Original technical drawings?

[Gjk]

Does any know or know someone who has access to the original engineering technical drawings for the esprit cars? Or - is it a call to Hethal?

[MPx]

The guru for all things Esprit is Brian Angus who retired from Lotus as Esprit platform manager a few years back.  I would imagine drawings will be secure in Lotus archives, but Brian will know what exists where.   Its quite possible that Lotus will be happy to share such archives given a reasonable approach.   Brian has a regular column in the Club Lotus magazine...so if Bibs or someone on here doesn't have contact info, then I'm sure Alan Morgan at CL will have.

[Bibs]

@brian_gt4 

[brian_gt4]

All the Esprit technical drawings were archived 10 years ago (when I retired). Nearly all the Esprit drawings are on Hard Copy and recorded on the company drawing register. The V8 engine technical drawings are all on CAD files. I do not know who is responsible for archived material but I guess an approach through  Lotus Aftersales would be a starting point as they would have been the last department to have had a reason to have access when ordering service parts.

Brian

[Gjk]

Thank you for the pointers, I’ll start with Lotus after sales. 👍

[Gjk]

I emailed lotus after sales on the 5th of December. They did reply saying they have past my request to the archive team but as yet I have not had a response. I have sent another email this morning so fingers crossed I’ll hear something soon…

[Gjk]

I have sent another email this morning to try a find out what is going on. I am beginning to feel that Lotus cars is not really bothered about its older models and their owners. It is a shame really.

[Bibs]

They may just consider it proprietary and confidential. I'll give them a call when I'm back at work later and see what I can find out. 

[Gjk]

Cheers Bibs

i am only after the drawing for the piece of metal that supports  the front of the engine under tray. I would just like to know the rivet pitches and edge distances.

[Bibs]

Cool. It'll be Monday now, I missed them today I'm afraid. 

[Chillidoggy]

I can have a look at mine tomorrow if you like Graham? It’s already up on the ramp, but until I do I have no idea whether I can get the measurements you want.

[Gjk]

Thanks for the offer Ian, much appreciated.

I was after the original technical drawing as the metal retaining channel on my car does not exist and has rusted away. I have a replacement but it was supplied blank.

 

I know the S4s under tray fwd retaining strip differs slightly from that on the se but I’d imagine the edge distances not to be too different.

[NG5]

The cynic in me says being a lotus and essentially trim, the rivets were probably roughly central as your picture and spaced where the man with the drill on that day thought was a good idea. 

On a more practical note, even though rusted away, can't you see the original rivet positions in the body and measure those, they need removing/cleaning out anyway?

[Escape]

I have removed that strip from my SE. Adding lightness, as I run without the undertray anyway. I'll dig it out and have a go with the caliper. 😉

[Gjk]

Yes @NG5 it had crossed my mind that that was possibly how it was installed originally. I thought though that surely it would have been pilot drilled before getting onto the assembly line.

yes I do indeed need to get under the car and clean out the rivet holes in the body and could possibly measure the rivet pitches but, I don’t have the under tray yet to determine where the front retaining strip should sit and the under tray is also being supplied un-drilled.

 

@Escape thanks for the offer. I would be interested to see if the holes in your strip have some form of uniformity to them or, they look like they have been drilled on either a Monday morning or Friday afternoon!

if it does look uniform I’d be interested in the dimensions please.

[Chillidoggy]

Best I can do without removing one. Interesting to see how it compares. 

[Gjk]

Cheers Ian thanks for that.

just for comparison I measured up the reproduction one I have :-

 

[Chillidoggy]

Looks pretty close to me. Difficult trying to measure upside down.

Obviously the GRP thickness is the important bit, so the tray can slide right in, but assuming you know where they’re fitted, then I’d say you’re on the right track.

[Gjk]

I think that my best bet might be to offer up the under tray to the car, clamp it in place temporarily and then offer up the strip to see where the rivet holes are going to transfer to the strip.

I had hoped to have been able to at least pilot drill the rivet holes in the strip first so that the strip dictated the tray position and not the other way around. Being that the tray is also a reproduction piece I’m not sure of the dimensional accuracy or fit.

[Chillidoggy]

That’s the best way, in my view. Reason being, you only need to get those strips a few mm out, and it’ll translate into cm’s at the back end. Supporting the tray up in-situ is the hardest bit. From memory, you need either four pairs of arms, or an obliging octopus.

[Gjk]

When I mentioned clamping it in place, I have absolutely no idea how I’m going to do it. Maybe blocks of wood for height and aluminium tape to hold in place. I need to drill the tray as well but I’d rather get the retaining strip completed first.

I could do with a blummin’ technical drawing! Oh the irony!!

[Escape]

Didn't get 'round to looking up the strip yesterday. On Tuesday I'm back in the Workshop, sorry for the delay.

[Chillidoggy]

Graham - Maybe see if you can rent a car lift a a local garage for a while, then use a transmission jack or something similar to support the tray while you get on with the business of drilling and fastening. I'm not convinced that a tech drawing will solve the problem, given the holes are almost certainly drilled by hand.

[Gjk]

Don’t panic @Escape.

I’m not sure of the placing of the tray to the car, though I think there are a couple of fasteners at the rear of the tray either side on the vertical plane iirc from the parts manual which would give me a datum.

I will have to look into finding a lift for hire in my area.

[Chillidoggy]

8 minutes ago, Gjk said:

Don’t panic @Escape.

I’m not sure of the placing of the tray to the car, though I think there are a couple of fasteners at the rear of the tray either side on the vertical plane iirc from the parts manual which would give me a datum.

I will have to look into finding a lift for hire in my area.

 

If you've already got two fastener holes, it should make location easier. I'd forgotten about those, and I'll have a look at my tray later.