Esprit Turbo project car - part3 - the further continuation

[cweeden]

Nope, me neither. 🥺

[Lotusfab]

 

37 minutes ago, Paul Coleman said:

Don't think I'd be drilling holes in it if it were mine!

There going to be a lot of holes, hopefully in the correct place. I have gone around and around with this decision. I am going to finish the ski racks to the best standard Incan and then decide. At the moment I am making 2 mm thick steel drilling templates. Theres no margin for error with this attachment method. Seems a waste of years of work if I don't install them. They are possibly as close to the originals as you can get, but this time they arn’t film props. They are surprisingly light, especially the upper rack mechanism which is partly aluminium. 

[Paul Coleman]

8 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

 

There going to be a lot of holes, hopefully in the correct place. I have gone around and around with this decision. I am going to finish the ski racks to the best standard Incan and then decide. At the moment I am making 2 mm thick steel drilling templates. Theres no margin for error with this attachment method. Seems a waste of years of work if I don't install them. They are possibly as close to the originals as you can get, but this time they arn’t film props. They are surprisingly light, especially the upper rack mechanism which is partly aluminium. 

I'd chuck the skis and the brackets in the bin and put the drills away

[Lotusfab]

If I do put them on I will test them on a track and film it. Trouble is I have gone to extreme lengths to copy this car. Without the skis its just another Copper fire Esprit.

[Paul Coleman]

6 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

If I do put them on I will test them on a track and film it. Trouble is I have gone to extreme lengths to copy this car. Without the skis its just another Copper fire Esprit.

 

 

Yes it's your car and your money so do as you please obviously. However, sooner or later it will be sold that's inevitable and in my humble opinion having ski racks and skis on it will devalue it. There will be small number of people who will smile as you drive round suburbia wearing skis but a larger number will be less complimentary I'm willing to bet. If I were to buy such a car the first thing I'd do is get rid of them as I'd feel a bit of a cock riding round with them. I'm sure most of the people on here will probably disagree but they're slightly biased! As I say it's your dime.

[Gis]

Well, I think that’s a bit of an understatement Fabian. With or without the racks this is likely still the #1 copper fire turbo esprit out there. It’s like a new car with incredible attention to detail. 

[Lotusfab]

Thanks chaps, both valid points. I suppose If I were to sell I could always fill the holes and respray. Alternatively someone else might want to be James Bond!😄😄😄😄

[LOTUSMAN33]

I’m with you Fabian, this has been your dream build with a bond replica vision in mind, you’ve travelled across the globe to obtain accuracy so fit the racks. The FYEO car is still iconic and recognised with bond being timeless, it’s going to look fab when done 😁😉

Dave  

[Paul Coleman]

5 minutes ago, Lotusfab said:

Thanks chaps, both valid points. I suppose If I were to sell I could always fill the holes and respray. Alternatively someone else might want to be James Bond!😄😄😄😄

I don't know how much you've spent and I dread to ask, so I won't but if you were to sell and want to get your money back your prospective buying audience is more likely to be a serious car collector than a middle aged man who has aspirations of being James Bond.

[Andyww]

If you translate the movie to reality the ski racks were removeable. When it was in Q's workshop it didnt have them I believe (someone correct me if I missed them, its a dark scene).

OK we know that the prop ski racks were mounted through holes. But it would be more true to the script and also a better all-round car if they were removeable IMHO. 

[williamtherebel]

For what's its worth, I'm with you Fabian. Its your car and your dream. I'm sure you haven't spent all this time, money and effort to look to sometime in the future where you might want to sell it and make a profit. (highly unlikely!) You have done it because that is what YOU want to do. So GO DO IT!

I didn't purchase my S1 with a view to how much it might make me in the future, I purchased it because I have always loved the S1 shape and just wanted one (even over my treasured Eclat of 30 years ownership). I'm 67 next week. You cant take it with you , so if you can enjoy it, then ENJOY IT. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. I have followed both your restorations and have always admired your attention to detail. Far more than what I could do. But I'm happy with what I have done and love driving my car, which is what its all about. 

[Lotusfab]

I just looked it up and it was Jan 2018 when I made the first trip to Florida to see the Bond car. Then I made a second visit as my styrofoam plugs weren’t correct. I have been making these racks for almost 2.5 years now. It seems a shame not to put them on. , especially after my design was given a thumbs up by an engineer I know. I am thinking it would be simple to fill the holes and repaint the tailgate, If thats someones preference.
There have been quite a lot of other people that have installed ski racks of one sort or another. I have spent hundreds, probably thousands of hours making these as close to the originals as possible. All the points made are valid and thanks all for the input. I will finish them and then make the decision. If they come out as I expect I will be very tempted to install them. For the moment I am spending all day every day to complete the racks, at last they are moving forward to the finish with most of the work done. I have almost completed a prototype lockable mechanism for the upper racks. Today I shall paint and fibreglass the lower mounts into position. I am probably a week from prepping these for spraying. I already have another litre of specially mixed copper fire paint ready to go. Lots of pictures when they are done, regardless of whether I install them or not.
On another subject is anyone interested in getting some of the front and rear abs plastic door finishers that fit to the inside of the door? I can make them out of ABS plastic, but It will take a lot of time. I was thinking if there are enough of us I could ask Mike at Lotusbits how much he would want to manufacture them.

