Lotus Elite Project 2010

[EliteMike]

Hi All having had a little teach in on adding photos to the threads from yougest member of the family, young being 27, thought would show you how my Lotus Elite looked when it arrived a couple of months ago.

First picture is as it arrived on our drive, and second picture is as it looked after no more than a pressure wash.

Now front suspension is off to be cleaned and re painted, and next will be rear suspension removal and repaint.

Most of interior is out and stored in our warm dry garage.

Will update as I learn more about this.

Mike

[Emmerg]

The more photos the merrier ! Good luck with it, keep us updated.

[Dave Ward]

"What a difference a spray makes" !!!!

[Guest mkelite]

what about an 'Elite' gathering somewhere when all our cars r up n running? u know their a bit special really - dont u guys? regards. DC.

[EliteMike]

How much time have you got to wait for us all Dave. LOL

How long do you anticipate your reconstruction may take, I have no idea at all when mine may be finished, it just when and if with me, but very much like your thought of a get together when we have finished.

Looking at your bodywork, well not yours but cars, will you need a respray or is that paintwork good as looks in pictures.

My son is great on Computers, has no patience with me on them at all, what he tells me today, I have forgoten tomorrow, but turn the tables and when it comes to cars, I win hands down, so we have this uneasy truce, you help me, and tell me more than once, and keep telling me about IT, and I will help, advise, guide and tell you how and when with the cars, it works for us.

Regards

Mike

[Guest mkelite]

hi. will wait as soon as fellas but not TOO long. im not going to live forever! paintwork original but flaked tops of front wings n below windcreen so ultimately respray but as ive had her so long now have made a 'pledge' to get her restored this year..........may be my last words tho.............DC.

[matk]

Why don't you come down and see me and my Eclat!!

[Tocus]

mike you are not the youngest member of a elite anymore i was 21 then i buyed in the uk a yellow elite and now i have a LHD white elite 501 and a red eclat 522 and i just turned to 23 years old... butt have a good time with your project

greetings from the netherlands

[EliteMike]

Hi Tocus

I wish i was your age, no my son is the computer wizz and showed me how to add the photos he is 27, I am at the other end of the scale having just turned 60.

It great to see so many younger members interested in a car that came out when I was a bit younger than you, When they came out I said to my self I was always going to have a either Triumph GT6 or a Lotus Elite one day. Well rallying, Family, House and Work put the idea to the back of my mind for a very very long time, untill some one I knew wanted to sell a TVR soft Top but it was a real big resoration project, and I started looking with a bit more interest, found out about Lotus Bits and was very supprised what was available in parts, missed out on a couple on E Bay and bought this one sight unseen.

Found when it got here it had a galvanised chassis, what a bonus, and who ever had it fitted, had covered all nuts and bolts with coperslip and grease so they all come undone very easily.

So this is a summer restoration project, and like many others here, may not get finished this year, but will be there for next year,Wish you luck with your cars, and keep up good work

Wish you luck with your cars

[esprit s2]

More pictures please Mike! 

[Tocus]

yess i hope there will be also more young people how gone love the 70's style..

i just groing up with the lotus feeling

and my dad do every 2 months a tekst message in the club magazine from the lotus club holland

butt now i drive one for my own what a nice feeling and also a lotus cars from the good times when c.c lives..

i get many Thumbs up from people how see my on the highway they dont know this car..

and they all think that it is "daddy's" weekend car hahahaha

i like that so much i am enjoying it... and get every day a more and more lotus feeling

[EliteMike]

Well here is todays good news, after I dont know how many years standing looking neglected before I bought her, was told had been running 3 years ago but who knows, we fired up the engine this evening, have had cam covers off for a few days, turning her over by hand slowly checking that all the valves were moving correctly at least 3 times, and nothing was untowards in this departrment.

Went to the boot this evening where we knew there was a very rusty petrol pump sitting sulking in the boot well , using second battery just to power this with seperate wires was amazed, when after a small tap on the side, it started clicking and pumping petrol.

My Son was sat in the car and turned the key, after a lot of cranking, coughing and a bit of a splutter she burst into life, clouds of smoke from the oil we had put down the bores to ensure all was lubricated, but after 4 or 5 mins she was running very well, great oil pressure and alternator producing a respectable charge.

Next little bonus was trying the clutch and gears, was the centre plate going to be rusted onto the flywheel, clutch down, into 1st gear, rear drive shafts started spinning, try all gears, yes all working well, much grinning on our faces by now

Just have to get the two exhaust pipes that go over the drive shafts as the people who transported it down here had not realised exhaust was hanging and bent both of them double when pulling her up onto the trailer, luckily the centre box had slipped off the front pipe and not done any damage.

Only problem we can see is a petrol leak at the joint where it splits to go to each carb, so will have to take airbox off and see what is wrong here, may mean at trip to see Goodrich to make up some more pipes, after all the old girl is 34 years old so must expect some problems.

Any how we are now very happy people knowing engine runs well with no visible problems, clutch is free and gearbox and diff all work.

Some help from you guys, removing front springs what sort of spring compressor do most of you use, I have one I bought years ago for fords, but the clamps that go over the spring coil is too long and touched the shock, yes can cut it back but wondered if there was a better one for this spring, and secondly it is very dificult to get compressor on spring because of the wishbones?? any help would be apriciated.

Regards

Mike

[EliteMike]

Well after a few hours work today this is what the rear suspension looks like after cleaning, painting, and refitting, those eagle eyed readers will notice there is no brake drums currently in place, the reason being we fitted the near side first and then the off side and after fitting everything suddenly realised we have a brake fluid leak from the wheel cylinder, DAM, wished had spotted that before, o well a bit more work to do.

Here is what front suspension and brakes looked like before a complete strip down, clean and paint, will put pictures up when get that fitted, will look a lot better.

[mjcarter73]

Hi- this is great- I'm about to tackle my own front suspension and would really appreciate some more pictures as your story continues.

thanks

Mike