Alex's v8 re-build thread warning pic whore inside >:)

[Alex Carter]

Cheers Gunter good info

[Günter]

sailorbob:

A918*****  ..is 'oiginal setup' of a part as it was first intended

 

B918****   ..is 'modificated part' version (but service notes/parts book mentions that there are several possible reasons for a B/C/D.. etc. index change -even a different supplier, not only a serious change in looks/mechanical princip)

[rizla603104]

Hows it going - any more progress Alex?

[Alex Carter]

I have done a bit Riz but after the saga last time I've been a bit reluctant to post

[TAR]

please keep posting, this is a good thread.

 

[Alex Carter]

right lets keep this on track , buddsy please edit the crap outta this so its a build again not a brawl thanks .

 

sooooo been at it again 

 

firstly took my head to a local firm south cerney engineering suppose to be the shizzle at this kind of works and had ! a very good reputation and also some very very rare and exspensive automobilia in the shop but after leaving my head for inspection and a quote after 24hrs they managed to damage my head and over quote me for work that didnt need doing and out price themselves so badly that i can buy the parts cheaper than they can get trade apparently arseholes . shant be going there again ever ,

 

so put this part on hold untill i can find a trusted shop 

 

began stripping more of the block

 

 

 

 

then even advised that mine will be ok i decided to get some new pistons half the millage of mine and no valve marks full set of eight to go in 

 

 

 

then after some tool making 

 

 

managed to safely lock up the crank and undo this lot 

 

 

 

keeping everything in check

 

 

 

 

 

 

this lot is going to take some cleaning 

 

 

slowly finding more shit from before this guys methods for rebuilding this engine is a joke he had the plenum and rockers re coated but obviously the need to control the excess was not needed what a f***

 

 

this section is more for evidence of the re build not showing a lot just more investigation for peace of mind for me .

 

 

 

turns out theres no need for gaskets for anything just coat everything in atv sealant and itll do insert you own swear words ..... people!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

finally time for some welding and repair on the front plate also some new bearings and gaskets /seals while im there 

 

it seems the intermediate bearing measured at 53mm ?

 

 

[Alex Carter]

this caused some amusement the hidden bolts for the sump behind the flywheel and the oil pic up actually uses the crank plate and front plate as its mounts thought required here !

 

 

snubbers not changed lets do that too

 

 

 

just for reference 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hole for crank case breathing downt panic .

 

 

center shaft 

 

 

this clever bit is for oil injection / cooling on the back of the piston the f40 has this too very good idea boys 

 

 

 

 

 

bit of sunday viewing for you 

[rizla603104]

Fantastic! Keep up the good work.

[Alex Carter]

so had the car down the shop for some work firstly fitted some new tyres to the mono blocks 

 

then i gave my new oz wheels to my friend for a little straightening and sorting .

 

 

 

 

 

heating and welding and correcting slight rim damage 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the wheels have been split by me and the barrels and centers are off being powder coated shadow chrome and the rim lips are being bead polished so there finish will be perfect .

 

should be back next week 

 

then after that i set about removing the front end again as it was badly peppered with stone chips so had it all repainted 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

doesnt look too bad just waiting for my call back now so i can get on with the engine , it seems business's these days dont want your money .

[Alex Carter]

Oh no still in a million bits waiting to order stuff but I'm hoping it won't be long now .

[Alex Carter]

Well excited rim s came back all mirror polished and the barrels and spoke are being powder coated in shadow chrome tomorrow

[top-plumber]

Outstanding.

[Chillidoggy]

I joined this forum because I was keen on buying an Esprit, and I've just spent an hour and a half reading every post in this first fascinating, but ultimately tragic, thread.

 

Today I have now decided against doing so, as I could not have been doing all the work that Alex has. I was surprised at its complexity, and to be honest, the bodged condition from the previous owner. It looks as though a car of that age is pretty much due a complete rebuild to me, and whilst I don't mind maintaining vehicles, my pocket wouldn't stand that!

 

Alex - full marks to you, I admire your workmanship, and tenacity. Had my engine have blown up, I think at that point I would have simply set fire to the thing, and walked away.

 

I hope you get it sorted to your satisfaction.

