The story of Little Red Riding Hood

[tomcattom]

Any noticeable difference now the poly mounts are fitted? Mine are sat in a box waiting for the next round of work on the car this coming winter.

What's that cylindrical item under the gearbox in your picture for? Looks a bit like a non-return valve.

[Jacques]

Hi Tom,

No, cannot say yet, as I need other projects to be finished, before I can drive I expect the gearbox to be in tight check, not moving about.

The cylindrical item is an ordinary old school fuel filter that dampens the plopping sound from the vacuum pump.

Kind regards,

Jacques

[Jacques]

So, spent a couple of hours, ar fairly many, to tighten up a few points that I have collected parts for, and that I finally had a chance to do. First of all, when I bought the car some near 8 years ago, it had both rear side lifting point plates. Now, years later, one flew off while driving, and the other dangling in one pop rivet.

So I drilled that remaining one out, cleaned up the mounting holes and placed the new ones on, and riveted them in. so far, so good: fresh lifting points if need be.

Then on to changing one of the ½ mounting frames in black plastic on the inner passenger door handle frame, as it was broken. I thought for years that it was nla, but to my surprise, it's right there to be bought  so in it went.

Next up was the head lamp finisher rings that have now been made. It kind of close up the gap between the headlamps themselves, and the surrounding fiber. Looks neater, but har to see when the light is on

And then it was time to look at the metal finisher rings at the tank fillers, which had become not as nice any more. So a new set in stainless was bought and new screws in stainless, and installed.

All nice little easy jobs for once  Little Red Riding Hood is thrilled about the attention she got and looks and function improved and secured for years to come. So only 12 or 16 more jobs left before Little Red Riding Hood is ready to hunt down the bad wolves from Stuttgart, once more.

Kind regards,

Jacques

[Jacques]

Okay, so as I've mentioned elsewhere, but rementioning here, for completeness sake, I couldn't start the car some time ago, so took out the right side fuel tank's pump and it's an uprated Bosch unit that delivers more fuel than the stock SE item. Suits the Sport300 trim I'm running. Looking for a replacement, I discovered to my horror, that it's sold out in most places. So, deciding for a Wallbro ditto, I then got scammed by the usual suspects from chine, pretending to be a legitimate Canadian (or american, I don't remember off the top of my head), company, but in reality showed to be a chinese company. Hmmm. So had to shut down my credit card, do all sorts of things to evade the pretenders, and while at that, I noticed at the small filter end of the Bosch fuel pump end, there's a small while nylon filter. On the inside, not outside, of that, was a few small thin green plastic threads inside it. So took it off, cleaned it out, and reinstalled it all. Voila, started at first turn of the key. All good now.

Next up this last weekend, was some measely 14 hours taking off the rear brakes, remove some of it's parts, take out the drivers seat, remove old parking brake cables, drill out dead screws from the leading bracket for said cables under the car, and then undo the remaining screw bits, clean it up, clean up sealing rubbers both ends (under and inside of the car), install two new parking brake cables, and prepare the routing of those for the new modified rear brakes, which are hopefully soon to be ready.

After this, I noticed that the underside seal of the engine cover, had some tears, so decided to press on a new seal. Phew! Pretty hard to press on, when new. And then took car of a few small spots of finishing spots.

And finally improved my two homemade lifting blocks with anti skid material glued to the underside, for preventing the car to move about, when jacking it up. Works really well.

Oh, and then changing the parking brake cables, it's a good idea to raise the handle a few clicks as it eases the installation of the ew cables  Guess how I found out...

As usual, Little Red Riding Point is shaking her head in a demonstration of the wish to outgun some heavy Stuttgart machinery.

Kind regards,

Jacques

[Jacques]

Arh, it's a bit annoying when I cannot edit the post after an hour or so, if I spot a spelling error. But never mind. Anyway, Little Red Riding Hood is still Little Red Riding Hood, and soon to be let loose on the back roads

With license to overtake

Kind regards,

Jacques

[Jacques]

Oooohhh! First drive this year. And on a sunny day too. Not shabby. Actually very nice feeling and it surely feels enormously fast after 6 months in the stable. Already got some positive comments. And after that I went for another drive in my Corrado G60 today, which btw. also feels pretty fast and fun, and surprise, that got some positive comments too. Hmm. which one to sell? I haven't found a suitable garage yet and it's getting really tight in the small one I have.

