Elite/Eclat/Excel video & picture thread!

[exeterjeep]

South West Lotus are working on getting a customers gold Elite back together, should look great when finished.

[johnpwalsh]

What a stunner that will be. Love the gold. I'm looking to bring the White Eclat back from its current coat of White back to original Orange as I recon there are only a couple of them left.

 

[soldave]

27 minutes ago, exeterjeep said:

South West Lotus are working on getting a customers gold Elite back together, should look great when finished.

Oh lawd!!! What is the actual colour on that? Whatever it is, it looks gorgeous.

[Benco]

 

Just spotted this picture from earlier in the thread, I have the car two registrations before XPW 967X, Lotus Eclat Riviera in blue. 🙂

[Mark Blanchard]

So good to see an Elite having some money spent on it.  Hope to see that around when it's done.

[exeterjeep]

SWLC  have an open day is September, would have thought it might have been finished by then.

[Tim Jones]

I've been aware of this registration for at least 30 years, and been monitoring it for the last 5 or 10, during which I've seen it offered for sale twice. Delighted to finally get my hands on it 

[Tony D]

Great plate. 

Tony

[exeterjeep]

Just 1 Excel at the Hendy do at Thruxton, not in a lotus club parking, in the wax/shine display. Excels probably the most useable Lotus as a daily driver. I had a white D reg SE for a few years.

 

[Don't Be Foolish]

Ash from K3 Mobile Valeting Services carried out a wash and brush up on my Elite today with amazing results. The only trouble is I won’t want to drive now it in case it gets dirty😄

 

[Don't Be Foolish]

Another couple of photos taken by Ash from K3 yesterday while working on my car.

[jep]

Lovely but time to get it dirty again. 

Justin

 

[Don't Be Foolish]

43 minutes ago, jep said:

Lovely but time to get it dirty again. 

Justin

 

You’re right, I just won’t go above 5mph so the flies can land on the windscreen rather than get squashed 🙂

[jep]

No flies on you. 

[Don't Be Foolish]

16 hours ago, jep said:

No flies on you. 

......or seagull poop, hopefully 🙂

[ChrisJ]

17 hours ago, Don't Be Foolish said:

You’re right, I just won’t go above 5mph so the flies can land on the windscreen rather than get squashed 🙂

Nah ... cover the car in clingfilm.

(It has been done before)

[Don't Be Foolish]

6 hours ago, ChrisJ said:

Nah ... cover the car in clingfilm.

(It has been done before)

I might have to do that as for some reason my wife isn’t too keen on the idea of running alongside with a big umbrella when it rains 😊

[soldave]

This has probably been asked elsewhere, but are those seats original? Whatever they are, they look lovely as does the rest of the car!

[Don't Be Foolish]

2 hours ago, soldave said:

This has probably been asked elsewhere, but are those seats original? Whatever they are, they look lovely as does the rest of the car!

Hi Dave, many thanks for your kind words. The front seats are original but were re-trimmed by a contact of Mike Taylor a couple of years ago. Bill.

[CRB]

This seems as good a place as any to introduce myself. I bought this '78 Elite a few months ago. Absolutely loving it so far.

[exeterjeep]

On 02/08/2022 at 17:37, exeterjeep said:

South West Lotus are working on getting a customers gold Elite back together, should look great when finished.

This elite was one of the classic cars rescued from a collapsed tunnel in Liverpool that had been trapped for years. Also 2 years ago or so the engine disappeared.

See  https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/classic-cars-left-abandoned-under-23928827

 

[Don.Hasi]

On 09/08/2022 at 22:49, Don't Be Foolish said:

Ash from K3 Mobile Valeting Services carried out a wash and brush up on my Elite today with amazing results. The only trouble is I won’t want to drive now it in case it gets dirty😄

 

 

 

Did you change the dash yourself? It looks very good and suits the car. Do you have a complete picture of it?

[Don't Be Foolish]

35 minutes ago, Don.Hasi said:

Did you change the dash yourself? It looks very good and suits the car. Do you have a complete picture of it?

Thanks for your comments Don, much appreciated. The changes to the instrument binnacle were more of a facelift than a redesign, however. I had the shiny plastic sheet that sits in front of the instruments remade out of a pinseal ABS sheet that has a slightly textured finish and to frame the dials, I bought chrome bezel surrounds of the correct diameter off eBay and glued them in position. Whilst not being major changes, I do feel they combine to give the dash a more upmarket appearance, certainly from a distance.

[Don.Hasi]

Very lovely. Remembers me a bit of this so called "in-between model" from a Lotus guy with a complete rearranged dash board. 

There is a bit of dilemma with our wedges from the 80. Still wearing chrome in and outside but black was the colour of speed. I am every time torn between the two poles. 

Do you have a free view on the water temp gauge while driving?

[Escape]

Another lovely roadtrip visiting UK with my trusty Excel.

Easy to spot on the ferry. 🙂

Lovely sunset at Carisbrooke castle before heading to the pub for a tasty pie and beer. And I certainly don't mind the kitted out Defender at the back.

She got us home safe and sound, just a few niggles to sort: I lost indicators after having to drive through heavy showers and partially flooded roads. Hazards still work though, so it must be between the flasher unit and stalk. Not that big a deal but I did feel uncomfortable having to drive all the way back pretending to be a BMW. 😛