[Lotusfab]

Does look cool with skis!

[James.007]

2 hours ago, Lotusfab said:

I just looked it up and it was Jan 2018 when I made the first trip to Florida to see the Bond car. Then I made a second visit as my styrofoam plugs weren’t correct. I have been making these racks for almost 2.5 years now. It seems a shame not to put them on. , especially after my design was given a thumbs up by an engineer I know. I am thinking it would be simple to fill the holes and repaint the tailgate, If thats someones preference.
There have been quite a lot of other people that have installed ski racks of one sort or another. I have spent hundreds, probably thousands of hours making these as close to the originals as possible. All the points made are valid and thanks all for the input. I will finish them and then make the decision. If they come out as I expect I will be very tempted to install them. For the moment I am spending all day every day to complete the racks, at last they are moving forward to the finish with most of the work done. I have almost completed a prototype lockable mechanism for the upper racks. Today I shall paint and fibreglass the lower mounts into position. I am probably a week from prepping these for spraying. I already have another litre of specially mixed copper fire paint ready to go. Lots of pictures when they are done, regardless of whether I install them or not.
On another subject is anyone interested in getting some of the front and rear abs plastic door finishers that fit to the inside of the door? I can make them out of ABS plastic, but It will take a lot of time. I was thinking if there are enough of us I could ask Mike at Lotusbits how much he would want to manufacture them.

Looking at your design of the ski racks and the possibility of drilling the bodywork, there could be a way of avoiding this, being a qualified designer I may have a solution. Also I have an aerospace vacuum bag system and could easily reproduce them in fibreglass or better still in kevlar or carbon fibre. 

[skiing]

I would like a set of the ABS door finishers for sure - mine are missing front and rear of both doors. 

[Lotusfab]

3 hours ago, James.007 said:

Looking at your design of the ski racks and the possibility of drilling the bodywork, there could be a way of avoiding this, being a qualified designer I may have a solution. Also I have an aerospace vacuum bag system and could easily reproduce them in fibreglass or better still in kevlar or carbon fibre. 

Hi James, thanks. The only two issues with an alternative solution are time and cost. I have a solution that is almost done and don’t want to spend any more as I am 50 per cent over my initial budget already. I can’t face any more iterations of this at the moment.

[Lex Templar]

It’s so beautiful as it is 🙂.

If you do the white Turbo then you won’t have to worry about skis. You’ll just need the Tasco 7800 binoculars.

[v8vantage]

You have to fit the ski racks Fab, they make the car...otherwise it's just another brown Esprit! I would buy another hatch and have it as an alternate, spray it up in the right colour and fit it for normal driving.

[Fridge]

There's only one thing for it Fab, and that's to also buy a Monaco White Turbo Esprit. Then you can have a summer and winter Turbo and keep everyone happy.

You'll then join a very select bunch of 3 who own all three Lotus Bond cars. One of them being the Deezer geezer.

Only Little Nellie and the Aston's to collect then.

[Lotusfab]

Thats my dream garage!

I’m not the only one then thats fits skis! I think at the end of the day Roos argument will win and there is a lot of Wisdom in what William said. At the end of the day I am making this car for me and no one else. I think I have got to drill the tailgate and put the skis on! 

[v8vantage]

Went to all that trouble but fitted the wrong size skis and wrong bindings. Doesn't anyone pay attention to detail anymore....other than Fab.  Ultimate garage would be to have the actual Bond cars in there rather than replicas.

[Lotusfab]

These are ready now to bond to the lower racks. Just working on the upper mechanism, trouble is I need a lathe!

[ANDYR]

Hi Fabian.

 

DRILL THE HOLES.

FIX THE RACKS.

DRIVE TO THE ALPS.

 

You'll always regret saying, "Ah, I'm glad I made 95% of the car and then pushed it into a garage under a cloth to occasionally look at"

 

 

It's your car. you know every inch.  It is beautiful and I've seen it close up.  It tells a story - but it's not complete.  The skis make that car look utterly awesome and even better to drive around in the summer through Britain's leafy south east villages to turn a few heads.  Consider how people would admire a fully polished replica batmobile or delorean time machine parked up outside a pub. It's all context.  no-one is going to mutter "is it snowing", and if they did... er... this is an issue how?

Having drilled holes in my car, I can't wait to get going to the Alps and something I was ready to do in March and then the world stopped...  so I'm' itching to get going. So are you.

If in the future, you decide to do something else with the car then it comes with or without the racks and it becomes someone else's problem.

Carpe Diem!

 

Andy

(owner of a S3 that sits in the rain, driven often. I thoroughly enjoy looking at its dents and scratches and took pleasure in drilling 16 holes in the tailgate)

 

[Andyww]

Lovely car!

Nice to see diamond-cut BBS wheels. All S3 and Turbo Esprit should either be fitted with Compomotive or diamond-cut BBS IMHO.

The original factory BBS grey detracts from these cars.

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Andy, I think Imam going to realise the dream and start drilling very soon. I am busy making a refined version of the upper rack mechanism. I have had to use a rivnut! Yes Lotus have forced this on me!

Edited July 3, 2020 by Bibs