Getting started on my Excel Resto

[Fueltheburn]

That's a lot of electrical issues  have you checked the relays??

 

The relays in both driver and passenger footwells rot out with the position being perfect for any water ingress to run directly down the wiring and into the back of the relays.

Having just replaced about 10 of them... you will want to update them to sealed 40amp units. 

[Kimbers]

How does the door go back together again? Maybe I'm not the mechanical wizard I thought!

[Barrykearley]

Hmm. - opposite to taking apart.......

That's not helping much I'm sure......

[johnpwalsh]

Mr Kimberley, ( is it Sunday ) I have replied Sir.

[Barrykearley]

And picture in car - not the best but you get the gist

[Kimbers]

Just driven her properly for the first time. Pulls like a train, engine is excellent when going but rough as nails on tickover. 

 

Won't be driving her again any time soon as the clutch is shot to hell. Put your foot down and it slips and roars away but goes nowhere.

 

Tried to get into the passenger door for the first time.....yeah, that didn't happen.

 

Riddle me this please oh fonts of all knowledge. Why, when I get above 60 does the top of the door (the window surround etc) start coming away and flapping about. Does that mean it's knackered?

[Barrykearley]

The frame bolts into the door shell if I'm right.

Sounds like it's busted and rotten inside the door itself

[Fueltheburn]

Door frames are stored somewhere between hens teeth and rocking horse poo.

If rotten  - you can either stitch several half decent ones together or you can wait until a set has been built.

I had a set manufactured from new as myself and Brian Swankie need quite a few sets and nobody had begun making them at the time.  There has been progress on excel.net about an alternative but nothing solid has been released yet.

If you get stuck, I have a fresh pair of originals that were in very good order and just needed a few light repairs.

[Daniel]

Is it not finished yet?....... 

[Kimbers]

Well, MJK has been over and done his "I'm an Engineer!" thing. Apparantly the engine is rough because the timing is out. When I showed him my door frame etc he said "When you open that up it's going to be all sorts of trouble!" Thanks for that very helpful.

 

The fuel smell coming from the engine is the Carbs over "Fueling" apparantly. Also not helping the running of the engine.

 

But, he said that for the money it was a superb buy and looks fantastic.

 

He also sat in it and said "I'm home. So many good memories, it's like going back in time".

 

He then said "OH MY GOD! What have they done to the dash and centre console! Thats vomit inducing! Who would do that and why would they do that!"

[Barrykearley]

It'll be a great motor when the list gets a work through......

No amount of cable ties will fix the window frame though......

[Daniel]

OK.... so here's the inside scoop on mendificating..... the tricks the engineers want to keep to themselves......

 

if it moves, and it's not supposed to:

 

if it's stuck, and it's supposed to move:

 

thank me later.

 

I'm almost the surrogate father to this car........... as for paternal contributions..... see you in court

[johnpwalsh]

Kimbers, forgot I can add a good set of window frames to you growing list, corrosion free, plus window motors, glass etc.

[Don.Hasi]

Kimbers, forgot I can add a good set of window frames to you growing list, corrosion free, plus window motors, glass etc.

Oh, I thought, these were mines which you wanted to send me in time (now about 3 months ago) ???

Edited May 21, 2015 by Don.Hasi

[Don.Hasi]

2) where is the hole? I have a complete exhaust line for a MY89, which is different to the others for sale. Without the manifold you can have it for 400gbp.

8) Which facia is it exactly?

@John: I have overlooked some months... now it is 6months ago

[Kimbers]

Busted........

[johnpwalsh]

Hi Don, pm sent.

[Don.Hasi]

@ John:

 

He then said "OH MY GOD! What have they done to the dash and centre console! Thats vomit inducing! Who would do that and why would they do that!"

Kimbers: did he also said, who in the name of the Lord is responsible for the last dash layout of the Eclats? It looks fine, if you look at it from the backseats, but for the Driver it is absolutely impossible to watch the most important instrument on the car, the water temp. You cant get even a hint, where the needle is standing. I guess this is respsonsible for many engines to die because the Driver didnt get aware, that his fans are not working properly... and this also determines a good part of the unreliable behaviour of these excelent cars.

3 of 6 instruments are not in the view of the Driver when you are about 1,80m and more. AFAIK MJK is in that range. 3 genius were on board at that time: ACBC, MFK, Witnerbottom, all over 1,80m and none of them has prevent this? I cant believe this.

Would you be so kind to ask him that? And with that you have the perfect answer, why this must have been changed urgentely

Edited June 9, 2015 by Don.Hasi

[Bibs]

Move your head an inch?

[Kimbers]

She just died on me.. Graham Atkin came over to look at the timing and it started to turn over fine then suddenly stopped. Loads of Electricity in her so not battery related. It is suspected the Starter relay has failed.

 

EIther way I now need it recovering to get it repaired. DOH!

[Don.Hasi]

Move your head an inch?

Good advise...

This is the drivers view...

it wont work. Even two inches... wont work

Buddsy: Dont your eyes "scan" the instruments if you are driving your Esprit?

If we could trust everything which is in or on our cars, we could shut down this board...

[Loose Cannon]

How daft of the lotus engineers, of course they should have fitted an Allegro wheel

 

 

See lots of instruments through that?

[Don.Hasi]

How daft of the lotus engineers, of course they should have fitted an Allegro wheel

 

This should fit to the stalks of it...

[Loose Cannon]

Kimbers: did he also said, who in the name of the Lord is responsible for the last dash layout of the Eclats? ........3 of 6 instruments are not in the view of the Driver when you are about 1,80m and more. AFAIK MJK is in that range. 3 genius were on board at that time: ACBC, MFK, Witnerbottom, all over 1,80m and none of them has prevent this? I cant believe this.

Would you be so kind to ask him that? And with that you have the perfect answer, why this must have been changed urgentely

 

Hi Don, I forgot to add to this conversation...... the info I have on the dash from one of the directors at the time (not MJK) was that Colin Chapman was so in love with the Giugiaro designed interior of the Elite (and thus Eclat/early Excel) that he instructed the engineers to change NOTHING. It was apparently a nightmare to "productionise" with all it's hidden fixings and chrome strips, fiddly to put together and take apart for maintenance (as we all know), but that was the limits they were forced to work under. So, CC is responsible, but ultimately Giugiaro!

 

The same is true of the shiny moulded A pillar trims, Chapman liked them, almost impossible to productionise, but he was the boss so they stayed!

[Don.Hasi]

Now there is something ticking in the back of the empty head.... Yes, there was something with this Giugiaro story. The Esprit has had then the "styled by Giugiaro" sticker although only the interior was from him finally, wasn't it? And for the 4 seater the trick was the same without the sticker, right?

So, now we know whom to "blame" ;-) of course the marketing strategy behind it, was absolutely right... The result.... Errrr...not.

Thank you Mark, for bringing back the story. With the A pillars this is totaly new for me

Edited July 6, 2015 by Don.Hasi