank is different.

Thanks for the info. I have ordered one of those senders and will get the machine shop at work to make me an adapter to mount it to the tank

I decided to separate the body from the chassis today. I'm definitely getting weaker as I get older so I let the engine crane take the strain rather than my back. I don't have the headroom for a 2 post lift and I can't be bothered to start modifying my garage. Plus I can't see that I would really use it that much.

If you're stupid enough to do this you need to get the floor of the body 700mm off the actual floor in order to be able to easily roll the chassis in and out from below.

So here it is flying...
https://i.ibb.co/SRNXhMQ/100-1540.jpg

With the chassis out of the way I was able to get a better look at the body damage and it's not as bad as my white car was when I got that. There are a few unnecessary holes which will need repairing and a couple of pretty bad cracks although I'm not sure what has caused those...
https://i.ibb.co/3FKpN8G/100-1523.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/yQ9Jyk8/100-1524.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/N1mqWs8/100-1525.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/8rXSQfR/100-1526.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/RPghJsP/100-1528.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/rFtqsBm/100-1529.jpg

Of course the damage to the front underside needs sorting out where somebody has fitted an S2 spoiler. It looks as though they've bonded steel in which has all rusted so that will have to come out...
https://i.ibb.co/94G6Qgd/100-1531.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/mbsJq0v/100-1532.jpg

The underside looks okay apart from that though...
https://i.ibb.co/RYJrVHQ/100-1534.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/3YcRHgj/100-1535.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/SR7x6M3/100-1536.jpg

So, all in all, not too bad all things considered!

I haven't fully decided whether I'm going to restore it or not. I bought it with the intention of fully restoring it but I have recently decided to retire in the summer and I'm not sure yet whether I want £30k or £40k tied up in another toy. If I do move it on I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I've helped to save it from a fate worse than death and there will be no reason why it can't be put back on the road We shall see...

Total spend so far £16,973.59

Edited January 30, 2021 by Paul Coleman

omegaman · January 30, 2021

Wow nice work! I find it hard enough to work on my cars in the barn with a 2 post lift....always amazed by what people can achieve in a regular garage.

All in all it doesn't look too bad, like you say though......a lot of money to put right. I was pleasantly surprised by the state of all the metalwork on my Californian car, even the brake calipers look like new on the rear.

I've never seen a Cam cover like that on an Esprit before,

Edited January 30, 2021 by omegaman

jonroberts · January 30, 2021

Paul. The chassis and mechanicals look in remarkable condition to me. Somebody's definitely been there before for some resto work just by the new nyloc nuts that are visible.

Is there any way of getting some kind of 'index' page to the photo's you are linking to ? It's a bit of a pain having to click each photo individually.

Or better still, pay Bibs for a membership and upload the photos here for us to all enjoy 🙂 You can add that to the cost itemisation of course!

The danger of external linking photos here is that if the external site goes away for any reason, all the references are lost forever and your blog becomes a far less useful. I've seen this happen with a couple of other interesting resto projects both on this site and others.

steve clack · January 30, 2021

The big problem I can see from all the pictures you have posted is the body work...

The car will obviously need taking down to the gel coat and all the fibreglass repaired and rust dealt with. This will be very time consuming and if farmed out, will cost a lot.

If you are going to do it yourself, you will need to know what you are doing and if you do, it will take months to complete (that’s assuming you are working full time on it).

While doing all this you will not be working on the mechanicals. I have done the complete bodywork for my S3 Esprit and Elite and it is a time consuming skill. But having said that very very rewarding...

Paul Coleman · January 31, 2021

18 hours ago, omegaman said:

I've never seen a Cam cover like that on an Esprit before,

No, me either. Apparently it's from an Excel so that will be coming off!

Paul Coleman · February 4, 2021

Another piece of the jigsaw arrived today and means I can cross another item off the list. This is an early style vertical radiator which I'm pretty sure is correct for my car but I need to double check it against the radiator housing at the weekend to make sure...
https://i.ibb.co/QFSrZBn/100-1546.jpg

The only things I still haven't found now are the single headlamp lift mechanism and this bonnet catch...
https://i.ibb.co/KsHfpLV/100-1464.jpg

If you can help with either then please let me know.

