The White Evora Thread

[cdco]

Thanks Dave , yeah your thread has been as much of a source of info as the handbook or B&C parts website. I saw the work you did on the airbag cover, a bit of me doesn't want any additional metal in there so it's currently clamped together with some stronger adhesives after I spent half the afternoon getting the old what I think was epoxy out of the joint.

[cdco]

So here's the question , I'm at the point where I can start re assembly BUT I haven't got the black scuff master to touch up the sills/kick panels etc so do I a) wait , send of the smallest of samples as there isn't any decent sized excess on any panel in the hope that can match it , (B) just order their standard black as well black is just black anything else is a shade of grey or (C) just start putting it back together and get it out whilst the weather is good ?

[cdco]

So got the black dye from Scuffmaster and have done the lower black leather that had taken some damage over the years and now put the car back together. Not often I can get in the back of the Evora so took an unusual pic of the whole dash.

Airbag cover is not as flush both sides as Id hoped but its far better than it was. And the sound of the Focal setup is such an upgrade to the old Alpines.

Final job for this session was to match the brass copper mesh in the Carbon vent panels with the rest I did last year so out with the masking tape and the rattle can again

Next a quick trip to Ollie at Phoenix for a service including serp belt.

 

 

 

[cdco]

So it's that quiet time of the year and I got bored ...

... Dash back out in an attempt to sort the airbag cover better than I managed last time...

So peeled the leather back off the edges re-binded the foam back to the metal and then clamped it all and its now in the airing cupboard to set in the warmth... Fingers crossed !!!! 

[Daveb99]

Nice one.  I found that mine wouldn’t go fully flush with the dash unless I trimmed away some of the excess leather on both the cover and the dash top itself, especially in the corners of the recess - after doing this it sits lower, and completely flush.

I also heated the cover gently and bent it round an old tyre to match the exact B profile of the dash top (because it was warped at the corners).

[Jovver]

This is a really interesting thread, I’m really enjoying reading about your hard work!

[cdco]

So airbag cover is out of the jig and looking much improved

Its not bolted down yet but even just sat there is a better profile than before at the front , and I know the back corner pulls down when bolted up so currently happier with this.

Once that's all back this can go in.

Harness bar from SSC in Aus to cure the sliding around on the leather I suffered at Silverstone, will be getting a Schroth 4 point ASM to go with it.

Once that's done Rad and Condenser change and any other jobs that need doing whilst the front clam is off.....

[Rambo]

Well, it looks a good job, but will your Evora still work after you put the dash back in?

PS fancy working on a Scottish Evora? 😉

[cdco]

Thanks and Oh yeah it'll work, second time I've done this now so an "expert" and no ta on the offer of working on one north of the wall I've got enough on my plate with this and a mates 87 Corvette "project" he's bought and decided I'm his "support" in getting it sorted. 

[Rambo]

🙁 just after a good clean up of thr throttle body assembly. No dash out required.

[cdco]

That I've not done but make sure you post about it so I can copy what you've done 🤣

[cdco]

So this has taken way longer than I wanted but everything is back in and I'm pretty happy with the airbag cover results this time 

[cdco]

Then in to sorting the sliding around whilst doing track days which involved adding these bits.

Harness bar from SSC , Schroth 7/16-20 bolts , 38mm I think to replace the shoulder ones in the normal seatbelt set up , more of why in a bit, figure of 8 Schroth harness mount points for the lap straps allows for a clip in harness and a Lotus OEM bracket that usually is used to mount the passenger side seatbelt buckle receiver.

[cdco]

The harness bar has proven to be a total pain but it's in now , one of the biggest problems was the length of the Lotus seatbelt shoulder bolts when you try and locate all the usual hardware plus the weight and thickness of the bar.

There's only a couple of threads left and they are no way strong enough as you try and locate the other side , hence the longer seatbelt rated bolts from Schroth (via MSAR).

Also I had to widen the sides of the bar by about 20mm to make it a snug fit and had to drill larger holes to take the B pillar bolts as there was no way they were going through them as drilled and lining up with the captive nuts.

The CNC milled 3rd point that fits where the rear seatbelt buckles go is neat price of kit.

 

 

When fitted it looks the part though and doesn't restrict rearward movement of the seats too much, un like when I fitted one to the Elise I still fit !

Your not using the rear seats for small people any more though.

 

[cdco]

So after seeing one Evora suffer gear selection issues due to heat at Donnington last year and the heat generated at Silverstone I decided to fabricate a version of one of Lotus solutions. As it's an NA I didn't think I needed to go the whole hog of the 4xx or BOE full leading edge drop on the undertray so made a bigger version of the original S scoop...

Included a kick up at the back to try and divert the air up where it's needed. Will post a fitted picture later.

My apprenticeship Fabrication/fitting instructors would have killed me for the quality drop offs... But that's why I qualified as an Aircraft Leccy instead.

 

[Bruss]

It's a lot easier to just put cotton reel spacers between the undertray and mounting points.