[Alex Carter]

Ian this makes me smile and saddens me a little . Don't feel bad about an esprit they are what they are it was my fault for not looking into the car more when I bought it and the engine was just shit luck , after everything that has happened I still look at it and smile because an esprit is something I always wanted. Broke or not it's the nature of the beast . If you want one get one just be more savvy about buying one and don't let your heart rule your head.

There are complete dogs out there but there are nice ones to be found you just have to look harder that's all .

I enjoy the mechanics as much as the rest of it if I had a brand new car that didn't need some fettling I'd probably be bored out of my skull and find something else to fix . So do get one there great

The upside is it won't always be bad once it's all done I'll have a very sorted car .

The downside is these kind of cars are usually owned by people who don't have a clue and see the original purchase as the final spend they never anticipate on the maintenance as well , this then either goes one of two ways they either run the car into the ground or they end up with a massive bill slate the car to hell and sell them to the next person who starts again slowly and surely the car becomes worse and worse . Hopefully they may end up in someone's hands who will sort it out or it will just get passed on and on .

You want to find a car from an enthusiast some one who looks at the people who say lots of trouble usually serious and wants to punch them in the eye , it's not true they are great cars the drive is amazing and the styling still cutting edge .

I parked mine at good wood last year and a Ferrari 360 pulled up next to me after a picnic in the sun I sat compairing both cars side by side the esprit looked like it wanted to race the 360 just looked like a fat jello mould . My car was swomped with people all day loving the looks and styling so many people took photos of it and with it.

If your budget is neat possibly look for a gt3 a four cylinder with low miles so your expense won't be x2 on everything lol.

Before mine went pop I had a race with a guy in my local town it was that Ferrari with the cut out wing vents it's something like 740 hp and costs a bomb we went for it off the lights and up a dual carriageway near my house the Ferrari was all over the place the esprit was neat on the corners and very surgical like , after a good sprint I only ended up 3 or 4 car lengths behind him and he even pulled over for a chat he commented saying "I know these things were quick so I new I had to get a move one " I was a little supprised at how well my lotus did against one of the ferraris latest , the point is there still very competitive in all aspects and it's passion and love that keeps them going please get one every time your in it it will make your grin and giggle like a girl and if your under it you will learn more about your car and you'll get a massive sense of achievement finding those niggles. And if not I'll have mine fixed soon so if you get stuck bring it to me I'll play with it

[mdw]

That sums it up very nicely Alex,

[MikieP]

I could not have said it better.

[Chillidoggy]

It wasn't my intention to derail your thread Alex's, just to say thanks for a good read, your public-spiritedness for taking the time to post the whole story, and admire your handiwork.

 

I'm going to get caned by Lotus-lovers here, but..................looking at some of the photos, it seems to me like the Esprit had not been put together very well by the manufacturer, without any kind of longevity in mind, and rather haphazardly too. To qualify that statement, I'm talking about the pipework and wiring in particular, its routing, and how it's supported. In my experience, it's not usually major components that give problems (Alex, taking your engine to one side here), rather the services that feed them. By that I mean fuel/coolant/electrics etc.

 

I've done a lot of research over the last few weeks, and been genuinely amazed by some of the stunning rebuilds that owners have carried out on their cars, not just Esprits, but Europas, Elans, and others. I don't go with the 'loads of trouble' thing, because from what I've seen, if you buy a Lotus, you must expect to lay underneath it, tinker with it, prod it, poke it, and spend time, money and effort in keeping it going. And if you are not prepared to do that, then maybe you shouldn't bother owning one.

 

I have a very old Dax Cobra in the garage, which I built 25 years ago, and I'm in the process of rebuilding it again. To be honest, I'm growing weary of it, hence my earlier comments. I just want to get in, turn the key, and go these days.

 

Unfortunately..................................only yesterday, whilst walking down the road about 100 yards from my gaff, I spotted an open garage door with a mustard yellow Esprit in it. The owner was in his garden so, as you would expect, we got talking. I got to sit in the car, and found I could actually fit in it, it had more headroom than I remembered. Having tried one years ago, my head was touching the roof, and I simply couldn't be doing with that. Anyway, his car is a 1998 GT3, but it looks like a V8, because it has the big V8 curving wing, and the dash binnacle is much smaller, like the V8. Trouble is, I started getting all excited about them again, and I'm trying to let the head rule the heart.

 

We shall see what happens.

 

 

 

Mods if you want to delete this post as a spoiler, that's fine by me.

