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

[Barrykearley]

Must be so much more interesting for the mot man when he's looking at something like a lotus. Days after days of rubbish German cars, French stuff and some nice jap stuff - and then along comes a proper thoroughbred..... 

Good result on the popup lights ?

mot ? Must be the cars equivalent to a smear test!!!

Edited October 19, 2015 by Barrykearley

[dixi4uk]

Cool, Coolhand. MOT passed great.

Love the 'It's too low for the rollers' brake test.

On a serious note the road brake test using a decelleratormeter has to be the most inefficient ever invented. It can mask many brake faults.

Years ago I tested the local Lords vintage Rolls Royce that passed the road brake test only to find later that the front wheel cylinders were seized solid.

[CharlieCroker]

And here it is, sneaky preview. Looks flipping ace if you ask me, can't wait to see it in the flesh the black and gold is spot on. Getting ready for Ultimate Stance, a show not to miss.

[mikeeech]

Anything that raises the profile of these cars is to be commended and should be appreciate by us all. Looking forward to more pics. Is there a thread on this build on the retro rides forum?

[CharlieCroker]

No RR thread, the guy just doesn't have time due to work load. We've planned a photoshoot and a feature together for Hayburner magazine (it's a VW thing, in the 'something different' section) after the show  so there's gunna be loads of photos coming. Also I'm hoping the panther will get its feature in RetroCars magazine in the next couple of months, but they seem to drag their feet, can't wait to see it in there, plus you'll get a better idea of my build and how it came about once you read the feature. All good stuff and exciting times, oh and I have a few ideas planned for ultimate stance, should ruffle a few feathers even further. Let's just say, Charlie's taking an early winter break ;-) Buon Viaggio!

[CharlieCroker]

He's just pulled it out of the workshop, just sent me this photo. The elite must be arguably one of the coolest retro shapes currently about, possibly the difinitve 70s wedge.

 

Edited October 24, 2015 by CharlieCroker

[Barrykearley]

Looking low slung and mean

[Herc]

Nice.  But to be honest, I'm preferring yours Charlie.

I love the idea that you've started something here. And a well deserved achievement..

I know some people object to customs, but this raises the profile of Elite in the same way that Paris fashion shows influence high street fashion.

Edited October 25, 2015 by Herc

[Herc]

I was just rummaging through Charlie's photo bucket. I'm loving the wheels on this:

http://s89.photobucket.com/user/altabani/media/eclat_zpsmszcqf4j.jpg.html

[oilmagnet477]

Herc

Like your thinking but would you wear high fashion - some of which is bonkers until 'toned down' for the general population

Charlie's car is almost the reverse - where a 'general population' product has been made a bit more 'bonkers' lol

That said - hats off a truly amazing effort and result

[mikeeech]

Loving the slammed lagonda on the feed Charlie... I take it that is photoshop'd

[CharlieCroker]

Cheers lads, today I had another photoshoot with neil terry a young talented photographer who was simply bowled over by the panther when he saw it, I practically had to drag him away to end the shoot. He's a young guy and is very much intouch with lowered modified cars and drove 2 hours to do the shoot for free just because he loved the car. I'm getting the feeling that in the 'modified' community this car is so different that it has ruffled a few feathers with the old guard. Let's make no mistake here, there's a massive gulf between my elite and the black elite in terms of hours spent, mine is in the 1000 hour mark where as the black elite was modified this week to get it ready for the show, and I have been open and incredibly honest with my posts and photos which makes it very easy to criticise good or bad, plus I have lotus blood running through my viens. But I'm very proud that my elite has inspired another car, and maybe more cars will follow. Those of you that know me, know I hate to blow my own trumpet but the panther has practically single handedly raised the profile of the model to another level whether you like it or not, it's been a story, a never ending narrative which I know many of you have enjoyed the journey, and the story is on going and more to come... 

"Never underrate the English, they're not as stupid as they look." Altabani ;-)

 

Yes Mike, 

What I could do with a open cheque book and a real garage... 

[Barrykearley]

Cant criticise a trail blazer chap - it's all new and all good ?

Edited October 25, 2015 by Barrykearley

[Herc]

Herc

Like your thinking but would you wear high fashion - some of which is bonkers until 'toned down' for the general population

Charlie's car is almost the reverse - where a 'general population' product has been made a bit more 'bonkers' lol

That said - hats off a truly amazing effort and result

Yes, it's the reverse in that sense, but its something that can energize the interest in something, in the way that catwalk fashion can, however impractical.

[Barrykearley]

stockings and suspenders ain't really practical either - great fun to get your teeth into though !! 

[dixi4uk]

I have stated before that I am not a fan of slammed cars, I just don't see the point.

Surely at different ride heights the steering geometry would be compromised leading to excess tyre wear and handling problems.

Every picture I see of your car Luke is shown in the slammed position.

