Day out in Belgium - (Broken Esprit content!)

[Laura]

How did Laura react? Does she still love the Esprit after this event?

I reacted by waking up!

I appreciate the hobby, LEF is great & I enjoy the car but 'love the Esprit' may be a little too strong.

[andydclements]

There have been television shows about peole who love cars.

[wookiecj]

Glad to hear you guys are all safe, sound? and repatriated complete with an indomitable sense of humour. So it's a big welcome to the "that's more exciting than I really wanted it to be club" (I once lost a rear tyre to a puncture at 75mph on the M40 one night when driving 2-up on an 850cc motorbike). It's only when the expletive stream has exhausted itself that you get to thinking about how lucky you were... and what might have been.

At the end of the episode, no one got hurt, it's only bent metal and grp and that's the way it should be. Obviously this time you were travelling within the flight envelope of Laura's Guardian Angel !

[Tony K]

Holy cow! Just read this! Glad you're okay, Bibs!

[Exploded]

Yes we were all nailed to the ground, when we got your message.

Needless to say, we are all delighted to hear that you and Laura were unhurt and that the damage to the Esprit, all in all, turns out better than we expected.

We challenge you already for next year, to have your revenge on our Belgian Roads!

[Bibs]

Haha! Gert, you can count on it

[Walter Lotus]

Bibs ,

Glad to hear that the damage isn't too bad and that your car will be back on the road asap.

It's better to come over with a Merc. as you shouldn't go further than walking distance with an Esprit just as I told you last Sunday.

Walter

[redshift]

Jeez, I've been moaning about alternator failure.

Kind of puts that into perspective!

Glad it all looks repairable.

[arbell9]

Shit a brick,

only just read this thread. That must have a been a bum clenching squeeky pop feeling as you brought her in to a stop. Good driving mate.

really glad no damage to you or laura.

Amazing good and bad luck

Alex

[molemot]

Same thing happened to my chauffeur grandfather in a Napier...he was driving his employers to the Isle of Wight from Teignmouth in Devon; going downhill at one point he braked, and watched his rear offside wheel roll past...stopped the car and then had to go to the bottom of the hill to reclaim the wheel!!

Hope the damage isn't too extensive and you can get her fixed...was it a wheel bearing that seized?

[stephanie plum]

Good thing that did't happen on the bowl! Glad you're both ok - jo and nik

[Bibs]

Further developments regarding my car mean it's turned into an Aston Martin which is nice, especially if it's a DBS!

The car has gone to Stratton Motor Company in Long Stratton for assessment and repair. Having toured their facilities and seen the many restorations and repairs they undertake I'm very much looking forward to having the car back once they've had a chance to weave their magic on my mota. Thanks to the guys there so far including Guy, Rupert and Roger and I'll keep us all informed as the car progresses.

[Jonathan]

Whats the deal then, thought it wasn't a overly complex fix ?

Bet they had fun on that road with that lorry

[Bibs]

That's our drive up the side of the house! The bodywork is the complex bit, there's a lot of damage which fibreglass specialists like Strattons can deal with. There's a fair amount of new parts needed and fitting etc too, makes sense to have it all done under one roof and as it turns out my insurers are happy to pay for the accidental damage to the car which was caused after the mechanical failure.

[Jonathan]

Yes I know thats the drive but I was more thinking about him reversing out onto that road, scares me enough in a car ! I suppose it's a lorry, not going to come off worse is it...

OIC, I didn't know it needed glass as well,

[thom_77]

Ok wait, does this really happen? The wheels just pop off?

Because if it does, then in all likelihood its going to happen to me, as everything that can possibly happen to my car does in fact happen.

What can I tell my mechanics to look for preemptively?

[Bibs]

It's an isolated incident, accidents happen. If you really want to check, x-ray your driveshafts and bearings.

[Simon350S]

Nice new drive dudes....! Kimbers wont clonk his nose next time he visits! LOL

Hope you get her back soon

[Jonathan]

No, wheels dont just pop off - infact its very rare.

All they can do is the basic checks.

I usually do it every year, just jack the car up, take the wheels off and check bolts and bits.

An easy tip my pal at the Lotus dealership does is paint / marker pen the ends of bolts etc to indicate if they are coming undone for example.

Luckily this year I done this check and found the PUK poly bushes I had fitted were falling off the wishbone so I got them sorted by buying the correct ones before I had an issue with the car.

You can only do so much, taking things on and off all the time is too extreme and you'll do more damage that way in my opinion to threads etc - just a good visual check is all it really needs....as per the service schedule infact. The nice thing is if you do it yourself you know it's been done propperly

For example my brake lines on the front look a bit tired, I know this now - yet in a service they might simply just put a tick in the box next to it - I know to sort it before there's an issue, and thats the difference between actually getting stuck in yourself

[cjtpb13]

Bibs,

This is what you get here in the US when your insurance company sends a recovery truck to take your car to the Lotus Dealership for repairs

Christopher

[USAndretti42]

I see Bibs got his ride sorted while his Esprit is fixed.

[Andy67]

Have you heard how work is progressing on your car Bibs...?

Obviously the "Festive Period" will have stopped work for a bit...!

[stephenbirdsall]

Ouchy, just read all of this and all I can do is repeat what everyone else has said - glad you are both OK and glad to hear that the car is being fixed.

Question is, if you are having it all done by the pro's, have you broken your tools out of their packaging yet?

*grins as he runs and hides*

[Bibs]

All's well that ends well

[Simon350S]

You've actually got the keys back? You must be chuffed!

Looks lovely even if a little nightrider ish with those wheels!