S1 Project car - part 2 - the continuation

[iainskea]

Nice work. The tanks can only sit in one orientation, located by the fuel neck and side braket location. I got a little OCD and sat a spirit level on the top with the car in its weight-on-wheels level, and adjusted the tank level to make sure all of the tank capacity was available.

[Lotusfab]

Hi Vin, didn't do bodywork or repaint, done professionally.

Hi Iain,

good idea will check for level. Do you have any pics?

[iainskea]

I'll take a couple in the morning with some good light.

[Lotusfab]

Thanks.

[iainskea]

Here are a couple of pics from different angles.

Iain

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Iain, that's really helpful.

Are the tanks secured only by the bolt on the underside?

[iainskea]

Yes one bolt, through the (inward) side (you can just see it on the lower pic). Iain

[Lotusfab]

Have totally repainted engine bay in epoxy heat resistant satin black paint and completed sound deadening of tunnel. Just harness to fit and will put back on chasis. Have devised a lever system to lower body onto chasis. Will involve destruction of bedstead created to hold body off chasis for work underneath.

[Paul Coleman]

Fabian

 

My S1 has two bolts securing each tank - one is in the wheel well and one inside the engine bay.

 

I lifted the body off of mine using an engine crane as it has the doors and rear tailgate still fitted. Without those doors and tailgate me and my son could lift the body at either the front OR back enough to get the chassis in.

 

Cheers, Paul.

[Lotusfab]

Body on, done by myself - using 5 stacks of cinder blocks. 4 to support then a fifth columb in center of each side with jack to provide temporarily support. Then cinder blocks removed a block at a time till back on chasis. Now bolting all bits back on, light pods and wiring with new loom.

[iainskea]

It looks magnificent!

[Jacques]

Looks amazing! Looking forward to seeing more.

 

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[Lotusfab]

Still going, the boxes of parts nearly empty! Decals sorted. Latest pictures.

[Lotusfab]

The light pods have been completely rebuilt and rewired, a lot of work! Even new spire clips and stainless rims.

[Lotusfab]

Restored heater assembly, now fitted back on car.

[giorgio67]

Great job here.

G.

[Lotusfab]

I have found during this restoration that the manuals for this car are very limited and tell you nothing about how to reassemble the car. I have also noticed that cars vary on how they have been reassembled. I suppose it doesn't matter for most parts, as long as you use common sense and take your time. Most parts don't fit very well without adjustment or a lot of effort. The bearing system on the light pods took ages to sort out. I have one light pod installed. The other is almost there after weeks of work. I have decided to copy the bond car. I have the tartan interior and orange carpet. I am going to recover the tartan headrest in green material as per Mr Bonds Esprit.Pinewood had it changed for photographic reasons. Also I will fit the black door handles and centre ashtray. Have decided to give the missiles and underwater modifications a miss, as they were not allowed for in the budget!

[Lotusfab]

Spent weeks refiberglassing and refitting right light pod. Finally perfect. Then tried the bonnet and both corners are 4mm proud. So will have to remove metal strip on rear of bonnet and reset curvature. Another annoying job, still can't be worse than the light pod! Just fitted fuel tanks and have solved fuel pump issue with seals. It seems they required both rubber and fiber washer. Tailgate fitted brackets slipping , serrated washers will fix this. Just starting to rewire with a new loom.

[iainskea]

Progress is very impressive, nice work. Assembly is supposed to be the best part!

[vintaylor]

hi Fabian,

 

Did you fit the fuel tank breather pipes?

[Lotusfab]

Hi Vin,

Got the pipe just waiting for non return valves to arrive, went for the ones on my post, then will fit.

Incidentally, found out the SU pump also requires a breather pipe and T piece!

[vintaylor]

Do you think you would be able to post a couple of pics once fitted? as I've never got round to fitting the system back on

[Lotusfab]

The S1 system fit is different to the s2. Think the S2 has vents linked together then a T piece, with the pipe travelling back on itself. The S1 I have the pipes are not linked, they just go through the valve and straight down and out through the wheel arch where they vent to atmosphere.

Found out the SU fuel pump should also have a vent pipe with a T piece! managed to get them on line quite cheaply.

[Lotusfab]

Vin, don't see why you couldn't copythe S1 set up its easier to install, will post on here if it helps.

[Lotusfab]

Well there's a lot of misleading info out there. Who better to tell you what seals should be fitted to an SU pump than Burlen, the company that seems to have the rights to SU. you can see in the picture the union seal is not satisfactory. The pump had the unions already attached, I decided there is no way these unions could work without leaking. Found a schematic of the pump, investigated with Burlen and they had a picture of straight SU pump unions, here it is.

The SU pump has recesses at the union joints that contain a rubber seal. This seals against the flat of the union shown in the picture. Fiber washers are not required with the rubber seal and recessed version of the pump. Hopefully if anyone else has a leak problem here is the solution.