Please enlighten me on a couple of points. Is it still possible to run the car at standard height or higher? and being air ride is the ride quality better or worse at standard height if this is possible?

I know little or nothing of air ride suspension systems only what I have seen on some US TV shows. I would expect that the best ones are expensive. What sort of cost are we talking about for an Elite?

I really have no intention of converting to air ride but I would like the background knowledge.

 

 

[CharlieCroker]

Well basically it is a complete custom build, there's simply no kit available off the shelf that you can bolt on. Basically there are all shapes and sizes of airbag on the market so it's entirely up to the builder to choose the best way for him/her. Bare in mind I know both airride esprit owners and they have been very helpful (particularly Rob) in the advising how they approached the problem and my VW days I installed aurride on a 67 bug I used to own which is close to the same process. However the S1 chassis is different at the rear to the esprit and you have to build your own bag mounts,  the aim is to replace the spring with a bag, the bag in effect becomes the spring. I opted for a bag over strut , (same as the esprit guys) at the front, it's basically a bag with a hole in the middle for the strut to go through. Sounds easy but there's a hell of a lot of massaging needed to get the bag in. The rear is  much simpler as there's more space to work with. The black elite you see above has been slammed on coilovers, I haven't seen the car up close and personal but from what I can see he has pratically removed the srping to get it that low! I hasten to add that car is a quick slam job to get it into the show and I believe it can't actually drive as it scrapes all over the place. The beauty of air ride is you get the touch down effect for a show but you can actually drive it tge5re and back. I have about 4" of travel in my bag   so I run low but could run a touch higher. This is ride height. ..

It's not for the faint hearted, the ride would be considered hard to some but I'm used to airride and I love it. Oh and I forgot to mention, you still have a damper, so that takes up any shock. I don't expect any hardcore originalphile to understand but I love lotus as much as anyone on here, just my vision as I see it, you're either on board with me or not. 

 

[johnpwalsh]

Charlie. I still think it looks stunning and only show's half the effort that has gone into it. Again, well done and I cant wait to see Panther two.

Just a pity I don't still have some photos of cars I did back in the sixties. People would now cringe at what I did them with Morris 1,000's and Riley 1.5's, oh and a Mini pick up, all long before it came popular with off the shelf kits. The biggest was a MK3 Cortina with a Jag back end, cut, hacked, blown wings, the full works.

But those who liked pristine clean cut original cars hated mt creations. All I could say was tough, it's my car and as long  as legal I can do what I like.

Long live the panther. 

[clivef38]

Im an old fart but i like it. The odd one from left field is good to get the younger folks involved with older cars modified or not.

[mikeeech]

I have stated before that I am not a fan of slammed cars, I just don't see the point.

Surely at different ride heights the steering geometry would be compromised leading to excess tyre wear and handling problems.

Every picture I see of your car Luke is shown in the slammed position.

Please enlighten me

it's all about the look... It's a custom car thing - reimagening (sic)

[Barrykearley]

Anything that musters interest in older cars from a wider audience has got to be a good thing.

would be a pretty crappy show if it was just VW polos, golfs and old clios - a lotus brings a whole new level of class and performance. 

Slam a roller next time Luke - and cut the bloody roof down - just a few inches!!!

[ramjet]

If it gets other people looking at Lotus as well, it's a good thing.

It's the squashed look that bugs me a bit when it is all lowered. Just doesn't 'look' right.

I have seen the work in Charlie's and it really is nicely done.

[rjwooll]

Controversy spurs interest, and in that sense at least Charlie's car is a success. More importantly he has shown what, with limited funds but considerable vision, skills and intelligence, can be achieved, and is clearly impressing the world outside Lotus.

My personal approach is to try to identify and articulate the original design goals of the car (for this is what it was built around) and to restore to that state as well as adding upgrades that are consistent and that improve usability. Otherwise I feel that one is either trying to turn a chicken into a turkey, or losing features that were fundamental to the original vision.

However each to their own, and by stressing certain features in different ways (as Charlie has done with the body shape) we all add to the general appreciation of these cars.

ATB Richard

[CharlieCroker]

I really appreciate the positive comments gentlemen and it warms the soul that you 'lotus' guys respect what I've done even if you dont like the overall look. Make no mistake though that I love an original car, especially when you can see the effort someone has put into it, just on this occasion I decided to try something a little different. We'll all benefit from the exposure this car has generated in the long run as someone said to me it looked like a 20k car so prices are sure to rise, tge mods shiukd give me a free membership on here for the amount of publicity it creates, and I know a lot of people outside of the TLF read the thread as I don't always post on tge RR forum. Only yesterday I had a new photoshoot and these will end up in FastCar magazine which has a very young audience, more interest around the elite good for everyone. Plus I'm not a stuck up twat, I'll happily talk to anyone about the car at a show so if you see it, come over have a chat, it's all good fun, nothing too serious. 

[CharlieCroker]

Very latest photo taken Sunday...