The Wedgie files - A restoration moment of Zen, pt.2

[Musiccitylotus]

Two steps forward, three steps back...

After finally hitting the road for the first time after more than 1.5 years, I drove down to a buddy's shop, to have the A/C evacuated and filled with sweet R12. Car drives well, and the filling went quite smoothly, until...

I could not get any airflow to the A/C vents, and the floor vents were blowing hot air. And I could not adjust between defrost and floor.

AAAARGHGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why didn't I check this before I put the instrument cluster in? Cause the car was not running at that time, and the electrics were a mess that I could only sort out with all in place. After removing the center console, the culprit was found pretty fast: A couple of split vacuum connections, stuck valves, and, worst, a punctured vacuum actuator for the blend door. After a fruitless attempt to get it out with the dash in place, I pulled the whole thing out.

Wasn't too bad, but I would have preferred not to do it!

Now it's on to chase the actuator down. A 1970 Camaro one looks almost identical, so the hunt is on! In the meantime, I pulled the little vacuum valves from the heater controls. They are not leaking, but won't return by themselves, leaving the lines closed and non functional. So i fired up the lathe, made some custom washers, and stripped a ball pen of it's spring.

Voila: One operating vacuum valve!

Another construction site are the bumpers. I started making new ones from aluminum. Pretty straight forward, and looks great, once everything is polished.

Edited May 21, 2011 by Musiccitylotus

[GavinT]

[esprit s2]

Any updates Michael?

[Musiccitylotus]

Yes, was just too busy posting anything... the dash is back in, after I had to make a new vacuum valve. The main one on the register (the one at the bottom slider) switches the vacuum on for the whole system. It's rubber part was all swolllen up for whatever reason, reducing the flow to the point that the actuators wouldn't open all the way. Tried Lotusbits for replacement, but they only have used ones, and I would have to buy the whole register... Pics folow, as soon as I found the cord for the camera

[esprit s2]

Excellent!

[esprit s2]

Michael!!!! Come on man! We haven't seen updates for ages! A video was promised too..............

[USAndretti42]

Your car doesn't look good. IT looks fantastic. It seems a shame to hide that rear suspension under the bodywork. Great work.

[Musiccitylotus]

Guys, patience!!!!

I was (am) busy as hell, my wife bought another car (E28 535i) as her daily driver, that needs attention first... but progress is made, everything works, A/C is cold as hell! Hopefully tomorrow I can work on the Elite bumpers, the last big ticket on the list. Had to wait for the light switch and clock from Lotusbits before I could put everything back together in the center console department. And the footwell ducting didn't work as thought, so the instrument cluster was on standby, to get to the duct. It's always amazing, how little things prevent big progress!

[Musiccitylotus]

A little side project, while the dash was out, was the heater register. The original had been touched up rather hamfisted, was warped and glued on with double sided tape. Not pretty!

So I spent some time on the computer, scanning the original, and then "repairing" it in Paint (don't have photoshop). Some self adhesive photo paper and a printer later: New heater register decal! (Still needs some trimming around the edges, I know) :-)

Edited July 22, 2011 by Musiccitylotus

[esprit s2]

Michael,

Have you got any pictures of the top of your rear damper please? I'm thinking there is a rubber bush missing to mine.

Is there a rubber bush that goes on top of the chassis cross member and one that sits inside the member?

[Musiccitylotus]

I have no pics, but there are 2 rubber donuts, one goes under, one over the frame, with a big cupped washer on top.

[esprit s2]

Thanks Michael, most kind sir.

Thanks Michael, most kind sir.

[Musiccitylotus]

Some update pictures. Drove the car the first couple of hundred miles. So far almost everything works fine, the rear needs the geometry rectified, too much toe out makes it REALLY squirrely at higher speeds! But the A/C is meat locker cold, good thing in this hot summer we have here right now. The front bumper is done, I went with S2 running lights/turn signals. Rear bumper is in the works.

The exhaust needs an additional muffler, it's waayyy too loud! Am I getting old??? :-)

Another nice touch is the Nardi steering wheel, made a hub to adapt it to the Lotus column. It.s just the right size, and all the stalks are at your finger tips.

Now, the only problem is, that the driver seat is too low for my wife to see anything... will have to work on that!

[USAndretti42]

Great news, Michael. Car looks great. I particularly like the seats. Nice work.

[jlmarsh]

Michael - this is inspirational. Thank you for sharing these rebuild pics and info. My Elite is in desperate need of new interior and I'm now looking forward to attacking the job with renewed enthusiasm. Jason

[Musiccitylotus]

Braking news... or should I say, non braking news? After a 50 mile drive, and parking Wedgie over night: No brakes! Turns out that one of the "new" wheel cylinders is a little incontinent. Oh well, here we go again!

[Musiccitylotus]

Wheel cylinder is ok, was just some diff oil from filling it up. It is the master cylinder. It draws air from the rear seal. Rebuild kit is ordered.

[esprit s2]

Any updates on this Michael? Is it all running well?

I seem to remember a video was promised........

[esprit s2]

Ok, taxes are done, my Europa runs, so it's time for a little update on Wedgie.

If anyone ever wonders where all the time goes in restorations, here is one example: The first picture is of all the little tidbits that hold essential stuff like the front suspension together. And I could just not bring myself to wrench the wheels back on with rusty bolts. Although probably no one but me will ever see them...

Next stop were the sway bar bushings. We got new ones with the car, but when I took them out of the bag, they disintegrated in my hands! So I made new ones from machineable rubber. The cracked control arms are already welded and painted, so on they go. Aren't they purdy?

I glass blasted and powder coated all the upright parts, cleaned the good trunnions, and wrenched everything together with the shiny bolts. This is so much fun!

The steering rack was reunited with it's fresh plated clamps and bolted in place. Finally the rebuilt calipers and new brake hoses finished the front suspension. And this is how the whole ensemble looks now, soon to be hidden by the fresh tires:

Just been looking at this thread again, am amazed at the quality of the work.

One thing though - on my car the track rod ends on the steering rack were round the other way, as in the ball jointy bits went in to the front suspensiony bit upwards rather than downwards.

Its the last picture.

That makes perfect sense....

Edited July 24, 2012 by esprit s2

[Musiccitylotus]

Paul,

thanks for your kind words! The tie rod ends go in only one way, cause they are tapered. Maybe I assmbled the steering arms the wrong way? Or you did?

I will check the manual, as soon as I am home again from vacation!