Stainless Esprit front bumper mounting brackets

[tomcattom]

On 13/12/2021 at 10:50, cweeden said:

It would also be a good excuse to pop over to Buckinghamshire, say hi and collect them when ready. 🙂
 

More than happy for you pop in and collect @cweeden

[tomcattom]

Right, I'm looking to place an order for a batch of these brackets in the next week or so, but after speaking ot the supplier about one of the comments on quote I wanted to check everyone that has expressed an interest is happy with an alteration they're proposing.

The two upper front bumper brackets are an up-turned 'U' profile. It's a tight bend to make for my supplier. The OE brackets I have examples of here measure 20mm wide by 5-7mm deep (approx).

The machinery they have means the best they can do is a 10mm height on the channel with stainless.

Are people still happy with this? I can't see any reason why the extra height in the channel will cause any fitment issues looking at the spare front bumper I have here.

*** EDIT *** The supplier has said they'll do some tests before they start manufacture if I go ahead and see if they can get closer to the original specification, but it won't be any taller than 10mm.

[cweeden]

On 09/03/2021 at 18:17, cweeden said:

I found item 6, it is still riveted to my bumper. 🤣

That made life a little more challenging as its stored on the rafters above the car in the garage, so some careful crawling around was needed.

The plate is a 'U' section piece 790mm long, 20mm wide and 5mm high, foolishly I forgot to measure where the rivets are located (I'll grab that later), you have the stud spacing based on the hole location in the above supporting plate.

The curve of the bumper prevents the bar from being any longer as it is already being flexed slightly at the ends but the shape of the ridge. It also means you don't want to make it any wider and in fact the radius of the curve in the 'U' is helping a but here. It might be a design idea to offset the studs to one edge of the bar a little (maybe 2mm or 3mm) to position the bar that much further back and away from the ridge. You can just about make out what I mean in the first photo below.

          

I'll grab the length of the studs (bolts too). Let me know if I've missed anything else?

cheers

-Chris

I can't quite see which bracket that is in your picture, I was assuming #6 from the Lotus parts diagram but the stud looks closer to the end than I would expect. Either way part #6 is a U channel of similar height. I don't think it will be a problem to make it taller but looking at a past comment from when I measured it, this piece could easily have fouling issues at each end. The height doesn't look like it would be a factor though, however I'm wondering if you decided to add a slight offset to the studs or not (I'm not overly concerned either way just curious).

[tomcattom]

This applies to items 6 and 13 on the parts diagram on the previous page. That's item 13 in the picture above.

[madmax]

I’m still up for a complete set of these including the rear wheel arch items too when the order is ready to go in. 

Thanks again 

[cweeden]

Yup, me too. Great job Tom. 👍

[fjmuurling]

When I made mine I just used a straight strip of stainless steel.

The nuts are there for just holding the bolts in place for welding the bolt heads to the plate.

[tomcattom]

Order for the brackets has been placed. Lead time is currently running at about a week.

[madmax]

Thanks for the update Tom - end of month would be fine as there's no hurry for me to undertake this PITA job!

[tomcattom]

Good news, the brackets have all been manufactured. Just need to sort out a time to pop down there to cough up the money and collect them.

Once I've got the brackets back here I'll be able to weigh and measure them up to get an estimate for P&P charges for those that don't want to/can't collect.

[cweeden]

Great news Tom, I'm hoping to find time to collect when it's convenient. 👍

[madmax]

What rivets are people going to use to mount these plates - aluminium or stainless and what size?

Edited March 24, 2022 by madmax
Typo

[tomcattom]

I'm popping down to collect the parts at some stage today. @cweeden PM me to sort a date to collect.

I used aluminium rivets @madmax, it's softer so I figured it would make them easier to drill out in future if I ever needed to. I just put a light smear of duralac on the rivets to mitigate the galvanic corrosion issue.

Size wise they're 3.2mm rivets, I'll have to double check for you but I think I used 14mm long rivets last time around, but I can confirm that later in the week.

[tomcattom]

Been and collected "some" of the part at lunchtime. I've had to leave most of the smaller brackets with them because they forgot to weld in the nuts and bolts on a several of the parts, d'oh! Will have to wait until next week now before I can collect the remainder, although they should be ready by tomorrow.