[Alex Carter]

Hahaha too late my friend you have the bug , ok to break it down lotus didn't do a bad job at all firstly they're tubed grp no rust , yes the parts bolted to it do but that's fixable , secondly the design is incredible you can see there engineering from past lesson learnt In all their cars . Yes certain things fail yes they could have changed things but all they needed to do was build a car to rival the red donkey and the 911 flymo ( spends more time on the grass ) and they gave the boys a slap down , the Italians lie about their cars massively Porsche still don't get that an engine over hanging the rear wheels is very bad idea . The build quality on my friends Ferrari is laughable Aston DBS have scaffold tubes sticking out the front arch with expansion foam in the end the only reason Lamborghini got better was because Audi got involved all super cars are shit period ! But lotus is the connoisseur s choice they're drivers cars there not for idiots with matching polo shits or Bluetooth ear pieces there for men with moustache s and holey jumpers there not there to chin wag with tommy and his dad there for driving hard and fast and showing why a good 30 grand car just humiliated a 100 grand car . The joy I find is that lotus spent their money where it mattered chassis engine and handling , the vauxhall switches and Citroen parts aren't there to look the best there simply functional . You can't polish a pooh. Lotus started with the basics and gave you a good car the little refinements make a good car great .

You will never insult a lotus man by asking questions but you will need a seat and a coffee for his answer !

Please don't delete any of it mods it's great having a bit of banter and a thread is a thread otherwise it's just a picture lol I think

[Vanya]

It wasn't my intention to derail your thread Alex's, just to say thanks for a good read, your public-spiritedness for taking the time to post the whole story, and admire your handiwork.

 

I'm going to get caned by Lotus-lovers here, but..................looking at some of the photos, it seems to me like the Esprit had not been put together very well by the manufacturer, without any kind of longevity in mind, and rather haphazardly too. To qualify that statement, I'm talking about the pipework and wiring in particular, its routing, and how it's supported. In my experience, it's not usually major components that give problems (Alex, taking your engine to one side here), rather the services that feed them. By that I mean fuel/coolant/electrics etc.

 

I've done a lot of research over the last few weeks, and been genuinely amazed by some of the stunning rebuilds that owners have carried out on their cars, not just Esprits, but Europas, Elans, and others. I don't go with the 'loads of trouble' thing, because from what I've seen, if you buy a Lotus, you must expect to lay underneath it, tinker with it, prod it, poke it, and spend time, money and effort in keeping it going. And if you are not prepared to do that, then maybe you shouldn't bother owning one.

 

I have a very old Dax Cobra in the garage, which I built 25 years ago, and I'm in the process of rebuilding it again. To be honest, I'm growing weary of it, hence my earlier comments. I just want to get in, turn the key, and go these days.

 

Unfortunately..................................only yesterday, whilst walking down the road about 100 yards from my gaff, I spotted an open garage door with a mustard yellow Esprit in it. The owner was in his garden so, as you would expect, we got talking. I got to sit in the car, and found I could actually fit in it, it had more headroom than I remembered. Having tried one years ago, my head was touching the roof, and I simply couldn't be doing with that. Anyway, his car is a 1998 GT3, but it looks like a V8, because it has the big V8 curving wing, and the dash binnacle is much smaller, like the V8. Trouble is, I started getting all excited about them again, and I'm trying to let the head rule the heart.

 

We shall see what happens.

 

 

 

Mods if you want to delete this post as a spoiler, that's fine by me.

 

It's easy to let threads like these put you off buying one of the most unique and beautiful cars ever envisioned - I found myself in the same position just over 2 years ago. I spent a lot of sleepless nights with a guilty conscience thinking how irresponsible it is to go and buy an Esprit when there are more sensible ways to spend money, but I took the plunge and I've never looked back.

 

I'm currently on the market looking for a second Esprit, which in itself speaks volumes. My current car is a UK car which was driven regularly but not treated with too much love/respect, what with the stone chips, rusty suspension, cracks in the fibreglass - visually it ain't the beauty it was when it rolled off the line some odd 23 years ago, but if I'm honest, I didn't have to spend a penny these last two years that I didn't WANT to spend. I've replaced certain components because they were a bit rusty or due for a change - but on no occassion did the car throw warning lights at me or leave me stranded by the side of the rode.