Total spend so far £17,023.59

Lotusfab · February 4, 2021

Can’t believe you found all the bits and the price doesn’t seem to bad either yet!

philleech · February 5, 2021

I cant believe you found a set of Wolfraces... Ive been looking for nearly 20 years now!

Phil

Fridge · February 5, 2021

15 minutes ago, philleech said:

I cant believe you found a set of Wolfraces... Ive been looking for nearly 20 years now!

Phil

You're not looking had enough Phil. They are about.

Paul Coleman · February 6, 2021

11 hours ago, philleech said:

I cant believe you found a set of Wolfraces... Ive been looking for nearly 20 years now!

Phil

They're not easy to find and when you do find a set they can be expensive. I think your car had Speedlines on it from the factory and I think Dave Welhams did too? I quite like the look of the Speedlines so I would have been tempted to buy this set on eBay if I couldn't have found the Wolfrace ones... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOTUS-ESPRIT-COMEMERATIVE-MODEL-FULL-SET-OF-ALLOYS/254120252215?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Paul Coleman · February 6, 2021

The Postman brought a pair of sunvisors today, thanks Dave They're off a later car but the frames didn't change as far as I'm aware so when they're stripped and recovered they will look the part.

Another item crossed off the list.

philleech · February 6, 2021

The frames on your sunvisors are different to mine....mine are only captive at the outer end and clip into something like a pipe clip on the inboard side....

Phil

Fridge · February 6, 2021

You can buy replacement arms from SJ Sportscars.

Paul Coleman · February 10, 2021

The Postman delivered 4m of carpet today. It's a sort of poo brown although the correct colour is Autumn Leaf...

Why on earth are you buying the carpet now I hear you cry, you won't need it for years yet! Well because they had it basically. I've been caught out no end of times with not buying something because I didn't need it only to find that when I do need it it's double the price or they've stopped selling it. So now, if I see it and I know I'm going to need it then I just buy it - job done.

I thought about doing this car orange and tartan but I've already got a white/tartan car and that interior was very difficult to replicate so I thought I'd restore this one back to red with a brown marcasite interior as I've never seen one done before and virtually every car that gets restored is white/tartan which to me is becoming boring.

I have also found another bonnet catch which I was missing and I think that was the last of the things which I was searching for. If everything else comes through I have got everything that I can't buy from SJ

Total spend so far £17,235.99

Lotusfab · February 11, 2021

Price is still looking ok! You have got a knack for getting stuff at reasonable prices.

Paul Coleman · February 11, 2021

Again, I'm a long way off of needing one of these but whilst I saw it I thought I might as well buy it. I've gone for a red version of this stainless steel braided hose so that people can keep telling me I need to change it

So that's a bit more of the kid's inheritance I've wasted.

I have a shopping list which I keep adding to that at some point I will place with SJ Sportscars. It's currently at about £8,000 but as the engine is a bit of an unknown at this point I will probably leave any engine bits off the list for now.

Fridge · February 11, 2021

Good job you already had some parts also. They all add up.

Paul Coleman · February 12, 2021

Another piece of the jigsaw arrived today so I can now cross that off the list. I swapped this for a louvred panel which came with the car and was no use to me as I'm going to put it back to S1 spec with glass in the tailgate. I'm told the louvred panels are incredibly difficult to find so I was happy to swap one rare item for another, fair exchange is no robbery...

This is for the spare wheel as I didn't fancy driving around without a spare. The wheels are all date stamped and this is actually a 78 wheel whereas it would have had a 76 or 77 originally but these are so difficult to find that beggars can't be choosers! Most people wouldn't know or even care.

The only big items missing which can't be bought from SJ are a complete heater and early style plenum but hopefully I have a source for these.