While we wait, here is sneaky snap of the parts I did manage to collect today.  Should be able to trial fit most of those parts to a spare bumper I have here just to be sure they're all dimensionally correct before I start handing the parts over.

[tomcattom]

Managed to find time to go and collect the remaining brackets with the missing welded bits today.

I'll measure and weigh everything to get P&P prices over the weekend and confirm final prices with everyone via DM. I'll also confirm fitment of the new upper mounting brackets on my spare bumper to be sure they fit before collecting money/shipping.

I have one set each earmarked for @madmax and @cweeden which leave one spare set remaining unallocated for anyone that wants to stake a claim to it.

[cweeden]

Can you number each item in accordance with the parts diagram so that I know where they all go? 🤣

[tomcattom]

Everything fits as far as the new brackets to secure the bumper to the body are concerned

Postage and packaging will be £13.50. It needs to be via Royal Mail Special Delivery to get sufficient insurance cover. I can see if any other couriers come out cheaper but I doubt it will be a huge difference.

[agk]

Hello, sorry if I missed it, but is this wonderful set of brackets etc still available for purchase, and at what price? Please kindly advise. 

Anton

'95 S4s

[tomcattom]

Youre in luck @agk, I have one complete set left.

• Bumper bracket set only will cost £218.40 + P&P
• Bumper bracket plus the two plates in the wheel arch for the fuel tank boards (A082U4680K) will cost £235.20 + P&P

Postage and packaging costs £13.50 in both cases and will be via RM Special Delivery to get sufficient insurance. If you're outside the UK I'll have to get some prices for couriers. Collection is also welcome if you're near Buckinghamshire.

[madmax]

Monies for a full set sent across yesterday Tom so hopefully before long I'll have some more stainless projects stacking up. Can I please confirm that I'd like a set of rear wheel arch plates and if anyone knows whether they can be removed from the arch side without the need for access to the tank side, I'd be grateful - thanks again for pulling this all together 

[tomcattom]

Thanks @madmax. As per the DM, your items are all packaged up ready to go tomorrow.

That's the last set sold now. If anyone else wants a set I can arrange one off production runs, but there is likely to be a increase in price for a small run, so it probably best to try and drum up support to get multiple sets produced.

2 hours ago, madmax said:

if anyone knows whether they can be removed from the arch side without the need for access to the tank side

The plates that go in the arches are bolted to L shaped brakets in the tank space which have captive nuts on them. That bracket is in turn bolted to the wooden boards on top the tanks. I reckon you could probably do them in situ without needing access to the other side, but I wouldn't remove both nots at once just in case the bracket behind drops slightly. I think I have some photos I can send you from when I did my tanks earlier in the year thay show what is on the other side.

[tomcattom]

Found it. This is what you're bolting that bracket to from in the wheel arch. The wooden board which it's also bolted to isn't fitted in this shot.

[madmax]

Excellent Tom - thanks for that picture it makes more sense now. Had a lengthy dig around your restoration posts too - what a challenge and some incredible work done.

Don't worry, I'll try to slacken one bolt at a time as I've been in trouble before slacking off or removing things only for them to drop into the deepest, darkest void of a Lotus interior, never to see the light of day again!

Thanks too for organising these stainless items - no one will ever see them but I'll know they're done 🙂

[MrDangerUS]

On 01/05/2022 at 16:19, tomcattom said:

Youre in luck @agk, I have one complete set left.

• Bumper bracket set only will cost £218.40 + P&P
• Bumper bracket plus the two plates in the wheel arch for the fuel tank boards (A082U4680K) will cost £235.20 + P&P

Postage and packaging costs £13.50 in both cases and will be via RM Special Delivery to get sufficient insurance. If you're outside the UK I'll have to get some prices for couriers. Collection is also welcome if you're near Buckinghamshire.

Tom,

Are you planning to make more kits in the future? Perhaps organize a Group Buy?

[Erikl]

Please keep me in the loop, I would be interested in a full kit if it goes forward.  I wonder if it would make sense to have set made up here in the states with the the shipping and import fees. 

Tom would you sell your CAD work?