Esprit Turbo project car - part3 - the further continuation

[Lotusfab]

Headlining in

[Lotusfab]

She lives!

[Lotusfab]

Still needs a lot more work😬😬😬😬😬

Now I have to take the gear lever apart again!

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Tim! No they are the Bond way up!

[Bibs]

On 10/11/2018 at 19:16, Lotusfab said:

Does anyone have experience with CNC lathes? I was thinking it should be possible to cut exactly the same gear lever on a lathe?

@Buddsy has just bought a posh new CNC machine

[Lotusfab]

Wow! Looks like he's about to transport someone half way round the Universe! I'll settle for a gear change lever!

[Lotusfab]

Trial fitting window and trim, bored tea break!

[Fridge]

Certainly coming along Fabian.

I wish my progress was moving as good. Too cold to work in the garage these days.

[Lotusfab]

You must be nearly finished?

[Lotusfab]

Screen spacers in. 4 mm made of rubber. Alignment marks done and window supports. Bright trim all shaped and bent to fit. Now have to wait for wife to help me lift it out and back in!

[Fridge]

51 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

You must be nearly finished?

Yes, about 85%, but from experience it's the last 10% that takes 40% of the time etc. If I could find a decent, interested auto-electrician that could sort out my front loom electrics I'd be almost ready for the windscreen and tailgate glass to go in and an inspection.

Working in an unheated, illuminated single garage that's virtually a lock-up isn't great once the autumn sets in.

I could do with some S1-based preparation/fitting tips on this stage to do and pass on to the windscreen fitter.

[Lotusfab]

Mmm, no heat no work! I can help within the windscreen. 8 spacer blocks. 4 mm cut from rubber. Their position is critical. You can see them in my picture. You place them in accordance with the Lotus manual,but they must be placed so the metal trim fits flush with the body. Small changes in block position mean a big change in glass position. No easy way just takes time. Super glue them to the body else they will move. Then position the windscreen central and support it off the wiper support and wiper with small blocks, to stop it slipping. When you have got the position bend the metal trim to fit. It may have to be cut. The edge of the metal trim should be flush with the plastic silver trim, looks much nicer! Very small hand pressure and not just in one area. It should lie flat on glass with no gaps when done. Then remove windscreen. Prep it and colour the black border with dinitrol. Remember the boarder must finish just beyond the inside trim else you can see down the edges from the front of the car, not nice!  Then bead of dinitrol to outer edge of glass. Don't cut the nozzle how Lotus suggest, it doesn't work and makes a huge mess! Use the dinitrol nozzle. 5 mm bead and extra where the window gaps are larger. Test for leaks with water when set! Job done! 

I removed the gear lever mechanism from the car. It's now with an engineering workshop then off to the Chromers. 

I use Paul at Cranford Engineering Leatherhead if anyone needs a good engineer? 

Another leatherhyde has just arrived more recolouring😫😫😫😫😫😫 No wonder Lotus didn't make money out of this there's far too much work!

[Lotusfab]

Hi Buddsy,

have sent you a PM. I have already given the bits to an engineering company. But if you have already have a thin gear lever I'm interested. Here's the thin one I need. Did you copy the 7 mm thread or upgrade it to 8 mm?

All of the fiberglassing stuff has arrived. So I now have to remove the clock enclosure from the header rail and fiberglass it in. 

[Lotusfab]

Windscreen 

I measured the black banding on the original screen. Here it is. Remember Lorus used Betaseal not Dinitrol so we have to adapt to the new products. Here's a close up of the little rubber spacers.. I made these out of a rubber sheet. Putting the window in is all in the prep and measuring. The Dinitrol is the easy bit- unless you have a cold tube. Then your hand will fall off long before you have managed to squeeze a bead if it out! Nozzle with a V hold gun so that the crest of bead tends towards the outer edge. It didn't take me long to prep this screen, but then I have had a lot of practice. Getting the trims correct is the hard bit. I intend to glue them with silicone sealant so they can be removed easily! 

You really need those screen sucker holders, without them it's so much more difficult!

It's also a two man job. I did the S1 screen mostly on my own but it was very tricky and risky.

[Lotusfab]

[Lotusfab]

Pull the mask tape off when it's still wet, make sure the pinstripe in wheel pressed down!

[Lotusfab]

Et Volla!

[Lotusfab]

My most important window fitting tip. Once the window is in that's where your work starts. You MUST clean off all excess sealant, especially in the gullets where the trim pieces fit and onthe inside where the header goes. Else you will have a real shock when you come to fit these parts and they won't fit. They you will have to try and get rid of excess sealant without damaging the body when the sealant is hard. Not impossible, but having done it before I really can't recommend it! Saving yourself hours of work and clean it off before it's set. That's all for my window fitting tips. Good luck and Don't Do It!, get in  some other mug! 😀😀😀😀😀

Hopefully the Cold War will be back on and MR Bond may need some old equipment! Any Pinewood agents these cars will soon be available!

[drdoom]

That's a lovely result Fabian, thanks for the great tutorial! Is there no trim across the top of the screen?

Cheers

[Fridge]

30 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

My most important window fitting tip. Once the window is in that's where your work starts. You MUST clean off all excess sealant, especially in the gullets where the trim pieces fit and onthe inside where the header goes. Else you will have a real shock when you come to fit these parts and they won't fit. They you will have to try and get rid of excess sealant without damaging the body when the sealant is hard. Not impossible, but having done it before I really can't recommend it! Saving yourself hours of work and clean it off before it's set. That's all for my window fitting tips. Good luck and Don't Do It!, get in  some other mug! 😀😀😀😀😀

Hopefully the Cold War will be back on and MR Bond may need some old equipment! Any Pinewood agents these cars will soon be available!

I won't be Fabian. That's for certain.

[Lotusfab]

59 minutes ago, drdoom said:

That's a lovely result Fabian, thanks for the great tutorial! Is there no trim across the top of the screen?

Cheers

Thanks Steve. Yep there's trim on the top. I have to wait for the glue to set then I will silicone the trim. There are clips that slot into the top and sides. The trims have to be cut to fit. They are quite soft and easy to file. You can see I have already bent them to fit so they are  almost perfect without glue. With glue and clamps they will be pretty reasonable. I'm waiting for the clamps to arrive, as I have lost my last set. They have a sucker as a pivot and you can stick them on the glass and tighten them to hold the trim. Will post some more pics when it's finished.

Not a bad fit without glue.

You do have to spend a bit of time bending them to shape.

Once you get these back together that's when the works starts, shimming and painting to get it to a higher standard. I'm please so far with how it's coming out. Twos years invested though!

[Lotusfab]

Full trim test pic

[Paul Coleman]

17 hours ago, Lotusfab said:

Full trim test pic

Nice drop of paint

 

[910Esprit]

Fabian - When are you going to tweek the left headlamp pod alignment.   It gets me every time!

[Lotusfab]

Hi Steve I left it nit connected in the picture as I have the relays loose for Fault finding when I power it all up. I put in new rods and bearings. The bearings are opposite thread so If you twist the rod the pod adjusts up or down. Will have to fitvit to my S1, big improvement. 

I have just started to adjustvthe bonnet alignment. I replaced the seal with an early one. Mistake it's not thick enough to support the bonnet. So extra rubber needed in the front corners.