Anyway, it was nice to let Little Red Riding Hood loose a bit. Now, I've caught some heavy cold and got to take care of that. Oh well, next week - more driving   Now, if only those spareparts would show up, so I can finish up some of the projects on Little Red Riding Hood. That would surely fit the bill. Extraordinary patience seems to be a keyword if one depends on spares from the UK. Sometimes I think they not only cut the link to the ec (good on them for doing so), but maybe even cut the ties to their customerbase on mainland Europe, by mistake of course... We'll see. Rabdare, rabdare...

Cheers,

Jacques

A nice place to be, when the going gets tough and the though gets going:

 

[tomcattom]

Seat look smart. As much as I'd love the extra support and feedback those style of seats offer for fast driving I don't think my back would forgive me if I fitted anything like that to mine!

[Jacques]

Tom, I can promise you, that they are very comfortable indeed, and does exactly avoid giving me backpain etc. Remember the Recaro C8 in the porsche 911 gt3rs? Equally comfortable.

Kind regards,

Jacques

[Giniw]

On 01/05/2021 at 20:49, Jacques said:

I haven't found a suitable garage yet

I hope you will!

[Jacques]

Thanks, I am working on it.

Meanwhile, I am also working on something a bit more interesting for the car. But there's a HUGE line of people waiting to have this company do something to their car og speedboat or whatever. More later.

Kind regards,

Jacques

[Chefchen]

On 01/05/2021 at 20:49, Jacques said:

Oooohhh! First drive this year. And on a sunny day too. Not shabby. Actually very nice feeling and it surely feels enormously fast after 6 months in the stable. Already got some positive comments. And after that I went for another drive in my Corrado G60 today, which btw. also feels pretty fast and fun, and surprise, that got some positive comments too. Hmm. which one to sell? I haven't found a suitable garage yet and it's getting really tight in the small one I have.

Anyway, it was nice to let Little Red Riding Hood loose a bit. Now, I've caught some heavy cold and got to take care of that. Oh well, next week - more driving   Now, if only those spareparts would show up, so I can finish up some of the projects on Little Red Riding Hood. That would surely fit the bill. Extraordinary patience seems to be a keyword if one depends on spares from the UK. Sometimes I think they not only cut the link to the ec (good on them for doing so), but maybe even cut the ties to their customerbase on mainland Europe, by mistake of course... We'll see. Rabdare, rabdare...

Cheers,

Jacques

A nice place to be, when the going gets tough and the though gets going:

 

Hi Jacques,

very, very nice seat 🙂 I'm looking for a pair of them for my S4s, but they are very hard to find! Are these original ones or remade from a mould?

Regards

Stephan

Edited June 7, 2021 by Chefchen

[Jacques]

They are original seats and runners.

As far as I understood, the copies are pretty good, possibly apart from the runners, which is maybe not totally correct. But hat can be remedied.

They are okay tight for the hips, so if one is a little bigger around the hips, they may not suit. Apart from that, they are actually quite comfortable, well, not in the ordinary sense, but it's no problem for me to drive far. I wouldn't mind driving across Europe in them, which I intend to do, once my parking brakes are in place and the bans because of the virussituation are lifted enough to be possible to actually do the trip. They really keep you seated and support well.

Highly recommended. I always advocate for them, because I find them to be far better than many other sportscars seating.

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[Giniw]

There was a complete original raven(?) S4s set for sale on ebay about a couple of weeks ago but the seller wouldn't send them abroad (collection only) and wouldn't even take a few photos to show more details about the original stitching unfortunately ... (I think I have a good understanding of how the S4s ones were made but I still lack a photo of the finishing of the leather strip at the front under the seat)

Edited June 7, 2021 by Giniw

[MrDangerUS]

Per Jacques tip, I have bought two rear lifting point brackets from PNM, nicely made, stainless, heavy gauge.

I took some time to browse trough PNM Engineering online catalogue... they have a great stuff there and prices are pretty competitive!

Check it out: https://www.pnmparts.co.uk/esprit/esprit-s4-s4s-s300-gt3-93-99

They even have COLSIBRO valve guides I was looking for:   https://www.pnmparts.co.uk/esprit/esprit-na-turbo-se-88-92/esprit-na-turbo-se-88-92-e/lotus-turbo-exhaust-valve-guide-0315

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by MrDangerUS

[Jacques]

It often is like this with these sellers, both in the UK, USA and elsewhere: they fabricate some nice bits, but does not always promote them. You got to ask.