 

This type of thing.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282820868304?hash=item41d96ff8d0:g:3q8AAOSwXVNivpju&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4AGGiuq58Y0FV7MoCGyFityKHE5jaXiSqzMEq4unig9inqhWsz8EFY4xp0C6KlTwL6vCEUJH7OOg%2B65MnKAep0uyhbIo1rWukpoKrh2ja85aFVjvMX%2FoagPRSwSH%2FuqBMM9hDHjnTlErdFFhMHJLggj2xkNSZucl427qrm5iAfLG7e4vCPQRPL0P0ARCIPLkt4M0XTBC3qLbrzxEYLPRzPEi9kkpIydzZp5Z00JmstM%2FD21nzmqRDcUkrw2llk2azvp3gkiYIh7tkvn7xFGiLUKkQXNcfU3E%2FIQ3%2BXZ%2BH%2BB%2F|tkp%3ABk9SR7LN-eDXYQ

 

 

[cdco]

Yeah saw your solution @Bruss but fancied a different approach , something in me struggled with not having a solution for the sides that blocked off the slope. And I set myself a challenge ...

[cdco]

So finally on with phase 2 of this year's winter jobs, reasons various means it now an early spring job ... But hopefully it will get done over the next week or two.. so front clam now off...can't believe how many nuts ) bolts either sheared or needed to be drilled off....

Current state , needs a bit of a clean under there

Now waiting for a Rad and Condenser from Dave at Seriously Lotus... Then it will be rear under tray off (again) to swap out the power steering pump as (see other thread) I think I've got pressure loss at low RPM causing pulsing in the steering.

 

 

 

[cdco]

So now getting the PAS pump off love how simple the lotus workshop manual makes things sound... For instance.. "undo the power steering pump upper and lower mounting bolts via the subframe drive shaft hole" ... It fails to mention you cant actually see the pump ...

....and that you need 2 Flexi joints and extensions and can only see if your on the bolts from underneath whilst feeding the socket and extension assembly in from the wheel arch...

 

once that's sorted it simply says ... " Remove the pump from underneath the car"

... How ?

Then after 2 hours of frustration you have a brew , do a Google and find this nugget on the internet courtesy of Lotustalk...

FFS no where is that mentioned in the workshop manual, so RH suspension dismantle and drive shaft out tomorrow... Luckily no sign of the rad or condenser yet so I guess I need something to do or I may just have to sort the garden...

 

[cdco]

Well that was a bit of a nightmare but it's all back together and running , still need to bleed it all properly and check for leeks but atleast the cars mostly back together.. so things I learnt

firstly tools , everything is so packed in the right tools become a must , these two in particular courtesy of Amazon

1) Serpentine belt tool long enough to reach with the handle still accessible underneath to actually move it.

2) Extended spring hose clip pliers essential for releasing the pump feed hose from the reservoir.

Other things I learnt

1) Strip the Rh Rear hub carrier out and the driveshaft FIRST you can't get the pump out with it in place , and once it's out it gives you a little more working space. I didn't disconnect everything but did remove the caliper and hung it out of the way on tywraps , same with the hub carrier itself as I couldn't be arsed disconnecting the handbrake cable.

2) you can access the top nut on the driveshaft carrier bearing retainer  best from under the wheel arch along the top of the shaft using plenty of extensions.

3) the bolts on the drive shaft carrier bearing not only has nuts on the wheel side , but also the bearing carrier is threaded so the bolts have to be released from the gearbox side as well as removing the nuts and heat shield. The top one is a pig to get to and like a lot if this job needs some intricate jiggling and access with a couple of universal / wobble joints in the extension stack...I found the best way was over the exhaust y pipe. I should have taken some pictures but once things where in place I didn't want to let go to find my phone.

4) having a decent hi torque rattle gun makes getting the various nuts off much easier.

5) be prepared to loose a fair chunk of skin !

New pump in place which takes some effort it's a tight fit back to its mountings , the trick is the top bolt has a slot in the front of its mounting to the engine so it can be used as a guide and a pivot point by putting the bolt into the pump loosely first and aligning that slot once that's loosely bolted through the other side you can pivot the pump to.locate the lower bolt.

[cdco]

So final shiny things have arrived today 

Updated allyrad from @Seriouslylotus and  there's a new condenser as well all ready to go on. The old ones have been falling to bits as I've removed them there are no fins left on the a/c condenser I'm amazed it's still gas tight  and the same goes for the original plastic capped rad... Pics will follow tomorrow!

[cdco]

So here's the before....

I've wondered why it wasn't as efficient as it could be .....

[Bibs]

That certainly doens't look 100% efficient any more

[cdco]

Well after a shed load of faffing and reading if threads on here and on Lotus talk i think I've got the front bumper /clam joint in a fairly good place

Previously the step from the bumper to the clam was significant almost half the thickness of the clam fibreglass , now it's a pretty smooth transition.

The trick I've found is to use the jack and some wood load spreaders to (carefully) lift the bottom of the bumper effectively pivoting it on the bolts at its back edge until the fit and gap was where I wanted it and then bolting up the front under tray fasteners (all the others were done before this stage) to lock it in position. If you don't do this the bumped effectively pivots on the rear fastenings and twists the joint as the bumper is too flexible to hold itself in shape.

 

[pat_t]

That looks a better panel gap than 90% of the Evoras that left the factory.