I discovered the other day that the gearstick I have is not the original so I now have to source one of these. The original had an M7 thread and I have a spare M7 gearknob which I can restore but the later gearstick has an M8 thread so it was probably changed as the early ones had a habit of snapping.

Total spend so far still £17,235.99

Edited February 12, 2021 by Paul Coleman

Paul Coleman · February 12, 2021

Bugger... just realised it's got the wrong PCD The S1 is only 100m and this one is about 107mm... so the hunt is still on...

JonSE · February 14, 2021

Would you blank and drill to the correct PCD if it’s a spare? Was considering any correct size Wolfrace wheels myself just modified for the correct PCD then powder coated chrome effect if it’s economical versus original Esprit wheels.

Another question to help me as you are ahead and have done this before.......

When you build the rolling chassis back up, do you do so with spring compressors to get correct setting and tighten the suspension joints with bushes to the final torque before body fitment or leave the nuts loose and just torque up once the body and other bits are back on and the correct weight is more or less applied?

Will you need spring compressors to get the suspension apart once the body is lifted off or is enough tension released to just undo the springs? My roofer is very busy this time of year........

Fridge · February 14, 2021

You need spring compressors.

Tighten suspension up once the car is fully loaded. But remember to make a note!

Paul Coleman · February 14, 2021

6 hours ago, JonSE said:

Would you blank and drill to the correct PCD if it’s a spare? Was considering any correct size Wolfrace wheels myself just modified for the correct PCD then powder coated chrome effect if it’s economical versus original Esprit wheels.

Another question to help me as you are ahead and have done this before.......

When you build the rolling chassis back up, do you do so with spring compressors to get correct setting and tighten the suspension joints with bushes to the final torque before body fitment or leave the nuts loose and just torque up once the body and other bits are back on and the correct weight is more or less applied?

Will you need spring compressors to get the suspension apart once the body is lifted off or is enough tension released to just undo the springs? My roofer is very busy this time of year........

I did think about re-drilling them but I would rather look for the correct wheel if I can find one.

As David has mentioned certain nuts need to be torqued with the required weight in the car (listed in the workshop manual). Spring compressors are a must - I always wince when I'm using them

Paul Coleman · March 8, 2021

This update is for @JonSE as he will have to deal with this at some point.

I only work part-time doing 3 days a week but I still don't seem to have the time to work on this car. Instead, I seem to have become an Electrician for both my kids rewiring bits of their houses and when I'm not doing that I'm decorating at my Son's. I plan on retiring fully in the summer but if I'm going to become a full-time handyman for my kids I might just stay at work hahaha

Anyway, I have nicknamed this car 'the mongrel' as it had so many missing pieces and I think that suits it rather nicely! I haven't made a massive amount of progress but I have taken a mould off of the spare roof section I got with this car...

It was a bit of a ropey panel as it had a few star cracks but fortunately they're towards the sides of the panel. The idea is to eventually turn the shell upside down and then clamp this panel to the roof and fill the sunroof in from the inside rather than cut a section out of the roof I got with it and graft that in...

That way it will be easier to get the shape exactly right and I've made the external roof mould relatively thin so it has a bit of flex in it...

I also borrowed a pair of moulds for the front lower quarters and I've made a pair of new panels from them...

These were a right pig to get out but they gave in in the end...

These are going to be needed to repair the front where some Philistine had hacked it to fit an S2 spoiler...

So I will have to trim down the repair panels and then glass them in. Here I was just fitting them to the outside of the shell to see how much had been butchered and with the light from above it becomes obvious...

By the time they're shaped, fitted and primed nobody will ever know - unless they read this thread of course...

This will be a lot easier to deal with when the shell is inverted but before I do that I need to spend a million hours getting rid of all the old paint. This car has had a really thick layer of polyester (by the looks of it) and then colour over the top. You can see here on the top of the front wing just how thick the paint is...

So that will be fun stripping that. POR used to do a paint stripper that wouldn't attack gelcoat but they were banned from selling it by the health & safety brigade

Edited March 8, 2021 by Paul Coleman

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