Last Saturday, it was nice and sunny, roads dry and temp was about 16 deg. cel. so took a drive along my fav. back road route. Despite the huge tires and soft compound, it just spun it's wheels often, coming out of turns, as if Little Red Riding Hood said "look what I can do, isn't it fun?". Yes, sure it is, but an lsd would make it more fun. I need to start my special gearbox project.

That's a fast car. Also compared to many newer cars with many more horses under the bonnet.

Kind regards,

Jacques

[Barrykearley]

The lsd will almost certainly stop the traction loss chap. Get one 👍

[Jacques]

I already have one, and will build it into my new gearbox project along with all sorts of other "better parts".

I chose a Quaife as they are easy to get.

More roadburning today, although this time it was a bit colder at 11 deg. cel, so relaxed on the throttle or it would have been a recipe for disaster

Oh, and went to the cinema the other day and watched the new Bond movie. I wanted to take the Esprit and part it right putside the cinema, but unfortunately there is a huge roadwork going on right now, so couldn't do that. It would have been nice, though...

Cheers,

Jacques

[Jacques]

Driving Little Red Riding Hood, I need to get a grip on things, as she is definitely a handful.

Well, it's taken me 6 years to finally find a Sp300 steering wheel, and it was a pretty steep price. Then, it was recovered in thick leather in some strange colour on top of the old one. A too thick grip, I'd say.

So, some measely 7 and a half month ago, I delivered it to a trimmer I trust, to be redone in alcantara as it should. No fancy middle stripe or other such things.

Finally got a phone call, and picked it up yesterday and I like it. Oh dear, I think they are recouperating some of their potential lost income by now, as I can nearly get a second hand vw flop for the price this steering wheel reached, mglp... Never mid, it's paid, and one quickly forget such small matters. Anyway, I test fitted it to the car, and it works well. Propper installation maybe later this year or some time next season, as I've got a nice heated dry parking lot inside, but no place to work on the car any more. Grrr....

But Little Red Riding Hood told me, she likes it very much, and I can better grip her and twist her. Well, somehow. No more funny driving way too fast on a backroad, and hands sliding on the slick leather steering wheel, although I do use driving gloves most of the time. This new steering wheel will enhance that grip for sure.

Kind regards,

Jacques

 

 

[Giniw]

2 hours ago, Jacques said:

Oh dear, I think they are recouperating some of their potential lost income by now, as I can nearly get a second hand vw flop for the price this steering wheel reached, mglp...

Royal Steering Wheels has a good reputation on here if I am not mistaken, and they are not so very expensive either apparently ?

Anyway, it looks nice indeed!

[Jacques]

Thanks Giniw, but since I am in Denmark, and Royal Steering Wheels are in the UK; there's a seriously heavy economical penalty if one would be taking them on their offer. Both for shipping forth and back, and for insurance of this steering wheel, as well as a heavy 20% fee on top for customs, and finally a further 25% tax on top of of all. I think it would end up being the same.

I've been using the local trimmer a couple of times such as Sp300 seats and the rear shelves for Little Red Riding Hood, and they do make a good job, I just think I've been in a thinking bubble in the last two years, so I came to be fairly surprised of the price  You know they are getting too much money when they begin to call you by your first name as soon as you enter the door, ha ha!

Kind regards,

Jacques

 

[Giniw]

4 hours ago, Jacques said:

You know they are getting too much money when they begin to call you by your first name as soon as you enter the door, ha ha!

lol :D

As for RSW I think I have read somewhere on their website that they provide a coupon to the customs that specify it's a refurbished item and so it's not taxed when it travels. I think it was a special page on their website about Brexit.

By the way I am happy you found a solution for garaging LRRH!

[tomcattom]

Wheel looks nice. Other than being covered in alcantara rather than leather, is that the only diffrerence between the S300 wheels and the one found in the S4/S4s? Looks exactly the same as the Nardi wheel in mine from what I can see in the photo.

Royal Steering Wheels are very close to where I live. Used them earlier this year to re-trim the wheel on one of my other cars and they did a very nice job of it. May well get them to do my Esprit wheel in the fullness of time.

[Jacques]

Same as S4s apart from alcantara. But at the time, some Sp300 were ordered with normal leather and also normal sports seats, not the Sp300 specific bucket seats. Also other trim options.

Kind regards,

Jacques

[Jacques]

Father Christmas passed by early this year and guess what he brought?

Little Red Riding Hood is getting exited, as she haven't seen it yet but feels there's something on it's way. You know, a sportscars fifth sense...

Kind regards,

Jacques

 

[tomcattom]

You going for for the Morgan approach and adding a wooden frame to the Esprit?