Esprit Turbo project car - part3 - the further continuation

[Fridge]

12 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

Keep going..........I'll recreate this scene on day!

Maybe some magazine might help? 

I am working on the aerial problem, I think I have a solution.

Hopefully without Moonboots and Farrah slacks!

[Fridge]

12 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

Keep going..........I'll recreate this scene on day!

Maybe some magazine might help? 

I am working on the aerial problem, I think I have a solution.

Hopefully without Moonboots and Farrah slacks!

[Lotusfab]

😀😀😀😀😀That might be a bridge too far!

[Fridge]

17 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

😀😀😀😀😀That might be a bridge too far!

Wrong film, wrong era, but almost the right year (1977) for the S1.

[Lotusfab]

Cleaned and a new oil ring. All parts plated. You must install this correctly and the correct way round. Look down the both sides, match it to the manual. It will only work if installed correctly. Once it's orientated correctly,the oil cooler pipe orientation doesn't matter, but don't get the engine side wrong. They must be fitted to thenoil plate the correct way. See the manual extract. I think I know how three of the pipe were fitted to the chassis. One I'll have to guess at. Any comments much appreciated if anyone disagrees with my pipe routing! 👍🏻

Ohhh, don't forget thread lock. I use loctite. It's needed where the clamp is fitted.

[Lotusfab]

Does the top oil cooler pipe sit unsupported?

[Lotusfab]

I've adjusted it a bit. I believe it just has a cable tie to the other pipes.

[Steve V8]

Hi Fabian, What coating did you use for the chassis? You've probably mentioned it before but it would take days to find amongst the118 pages, looks stunning by the way. 

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Mate. It’s POR15. Arguably the best coating, but I would not recommend it because of its high toxicity and the amount of work involved. If you have someone to spray it then that’s a different story. It’s base and top coat and can be repaired . It’s not really a paint but an anti corrosive chemical epoxy process. It’s rock hard and totally corrosion proof, the top coat stops UV light degradation, although the chassis probably wont get much sunlight. If brushedvon it leaves marks so spraying gives a better finis,  but if you breath it in you may get serious health problems.  There are so many stages it takes ages to do. Cleaning,  metal etching, base coat and top coat. I don’t mind hard work bu5bthis took me weeks! There’s a lot to be said for powder coating. Still it’s done now and will outlast me👍.

[Steve V8]

Appreciate the advice, mine is partial restoration with body on so powdercoat not an option, I used POR15 to restore fuel tanks, extremely impressed with the results, so will give it a go on the chassis ,(if I can get the lid unbonded from tin) thanks.

[CHANGES]

12 hours ago, Lotusfab said:

Thanks Mate. It’s POR15. Arguably the best coating, but I would not recommend it because of its high toxicity and the amount of work involved. 

Fabian,  I don't dispute the quality of POR15 , it is well know, but i am slightly confused to why you took that path...  The sections of you thread I have read pay such extreme attention to retaining originality , so why not the chassis..  I know what a pain the process is prepping and painting galvanized surface properly can be, but even then is only external and as good as the applicator..   This is why I always recommend  re-galvanizing on detailed restorations ..or any come to that..  It is far easier to do ,  done in a day , and most importantly keeps the originality as factory..  The whole process can be sub contracted for less than £1k..  or even less than £500 if you do the leg work yourself..  I feel it a real shame you did not explore this option, it would of complimented all your hard work and given more originality and value to the finished project..           

[Lotusfab]

The thing that put me off was the possibility of it going wrong and it getting distorted. I have no experience of it and didn't know anyone I could trust.  If I did it again, having seen your results, I might go down that path. My chassis is still galvanised underneath and now has a POR coating. Weeks of work, as I say I would not recommend it. Por 15 has some advantages the coating can be recoated  if it gets damaged in minutes. It will not rot as it is chemically protected. It is bullet proof, but a real mission to do properly and not cheap.

