Right then better start my '77 S1 project...

[soldave]

OMG, want face.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/171679430817?nav=SEARCH

Lol.  Do it!

 

The Japanese tuner in me wants to do a RB26DETT or 4G63 swap in mine

[dixi4uk]

Good job you weren't overhauling the brakes

I think a couple of wheels removed may have been a clue.

There again probably my wife would have tried to drive off anyway!

She's not very aware with cars and it is a good job she does not read this forum otherwise my life would not be worth living.

[dixi4uk]

OMG, want face.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/171679430817?nav=SEARCH

Wow! that would be a project and a half.

With your skills of thinking out of the box you alone could do it.

But if the engine ever went wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big bucks.

[Herc]

I don't know why, but I just a slight worry about the Beans 5-speed gearbox on the back of that :-)  It would be interesting to see if you could get out of the drive way before you shred a gear.

 

But seriously, for me the issue is whether the engine would sit low enough.  I think it is a crying shame to have to put a bulge on the bonnet.

[CharlieCroker]

That's not that expensive for an Italian V8 with only 35,000 miles on it. It's almost worth buying just to save fir any other projects. The sound would be breath taking coming out of the elite!

[CharlieCroker]

But seriously, for me the issue is whether the engine would sit low enough. I think it is a crying shame to have to put a bulge on the bonnet.

I'd leave the bonnet off and just sit there in awe for all its Italian style and beauty. Now that would seriously give credence to my avatar, a real "Italian Job"!

[dave excell]

That reminds me. My forthcoming project is to fit my spare Lotus V8 into my Excel. i was only short of an ECU but I have got hold of a lotus race ECU with 440 bhp and no torque limit on the lower gears.That will eventually get into the Esprit.

First thoughts is a sump will need fabricating to miss the front chassis cross member. Then will it sit low enough.

Many other mods will have to be done and I do have a spare Excel chassis to use as a jig. 

I hope work will start in earnest sometime towards the end of this year. Photos will be taken along the way.

As I approach 70 years old I don't seem to be settling for the slow lane. I will need to take my driving test again at 80 so I hope the examiner can get in the Esprit

[CharlieCroker]

Just finished most of the brushing of the aluminium trim and I'm loving it, much better than the highly polished look with loads of deep scratches on them which is how they were. I've also done the fuel cover caps just to keep the continuity. Wheel dust caps on, wanted to add the new decal but that still hasn't arrived, should be here by next week. Tomorrow? Got a nice treat coming...

I hasten to add, all those piece are hand finished by my very own fingers, no mechanical input at all, just hours of brushing. To quote a famous liverpudlian "I've got blisters on my fingers!"

[Herc]

Charlie, what are you using to do that?  Is it this sort of thing?

 

http://www.frost.co.uk/satinising-mops-4-inch-and-set.html

 

Cheers,

Herc

[CharlieCroker]

Nope, "no mechanical input at all" see above. I used a sanding block, took the trim off of the car by the way, 120 grit paper to take out the deep scratches and gloss off of the aluminium. Then with a sponge sanding block blended the trim so that the direction of sanding is all in line. Then finally with a fine/medium scotch pad went over the piece again making sure the direction of cut is again in line. It's not that hard to do just time consuming.

[mikeeech]

an Evora engine is on ebay charlie...

[dixi4uk]

Just finished most of the brushing of the aluminium trim and I'm loving it, much better than the highly polished look with loads of deep scratches on them which is how they were. I've also done the fuel cover caps just to keep the continuity. Wheel dust caps on, wanted to add the new decal but that still hasn't arrived, should be here by next week. Tomorrow? Got a nice treat coming...

I hasten to add, all those piece are hand finished by my very own fingers, no mechanical input at all, just hours of brushing. To quote a famous liverpudlian "I've got blisters on my fingers!"

Coolhand to Sorehand yet again.

Not sure I want to go down that road with the brushed finish but I must admit it is quite impressive and food for thought.

[CharlieCroker]

[mikeeech]

I'm loving the tyres

[CharlieCroker]

[mikeeech]

Was the white wall painted onto the original tyre then?

[CharlieCroker]

Yes, the stripe is now apart of the tyre, it's not one if those nasty inserts you can buy.

[CharlieCroker]

Haha, just saved myself 50 quid! My fuel gauge has been faulty since I've had the car and I've been meaning to fix it. I could have sworn it was a faulty sender unit so I had been ready to purchase a new unit from sjs. Anyway tonight I decided to get the old one out, rather than take the whole fuel tank out I went ahead and cut an access panel in the rear. Cut the hole, and removed the sender and immediately I could see that the float had ceased, so a quick squirt with 3in1 oil, cleaned all the contacts, put it all back and hay presto it all started working again, hopefully now I won't run out off fuel again!

[cbclotus]

Nice one Charlie....Nothing worse than not knowing how much fuel you have....Mike

[Clive59]

Yep, fuel tank is a bitch, good call. All I needed on mine was to replace the crimp connectors, annoying!

[dixi4uk]

Haha, just saved myself 50 quid! My fuel gauge has been faulty since I've had the car and I've been meaning to fix it. I could have sworn it was a faulty sender unit so I had been ready to purchase a new unit from sjs. Anyway tonight I decided to get the old one out, rather than take the whole fuel tank out I went ahead and cut an access panel in the rear. Cut the hole, and removed the sender and immediately I could see that the float had ceased, so a quick squirt with 3in1 oil, cleaned all the contacts, put it all back and hay presto it all started working again, hopefully now I won't run out off fuel again!

I just love the way you tackle a problem.

Locate it and cut a hole! Brilliant. It reminds me of the adjustment of the rear handbrake way back in this thread.

Keep it up.

[CharlieCroker]

Haha, no way I was going to turn this job into a half a day epic tank removal! I'm all for making jobs easier, if that means a little bit of gentle persuasion then so be it. Job took less than 20 minutes. 

[iambadgerous]

I've lost count of the number of times I've had what I thought was a great idea for a car or bike and then discovered that someone else has already built it.  Does anyone else suffer from this?

The plan for my Elite was to lower it (although somewhat more subtly than yours!), fit slightly bigger wheels and keep the rest looking stock, but upgrade the mechanicals for reliability and parts availablility.

I'd even thought about tyre walls, although I was thinking red would look cool.

Now you've built this I feel cheated, damn you Charlie.... ;-)

The purists may be uncomfortable but I seriously think this thing is stunning.

[CharlieCroker]

YOu know what they say? Just do it! No good hanging around, someone else will beat you too it! 

[iambadgerous]

YOu know what they say? Just do it! No good hanging around, someone else will beat you too it! 

 

The car has sat under a cover since I bought it late last year, usual story of too many projects etc...

 

Things are on the move now though, I'm picking up an Excel chassis this weekend...