Taillights concept

[fsrowsell]

Great Tom, Show us pictures when you start the process of replacing your lights..

Cheers

Felix

[7tCatvert]

Will do..... I did notice that the brake light is LED but the others are just stock regular....Just learned that Superbrightleds.com is about 20 minutes from my house may have to go over and see if they have an outlet store....

[MrDangerUS]

Finally, I found lights which complement the styling of Esprit rear end. See my gallery.

Wadda-ya-think?

Edited January 6, 2011 by MrDangerUS

[fsrowsell]

John, those's were made for Red cars! Very nice find, were did you get them from?

Cheers

Felix

[Quicker]

http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item3cb1094624

They are back listed with a make offer price...What do you think $100 plus 60 shipping?

These are the ones on my car. Since the running/brake lights are LED in those, I also swapped in yellow LED turn bulbs and white LED reverse. It's amazing - updated the car's looks by 10 years...

Edited January 6, 2011 by Quikr

[7tCatvert]

Quickr......., :TTIWWP: What did you do with the center plinth....I ordered a pair should be here next week.....

[Quicker]

I extended the top edges on the plinth (where the stock lights have an inner tab overlap on the plinth) then skinned it with carbon fiber...

Looks pretty good - I'll post up some pics this weekend...

[Quicker]

not perfect but....

(it's on the lift as I'm working on fender flares today... (rear wheels out 2.5")

[RV_ABZ]

What kind of exhaust/exhaust silencer do you have on your beast? A Club Lotus France member was recently asking if quad-exit exhausts where available anywhere. What this custom made or is it readily available from a specialist outlet?

[7tCatvert]

Loooks great cant wait to get mine ...great ideaz on the carbon fibre...my idea was to have a metal shop bend me a new one that was flat with the corners filled in...but theis will be less expensive and looks good...did you just buy the carbon (vinyl) paper or is there something else....

[Quicker]

What kind of exhaust/exhaust silencer do you have on your beast? A Club Lotus France member was recently asking if quad-exit exhausts where available anywhere. What this custom made or is it readily available from a specialist outlet?

we custom made it - I called a local muffler shop and asked them to call me when they were having a 'slow' day as I had a project for them.... when they called me, and I pulled into their shop - we had a fun time.

basically - it comes off the cat, to the center of the car, Y's to left and right - then into the dual tips. no muffler.... cost about $300 for the parts and labour.

Loooks great cant wait to get mine ...great ideaz on the carbon fibre...my idea was to have a metal shop bend me a new one that was flat with the corners filled in...but theis will be less expensive and looks good...did you just buy the carbon (vinyl) paper or is there something else....

thanx - it's the real carbon fiber - the vinyl looks good in pics, but not in real life (IMHO). I get my carbon fiber sheets and resin from e-bay -> http://stores.ebay.com/R-R-MUSCLECARS

the trick is to keep it warm while drying - which makes it tough for a winter project. I've converted the spare bedroom into a sauna with a space heater and my big garage lamps to keep the temp at 110F...

[7tCatvert]

Sweet never really looked into that before will have to consider that doesnt seem too difficult to do....

[DanR]

How loud is it? Do the neighbours curse you at 6am on Sunday drive departures.

[Quicker]

it's loud. the pops and crackles during decelaration (with the odd flame) it's pretty cool...

I do leave at 5:30am each morning - and both my cars are very loud - no neighbour yet complained...

Edited January 9, 2011 by Quikr

[7tCatvert]

Lou,

Saw the ebay website for the carbon fiber assuming you just lay it over the old panel with maybe a wood block in the cut out...kinda like fiberglass to work with any pictures of you doing would be great also love to see your interior and engine tq28tz@aol.com

Your license is my last name with letter jumble quirke...

[Quicker]

I didn't take any pics of the process but, here's what I did...

- removed the plinth, cleaned it up

- glued a metal tab to the ends of the top part to bring the sides even to the rest of the edge

- sprayed contract cement (3m trim adhesive) on the plinth and on the carbon fiber sheet

- let dry for 30mins

- stick the carbon sheet to the plinth - it's a little trick to make sure you get into all the curves without buckling

- wrap the sheet around the edges and tape it down (trim off the excess

- let the glue set under pressure - I threw it face down on a soft mat with some weights on it, placed pens in the grooves

- about 2hrs later - I mixed up the resin (2:1 epoxy:hardener - by weight) I used 4oz epoxy: 2oz harder, stir but don't create bubbles

- using a foam brush, coated the entire piece in a wet coat of resin - make sure no pooling or runs

- let dry until tacky in a 90+ degree area (3hrs)

- mix up more resin and do another coat

- let dry for at least 24hr in a 90+ degreee area (I waited a couple of days)

- then sand with 2000 grit sandpaper to make the surface glass smooth

- applied a couple of coats of dupilcolor automotive clear coat

The leasons learned for me

- make sure the glue is set under pressure - otherwise the resin will loosen the glue and it will move and buckle...

- make sure to create an area to heat dry it - I used a spare bedroom, space heater and two 500w garage lamps - which kept the heat at about 110degrees

This video made it seem do-able - > http://www.youtube.c...u/2/6rTWaV1imzs

Here's some pics in the garage - >

http://www.thelotusf...ge__tab__images

Edited January 11, 2011 by Quikr

[7tCatvert]

Taillights came yesterday and installed them....

Plinth does not fit need to make a new one out of metal or carbon fiber but kinda like it with out...need to clean up the lines...Not quite a plug and play have to rewire one plug and square everything up but they work and look good...

[neill1607]

How is the plinth actually attached?

[Quicker]

4 long thin screws that come from inside, through the carpet, throught the fiberglass and into standard trim anchors in the back of the plastic plinth.

Edited January 14, 2011 by Quikr

[7tCatvert]

Lou did you cut yours down

[fsrowsell]

I trimmed mine down for the fit....

[7tCatvert]

I think I will leave mine off hate to cut it and then decide in a couple years to go back and have to buy another

[7tCatvert]

Ok I guess the blinkers were not working just brake kites need led flasher where do you get them and where is it on the car...

[MrDangerUS]

Tom,

If you install LED-s in blinking lights you have to leave at least one incandescent bulb per side (I left 1 bulb per side in the tail lights),

to avoid fast cycling. There are special relays/flashers for LED lights on eBay, but all what I saw had 3 contacts (prongs). Esprit blinker relay has 5 contacts

and sits inside of the I/P bin, right side. It is easier to leave one regular bulb per side and save time and trouble.

Cheers

J

[7tCatvert]

Thanks John I will do that was trying to find a LED flasher only ones have been 4 or 3 pin....

Tom