I put my S1 in a concours. It is immaculate but didn't win because it was not original. We have debated this before. IMHO no car forty years old that's immaculate is original. It will have have been repainted and had extensive work done. As this car is now a Bond copy also and not "original", so the important thing for me is it all looks new and will last. More importantly it must be the best FYEO Bond replica I can make down to the leather colour.

I would like to restore a JPS and if I do I might go for factory correct. Of course you have to find one first. Maybe someone out there has one for me for about £10k? I don't think so, but we can all dream! Dave I may have to get you to galvanise the next one! 

[Lotusfab]

Regardless of what concours judges think I saw the real Spy Who Loved Me car. I examined the interior and can say the Steve Fulcher trim on mine was Identical down to the last stitch. It was Erie seeing the car. I suppose it should be as Steve's dad trimmed  the original  Bond car and mine was done using the same Tartan and patterns. Who care what concours judges think anyway, let the public judge what they like!I will never enter another concours event!

[Lotusfab]

Back to the resto!

[Andyww]

Personally I prefer Fabians route.

Galvanising oxidises rapidly and while its a very good protection method, it does this at the expense of looks. The oxide coating then gets oil on it and then you would be back to the condition of the pre-restored chassis after a few years.

This reminds me of the debate I had with the Ferrari concours judges when I entered my 328, which has a coated exhaust. The original finish is supposed to be brown corrosion. The system is made from Inconel and wont rust but doesnt look great in original finish. I got a token half a point deducted reluctantly by the judge but still won. 

Also the distortion Fabian mentioned is real, Lotus had to re-jig the chassis after galvanising. 

 

[Lotusfab]

You've got to admit it looks good! 

[Barrykearley]

For me the benefit of dipping is that it coats the insides of the inaccessible areas.

frankly either will be perfectly adequate for me - as I’d be dead by the time either would need redoing.

really feeling the Gcar envy this end 

[Lotusfab]

Don't worry Barry, I'll don't think I'll be there when the chassis need redoing. Petrol cars will probably be banned by then anyway!

[Lotusfab]

Andy, is the routing of the top oil cooler pipe correct? Presumably cable tied to the other pipes?

[Andyww]

Cant see this from the top so not possible to confirm. I note you have those 2 mysterious holes which have no purpose other than adding lightness.

[RichardJGC]

32 minutes ago, Andyww said:

Cant see this from the top so not possible to confirm. I note you have those 2 mysterious holes which have no purpose other than adding lightness.

Could they have been anything to do with the routing of oil pipes on the Dry Sump models as the tank was located on the O/S? Just a thought? Perhaps a Dry Sump owner could confirm either way.

[Paul Coleman]

1 hour ago, Andyww said:

Personally I prefer Fabians route.

Galvanising oxidises rapidly and while its a very good protection method, it does this at the expense of looks. The oxide coating then gets oil on it and then you would be back to the condition of the pre-restored chassis after a few years.

This reminds me of the debate I had with the Ferrari concours judges when I entered my 328, which has a coated exhaust. The original finish is supposed to be brown corrosion. The system is made from Inconel and wont rust but doesnt look great in original finish. I got a token half a point deducted reluctantly by the judge but still won. 

Also the distortion Fabian mentioned is real, Lotus had to re-jig the chassis after galvanising. 

 

I know somebody who galvanized an S2 chassis and then had to twist it back into shape using a jig he setup on a flat table using scaffold poles to bend it back.

[The Pits]

Never noticed Roger's footwear in that scene before, I was always staring at the car in awe of what happens to that paint in the snow. How on earth did he drive it with moonboots on?! It's marginal in the pedal box on early Turbos with Puma Speedcats! 

[Gotti]

18 minutes ago, RichardJGC said:

Could they have been anything to do with the routing of oil pipes on the Dry Sump models as the tank was located on the O/S? Just a thought? Perhaps a Dry Sump owner could confirm either way.

This holes are for the A/C pipes on dry sumps.

[Andyww]

Ah yes makes perfect sense, the A/C compressor is on the left on dry sump so the hoses could go under the engine to the right through the holes.