 

If you want a "turn of the key" car, absolutely go with the GT3 or an S4/S4s - these are known to be the very best Lotus put out and most people knowledgable about Esprits in particular swear by them. I won't get into comparisons with German cars because in their case its often the PERCEPTION of longevity and robustness that keeps people coming back whereas there are plenty of horror stories (and expensive repairs) to be told on their behalf as well.

 

I will agree on the construction being very rough, betraying the hand-made origins of these cars. However this is all a part of their charm. When you get down to it, they (the four cylinders at least) are such simple cars to understand - and this community will make dealing with any problems you might encounter an absolute doddle compared to a regular daily driver (Ford Mondeo) that doesn't have a vibrant online community dedicated to it.

 

Engine failures occur, but this is valid for any car brand - Lotus, Porsche, Ferrari you name it. Don't let it put you off. There's so much joy to be had owning an Esprit - and they joy is the same every single time you lay eyes on the car. It just has that special something.

[Chillidoggy]

Vanya, my daily driver IS a Ford Mondeo. It's covered 118,000 miles and apart from the front brake discs needing a change, the only thing that's gone wrong with it so far is there are two 2W bulbs out behind the dashboard displays, and I can't be bothered to replace them!

 

That said, I've spent yet another afternoon on the Dax rebuild, and I am seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, so it's not been all bad.

 

I would probably have to sell the Cobra first before I ventured out to buy a Lotus, or anything else, because I don't have enough money right now but that doesn't stop me researching, and looking at cars that are for sale. There is a green V8 on eBay at the moment, but from the prices I've seen it seems too cheap, and the advice has been to steer clear of the cheap ones unless you're looking for a project.

 

I agree that an S4s or a GT3 would probably be the best bet, but I would need a car that's later than 1992, when, according to my research, the cabin was enlarged, with more headroom. I couldn't have an earlier car because of that. Colour is reasonably important to me; there seems to be a lot mustard yellow cars, and I prefer the blue ones with cream interior, so that cuts down my options immediately. Red or green is also OK, but each to his own.

[Vanya]

Hmm, let me clarify what I meant with the Ford Mondeo comment (drive a Focus myself so it wasn't a dig at Ford) - I meant that when something goes wrong with a regular daily driver, such as has been the case with my Focus from time to time, it takes me ages scouring through forums to find a well documented solution.

 

Now that the Haynes manual is available things aren't so bad, but my point was IF something goes wrong on a bog standard car, it's probably more challenging and time-consuming to find reliable help online than it would be on this forum where enthusiasts are online 24/7 and who have probably experienced the exact same things themselves at some point.

 

I'd also steer clear of the green V8 as a first Esprit. Your best bet right now is Scott Walker's (link) - he has a blue V8 with cream interior with 19,900 miles on the clock (for an eye-watering £30,990 I might add) but I'd again advise on staying away from V8's if you are nervous or want to avoid trouble.

 

Ironic you don't want Mustard Yellow because that's EXACTLY the color my next Esprit will be - I'm such a sucker for it.

 

I get where you're coming from I really do - I'm weighing a V8 right now and I find it deeply disturbing that a lot of the ads with vehicles sporting 40,000-60,000 miles have ALREADY had an engine change/rebuild or two. Spare parts aren't readily available from what I've heard, and to top it off the gearbox is easily shredded even when cruising on 5th on the highway - I've heard first hand accounts of this as well as read it on forums. It's RARE to find a 4-cylinder model that has had this kind of trouble even at 100,000 miles and up.

 

I wouldn't however bat an eyelid if someone came round with a Turbo SE/S4/S4s/GT3 with even mediocre service history - if it felt right, I'd buy it. And I say this as someone who has experienced plenty of challenges from day one (mostly as a result of my own toying and tinkering).

 

Just go for it!

[Chillidoggy]

Is there any chart that details how many of GT3/S4s etc were made in specific colours?

[Bibs]

Not by colour but...

 

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistory/Production_Figures.html

[Chillidoggy]

Thanks.

 

I'm bowing out of Alex's thread now as I'm cluttering it up!

 

I'll have to keep my eye out for any new cars on the market, just in case I get a sudden urge, and will ask for advice here because it seems that as soon as an Esprit is for sale it's usually known about by a least one forum member.

[Alex Carter]

That's the spirit Ian and don't worry about my thread you can natter all you want